Friday, October 9, 2009

How To Make An R&B Video For Eighty Quid

To round off R&B and Falsetto Week on The 'Spill - here's the R&B video I made over the last two weeks (thanks to ejaydee for pointing out the falsetto in it, innit?).

Costs as follows: Club Lighting Guy: £50. Bottles of water: £30.

Things I learned from the production:

1. When a girl says she's 5'7" it's correct, when a guy says he's 5'7" - he's most probably lying.

2. Do not let the artist anywhere near the edit, as they will insist on viewing every last second of footage of themselves.

3. If you spin on your head too much, you will go bald.

4. If you ask people nicely to do stuff for nothing, they will usually help you.

5. If your dancers don't rehearse enough, none of their routine will make the final cut.

6. It is possible to shoot a whole music video in 3 hours, and edit it in a few days.

Any questions?

26 comments:

ejaydee said...

Faaantaseeeee!
Falsetto!
I think one of the dancers is wearing an Arsenal tracksuit. This is why it's an amazing video.

steenbeck said...

Brilliant!! That breakdancing was very impressive, actually. All that popping and...what was the other thing she could do?

Next time get a big jug of filtered water and make everybody write their name on a cup with a sharpie marker.

tincanman said...

Tres cool. I hope you got paid decent £££ for that.

Was neat watching it to see how tall the guy wasn't lol. You covered it well.

ejaydee said...

How much freedom did you have with the overall concept?
How many times did you hear the song, or did you lose count after 273?
Is there a 'Spill secret signal?

Blimpy said...

@ejaydee - this video was an interesting experiment in making something "in genre". this is not the sort of video I would make left to my own devices. the concept was kinda pre-defined by the genre and that the song is about a fantasy girl.

the artist wanted to sing, dance, and take his shirt off. the video is supposed to appeal to the usher / chris brown audience. that was all that was needing to be covered, set in a club. with the really basic narrative of singer gets hot chick (the staple of r&b videos).

my main challenge was to try to tick all the genre boxes, for no money, in a tiny town in scotland no less.

make the singer look cool? check.
singer has a cool "posse" backing him up? check
feature a girl who's so hot, she's convincing as the "fantasy" woman? check.
cool modern / breakdancers? check.
not feature drugs, alcohol, weapons, overt sexual displays? check.
synchronised dance sequence? check.
feature singer's branding without contradicting product placement guidelines? check.

I think I've heard the song over 300 times by now!!

nilpferd said...

It's a tough ask, Blimpy, well done. That would be like us having to plan and build an IKEA warehouse in Romania in three weeks, I guess. And retain artistic integrity.
I have only respect for your efforts here.

ToffeeBoy said...

@ Blimpy

Can I just ask, are the overt sexual displays on the outtakes? If so, I don't suppose you'd care to ....

tincanman said...

he he, that reminds me that I misread IAEA for IKEA in a headline on Iran's nuclear ambitions the other day, and had the epiphany that instead of trying to stop Iran getting the bomb, we should give it to them but ship it flatpacked. Should take 'em 7 or 8 years to get all the pieces spread out and realize they're short one special fastener.

Blimpy said...

@Toffeeboy - they're in the "dropped" box!!!!! Arf!!!

Blimpy said...

@nilp - thanks!

shane said...

Do you know that the short arse can't work out the internet and read the comments that you/we are making?

otherwise..
I'm impressed..
this seams so far from your indie kid in the village that it reverts to FUN.. nice one Blimpster.

PS love the camera work on metal violin one too.

Blimpy said...

@shane - thanks for the nice comments, you rock.

as for mini-usher reading any of this, note that i haven't mentioned his name once, and the youtube clip you;re all watching ISNT the official one (it's on my account, and not named, .....look there's RUN jAMC etc) - so there's NO POSSIBLE WAY this'll ever connect ( I HOPE!!!)

Blimpy said...

......there is a credible indie video in the pipeline, if youse would like in on it.....

tincanman said...

in on it meaning what?

shivery shane said...

yep secret spill vids by the director are great..

aren't you s'posed to be in London?
(or do you have one of those moveable phone/laptop things..!)

I never got to answer your questions of the week.. but 1 would be 'Have a swim in the Lido in London Fields' I'm told it's a shocker getting out in Autumn/winter but some of my friends swear by it.

Blimpy said...

@tinny and shane - i'm in london from sunday, and as for a secretspillvideo, there is a basic concept for a video that could do with some input and/or crewing.

Blimpy said...

@shane, i'll pack my trunks!

sane advice service said...

nelly will be proud...

we can input as much (useless tips) as you want..

(any other time I coulda come down and helped crew as well ... but the falling down house is stopping me doing anything at the mo!)

tincanman said...

Can I bring the kids?
Thought not

gordonimmel said...

Isn't that Shaun Wright-Phillips in the lead role?

Oh, no, wait... SWP is waaaay taller than that!

DarceysDad said...

Finally got to this just before I take my proto-hangover ("INCOMING!!") to bed.

I have to say that just three plays of that song forced on me would have me begging for mercy, let alone three hundred and three.

But damn, that's good work on the video Blimpy, given what you revealed about its making.

I am particularly impressed with baldy-spinning-dancer. Seriously, he rocks!!

Luke-sensei said...

great stuff Blimpy! looks like it was a lot of fun to do....and it all looks very impressive

SatanKidneyPie said...

Only just round to watching this, Blimpy. Very impressive stuff

tincanman said...

At the risk of re-opening some wound I'm not even aware of, why is it we don't see you much anymore Satan?

SatanKidneyPie said...

Thanks for the concern, tin. I am trying to be a better 'spiller, but there's been a lot going on. Mostly to do with the fact that when I'm not working I'm either DIYing, we're off visiting friends/family, or they're coming to visit us. That's mainly cos we're expecting Satan jr II very soon (just under 3 weeks) and Mrs KidneyPie is of the opinion that we're not going anywhere for at least 9 months. Meaning we've been of visiting friends and family practically every weekend for the last 4 months. Mrs KP's also quite keen not to have wardrobes unbuilt and kitchens not quite finished when the new baby is here and Little Miss Satan still needs occupying. Which I suppose is true...

Then, on top of that, my mum was/is quite ill, so during the summer, when she was first diagnosed, we spent a lot of time visiting my parents. She's much better now, although about to undergo some intensive inpatient treatment which means she might not get to see the new baby for a while...

So, you know, mainly just life getting in the way. I am still just about managing to keep up with what's been going on on the 'spill, but not quite finding the time to do much posting of my own or think up witty and insightful responses to posts.

tincanman said...

Pop in any time you need a little R&R. Someone's always here, and if not the key will be under the mat