Where can I discuss the aesthetics of making videos to go with my songs?
January 31, 2024 1:11 PM Subscribe
I've made some videos to go with some of my original songs. I want to make more, but there are aesthetic (not technical) issues that I'd like to discuss with people who want to discuss them...
I want to make videos to go with my original songs. But I mostly don't LIKE most music videos. Mostly I don't like them because either (1) they illustrate the music LITERALLY, which is sort of boring; (2) the video is "doing its own thing," which, to my eyes/mind, COLLIDE with the song.
One kind of video to do that doesn't do (1) or (2) is simply to record myself singing/playing my song. I've done that. But that doesn't satisfy my URGE to do something more "creative" visually that will accompany my song without being (1) or (2). But that's the hard part!
So -- here are my songs, if you feel like listening to see what I'm dealing with (the link is to a SoundCloud page).
I'm particularly interested in making music videos to "He's A Man" and "Animal Love," with others to follow.
NOTE: These recordings are absolutely terrible because I can't find the originals and I copied them from another site and, well, they're just terrible. I've also learned a lot about how to record songs since then. Thanks!
I want to make videos to go with my original songs. But I mostly don't LIKE most music videos. Mostly I don't like them because either (1) they illustrate the music LITERALLY, which is sort of boring; (2) the video is "doing its own thing," which, to my eyes/mind, COLLIDE with the song.
One kind of video to do that doesn't do (1) or (2) is simply to record myself singing/playing my song. I've done that. But that doesn't satisfy my URGE to do something more "creative" visually that will accompany my song without being (1) or (2). But that's the hard part!
So -- here are my songs, if you feel like listening to see what I'm dealing with (the link is to a SoundCloud page).
I'm particularly interested in making music videos to "He's A Man" and "Animal Love," with others to follow.
NOTE: These recordings are absolutely terrible because I can't find the originals and I copied them from another site and, well, they're just terrible. I've also learned a lot about how to record songs since then. Thanks!
Isn’t there an option 1.5 where the video speaks to the themes of the song in an allegorical way?
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:49 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:49 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Best answer: He's a Man has a B-52's/Devo vibe to it but all in all you have to decide where you want to take it visually. If you want to go retro new wave with it, that would be an obvious direction. Tame Impala has done retro to great effect. But the sky and your imagination is the limit. I imagine Q-Lazzarus had something else in mind with his song Goodby Horses but after Silence of the Lambs, that song has a different feel for everyone hearing it.
I dig I'm cyborg but that's ok on Youtube, who takes songs and mixes scenes from old movies and tv shows to match the rhythm but not necessarily the theme of the songs. If you want to do something similar I'd suggest dropping the vocal track to just listen to the music for structure.
But again, you can choose what inspiration to begin with. For the music, you may have been inspired by Devo but for the visuals, who inspires you? David Lynch, Anime, Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton, old movies, etc. Start there.
posted by JJ86 at 6:21 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]
I dig I'm cyborg but that's ok on Youtube, who takes songs and mixes scenes from old movies and tv shows to match the rhythm but not necessarily the theme of the songs. If you want to do something similar I'd suggest dropping the vocal track to just listen to the music for structure.
But again, you can choose what inspiration to begin with. For the music, you may have been inspired by Devo but for the visuals, who inspires you? David Lynch, Anime, Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton, old movies, etc. Start there.
posted by JJ86 at 6:21 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Perhaps rather than making the video just be of you singing/playing you could perform the song in costume, with a set/filters that fit the vibe of the song? Maybe keep the costume on and do some moody non-playing shots to cut into the performance with as you e.g. walk through the woods, sadly cut up onions etc whatever fits. You could do similar with a lyric video.
posted by london explorer girl at 8:01 AM on February 1
posted by london explorer girl at 8:01 AM on February 1
Response by poster: JJ86, I wonder what one does regarding copyrights when using old movies etc.
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:25 AM on February 4
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:25 AM on February 4
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posted by DMelanogaster at 1:13 PM on January 31