Music Video Blog - Edward Mendoza - Music Video Director

Music video forum - music video production discussion board

2009-11-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

After weeks of development and testing, my new music video forum is ready to be unleashed:

edwardmendoza.com/music-video-forum/

I've had the idea to have discussions with other directors, cinematographers and film crew, as well as acting talent and music video models for quite some time, but I was not sure what the best form of media to use. I have been going back and forth with emails sent from many other filmmakers and talent, but I felt that email is to private of an outlet to help others with similar questions. My goal is to set forth this forum in a way that can open the communication between artists of all fields in order to help each other out and better reach our career aspirations in the music video field. After almost five years living in a city like LA with no such community for those starting out, I hope we can collaborate and create one online.

Registration is free, the purpose of the forum is community building; not financial gain. To register, just visit the registration page here:

edwardmendoza.com/music-video-forum/register/

Only a username, password and email are required. An email validation will be sent to make sure it is your actual account, after which you can login at any time:

edwardmendoza.com/music-video-forum/login/

I've setup the forums by main categories, such as HOW TO BECOME A MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTOR, COST FOR A MUSIC VIDEO and other questions I have been receiving throughout my career as a music video director, but I will be expanding and updating this list as other subjects arise. I already have a few categories and questions by some initial users, but the point of the forum is by no means just an interaction between me and other users. If I cannot help with a problem I encourage others to get in on the conversation, that is what community building is suppose to achieve: we all help each other out.

The programming part of the forum has been worked on rather obsessively, but let me know as any bugs appear with the software. If a link does not work, username/password doesn't login properly or any other issues, just send me an email and I will try to figure out a solution to the problem.

Like all first attempts, this forum is by no means perfect and I will be addressing suggestions that come to my attention. Feel free to email me with any comments, questions or suggestions, whether they be from a web aesthetic and/or functional nature. I hope this music video forum serves as a starting point to finding information about the subject of making music videos from all aspects from producing, to directing to post production.

Thanks,
Edward Mendoza

The great New Divide?

2009-11-01T00:15:00.000-07:00

The particle effects alone are worth the price of admission, add to that shots of one of the coolest effects movies ever made and a great song and what else? Well, we could add a 3d mesh system, composite in Flame, color correct in a Da Vinci and add several transitions with the currently hip pixel smear effect. All of that together including a multi-million dollar advertising engine and you might have some views on Youtube.

But no promises here, you never know what people will like.

This is Halloween, this is Halloween

2009-10-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

Have a great Halloween, here is the Manson rendition of the holiday classic. Marylin Manson really should have done a video where he is a puppet and it's animated in stop motion, he would find a way to make it even creepier than the original. Candies from strangers, anyone?

Bigbang and 2NE1 - Lollipop

2009-10-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

My Korean friend Yoon(no, he's not a commie!) sent this one to me after my post on Dada's Lollipop, the sexy version. The colors on this video are so bright my eyes cones are having a problem registering the color around me. Did I mention colorful? It's like a Mexican house on Acid, with cute Asian girls jumping around and Asian dudes rapping.

Anyone else with a Lollipop track send it over, I might as well collect them all.

Nimbusnine - So Deep - directed by August Lyle Espino

2009-10-29T00:15:00.000-07:00

The compositing work done by director/effects artist August Espino is very impressive in this video; he really took a greenscreen video to a whole other level. It fits with the vibe of the track and places us in a setting reminiscent of an off shore from George Orwell's 1984 novel. Why is it that videos like this one, with cool graphics, a good performance and a hot beat don't become viral? Are we getting jaded with so much content or is it the fact that the band isn't on the radio?

To see more videos from director August Lyle Espino, check out his Youtube channel here.

Matheus Poli - Guitarist and Composer

2009-10-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a clip from my friend Matheus Poli, he's been playing classical guitar for over 8 years now and he says he's finally getting somewhere. That's really how it works, it takes you at least a decade to finally feel like you are understanding the skill you are working so hard on, it's also the main reason why practicing a trade on the side once a week doesn't get you anywhere; you have to be submerged in the process. I'm currently working with Matheus on a video, I will be documented the filming of it as we move forward.

How to shoot a feature film: audio cables

2009-10-27T00:15:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this video on Youtube and after all the cable gathering I did on my feature 'Drug Money', I think it's a very relevant video to spread around. One of the biggest issues with the Red One camera, coming from other HD cameras, is that it requires its own sound board, so you will have audio cables going around the whole set; from the mic, to the sound board, and back to the camera for backup. You might think it doesn't matter since you will be renting most of the equipment anyway, but the last thing you want on your set is to have audio problems because one of the XLR cables isn't working properly. Yes, it happens more times than you'd think.

Kaskade & deadmau5 - Move For Me

2009-10-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

Not a new track by any means, but the video is worth talking about. At the time it came out, compositing effects like these were not as common, and I like how they blend with the light effects and the strobes. Add a few shots in ultra slo-mo and you have a great video with a great track; which explains the 2 million plus views.

Dada - Lollipop (Sexy Version)

2009-10-25T00:15:00.000-07:00

Any particular reason European dance videos are hotter than anything we put out here in the U.S.? Oh, that's right; they don't have people afraid of showing some skin on national television. In Europe, if you have too much violence in a video, they won't play it; over here we can see rappers like Eminem going nuts and chopping humans up and freaking out.

Just don't show a half naked girl dancing in a video, that would be immoral.

Why buy the Red One camera?

2009-10-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

After shooting and entire feature on this camera and hauling it around so many sets I have to ask: what's the point of buying this heavy, bulky piece of equipment? It was so heavy to move around, even simple shots like a pan move were a headache. Was the footage in the end worth the effort? Of course it was! At 4K resolution, I can literally cut between a two medium closeups from the same shot and not lose any resolution at 1920 HD. But moving this thing was a pain, and after the shoot I don't know what I would have done with four medium size camera cases.

My point here is unless you are a cinematographer or are in the rental business, I think purchasing the camera is a mistake because of the size/weight considerations. Just rent it when you need it and let someone else worry about misplacing 40 thousand dollars worth of equipment. You got insurance?

How to write an iphone app

2009-10-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

I found a great article on how to write an iphone app, after seeing MC Hammer put out an app for the iPhone I think more artists should start getting on this track:

webmonkey.com/blog/How_to_Write_an_iPhone_App

I was recently playing around with T-Pain's app to sing through an auto-tuner, it was fun for a while but wasn't as addictive to mess around with as I expected. But it's selling like wildfire, so it's a good idea to output an app to promote your music in some way, maybe this article can help.

Yuksek - Extraball

2009-10-22T00:15:00.002-07:00

The video is a great example on how important a glossy video is to promote your music, I've heard of Yuksek, but the video kept my interest for the 3 minutes and 27 seconds it ran, then I watched it 2 more times. Great track, now the band has my interest and I want to hear more from them, so I have been clicking away at any video with their name on it. The visuals brought me in and their music kept me there, would they really be getting their music promoted without the video? Would I have blogged about it if the video was an amateur piece shot by a friend? The music matters most, but visuals come in second and should be given as much attention if not more once your track is complete.

David May - Superstar

2009-10-21T00:15:00.000-07:00

Mixed in with samples from Bittersweet Symphony, the track is definitely hot; with an accompanying video to set the mood. It even goes to the point of showing a naked, wet chick on a leather sofa. Yep, a naked hot chick isn't enough, let's make sure she's humid and leather is thrown in there somewhere. The end silhouette shots with the models dancing is also fun, the only problem with this video to me was the hand puppet; I have a thing about that. Not against ones like the Muppets, just bad looking hand puppets that look amateur; if you're going to town, go all the way or stay home.

Average cost of music videos

2009-10-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

Budgets for all media are just getting tighter and tighter, the price artists are willing to pay for a video is really plummeting. Many filmmakers are trying to get into the music video game in hopes of directing movies one day, and to be honest that strategy just doesn't work anymore; mainly because most directors can't live off of the money they will make directing videos. Not a problem for a lot of artists out here in LA that do several different gigs; most of us do many jobs before landing better paying work, but for beginners it's just getting harder and harder.

But all of this is great news for the musicians, because now they have more choices than ever to hire a director and get a professional looking video that would have cost 4 times as much just a few years ago. I've seen posts on craigslist for as little as $300 to make a video; I don't swing that way. Part of making it in this field is pushing your brand, and at those budgets it's a hard thing to do, so I would rather do 4 to 5 videos a year at great quality then half ass 20+ videos; where is it taking you?

How to shoot a feature film: Celtx used for planning

2009-10-19T00:15:00.000-07:00

I was recently teaching a friend how to use Celtx for organizing his first short film; seeing how we organized a feature with Celtx, a short shouldn't be a problem. The best part about Celtx is how it organizes your data; it works as an OOP(Object Oriented Program)for your script. This means it breaks down every element(characters, actors, locations, props, effects...) and it ties in where and when each one will be necessary based on the dates you input as your shooting dates. This alone is worth the price of admission(free!), but then you can export the portions of your script, location info, actor info, character breakdown, etc...into bite sized .pdf files for printing and emailing.

I was on the set looking up the script and actor info on my iPhone, it all works that well together.

Round Table Knights - Hold Me Back - HP Invent

2009-10-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

I've bought a lot of crappy printers, some of them HP; but this video totally redeems them. Obviously it wouldn't work quite as well without the soundtrack from Round Table Knights, but the choreography of the printers is well thought out. It's sad that corporations are starting to make more creative youtube videos now than artists, but they can afford the marketing team. Felt tip pen animation, anyone?

Sean Kingston - Face Drop - Love me for my outer?

2009-10-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

Here we have a very sympathizing character that Sean portrays who gets dissed, by a hot chick. He goes to his apartment where we see a girl who is overweight smiling back at him, but he goes upstairs. I was assuming the video would bring these two together; but it doesn't, Sean ends up with the cute thin one. Kind of ironic, no? In his lyrics he says:

"Sayin' that I look better if I was thinner
Don't you know you shoulda love me for my inner"

But he doesn't pick the cute, chunky one; he goes for the slim version. That's the best part about humanity; nothing but raw honesty.

As far as the visual quality of the video, I liked the idea of him transforming into a caricature and walking around influencing others in a positive way with his music; but the 3D animation is awful. The facial movements aren't to bad, but the walking looks ridiculous, who walks like that? The animated lights work well, and the idea of caricatures in color and people in black and white was also refreshing. Someone should have given the animators a copy of Poser, now in version 8.

Guru Josh Project - Infinity

2009-10-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

This is the Klaas vocal edit of the track, the video already has over 10 million views. Damn, that's viral. Which brings me to an interesting point as far as video directing and producing: it doesn't matter how amazing the video to a song is, if people don't like the music or are not interested in the artists, they are not going to spread it around; and paying youtube to promote your video is only going to take you so far.

Ghettosocks - Don't Turn Around (feat. Edgar Allen Floe) - directed by Pardis Parker

2009-10-15T00:15:00.000-07:00

Interesting '8 Mile' style indie video from Canadian director Pardis Parker, I like the intro; good way to set up the characters and the style of the piece. The video looks very sharp, I'm assuming it was shot with the Panasonic HVX or the Sony XDCam; the movement of the camera gives it a reality TV feel that fitting with the track. Speaking of tracks, the beat on this one hits hard, sounds like something Jay Z might spit on.

To see more work from Flying Dish Prodcutions, check out there website: flyingdish.ca.

I just received an email from Pardis where he gives more info on the equipment he used, here is part of the message:

'We shot with a beat-up Super 16 camera over four days, and we shot both the music video and an accompanying short film (the footage of which is used for the narrative sequences in the music video) simultaneously. We went hand-held or steadicam for nearly every shot - only three shots used sticks and none of those shots madeit into the video.

The music video is getting great buzz and getting the artist a lot of attention both in the US and Canada (and abroad - the French and Eastern Europeans seem to really dig the video, too), and the short film will be the next step - it'll be cut together over the next couple months, scored, then released to film festivals in the new year. A fun, challenging project, and it's always great when people respond favourably to your work.'

Thanks for sharing Pardis, let us know of any updates on the videos success.

Kiernan Ryan Daley - actor performs in The Perfect Location

2009-10-14T00:15:00.000-07:00

Last I heard of Kiernan Daley he moved to Vegas to pursue the Real Estate business on the loan side of the equation as well as sell diet products for weight training. He was doing very well, but then again Kiernan is the type of guy that will excel at anything he sets his mind to: from staring in movies as he shows acting power here in my short film The Perfect Location, to making people laugh on the set with his very accurate Schwarzenegger impressions to break dancing, as he did on a music video I directed after the short film. Although he was a bit too trustworthy, as you can see in the short film:

http://theperfectlocation.net

Canon 7D DSLR - 24FPS video camera -18 Megapixels picture mode

2009-10-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

Holy shit it took them long enough but it looks like they finally got it right: a DSLR camera that can shoot in 24 fps with astonishing results, for under 2 grand! We are going to see many more videos being produced with this camera, screw the Scarlet; it's taking to long. This thing even records audio, so syncing with music will not be a problem. Still waiting for the 'perfect' camera?

How to start your music video directing career

2009-10-12T00:15:00.002-07:00

I get asked this question a lot, most people are looking at it from the wrong place. It's not that you have to be purely in it for the love of the art, I know plenty of directors that are just in it for the money. And it's not that you can't make a career like directing videos as a transition to other more respected forms of directing, such as TV and movies. It's just the 'way' you start, that most people I meet have it wrong.

The idea that you will 'someday' meet the amazing singer or producer or agent that will break you into the industry is too much of a gamble; it's like staying in your friendly town in Kentucky and 'knowing' that you will be the last person on American Idol. Well, maybe it's not exactly like that, but you get my point: start now and keep at it. Don't wait around until you turn 40 wondering what you did with your life. And if you are over 40 right now, just get at it man; you still have plenty of time!

It's the people that don't try for fear of what others think that do not accomplish their goals, so my biggest advice for those that want to know how to become a music video director, or any kind of director is this:

Just put your first project together.

I guarantee you it's going to suck, mainly if you have no experience whatsoever at first like most of us; and yes everyone with an opinion will tell you how bad your work is. Look on the bright side, it will never be as bad as the beginning, it really won't. So get a camera, shoot something and put it online or show it at a festival. That's how you get started, by starting.

Drop It Low - Ester Dean - featuring Chris Brown

2009-10-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

And here we can see Chris Brown slowly making his comeback. I thought after the initial reaction to his Rihanna scandal he would have it really tough, but if you look at comments left on Youtube pages, it seems to be people are 50/50 on the subject, so maybe he didn't lose such a big number of his fan base, until his next concert we won't know.

Personally I think he received his punishment and must have been going through hell and back ever since the incident; ultimately people can change for the better if they are willing, let's hope this is the case for the pop megastar.

OPM - Heaven is a halfpipe

2009-10-10T00:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the video to one of OPM's better tracks from their album Menace to Sobriety. The video gets a colorful 'sleeper' tag: cool video and great track, but didn't receive as much promotion as it deserves. OPM isn't that big of a band yet, but with videos and tracks like these, it's not going to take them long. At least Pandora knows who's good...

Chris Anderson - Every economy that is digital, becomes free

2009-10-09T00:15:00.000-07:00

Very enlightening presentation by Chris Anderson on Wired.com, it shows the actual progression that we are making into the digital realms of our businesses. This is the main reason why newspapers, magazines, CD's and soon Television are on their way out; we have digital 'on demand', cheap ways of consuming content online which isn't(at the moment), bombarded with 5 commercials every 4 minutes. Anyone watching Boston Legal lately? Count how many minutes pass before they inundate the screen with advertisements. Please Hulu, save us the little time we have left on this planet from 40+ commercials in an hour of 'entertainment'.

So what options do the musicians have? Over 98% of musicians will not have their work pressed on vinyl, not have sold out concerts and definitely no toy company is going to turn their brand into a plastic mold; so what are the options? How do they get their music out and make money?

Sadly, only concerts is the option. The biggest problem facing musicians of today and tomorrow is the plethora of competition that grows everyday. Their is simply too many people wanting to be stars; how is everyone going to have a following? By numbers it would be impossible, all you can do is make the best music you can, get a good graphic artist, web designer and music video director to promote your music and hope your audience is paying attention. They definitely won't if you just do the minimum.