Way OT - song video - hoping for help

onthewhat · 06-17-09, 01:08 PM

You don't belong on SBR

Bread · 06-17-09, 01:10 PM

Not sure about the video making aspect of it all, but I definitely enjoyed the song :clap:

Deuce · 06-17-09, 01:11 PM

You're a hick, pal. You're not bad though.

Matt Rain · 06-17-09, 01:16 PM

Nice performance Muddy.

It could use a little more mustache though.

BadNina · 06-17-09, 01:19 PM

Nice, Muddy. A good blend of the vocal and guitar, although I might tone the guitar down just a slight bit. You need to sit more facing the camera. And watch the lighting cause at times one half of your face is completely shadowed. Perhaps filming at night where you can better control the light?

AMBlai01 · 06-17-09, 01:22 PM

Great song...Hat looks a little high on your head.....almost showing too much of your forehead. I would zoom in with the camera a big or put it closer so you fill up more of the screen. Other than that...actually sounded great.

mathdotcom · 06-17-09, 01:24 PM

How does Jack Layton find the time to post videos?

The Prick · 06-17-09, 01:57 PM

mudder got skills. question tho, hows the village people still tourin' with the cowboy hangin out on sbr all that fackin time?

RogueScholar · 06-17-09, 01:58 PM

This was awesome, Mudcat! I thought you looked very handsome in this rough draft even, and if I was the lucky lady I'd take you to bed on the first date! I did have a few thoughts on the setting of the video.

First, I wasn't all that fond of how you seemed to be seated so low to the ground. I think for your voice to project properly over the guitar you should be on a stool, which would naturally cause you to open up your chest and move more air past your vocal chords. Also, it's sexy when a guitarist has one foot on the ground and taps along with the beat, don't you think?

And with regards to the lighting, I agree that it should be done as night, and perhaps a little warmer. A couple lit candles out of the frame, while it sounds corny, would create a warm light which would highlight your face and contrast nicely with your dark attire. The hat is nice by the way.

You don't need to play to the camera so much, but having it zoomed up closer on your torso without so much dead space in the frame would give you more connection to the viewer. You don't need to look at the camera at all, the oblique viewing angle gives you a mysterious quality which is complimented well by your outfit.

I think you hit the song spot on, and even though your low note was soft, it was still nicely on key. I notice you're playing a truly divine 12 string, too. Perhaps you could achieve a diversity in the song by switching to more of a picking style than a strumming one for the refrain. Overall I liked the song, but I felt there wasn't much contrast between the A & B sections, ya know?

Anyhow, this is all minutae. I wish I had the guts to make a music video for SBR, somehow filming myself brings out all my nerves and I don't have the same confidence that seems to come naturally on stage. Truly, my hat is off to you and if you were gay, I'd be on you like white on rice. I think your girl is gonna treasure this video when you present it to her.

Matt Rain · 06-17-09, 01:58 PM

Originally posted by The Prick

mudder got skills. question tho, hows the village people still tourin' with the cowboy hangin out on sbr all that fackin time?

I'm curious - do all Canadians look like members of Village People to the average Texan?

Matt Rain · 06-17-09, 02:05 PM

I agree with Nina and RS by the way, redo it at night. As a fellow guitar player though, I say keep the guitar volume right where it is.

The Prick · 06-17-09, 02:26 PM

Originally posted by Matt Rain

I'm curious - do all Canadians look like members of Village People to the average Texan?

thats a big negatory there rainer, just them canadiennes with porno staches an cowboy hats

Mudcat · 06-17-09, 03:20 PM

Wow, that is some great feedback. Thanks to everyone. Just what I was hoping for. I feel like I have definite concrete ideas to make some changes and go forward.

Hat adjustment, lighting adjustment, framing adjustment - check, check, check. I'll have to think about how to sit. I am just sitting on a piano bench there. I don't actually have a stool but I suppose I could get my hands on one. Or I could just stand.

Originally posted by RogueScholar

I wish I had the guts to make a music video for SBR, somehow filming myself brings out all my nerves and I don't have the same confidence that seems to come naturally on stage.

It is an odd and off-putting thing. I was telling myself to try and smile and look like I was enjoying myself but it just wasn't happening.

I couldn't believe what a dork I looked like the first time I watched it. It got easier to watch after a couple more times through. I don't know if I wasn't as dorky as I originally thought or I just got used to the dorkiness but yeah, it's different.

RogueScholar · 06-17-09, 03:34 PM

I went through the exact same thing. In the end I realized that God's greatest gift to me is the fact that I can't see myself when I'm singing or playing the piano. These big rock stars that place at venues where their live image is shown on some huge screen within their field of vision are my heroes. When I'm making music, I don't just think I look like a dork, I really DO look like a dork (or more of a dork than usual). And then something about being aware of how much of a dork I look like interferes with my playing/singing, and when I go back to watch I not only look dumb but sound dumb too.

I'm happy to report that you came off as neither. Your playing was strong, you kept flawless meter, and your voice was smooth and melodic. You also looked very artistic, not dorky, but absorbed in the creative moment. You simply must attend the Bash so that we can have a jam session. Surely a piano is not a difficult thing to commandeer in Vegas.

Mudcat · 06-17-09, 05:25 PM

Thank you RS. And thank you for not jumping on the two big gaffes which I suspect you must have noticed, one vocal and then one on guitar right at the end. What're ya gonna do? One take.

I'm sure you don't look dorky when you play. Seems like it's a natural thing to think so. It is just weird to see and hear yourself - particularly at first. But I'm sure you are being overly harsh on yourself.

I am undecided on the bash at this point.

One little follow-up: what are your thoughts on sitting on a stool versus standing, both in terms of performance and aesthetics?

Originally posted by The Prick

mudder got skills. question tho, hows the village people still tourin' with the cowboy hangin out on sbr all that fackin time?

RogueScholar · 06-17-09, 08:12 PM

First of all, I wouldn't call them big gaffes, Muddy. Like you said it was one take, and it didn't throw you off your game, so I figured that people who weren't specifically critiquing the music wouldn't even notice.

You know, I honestly don't know if there's any substantive difference between standing or sitting on a stool. I've played both ways, seated at an acoustic piano and standing behind a digital keyboard on a stand, and when I was singing along I definitely preferred to be standing.

My thought behind elevating you was so that your face would be at roughly eye-level with your cameraman so that the final product would show off your handsome face. You seemed to have a very poised stage presence in the wedding video, so if you feel inclined to stand, I say go for it.

I can't wait to see the finished product, and I hope you share it with us. You've come quite a long way technologically in a short time, my friend. Keep on keepin' on.

Mudcat · 06-18-09, 10:39 AM

Thanks again. Very encouraging. I expect I'll do a final version on this promptly.

I am also in the process of writing a song for a wedding in July where I am best man. I may spring that one on you too and ask for feedback. I am slightly leery about the lyrics for the refrain.

If you keep being this helpful, you may end up as a permanent guinea pig.

RogueScholar · 06-18-09, 04:36 PM

Mudcat, it's really an honor that you give any weight to my opinions at all, and it warms my heart to have them solicited. Of all the sacrifices I've had to make in my life to find financial success, giving up music as a profession may top the list (although having to live in the middle of nowhere is very close to the top as well). Even when I was working daily in the music industry, my efforts were much more weighted toward the promotion end of the business than actual generating a sound of my own. It feels really good to take a few minutes when you give me the opportunity and think like a musician again.

Trust me, anything you want my opinion on, I'll be overjoyed to consider and respond to. I've done some arranging in my time and have contributed some lyrics to people here and there so I'd love to help out wherever I can. Keep the hits coming, Mudcat, maybe you and I will be the first artists to release an SBR Soundtrack.

...actually a "Sounds of SBR Forum" album would be kind of cool. I bet we would have more than a few contributors, and how hilarious would it be to have JJ be a featured singer on a song? I may pursue this project on my own time over the winter.

Be well, my friend.

losturmarbles · 06-18-09, 05:48 PM

muddy, i dont think anyone has mentioned it, but use a better microphone than the one in the camera.

and you should definitely record the video up close to give it more of a personal feel. center the camera about like this guy:

good luck.

Chi_archie · 06-18-09, 11:58 PM

good stuff mudcat, keep them coming...

If I can ever remember how to play an entire song i'll post a video too..... i'm just an amateur compared to you

Mudcat · 06-19-09, 08:50 AM

Thanks Archie. I'll keep an eye open.

That was a very good video model there, losturmarbles. Right on the money. That guy is a lot more relaxed than me but maybe I could get there. If I get more serious about this stuff I will definitely start thinking about better miking.

Originally posted by RogueScholar

Trust me, anything you want my opinion on, I'll be overjoyed to consider and respond to.

Well then I'm going to jump into something right now and turn this thread into an all-out workshop.

So as I was saying, I have this wedding song I am working on. I like - actually I love - the music. But I have a concern about the lyrics of the refrain. I am aware that it is quite cliched and corny; what I am wondering is if it is appropriately cliched and corny or it makes the unfortunate leap to ---> sugar coma.

The context is I would be playing this as a dedication right after my Best Man speech at the reception. All feedback is welcome.

Every path where I have wandered
Every step along the way
Every moment in my lifetime, now I see
Was leading to today
So for now and ever after
It will be my dream come true
Just to hear your laughter
When I come home to you

Since this will be repeated 3x, I am thinking I will substitute for the second last line on subsequent play-throughs:

The music of your laughter

All the smiles and laughter

Mudcat · 06-19-09, 02:13 PM

Originally posted by RogueScholar

Of all the sacrifices I've had to make in my life to find financial success, giving up music as a profession may top the list (although having to live in the middle of nowhere is very close to the top as well). Even when I was working daily in the music industry, my efforts were much more weighted toward the promotion end of the business than actual generating a sound of my own. It feels really good to take a few minutes when you give me the opportunity and think like a musician again.

I have some similar regrets. I think I could have done a lot more with music. I mainly attribute my failure to addictions. Not that I wasn't very musical when I was getting high - but I didn't really develop decent work habits and organization until I sobered up.

Basically, the only way I was going to get a break was if someone climbed through my window and discovered me.

What did you do in the music industry when it was a daily thing for you?

WileOut · 06-19-09, 02:27 PM

Nice work mudcat. You have talent. You should try out for that show, America's got talent. Well nevermind you are Canadian. Maybe they will come out with a canadian version.

OT question: are you a professional gambler?

RogueScholar · 06-19-09, 03:00 PM

Wow, those are some awesome lyrics, Mudcat. Seriously, you really struck a chord with me there. It's true I'm a sucker for a good love song, so asking for me to be the barometer of "schmaltzy-ness" for a ballad might not exactly be my strong suit. I'd roll with what you've got, I like the metre and I love the message. Of course you never really know with lyrics until you fit them to a tune, but as pure poetry I'm quite impressed.

Back in the early part of the decade I was the promoter for the musician's union in Portland, Oregon, AFM Local 99. I also handled bands that weren't union members (on the side, of course) and contributed in the studio and on stage to any group that needed a pianist/organist. Looking back I think it was the happiest time of my life, the positive energy I had for my work was like a constant high that I didn't have to labor to achieve. I was spending my time around precisely the type of people I enjoy (creative artists and businessmen), doing a job that I was perfectly suited for, and getting paid well to do it.

I ended up leaving that job to play in an Elton John cover band organized by his AIDS Foundation to raise money on the West Coast for his charity. The money was even better and it was so exciting to be selected for my musicianship, but the other members of the band were all worse drug addicts than myself. We'd start drinking and smoking pot at 0830h and when we'd get too out of it we'd smoke some meth to "get useful again." It didn't take long before we all got fired and I found myself slinging weight just to pay the rent.

I never really got back into music after that. Hopefully someday I'll find a way back, I miss being high without having a drink or smoking a joint. There is no substitute for loving your life.

Mudcat · 06-19-09, 06:27 PM

Originally posted by WileOut

Nice work mudcat. You have talent. You should try out for that show, America's got talent. Well nevermind you are Canadian. Maybe they will come out with a canadian version.

OT question: are you a professional gambler?

Thanks a lot.

Yes, I am a professional gambler. Betting has been my only source of income since Since Oct. 2002 (other than a brief side-gig as a mod at this forum).

Originally posted by RogueScholar

Of course you never really know with lyrics until you fit them to a tune.

Very true. And I'm really happy with the tune - I feel like it adds a coolness factor - so I feel good about this.

Interesting story about the musical history. It sounds like you must have real talent and ability. Hopefully your path can take you full circle back to that someday.

Mudcat · 07-16-09, 11:20 AM

Well I doubt anyone is waiting on the edge of their seats for this but here is the updated video hopefully incorporating some of the feedback.

Bread · 07-16-09, 11:29 AM

Muddy love it! The stalking fern was my favorite part. But I just got down to this song. Nice job!

Mudcat · 07-16-09, 12:33 PM

If I ever forget that there is danger at every turn, I always have you to remind me not to get too comfortable.

losturmarbles · 07-16-09, 04:15 PM

wow mudcat, i just realized you wrote "the devil". i thought it was just some random country song. (i did stumble across some pj harvey doing a search for it on youtube, so that was a bonus)

i watched some of your other videos, the facial expressions on "when i come home to you" had me laughing, and it's suppose to be a serious song.

muddy you should write some tongue-in-cheek type songs. you would probably be pretty good at it.

this video was my favorite:

Happy Canada Day & Belated Birthday, Steve

btw compactdikk now has your DOB and first name

Mudcat · 07-17-09, 07:54 AM

Yes, I also did a version of that video specially for SBR.tv complete with smackhead reference. The one you linked there is the more family friendly version.

Originally posted by losturmarbles

the facial expressions on "when i come home to you" had me laughing, and it's suppose to be a serious song.

Oh thanks. That doesn't make me feel self-conscious at all.

The whole issue of facial expressions when singing is a tough one. It's pretty hard to get through a whole song without dorking it up a few times.

I will ask for some pointers next time I'm in Frisco, jamming with the Stones on acid.

Anyway, it was kind of you to have a look at the MudcatTV channel. I appreciate the comments.