directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
An important thing to keep in mind when making a music video is to enjoy it and the experience. When you can translate the real excitement, energy and all around good fun from actually making the video to a final product it produces an authenticity which is ultimately enjoyable to watch. A favourite example of a video that epitomises fun and enjoyment is the Red Hot Chili Peppers 'Tell Me Baby.'
A very simple set which looks like it could be a storage room in a university or a small rehearsal room in someones garage. Either way the set is basic; drum kit, black carpeting, white walls, just a crisp, clean, simple set and the filming style directly matches the set in its approach. With a basic locked off camera, there is nothing too fancy or flash about the way it is filmed. The focus is on the song and the party that breaks out around it.
When the music starts and you see people 'auditioning' obviously for a gig, it's an automatic tangible connection for the audience. The diversity of people shown as the 'auditioners' are also easy to relate to. Almost everyone knows someone who looks like or has a personality or characteristic similar to the people in the video; and don't think that's just a coincidence either. This part of the video matches the song to a tee, the chorus "Tell me baby what's your story, where you come from and where you wanna go...." That one line matched with the footage is a winning combination and I think helps to connect the video to the audience to the song to the band and everything in between. Really clever, I raise my glass to Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
This video is about connecting people, drawing the audience in and keeping them there and the best way to do that is with familiarity, with tangibility, with being able to relate. I mean who wouldn't want to rock out with the Chili Peppers?? And who hasn't used a hairbrush as a microphone and pretended to be the lead singer of a band....we've all done it. Granted girls more so than guys with the hairbrush, but, I nevertheless, it is a widespread connection that echoes across age groups, genders, beliefs, ideas, cultures...
You can tell that making this video would have been a lot of fun for the band, talent and crew alike. I imagine there would have been a lot of smiling and laughing on set. It is important to note that what happens off camera while filming a clip directly relates to the final product.
So lesson for today; happy crew, artist and talent equals a video that people will actively want to watch. Though it is not always able to be achieved as head to heads can often occur when co-ordinating so many people. It is really good to keep spirits up and energy flying.
Here is 'Tell Me Baby' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, get out those hairbrushes and sing away!
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