Seen any good indie youtube music videos?

[nfrhtp]

Hello! I keep seeing strong recommendations about how valuable having a youtube music video is for digital sales, and that seems like good advice to me.

Of course, coming up with a good low-budget video is a non-trivial creative challenge in itself, so I would really like to see others' attempts at this, and start thinking about how I might like to go about doing my own.

Can you recommend some youtube music videos of indie songs that you think are worthwhile?

Thanks!

Kevin
_______________
DreamArtScience (http://www.myspace.com/DreamArtScience)

[Fiery Furnace]

An amazing video that was probably done with almost no budget:

pv5zWaTEVkI

[nfrhtp]

Wow! There's some food for thought! Good job guys, whoever you are!

[Netvalar]

Budget how about a fan generated video look at what the Bare Naked Ladies did along these lines and tell me what you think they spent.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4yIyumRRJkA

[sabriel9v]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMAUITbfPaU

[diablosrising]

"Sweep the Leg" by No More Kings is a great video. One of the best I've ever seen.

It worked as a marketing tool, too. I ended up going to three shows of artists on their label and bought some cd's, got three more people to buy cd's and they've made a fan for life.

[nfrhtp]

Budget how about a fan generated video look at what the Bare Naked Ladies did along these lines and tell me what you think they spent.
Well I'm starting from zero knowledge about video production and no talent for finances, so my guess is worthless, but since you've been kind enough to suggest a video, I'll give it a go...

I don't suppose any actors had to be paid, or sets built, or costumes purchased, and fans with video editing software were probably eager to have something fun to do with it, so... is $0.00 too far off?

1,363,364 views! Wow.

[nfrhtp]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMAUITbfPaU
Yeah, that's not a bad way to approach it... be the music track for some existing video of cool stuff.

[nfrhtp]

"Sweep the Leg" by No More Kings is a great video. One of the best I've ever seen.
Geez, talk about thinking through an elaborate production!

Not exactly something I could aspire to right now, but kind of inspiring in its ambition and execution.

[Dean Roddey]

I saw one a while back but I can't remember who it was. They weren't 'indie' per se, but a lesser known band that I'd never heard of. It was a very striking video because it was filmed in reverse, but they were clearly playing the song forward. It's one of those things where you just cannot imagine how they did it.

Someone said that they all just learned to play the whole song completely in reverse so that they perform it in reverse, and then turn it around and now they were performing it forward, but all of the physical things happening in the video were in reverse. So they did it the straightforward but really hard way, that you'd never actually think that they did, and you try to think of all of these tricks they could have done to achieve it when there was no trick at all.

[sabriel9v]

Yeah, that's not a bad way to approach it... be the music track for some existing video of cool stuff.

Thanks. I did that because I'm a skater and I've always wanted my music in a skate video. Hopefully some companies and filmers will see that and contact us. David Bowie and Black Sabbath have been in a shitload of skate videos recently, but we're cheaper :thu:

[MarcTwyman]

Hello! I keep seeing strong recommendations about how valuable having a youtube music video is for digital sales, and that seems like good advice to me.

Of course, coming up with a good low-budget video is a non-trivial creative challenge in itself, so I would really like to see others' attempts at this, and start thinking about how I might like to go about doing my own.

Can you recommend some youtube music videos of indie songs that you think are worthwhile?

Thanks!

Kevin
_______________
DreamArtScience (http://www.myspace.com/DreamArtScience)


Are you talking about video editing or just shooting a video of you playing music?

[nfrhtp]

Wow, that's you doing that?! The things you never would have thought possible if you didn't have the internet to bring them to you! Unbelievable. Soulful, too. The bass line with your big toe?!!

Nice Albert Collins concert clip you link to down lower on your page.

Are you talking about video editing or just shooting a video of you playing music?
Well I'm just talking about good cheap ways of ending up with a video where your music is the soundtrack. Shooting a video of you playing music has got to be up there near the top of the list. Then if one can maybe find someone who is drawn to doing video stuff, like we're drawn to music, and has accumulated some equipment and spent time learning how to do good stuff with editing software, and maybe would find it an interesting challenge seeing if they could make a good music video, well, that could also lead to something worthwhile.

Kevin
.........................
Dream Art Science (http://www.myspace.com/DreamArtScience)

[indistr]

Great band, The Paper Champions from Atlanta, Ga. This video was made under $500.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sZMnLlZrBfo

[MarcTwyman]

Wow, that's you doing that?! The things you never would have thought possible if you didn't have the internet to bring them to you! Unbelievable. Soulful, too. The bass line with your big toe?!!

Nice Albert Collins concert clip you link to down lower on your page.


Well I'm just talking about good cheap ways of ending up with a video where your music is the soundtrack. Shooting a video of you playing music has got to be up there near the top of the list. Then if one can maybe find someone who is drawn to doing video stuff, like we're drawn to music, and has accumulated some equipment and spent time learning how to do good stuff with editing software, and maybe would find it an interesting challenge seeing if they could make a good music video, well, that could also lead to something worthwhile.

Kevin
.........................
Dream Art Science (http://www.myspace.com/DreamArtScience)

I was trying to do something cheap so I bought a DVD recorder at wal-mart which they are selling now for about $50 if they are not hi-def and plugged a mixer (w/phantom power) into the audio in and a video camera into the video. I used a Peavy6 mixer which is about $89. I used a couple of cheap condensor mics placed in an XY configuration to get a stereo recording. If you are recording a band and have a mixer with enough channels and mics, You could probably do it that way better.


Someone else told me that you could by Video Editing software for a couple of hundred dollars but I haven't looked into that yet.

[Fiery Furnace]

If you're shooting a video you generally don't record audio with it. You place the recorded version of the song over it, later.

Sometimes bands record to playback, that is, the prerecorded music is played back on the set, and they mime/play along with that so that it lines up with the recorded version.

[nfrhtp]

Great band, The Paper Champions from Atlanta, Ga. This video was made under $500.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sZMnLlZrBfo

Yeah, I guess it doesn't cost a lot to go through several takes with the camera in different positions, then edit them together. Whoever did it obviously were very experienced video makers and aware of lighting, camera motion and getting an interesting flow in the edit, including the contrasting colors of the bluish scenes that showed the couple arguing.

For something like that, I guess at the minimum you have to understand how to work with timing info (a track of SMPTE clock info?) on your video and audio so you can sync it all up in the end (and have the equipment to do that). Does that require a professional-level video camera, or can consumer cameras do that these days -- anybody know?

One thing about making a music video which makes me nervous (or at least cautious) is that anybody who sees it will always remember the images and plots every time they hear your song. I would never want them to associate my song with a couple having a painful argument. But we each get to make those choices for ourselves.

[Dean Roddey]

Here's a video that's very simple conceptually and probably not very expensive to film. But it's quite beautiful, and it helps of course that it's combined with a striking song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cpSv2mNhhc

I quite like it, and the artist.

[nfrhtp]

Someone else told me that you could by Video Editing software for a couple of hundred dollars but I haven't looked into that yet.

Yeah, I figure I could research what's currently the best inexpensive software for doing that and start getting familiar with it, but I've already got several nearly magical audio applications that I'm trying to give attention to, and working with them is already somewhat of a distraction from making music.

So my ideal strategy would be to see it as an opportunity to hook up with some energetic and stimulating collaborators who are eager to have some worthwhile project, rather than adding new skills/distractions to my current set. But I'm not confident that things will turn out that way.

[nfrhtp]

Here's a video that's very simple conceptually and probably not very expensive to film. But it's quite beautiful, and it helps of course that it's combined with a striking song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cpSv2mNhhc

I quite like it, and the artist.
Imogen! Yep, no need for a big budget for that one. They were skillful and creative with lighting, the camera angles in relation to the lights, camera motion, clothing and of course, editing. Big fans to blow her hair around can't be too expensive.

I have a personal aversion to having a video fixed on one person's face from start to finish, so I much prefer the one of her performing that same song live in a radio station studio (especially since a very cool thing about her is her ability to use tools like harmonizers so creatively live, in performance):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd2DeysnK3Q

[rhat]

An amazing video that was probably done with almost no budget:

I really thought the use of the treadmills was really creative and no doubt hard to get done without a few crashes.... the music was really only average. Without the video .. i would have pulled the plug on the soundtrack in less than 50 seconds. The treadmill deal was outstanding..

[rhat]

Here's a video that's very simple conceptually and probably not very expensive to film. But it's quite beautiful, and it helps of course that it's combined with a striking song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cpSv2mNhhc

I quite like it, and the artist.


Way over processed and boring.....not even a good song after they got done destroying it with the over processing..

[Jon Peterson]

An amazing video that was probably done with almost no budget:

pv5zWaTEVkI

That was awesome! :thu:

[Dean Roddey]

Way over processed and boring.....not even a good song after they got done destroying it with the over processing..

That's your opinion of course, which I and millions of other poeple don't share. The heavy processing was purposeful, to create a large song with nothing but a single solo voice. I find it quite beautiful.

[The_Captain]

That's your opinion of course, which I and millions of other poeple don't share. The heavy processing was purposeful, to create a large song with nothing but a single solo voice. I find it quite beautiful.


man it made me sick but now i can say it was the worst thing i saw/heard in quite a while

[Dean Roddey]

OK, well that's two of you against millions so far.

[ElGenius1]

This is the best low-budget music video i've ever seen in my life. Supposedly It was made for less than $50. The making-of-the-music-video DVD will be released sometime this year (i heard this from the artist himself)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fop1lyfAlY

[mike65]

I put up a vid a few days ago - it cost exactly 3 hours of my spare time (ie an afternoon), consisting archive material thats free to use. I have no idea if it will steer any traffic and encourage sales but as I say it cost nothing so why not?

pCw_JOZiHjs

[GZsoumd]

An amazing video that was probably done with almost no budget:

pv5zWaTEVkI

That's fantastic!!!

[Los Padre]

No matter what, you're going to need someone to do this with you. The question is whether you hire them or you know them.

This video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzuFeXYbOOo

[nfrhtp]

I put up a vid a few days ago - it cost exactly 3 hours of my spare time (ie an afternoon), consisting archive material thats free to use. I have no idea if it will steer any traffic and encourage sales but as I say it cost nothing so why not?
Excellent!

[mike65]

Thanks :) I'll have another go at one this week I think. (windows Movie Maker isn't sophisicated but its useful enough if you don't need to multi-track visuals).

[Booya Tribe]

An amazing video that was probably done with almost no budget:

pv5zWaTEVkI

It is funny that music videos are going both the direction of

a)the ultra produced effects/animation/green screen/in your face CGI/robots in hell look

and

b)the simple idea/well choreographed/single take look (ie this one and some of Feist's videos)

And both seem equally effective. The effectiveness and elegance of the simply shot, well choreographed look is probably enhanced by the contrast to videos in the first category.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Z-DIAthbM

[nfrhtp]

b)the simple idea/well choreographed/single take look (ie this one and some of Feist's videos)
Thanks for the link. Yeah that works! It turns a pretty simple tune into a very colorful ad for happiness and friends.

Looks like being willing (and able) to be choreographed takes you across a line to the possibility of videos with lots of personality and spirit, without necessarily spending a lot of money (although Feist obviously has had a pretty good budget for videos).

[Booya Tribe]

Thanks for the link. Yeah that works! It turns a pretty simple tune into a very colorful ad for happiness and friends.

Looks like being willing (and able) to be choreographed takes you across a line to the possibility of videos with lots of personality and spirit, without necessarily spending a lot of money (although Feist obviously has had a pretty good budget for videos).

Yea, although there are no fancy effects, the effort, time, and planning that went into shooting that video probably equals that of a video with all kinds of fancy digitalness. The camera work is pretty crazy.

[sabriel9v]

Always innovative
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et-y6rkVbFw

[ThreeGutRock]

Awesome video from a local artist from Hamilton. Very cheap, very cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqwIH9mzhtw

[sabriel9v]

Awesome video from a local artist from Hamilton. Very cheap, very cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqwIH9mzhtw

:thu:

[Standard8]

Some guys in Athens.... "Kite to the Moon" with Tim Conley of Aqualove fame.

4rmP44H1vvg

I love these guys.

I wanna do somethin' to... I mean for his baby too.........

[Jarick]

Spill Canvas - Teleport A & B (http://youtube.com/watch?v=b2GvqUtIIgk)

This is probably better than 95% of real music videos, plus I love the song. I've watched it several times now. Very cool.

[Jarick]

Great band, The Paper Champions from Atlanta, Ga. This video was made under $500.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sZMnLlZrBfo

Very cool, sounds like old Sunny Day Real Estate. Off to listen to more of their stuff.

[Netvalar]

Well inexpensive videos by unsigned artists. The 1st video is not only inexpensive but sort of goes against "The Man"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8r8vCKMdxs

Second video is by the same artist Spellbox/Mysti Mayhem it did take a bit of editing skill and time all in all though very little cost as she did it herself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFgM273w0jo

Now you can always record your live shows and do a bit of post editing to make it look better maybe even add fade in pics. I love Lady Haidee's videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i4385TzyJU

For something that is really cheap but will get attention you can always make a statement. That is what Lady Haidee did with this video Even though it is now lost in the ranks of You Tube it still garners talk from time to time in the Sellaband.com forums.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFviTCAhEjA

[Booya Tribe]

Well inexpensive videos by unsigned artists. The 1st video is not only inexpensive but sort of goes against "The Man"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8r8vCKMdxs

Second video is by the same artist Spellbox/Mysti Mayhem it did take a bit of editing skill and time all in all though very little cost as she did it herself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFgM273w0jo

Now you can always record your live shows and do a bit of post editing to make it look better maybe even add fade in pics. I love Lady Haidee's videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i4385TzyJU

For something that is really cheap but will get attention you can always make a statement. That is what Lady Haidee did with this video Even though it is now lost in the ranks of You Tube it still garners talk from time to time in the Sellaband.com forums.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFviTCAhEjA

None of those videos are all that outstanding. Cheap, sure, but as far as production goes, you could do a lot better with the same equipment and even the same effort. The second Spellbox at least has a little production to it, though I don't personally like the style or look of the video or music myself.

Sure, a naked lady will always get attention for a few days on youtube, but that route doesn't work or fit for a lot of music.

[nos]

This video cost my band nothing to make. If I have the story straight, the filmmaker asked permission to use footage that another filmmaker had shot and wasn't currently using. I don't know the cost of the original shoot, but it couldn't have been terribly expensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0b1myZZYjU

[Fiery Furnace]

Wow! There's some food for thought! Good job guys, whoever you are!

I really thought the use of the treadmills was really creative and no doubt hard to get done without a few crashes.... the music was really only average. Without the video .. i would have pulled the plug on the soundtrack in less than 50 seconds. The treadmill deal was outstanding..

I'm not a huge fan either but they deserve a little more credit than you give them ;)



"YouTube has also become a means of promoting bands and their music. One such example is OK Go which got a huge radio hit and an MTV Video Music Awards performance out of the treadmill video for Here It Goes Again." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube#Band_and_music_promotion)

[Booya Tribe]

This video cost my band nothing to make. If I have the story straight, the filmmaker asked permission to use footage that another filmmaker had shot and wasn't currently using. I don't know the cost of the original shoot, but it couldn't have been terribly expensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0b1myZZYjU

The style looks good, and it is cool the footage was salvaged, but for all the effort to make the video, it could have been edited to the music better... Also, the style of the very obviously computer anmated titles in the beginning and end of the video don't match the rough film animation style of the video itself. Just my opinion.

A lot of people could have really great videos that would rival anything on MTV if they just took the extra effort or were a little more discriminating with their decisions.

[nos]

The style looks good, and it is cool the footage was salvaged, but for all the effort to make the video, it could have been edited to the music better... Also, the style of the very obviously computer anmated titles in the beginning and end of the video don't match the rough film animation style of the video itself. Just my opinion.

A lot of people could have really great videos that would rival anything on MTV if they just took the extra effort or were a little more discriminating with their decisions.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with you on the titles. It was meant for the web though, so I kind of see the videographer's point of view too, as far as using the comp. animation medium. He has a video blog that he posts his work on.

Thanks for the constructive comments!

[Booya Tribe]

It isn't so much that they were computer animated... he could have made them look a little "rougher" using effects and also placed them over some kind of footage or image to make them match the style better, used the same font as the animated number cards in the video, etc. This could still be done using the computer. Sorry, I am a video editor, so stuff like that stands out to me.

[light_without_heat]

I like this one much....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yedD4JsZyT0
this one's cool too...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZjpWs1h7pU

[nos]

It isn't so much that they were computer animated... he could have made them look a little "rougher" using effects and also placed them over some kind of footage or image to make them match the style better, used the same font as the animated number cards in the video, etc. This could still be done using the computer. Sorry, I am a video editor, so stuff like that stands out to me.

Thanks for the tips. I always value advice from those who know better than I. I only know sounds; haven't the first clue about visuals.

[Hells Bells]

heres a vid i've been working on, cost me nothing but time so far
1oCZJISZCy4

[pjrake]

Way over processed and boring.....not even a good song after they got done destroying it with the over processing..

i just checked it out. never heard of this artist before, but.... i liked it :) it was different. i can see how the vocals were over processed, and in any setting it might not work, but i think for this song it did. there was something hauntingly attractive about it.

back to the OP, something my band did was create a simple slideshow on youtube and put one of our recorded songs, along with lyrics on the right side of the video. it's cheap, and already got a few hits :)

-PJ

[mega-rad]

Check out Built By Snow. These guys have some really cool videos, and they just released a new one last week where they are spaceship pilots in an 8-bit nintendo game! The special effects are hilarious!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ytO92rILQs8 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ytO92rILQs8)

mega-rad!

[Alan Roberts]

The video footage to the first video was great.

[nfrhtp]

back to the OP, something my band did was create a simple slideshow on youtube and put one of our recorded songs, along with lyrics on the right side of the video. it's cheap, and already got a few hits :)
-PJ
Hey man, that's a seriously good band! Let's put up the link and get you few more hits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bic2j5yPLZQ

A band slideshow behind an original tune has to one of the simplest, quickest techniques for getting something up on youtube, and I think it's worthwhile. As a self-appointed Big Critic, though, I'd recommend putting in about 5 times as many shots. Surely you guys could get somebody to try out their new digital camera at your rehearsal and gig, and use a bunch of those shots.

Well done, but especially the songs themselves (good band!).

[noxela]

....check this out..... the "euro club hits" compilation series... you can find it on iTunes with a search for "euro club hits" ... or here is the direct itunes link:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?albumTerm=Euro+Club+Hits+Vol +

[josh m]

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xgvkBb96Ggk&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xgvkBb96Ggk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[MattFo]

Hey Guys:

First, I have to thank everyone here for contributing over the years. I've been a fan of Harmony Central since before I started playing almost 14 years ago.

Here's a video we had done. Its done entirely w/ lego people and stop motion animation.

You'll notice that in the world of lego, we can afford things such as jets and laser-equipped robots.

This was actually created by Bort, a 14 year old stop motion animationist. We found him though his Lego animation interpetations of Spinal Tap scenes. We think he's brilliant.

Here's the link:

http://www.thenuclearchildren.com/newsite/videos.htm

Please check out Bort's other videos. If you're a fan of Spinal Tap, you will love them.

Rock on

[Sid Real]

The first video posted in this thread is by the band OK, Go!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI
(33 million hits)
(Treadmill dance/ 'Here It Goes Again')

The video was recorded by the singer's girlfriend on an (obviously) low quality digi/cam and involved (I believe) only 45 minutes (or so) rehearsal.

That video was done in response to the response ANOTHER (earlier) video was getting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbdbVhBGETQ
(3 million hits)
('Million Ways')
That video was recorded in the singer's girlfriend's backyard. (the dude on the right.)

This was all D.I.Y on their part, as they were already signed to Capitol Records when they decided to do these videos on their own. (if I remember correctly, the label wasn't behind the idea at all, and required convincing to let the band actually post the video(s) to youtube.)

As a point of note:
The first video posted in this thread (OK, Go!'s 2nd video) went on to win 2007's best short form video grammy.

...Not bad for a cheap digicam and a free afternoon coupled with a D.I.Y. ethic. (or a 'right time, right place, right idea' lucky break.)

I will say that Capitol records jumped on board with both feet once this video started firing up on the interwebs.
(Capitol put them on EVERYTHING, Jay Leno, David Letterman, S.N.L., GOOD MORNING AMERICA?, Dick Clark (Times Square, New Year's), basically anyone with a television show that ever hosted live music.)

[pjrake]

Hey man, that's a seriously good band! Let's put up the link and get you few more hits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bic2j5yPLZQ

A band slideshow behind an original tune has to one of the simplest, quickest techniques for getting something up on youtube, and I think it's worthwhile. As a self-appointed Big Critic, though, I'd recommend putting in about 5 times as many shots. Surely you guys could get somebody to try out their new digital camera at your rehearsal and gig, and use a bunch of those shots.

Well done, but especially the songs themselves (good band!).

i missed this post (usually subscribe to it but did not get the email!).

thanks for the kind words and for putting up a link :)

personally, i think they're pretty okay ;)

-PJ

[MattFo]

I think it violates some copyright stuff, but its funny...


www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDDr31SnBts