Hurry Up and Wait
/Making a music video is a microcosm of life on the road. The finished product looks pristine, energetic, inspired and exciting, however, the process of getting there is anything but. A day on set is spent waiting in increments and performing forced, repetitive actions in an attempt to capture the mood or energy of the song. A day on tour is spent in a crowded van until you arrive at the venue, where you spend a few hours smoking cigarettes in limbo. The entire day exists to support the forty minutes that you’ll spend on stage. On set, an entire day, or two, is spent in support of a three minute montage of footage.
In The Fully Down, we were spared this tedious process. Our video for the single of our second record was a simple compilation of live performances and footage from the road, shot and edited by the director. We just had to do our thing as he filmed our performances, and provide him with footage that we had collected on tour.
The Fully Down's video for "Descent, Rebellion and All Around Hell Raising", the single from their 2005 Fearless Records release "Don't Get Lost in a Movement", directed by Korey Schaefer.
After The Fully Down split up, my next band, The Bad Ideas, recorded our first and only EP. We decided that we would do it right and produce a full-on professional music video.
We booked a gig the night before the shoot to help us recoup some of the costs. However, in retrospect, this may not have been the best idea – we were all tired and hung over the next day, and very unhappy to be outside in the inclement weather. If we had chosen a more temperate season to shoot the video, it would have been a decidedly more pleasant experience. Thankfully, we had the foresight to bring a couple of cases of beer to the shoot - to ease our pains earned the night before - and to help pass the time. As long and tiring as the day was, the experience was one I look bck on fondly and will never forget.
The Bad Ideas' video for "Eyes Closed", the single from their 2009 independent release "Dirty Little Looks", directed by Karl Richter.
Post production generally takes a while, so it can easily be a couple of weeks before you get to see a finished product. That in mind, the worst part of any music video shoot comes when it ends. After a long day of hard work and waiting, the hardest part is the lack of resolution; the knowledge that you’re just going to have to wait to see the fruits of your labour.
