MTV doesn't show videos anymore, from what we hear, but the art of the music video is alive and well thanks to YouTube. Not only are hit videos great promotional vehicles, but large labels can claim a percentage of the revenue they generate for Google.
There's no direct financial upside for smaller bands, but posting a catchy music video on YouTube can represent a ticket out of the seven-million-band MySpace ghetto.
To find out how one band approached the challenge of recording and posting its first music video on YouTube, I conducted a quick brotherly email interview with Tom Van Buskirk of Javelin. First, here's the video they posted on Sunday:
And here's a short interview with half of Javelin:
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Eliot Van Buskirk, Listening Post: How long did this video take to make?
Thomas Van Buskirk, Javelin: We did all the shooting in one day, but when you factor in the editing (12-15 hrs) the whole thing took three or four days. All of the objects you see in the video– spray-painted boomboxes, the speaker suit– we had already made to use at shows. Plus setting up the green screen, but that's easy...
EVB: How many people were involved in the production?
TVB: Three. And two dogs.
EVB: How did you edit it? Did anyone help you, and if so, were they compensated with free foosball?
TVB: Bennett Williamson from F.a.t.lab (Free Art and Technology) shot and edited the entire thing. It was his first time shooting. But it was our first time mugging for the camera, as well. He stayed on the couch all weekend and played penny whistle and samplers with us, and he fronted money for us to buy records at a flea market, but no other goods were exchanged. Strictly a barter situation.
EVB: You guys supposedly have an album coming out at the end of the summer. Why spend all this time making a YouTube video?
TVB: YouTube is the real currency of fun free shit that is traded daily, for no other purpose than that it's fun to show someone something you've seen that cracks you up or makes you feel good. Of course you can take that to the MTV level, or try– but people end up watching it on YouTube anyway. In the end it is one of your friends showing you something they've found, not a shitty ad exec. Ask Tay Zonday [of "Chocolate Rain"].
EVB: What do you hope happens as a result of this video?
TVB: People watch it!
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(Disclaimer: Javelin consists of my brother and our cousin George.)
