Shoot a video for Lightspeed Champion. How? Just download the mp3 of "Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk" from Lightspeed Champion’s webpage on Qoob, then imagine how it would be on screen... And free your creativity. The winner, chosen by Lightspeed Champion, will be rewarded with a prize of 2,000 euros. Competition ends 22 June 2008.
         

wooh yeah more free videos.

i'm sorry... lightspeed champion are a decent middle sized band aren't they...how's about a budget? no? rather get a load of aspiring film-makers to sweat it at home working their little animation fingers to the bone and then just pick the best? fair enough.

the music remix competiton is more interesting though. but maybe that's just because i don't get paid to remix music...

         

who will sign TAFKATA ^{"the artist formally known as the audience"} one day?

         

Groundbreaking [/irony]

         

disappointing.

         

Well this is insulting. Almost as bad as the commission on the indie director/label site Radarmusicvideos.com for a $30k budget vid. Apparently 59 directors pitched on that 'opportunity' and at the end of the day the band decided they'd rather go to a proper prod. co.

59 people pitched on a $30k vid?? Hey guys, you're better off buying a lottery ticket. I'll bet the odds at making money are higher too.

It's a sad place we've come to.... ;(

But it's not all doom and gloom (I hope). I work mostly in urban music with independent artists and it's actually not so bad. For budgets under $20k we demand that the label pay me to write (usually a very small fee of a couple hundred) and if it's under $20k I don't pitch against other directors. I've been doing it this way for going on 2 years now and it works fine - I shoot approx 1 vid every month and a half.

Perhaps the real key to carving out a living in the post-apocalyptic music video landscape involves taking pride in one's work and in one's self and knowing when to say f**k off.

K

         

kalstark that is both good skills and good sense - labels never spend money unless they really think its going to happen.

its very frustrating at the moment with labels chasing so many scripts for the same project its sometimes hard to believe that they are even reading them all.

         

@hassinator: The system my rep and I devised works pretty well and just like you said, 'labels never spend money unless they really think it's going to happen'. By demanding $250.00 for a treatment we quickly weed out the window shoppers from the serious buyers. Sure, you get a couple ex-label acts saying, 'but that's not how it's done.' To which, we politely reply, 'it's' not usually done with <$20k either!

K

         

kalstar... you're not pulling my leg are you? you get paid to treat on things that're under 20K? nicely done! where is this mythical land and how do i get there?

         

Lightspeed Champion is signed to Domino, who most definitely have more than Euros2k to spend on a video. Plus, his work's already been used in last year's BBC New Music Shorts contest.

It's really taking the piss that he/the label is trying to get ANOTHER nearly-free video made.

         

Hi Loz,

I live in (cliche alert!) Hollywood. I've been directing music videos since 2001 and I'm not pulling your leg. For budgets under $20k I demand a writing fee to help ensure that the potential client is serious about shooting a video and not wasting 3-4 days of my time. In fact, the writing fee (usually $250 - $500) is so small that most clients don't even complain about it and understand why we do it. I've only had issues getting this writing fee out of:

A) ex-label clients who are now indie and B) recognizable names who are indie (they always seem to feel they are doing me the favor by giving me a vid to shoot for no money).

K

         

this is getting out of hand... www.emporioarmaniparfums.com

         

K - thanks, that puts some perspective on it given big labels (and relative budgets UK and US i'd reckon), but i'm still in awe of the principal: actually getting paid upfront to do the work of treating.

Shatner - your telling me!!! i almost blew a frikkin hernia. check out that link: emporio armani, a commercial, NO BUDGET, and if you're lucky lucky lucky enough to win it they pay you a whopping 10,000 euros (barely a shit music video budget) and then have the gall to run your commercial on tv??? whaaa?

i'm just upset. i'd boycott armani if i ever wore that crap anyway. oooooh it makes my blood boil.