Promonews hosts D Millar's list of low-budget faves. Polemic (& coffee) ensues.
         

I would say that the tone of this playlist unfortunately come off wrong in a "let them eat cake" kinda way. It is certainly hard to have a commissioner(s) tell you that the industry is healthy when you just moved back home with your parents. Especially when the commissioner is getting a salary and a comfy chair to sit in. However, in the end, I'm sure this was totally, completely unintentional. I'm sure Dan loves the art form as much as the rest of us and I'm sure he knows our pain.

         

I just left a comment on the page. I think there's a huge difference between a just-for-fun video shot for a not-on-a-label band; and a major label giving little money to a new director. (My video is in the former category.) This list appears to be a mix of both... though without knowing the circumstances of the other ones, we can't really judge, can we?

         

Times they are a changin'. It's aggravating, no question, but those who resist change will go extinct. :P So it's time to get innovative about how we pay for our productions me thinks. -j Post Script~ Before we call for this fellow's head, keep in mind he'll be losing his job soon too.

         

As a little background here.

I was asked to playlist some of my favourite current videos by Dave Knight. I chose to give a plug for some directors who had done some low budget work for me recently (Berlin & McCool, Indica and Magnus Renfors) aswell as picking some great youtube stuff that was keeping me entertained.

This was supposed to be a tongue in cheek look at some stuff that doesn't get much regular love on Promo News but it seems to have had an incendiary effect and turned into a full blown row over labels killing music video and putting companies out of business. I hate that budgets are falling, I really do. And I know it's much harder to break a new director now, which is why I wanted to give some of my recent directors a plug.

I guess people are so offended that I was celebrating the fact that these videos didn't cost a lot of money where in reality I really wanted to give kudos to some very talented people who have made some great videos.

I could have listed any of the stunning work from the last year but it would have all been seen on Promo News before, posted, discussed in depth here and then re-posted. I wonder if it were not for the two home made grime videos would people have been so upset.

Anyway .

         

Christ not on here as well! Poor Dan is becoming a minor celebrity....

Yes - what's happening to our industry is depressing, angering, frustrating, even frightening.

But its sad that people saw this innocent post as an opportunity to anonymously vent and grabbed at it with both hands.

We are all feeling the pressure but turning one person into a scapegoat for the problems and having a bitter rant at their expense isn't really constructive or indeed very nice.

         

no one man is an industry so it seems rather pointless getting the hammer and nails out. personally i find it reassuring that a commissioner at a major label has an eye and interest in young talent, rather than going for same old thing. it also made for a more interesting post on promonews.tv did it not?

         

is it just me - or does he look like david brent in this picture...

         

Yep

         

Leave it to these blogs to trash talk on a commissioner thats doing good by giving some props to some up-and-coming directors. Dan gave me a chance this year to work with him and The Editors and supported the project all he could, it was a great experience all around. I think that if anything we should be giving his Gervais looking mug some props for acknowledging hard work.

And btw Dan didnt ruin the music video industry nor is he to be held responsible for ” theshady nature of record label accounting” he’s in it just like the rest of you, working hard to make something good for little.

-vince

         

Vince - you should try these, they taste great.

That said, i agree, give the man a break. Commissioner Gordan has a good heart, and the tackle was unintentional, just like Martin Taylor's.

         

hahhaha

         

I have it on personal higher authority that Dan is indeed personally responsible for the ruination of a once mighty industry. He is Brimson's secret lover and also the inventor of motion control. It's all his fault, I blame him...