by Alan K. StoutMusic Columnist
The first time I recorded music, I was in college playing bass in an original hard rock band. We had our own four-track recorder and mixer and I played on a few tracks.
Many years later, I went to into an actual recording studio for the first time and recorded one of my own songs, though that time, I was singing. A few years later, I did again, and whether it’s been my own original songs or cover tunes — it’s now something that I have done many times.
On a few occasions, I’ve even played out in the clubs, jamming some bass with bands such as The Badlees, UUU, The Collective and 40-Lb. Head.
I love playing music and recording music.
Recently, however, I did something I had never done before.
I shot my own music video.
And like everything I’ve ever done with music, I found it to be somewhat challenging, yet also creatively fulfilling and — most important — a lot of fun.
Scott Cannon, a local videographer, was the producer and director. And if you are a local band looking to make a music video yourself, he can do one for you, too.
That’s what he does.
Cannon says that regional groups have always been interested in the idea of doing music videos but usually didn’t see the point if no one was going to see them. Today, the Internet has changed that.
“In the past, the only two ways you could see a video was on TV or if you had a VHS copy,” says Cannon. “You didn’t have the Internet then. But that’s the big thing right now. There are tons of independent music videos out there.”
Cannon launched his own company, Video Innovations, in 1989. He specializes in Internet videos for businesses, plus corporate and industrial videos and television commercials. In the mid-’90s, he was the co-producer of a local arts and entertainment television show, “Out Of Focus,” which also featured segments on local bands. He’s also a musician, performer and songwriter and co-wrote the song “Only For The Night,” which was the flipside to Jimmy Harnen’s hit “Where Are You Now.” He later formed the band Hyphun and was a founding member of X-County, one of the most popular country acts to ever hit NEPA’s clubs.
The combination of video experience and music experience has inspired Cannon to now offer a music video service to area bands. And in an era when groups are more independent than ever — making quality CDs on their own and designing their own Web sites — video is the next logical progression. Looking for a way to really give your MySpace page some pop or an added edge? Want to give club owners who might be interested in booking your band a look at your live show? Want a concept video, just like you’d see on MTV or VH1? Whatever you’d like to do, Cannon says he can help make it happen.
“It’s just a great marketing tool,” he says. “People that like a band want to see the band. They can hear them on a CD, but they’re also used to seeing the visuals as well, and — especially if they’re a very visual band — they want to be able to go on the computer and see them.”
Cannon says he learned this firsthand while playing with X-Country.
“I had the chance to make a commercial for us, and post videos up, and that led to the hype and the excitement and the marketing of the band,” he says. “Because we had videos on the Internet, people could go to the site, and bar owners could go to the site, and they saw how many people were at our shows. We were such an easy band to book, because we could just say ‘Look at our videos.’ I opened doors for us.”
The video I recently shot with Cannon was for a cover of the old Elvis Presley song, “(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame.” I did it for two reasons: to bring some personal perspective to this column and to simply have some fun. It can be seen with the online version of this story on the Weekender’s Web site as well as on YouTube. I recorded the song in 2007, and it appeared on 2008’s “Concert For a Cause 6” album.
Before we began our shoot, I simply told Scott why I’ve always loved the song and gave him a few ideas. He, however, came up with additional concepts and brought the whole project into focus. We did some of it on location at an old warehouse in Kingston and some of it at my home.
We had a great time.
“It’s a creative outlet,” says Cannon, when asked what he enjoys most about music videos. “Sometimes, the artist has a direction where they want to go, and they know what they want it to look like. Other times, they say ‘I’ll put it in your hands. You do what you think looks best.’ Regardless, it allows you to play with the tools that you have as a videographer. You get to be creative and kind of make situations that really aren’t there. And it’s another tool to get an artist exposed, and ultimately, hopefully even signed.”
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Make your own music video at Video Innovations in Plymouth. Rates vary, depending on number of locations and time involved in producing the clip. Info: 570.719.9986, www.videoinnovations.com.
(Alan Stout’s video for “(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame,” filmed by Scott Cannon, can be seen at www.theweekender.com)
