I made this video for the amazing Theatre Exile’s Cabaret Of The Exiled. I had never made anything remotely close to this, so it was a massively fun, massive learning opportunity.

So, first thing’s first. Here’s the video:

Some Thoughts

I love systems, so you may unsurprisingly find that I’m mostly excited to talk about the process of making this video, and how it affected the product and its facets.

I’m really proud of a lot of the work which I put into this video! All in all, the video took about 9 hours to make from beginning filming to finishing editing. I’m also really proud of that quickness, being that I’ve never done anything like this before.

Here’s some stuff I learned, for posterity*, and your enrichment:

• Make sure your foundation is good. I settled on my second take for the guitar/vocals, and I think it just made things harder later.
• Actually script things out, and imagine the scene/vibe you intend to create. My gag about being rushed and anxious came out more anxiety-inducing than funny. I think that could have been remedied with a little more forethought.
• This wasn’t actually that hard! And people have really dug it, so that’s encouraging. The hardest part is arranging on the go as I’m trying to figure out what I can add to maximize the effectiveness of the song. Each additional part relies on the parts before it, so it’s a fun puzzle. But it’s also physically demanding for this person with limited mobility.
• Pacing! I feel like there’s a lull between the yiddish graphics and the banjoist entrance. Something that could easily be remedied by a few things:
  • More exciting editing
  • Exciting audio post-processing
    • Such as audio effects ie. reverb, delay
    • Or even dramatic level automation
    • Or additional synth parts or the like

In the end I think that spending more time on one of these videos will be really rewarding. I started a VimWiki entry for my video ideas, and I’ve got a few, but I’m really excited to hear what you think! Song and concept ideas welcome!

*Speaking of VimWiki, I also use it for journaling to great effect and highly recommend. I’m not only keeping track of my life here on the blog. Come to think of it, I think I’ll write a script to automatically add my blog posts to my journal!

What was a I talking about…?

Right. Video. Let me know what you think! Comment below, or reach out at the usual avenues. Links to the left!

(Un)usual Business

Also, I have more spots open for my Southern Serenade Pilgrimage, so reach out at Dottie's Serenade Service! Learn more in my previous post , or on my Facebook page !

AND

I’m looking to take on more students! I’ll be teaching through my travels, so there should be no break in your (or your childrens’!) lessons.

Learn more and schedule at Cedar Park Music School !

Love,
Yr Dear Dot

PS: Feel free to let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like me to write about! I’ve got some more entries coming down the pipeline.