Layering Your Art
October 29th, 2008 by Alec McNayrPosted in Content, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
One kid with a web cam created 64 video tracks where he sings, clicks, percussions, and synthesizes. All those videos come together to recreate Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Check it out at College Humor. (or see below)
Got me thinking: Michael Jackson’s music from the 1980’s is still holds up because it was so fresh and creative across multiple disciplines. First off, the celebrity he brought to the table made his music an option for people to listen to. Then, for Thriller itself, his layering on top of layering of sounds, singing, backup, and even Vincent Price’s narration made it a outstandingly rich sound. Then layer on top of that a boom in music videos, which was a perfect setup for his story-based Thriller video.
Layering on top of layering on top of layering. That’s art.
Reminds me of Tim Street’s current mantra of necessary components to online video success: access two emotions, have spectacle, and have a story.
I’ve been writing a lot recently and have been trying to apply this to my work in creating two TV pilot scripts: dialogue built on top of character motivations on top of clever self-awareness on top of pop culture on top of awareness in my own life and mortality. Maybe the good writers just call that “subtext.”
I see it in the best TV: real emotions stoked and an audience engaged. As I read recently about the Mad Men season 2 finale:
I think the show gets to me so much because it is so gradual and complex, layered with thematically linked plots and flawed, interesting characters. But what really makes it powerful and unique is its RESTRAINT. Less is always more on that show. There are moments you yearn for over the course of a whole season, conversations you wish people would have, confrontations that build and build and build. Tonight we finally got a couple – but instead of the knee-jerk dramatic reactions you might expect, the breakdowns, the slamming of doors, the exposing of feelings, the plans of what to do or predictions of what’s to come, you get one line. Or one look. I’m always in awe of the subtlety and intensity of that show.
But is rare in online video these days to see any layering or subtext. It is just straight in your face. What you see is what you get. Of late, online videos tend to be one of three things: satire, sex, or shock. And only one of them. Either the video gets views because it is a derivative of an existing pop culture reference (video games, movie musicals, etc.), or it’s sexy time (read: boobs), or a bride falling into a pool (hilarious, though, I must admit).
It’s not that online content isn’t original. There’s a lot of originality. It’s the layering. Or lack of it. What does TV do that online video hasn’t caught onto yet? What are the layers that matter?
Thriller: 64-part A Capella:
2 Responses to “Layering Your Art”
By David Das on Oct 29, 2008
Great post, Alec! You put your finger on a good reason why I don’t see a lot of great online videos to rival the best of TV (which I don’t think there is that much of — but there are some gems). I’m sure a lot of it is the disparity in budgets — web video still being a new, untested, and largely unfinanced platform.
I think you can make a case that YouTube has become synonymous with “amateur TV.”
By Justin Edwards on Oct 29, 2008
It’s great that “everyone” on earth has webcam, internet, potential direct access to limitless audience, and packaged video editing software.
What’s not so great is that “everyone” on earth has webcam, internet, potential direct access to limitless audience, and packaged video editing software.
What goes on TV has gone through layer after layer of checks, approvals, risk assessment, etc., before being given the green light for delivery to an audience.
What goes on internet has no check system, and is a wild west, lawless, and open for anyone to upload and share.
Say there’s roughly 100 “made the cut, greenlit” programs on TV (not counting reality TV). Now just as a rough estimate, maybe people could generally agree that perhaps 25 of them are “good, quality” (if they had time to watch all 100) – 25%, right?
The internet has nothing to combat the open airwaves. Perhaps there are 25 “good, quality” internet series, but that’s out of how many? What counts in that tally? Every single video online? Just YouTube and MySpace? Only “official” web series? What % would you guess are “good” after picking such a number? 1%? .001%?
Since “just anyone” can upload videos, this makes WebTV flooded with probably 90% amateurs, with zero training or study of storytelling, screenwriting, character development, lighting, sound, camera, etc., but who upload anyway, whether as a sincere effort to get discovered, or just as a fun way to share with friends and family (the more likely of the reasons).
A blessing and a curse, is that the old saying? Maybe China is on to something with their internet restrictions…
PS – none of my numbers are based on any research whatsoever.
PPS – I got dibs on all this space shank media stuff in 3008. I can’t wait!