Writing music video concepts, and sharing ideas too early

Travelled out to get some headshots taken today, because my current headshots on my Spotlight is just some janky ass photos that my little brother took of me on my DSLR in the garden – I really needed to get some professional ones done.

I had some had a fair amount of down time on the train to get some writing done, but because it was quite packed train, and I didn’t want to brainstorm and sound out all of my ideas like a fucking maniac, I decided to pick some other ideas to write.

Sharing ideas too early?

I don’t really like having to to filter my ideas because I know somebody is going to hear them, I feel like I need to be able to just have the freedom to throw absolute garbage at the wall, to see what sticks.

By the same token, I am a bit wary of sharing my early ideas on this blog – I feel like if you share an idea too early it can be like giving birth to to an undeveloped foetus.

Some ideas need a bit more time before they’re ready to be shared, but fuck it I’ll share some early ideas on here if I think they’re ready.

Just lower your expectations lol and know that most of the early ideas I share on here will probably be T R A S H, and will probably change. Hopefully you can get some value in following this journey, and seeing how the ideas change.

me posting all my shit onto this blog

MF DOOM tribute freestyle music video

I find when brainstorming ideas nowadays I really need to use speech-to-text, but when it’s a bit further down the line in terms of process with writing I need to think more and speak less.

So this time spent sat next to other strangers on the train was a perfect opportunity to work on a music video idea I’ve been playing around with for a minute. It’s for a song that me and my little bro recorded about a year ago as a tribute to the late and great MF DOOM.

rip to the goat

Concepts

I’ve only really done performance music videos up to this point and I really want to get stuck in with more concept driven pieces.

I’ve tried to do concepts in the past, my last music video with NinjaTea was an attempt at a concept – I had a bank robbery concept in mind, and I think it worked to a degree, but the bulk of the video focused on performance shots edited together with VFX.

I want to do a piece that relies solely on the strength of the idea, so I don’t need to fall back on using After Effects to spice up performance shots.

Right now, the idea is me and my little brother trying on the MF DOOM mask, and after putting it on we find we can’t actually take it off.

The tone of the video would reflect the light hearted and cartoony nature of the instrumental that we rapped on. It’s still a bit rough, and haven’t worked out the finer details, but I’m excited to keep developing it.

Super rough timeline

One of my mentors, the amazing Louis Bhose very kindly shared some early documents on how they planned out a Loyle Carner music video, and it was super helpful in seeing how specifically they planned out the actions to the lyrics in the song.

I don’t think I can share the Loyle Carner stuff, but I will show what I’ve how I’ve copied his Timeline document to use as a brainstorming tool (very rough):

  • Now we wearing the mask the villain
    • We both trying on the mask, give
  • CHECK! When I spit…
    • In front of the mirror posing and checking self out
  • What’s the weather
    • Oh wait shit we can’t take mask off
  • Flustered, I need to tell your mother
    • Dubbe r like shit mask won’t come off, let’s go to mum
  • All might
    • All might poster in foreground somewhere?
  • Push themselves
    • Tryna force mask off lil bro
  • Are you a dickhead?
    • I’m like dyu want me to help you or not
  • I’ll slap your noggin
    • Have hammer to smash the mask – I’m like no!!!
  • Factory settings
    • Okay back to the drawing board, how we gonna do this
  • Wrestle bad thoughts
    • Self doubt in mirror
  • The cats out the bag
    • We get found out by family, they looking at us weird, smash cut to eating and then they looking at us weird
  • mf doom the greatest ever
    • final performance shot to camera

You can listen to the the track below: