So to save yourself from getting banned, sued, or just having your video full of hard work removed, here are a few of my favorite sites to find free music. This is not an all-inclusive list, but if I’m missing any big ones, feel free to let me know and I’ll add ‘em.

Incompetech – Operated by the Great Kevin MacLeod. He also has some nifty stuff on there like sheet music and graph paper.

CCMixter – Music and a lot more – geared towards making remixes, so there are lots of great loops and samples.

Music Alley – Formerly music.podshow.com. A GREAT place to find lots and lots of creative commons music. You need an rss feed to sign up (but who doesn’t have one of those anymore?) and it’s a hair tricky to navigate at first, but the number of songs available blows the mind. Totally worth the effort.

Jamendo – Great site that allows you to download entire albums from contributing artists.

Audionautix – Not as robust as some of the other sites, but what it does have is absolutely awesome.

DanoSongs - Again, not as much content as some of the big guys, but goods stuff nonetheless.

Archive.org – USE THIS LINK! No really, this is the motherlode. Archive.org is the intenet repository for all things copyleft, creative commons, or public domain. You will also find video footage, and all sorts of othr goodies, and it’s all easy to download. Probably one of the coolest and simultaneously most overlooked sites on the net.

FreeSound – Focuses on “sounds” as opposed to songs, but still – mega awesome site. If you’ve ever needed foley or audio effects for your videos, this is an invaluable link. PS – there are some sorta music-ish things there.

FreePD – From that nefarious genius Kevin MacLeod comes yet another awesome site. As opposed to incompetech, which is creative commons licensed, these songs are completely public domain. This is yet another reason why we love Kevin

Remix.Kwed – Somewhere along the lines, this C64 site morphed into another great site full of outstanding free music.

TBT Music – A few good songs on here. Hope you speak German.

Newgrounds – More hiphop style stuff, but lots of good tunes. Be warned, there is background music playing by default when you go to the site (you can turn this off)

Simuze – If you don’t speak Dutch you might have a tough time understanding everything on the site, but hey, the music is great!

Section Z – An online music community. Good free stuff there.

OPSOUND – Piles and piles of free music. Enjoy!

Jamglue – Another site that caters towards remixing music. CAREFUL! This site doesn’t police their content too well, and I’ve found some copyrighted stuff on it. Make sure you know that what you’re using is good before you use it!

Audio Farm – Another site chock full of awesome free music.

Okay, so those are the only ones that come to mind off the top of my head. I know there are more out there, but that should get you started. One word to the wise: respect the creators of these songs. If their license doesn’t allow derivatives, that means don’t use it. If they say no commercial use, YouTube partners & other monetizers should at the very least ask the artist for permission first. I’ve done this before and the artist was happy to allow me to use his song.

Good luck, and happy filmmaking!

Creative Commons Rocks!

First, let’s talk about the art side of YouTube. A lot of people on YouTube are what I would consider artists in an electronic medium. Now, I’m not talking about the people who shoot 30 seconds of raw footage featuring their kitten eating a bug. I’m talking about the people that actually come up with an idea, plan it, shoot it, edit it, and then upload something new and unique. That’s art, and regardless of the quality of the final product, YouTube is a virtual gallery for these artists to show off their works. So coming from the perspective that no artist likes a gallery without any viewers, I can certainly understand the hesitancy to upload a video during a slower time of year on YouTube.

At the same time however, what sort of artist paints a masterpiece and leaves it in their bedroom closet until they think enough people will be at the gallery that day to see it? If I were to wait for enough viewers to show up on my channel to give one of my videos 20,000 hits overnight, I may never upload another video again. So what then, should I just keep making them and never ever upload another one?

I am reminded of Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the french sculptor. If you close your eyes and try really hard to remember your 5th grade US history, you’d recall him as the man who sculpted the statue of liberty in the 19th century. Another round of memory jogging would recall that President Grover Cleveland accepted the statue for the United States on Oct. 28, 1886. I also want you to think about another famous pair, Orville and Wilbur Wright, who flew the first modern airplane back in 1903. At this point, you’re probably thinking “Wow, interesting history lesson, but what’s your point?” Well hang on, I’m getting there right now.

Here’s the thing – back in the 1860’s and 70’s when Bartholdi was sculpting lady liberty, humans couldn’t fly. The highest manmade structures in the world were still barely the size of a medium sized office building today. The bottom line was that as far as Bartholdi knew, there never was or would be any way for anyone to see the very tip top of Lady Libery’s head. And yet, even knowing that nobody would ever see it, he still painstakingly sculpted out every last detail, making sure that every strand of hair and every unseen part of her headpiece got the exact same attention that he gave the rest of her.

And that’s what art is about. It’s about doing your best, and putting it out there, even if you know that nobody will ever see it. So when I see someone like Cory, who I know to be a highly skilled artist, saying he’s not releasing videos because they won’t be seen, it gives me pause. Moreso when you realize that the guy is the 9th most subscribed director of all time on YouTube, when he says “nobody will see them”, he means that the video might only get 80,000 or 90,000 views initially. So not only is he minimalizing the fantastic fan base he has which most of us would give our left eye for, but he’s also not satisfied with more people viewing one of his videos than Mozart ever had attend one of his live concertos, or more people viewing his video than Shakespeare ever had in attendance at one time at the Globe Theatre. I could go on, but you get the point.

Art is supposed to be about expression. If you make a great video and then keep it hidden until the time is right, then you’re marketing yourself, not expressing yourself, and you’ve missed the whole point behind what art really is. And so while 16 year olds with a good idea are out there doing art, many of YouTube’s A-listers have forgotten that, and are now just giant marketing machines. In that respect, I actually have more respect for the little folks who made videos that suck but had their hearts in the right place than I do the people with the budget to make masterpieces, but keep them hidden until it’ time to fight for the Summer blockbuster spot.

Having said that, even artists need to eat, and when you’ve had the fortune of being YouTube’s 9th most subscribed director, living off your partner income means that you do have to do some marketing to ensure that you can continue drawing crowds and remaining relevant to the masses who pay your rent by clicking your ads. After all, 100,000 hits on a video won’t pay your rent. So do you settle for lesser views by releasing in off-times, or do you wait until viewers have returned from their winter breaks? That’s really up to you. I will say one thing: If you’re a little guy producer and you see a herd of the big shots taking time off, make as many of your “works of art” as you can. When the smpfilms fans get bored because they’re not getting fresh stuff, they’ll go looking for new people to follow. So for those of us farther down the charts, maybe the best time to release our latest project is right now.

-Jim

Edit: just in case people Miss it, I don’t have anything against Cory. I think he’s a great guy and a phenomenal filmmaker. I just happen to think he needs to quit thinking about views, and start thinking about expression. My two cents, for better of worse.

One – I’m a filmmaker. I’ve created and sold (for money even!) several film projects, ranging from small event videos to a short documentary that has made it’s rounds and been seen by around three quarters of a million people. I even carry certifications and pieces of paper that proclaim my alleged abilities.

Two, I’m a huge YouTube fan. While 98% of the stuff I upload to YouTube isn’t “pro quality”, I see it as an experimental playground for me, and possibly a chance to one day escape the string of day jobs that prevent me from doing full time filmmaking.

I’m also a fan of the social aspect of YouTube. A long time ago, before most anyone heard of him, I found one of my favorite YouTubers: Peter Coffin. Today his followers reach into the five digit arena, and along with a few other ‘Tubers I discovered early on, he’s one of those people that I watch not only for the hilarity (which would be worth it in and of itself – have you subscribed to him yet?), but also for inspiration.

But enough of the pleasantries. In a recent tweet, Peter commented “You want to make a movie? Cheap? Buy a couple Canon 7ds. ” and linked to this video, which obviously had some sponsorship from Canon. Go on, you can watch it, I’ll wait.

Okay, eyes back up here class. When I watched the film, I have to say, I really liked it. That it was shot on a camera that’s designed to take pictures only adds to the wow effect. But going back to the tweet that introduced me to the video, I was really conflicted.

For starters, watching that video, the first thing I noticed was that these guys are pros. The opening shot is done on a Jib. Throughout the film, you see signs that their 7D was being stabilized by steadicams, tripods, and dollies that I’m willing to bet my hat cost more each than your first car, unless you were one of those rich kids I always spited growing up. About halfway through the film, you see a field audio recorder in the bottom of one frame that easily costs a grand. The film is definitely color corrected, the aperture on their lens is tuned in on each shot like a pro did it, and everything is very tidy in general. These guys are pros.

My point behind this is, the film in and of itself is a marketing ploy. By watching it, you might start thinking that you can somehow create films like this just by purchasing this phenomenal camera (and being a Canon man, I will admit that it’s a phenomenal camera). The truth is, to make a film like this, you need the phenomenal camera, REAL post-production skills (more than the average YouTuber, or above average YouTuber for that matter), a $2000 jib, $1500 dolly, $3500 steadicam, a few grand in audio capturing components, field lighting for better field depth, a couple years of training, and a corporate sponsor to justify the 90 hours you’re going to spend on the project. Yeah, the camera is cheaper than shooting on, say, 32mm film stock, but the camera part of professional filmmaking is one of the lesser costing components if you’re doing it right. So Peter, while I love ya, I disagree, this isn’t really a “cheap” way to make your movie at all.

But the man who criticizes without actually offering a solution is no man at all, says me. So what DOES it take to make a great film on a budget? Here’s my list of things you need if you want to put together your neighborhood’s summer blockbuster:

1. Imagination. The human brain is a great tool. Use it. So many producers get so caught up in buying the right toys that they forget that the most important part of any film is not the hardware that shoots the story, but the story itself. There are films that have made it into global distribution which were shot with virtually no budget on equipment that was laughable. (El Mariachi comes immediately to mind.) The reason these films float is because there’s a visionary behind them, who puts the story ahead of the equipment.

2. Ingenuity. You want to shoot a film the right way, on great equipment? Don’t buy it. Instead, beg, borrow, and, uh, “liberate” what you need. At this year’s Cannes film festival, director Marc Price blew the world away with his zombie thriller “Colin”, which he produced on a, get this, $70 budget. Yes, seventy dollars. It cost more to enter his film at Cannes than it did to produce the thing! And topping it off, he did the film right, on film stock, with makeup artists, sound, lighting, the whole nine yards. If you read the CNN article, you realize that his secret was n networking, and getting all of his friends to bring what they had to the table. So before you start thinking about spending two grand on a camera, why not think about what resources you might have available. MacGyver will be so proud.

3. A camera, any camera (and the know-how to use it). Ready for a shocker? Great films are’t made great by the cameras that shoot them. The Blair With Project, which for ages held the record for the highest profit to cost ratio in a feature film, was shot on Sony consumer grade Digital 8 handycams, much like the one I bought in a pawn shop about 6 years ago for $100. Seriously. So everyone who insists that you need big spendy cameras to make a good film, get over yourself. What you really need are the brains to maximize the usage of what you’ve got. Sure, a nice camera gives you more latitude to perfect your shots, but it’s not as important as knowing how to use a camera. Even most consumer grade cameras allow you to manually control focus, white balance, aperture, and sometimes even shutter speed. Master these skills, and any old camera will come alive.

4. Quality sound recording. If there’s an area you SHOULD invest in, it’s audio. A friend of mine who shoots mostly wedding videos likes to say “Audio is 51% of the video”. What this means is, the human eye is a forgiving instrument, but human hearing is exacting. When we see, our brains can barely manage the bandwidth that our twin super high definition eyes send it, so the brain doesn’t always process all the information it gets. Instead, it takes guesses, skips over redundant parts, and gives you a “pretty good” representation of what’s out there. This is why ninjas seemed to be invisible. They took advantage of this weakness in human vision. So when we watch an image, our brain will often forgive grainy picture, shaky cameras, and all the rest. It’s used to dealing with lousy images, so it can handle that.

Ears, on the other hand, are very precise. They can detect the most minute changes in frequency, and they WILL notice horrid audio in your film. If you’ve got background noise, a TV on someplace, even a low hum from appliances, our ears can pick that up, and it can ruin a film. Despite this, I know several video producers who have $3000 cameras and still don’t own a $150 shotgunmic and a $50 boom pole. That’s just crazy! Going back to Blair Witch, a huge chunk of their budget was invested in audio, and a lot of film critics feel that the superior audio mix of the film greatly helped make it a hit. So before you buy your first $4300 ENG quality HD camera, get some microphones and the brains to know how to use them.

5. Capable co-conspirators. You can make a one-man film, but it’s a pain in the neck. Many hands make light work, and this is true in the filmmaking world as well. Having someone there to hold your boom pole and monitor lighting is important. The more crew you have, the more your focus can rest where it needs to: on the story being told. Whenever I go on location to shoot, I bring no less than two people with me.

The bottom line is that yes, the cool cameras and toys are great, but what you really need to make a good film is a good story and the knowledge of how to use what you’ve got. You don’t need $30,000 worth of gear. You need ingenuity and gaff tape. Lots and lots of gaff tape.

Components of a great film.

-Jim

Also we are going to be filming more videos.  Paxton & Riley, short comedy videos, and maybe bring past shows back.  Just remember to stay tuned.

On Monday nights at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central we do our LIVE shows.  Tune in!  There will be improv sections, contests, singing, and much more!  Please tune in!

Until then,

Andrew C

Today was our first day of filming and brainstorming for our new web series out on Youtube.  We filmed the promo video today which was amazing!  We also filmed a little snipet about ourselves and what we are all about just in case people were wondering where I came into play – since Jim has been known on Youtube for a little over 3 years now. 

Today was the day magic happened.  We may have looked like dorks – but that’s show business isn’t it?  We are doing it for our enjoyment and hopefully putting a smile on your face!  We are doing weekly shows – whether it continues on with our new web series titled “Paxton and Riley” or we end up doing something in a different direction.  We hope to have your support and your time to sit and watch these short videos.  Don’t worry – you won’t have to think… we made sure it is light on the deep comedy and focused on the slap stick comedy. 

We hope you enjoy it and please – subscribe to Somecallmejim on Youtube and rate our videos!  Even favorite the “Paxton and Riley” video!  Thanks and we are extremely happy with our kick off video! 

Sincerely,

Andrew Carlson

We have reached that point.

Come on in, sit down, and enjoy the action!

This site is a journal of sorts, a site for discussion regarding all things film, theater, and social media. But more importantly, it’s a place of action. Here on this site, we’re saying “Let’s make something happen”. Maybe that something won’t be the  next Oscar winner. Heck, it might not merit uploading to YouTube. But it’s something, and that in itself is better than nothing.

So c’mon in. The party’s just getting started, and there’ll always be room for more.

Catch ya later,

Jim