Live vs. playback for video purposes only

[Cue Zephyr]

Howdy folks,

The only way I'll play worse than when I'm recording music is when I'm recording video simultaneously. Do you personally see or feel anything wrong with using playback for the video recording like they do for music videos? I kinda started to hate the process because I need a whole day to get everything right and on video as well. If I use playback I can record whenever and wherever I want.

Cheers.
CZ

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Cue Zephyr

Howdy folks,

The only way I'll play worse than when I'm recording music is when I'm recording video simultaneously. Do you personally see or feel anything wrong with using playback for the video recording like they do for music videos? I kinda started to hate the process because I need a whole day to get everything right and on video as well. If I use playback I can record whenever and wherever I want.

Cheers.
CZ

So the question is, would someone like to look at you while you're playing back a recording of yourself? I think if you're going that route, you may as well go all the way to the MTV-style video, and do something interesting. Be running thru fields in slow motion, or be joined by dancers or something :-) Seriously, if the video isn't a real performance, then I'd think about what visual would enhance the music. Fran Guidry does some nice stuff with scenes of Hawaii during his slack key videos, for example. Nothing wrong with it not being a live performance, but I personally wouldn't fake it. Unless you're really good at lip/fingersyncing, you won't fool anyone anyway. But freeing yourself up from the "here's a guy sitting playing guitar" limitation seems like a worthwhile endeavor. Maybe you could have fun with it, looking like you're playing for a while, then take your hands off the guitar!

But it's really up to you what you want to achieve. Video's its own art form, so it's all up for grabs. Nothing wrong with whatever you want to do.

[Cue Zephyr]

Yes, that would definitely be the way. Either a real filmed performance or an explicitly produced music video. I reckon making it look like it was the performance would look rather silly, so it'll be on either end of the spectrum so to speak. Thanks for the ideas, sure sounds like a lot of fun to have a go at. If only I could get myself a green screen and proper lighting...