What is the secret of showing the story of a great song in a video to move people? “I just love songs So it’s kind of selfish”, says Anthony Simpkins. He started GemsOnVHS in 2011, in the Wild West days of YouTube, uploading songs that friends and strangers were playing. “This YouTube channel didn’t mean anything to anybody for the first seven or eight years yet on now.” Today his YouTube channel has got more than 120,000 subscribers.
Part 1: Clutter, Cowboys & Culture
How to shoot a good music performance video? Anthony knows: It’s the people behind the artist. “People are living interesting lives. But when you’re on the inside of it you don’t really see it. Everybody’s so caught up in their own mess. They don’t really see what’s interesting about them or what’s nice about their songs.” Learn in this episode how Anthony matches the location with the artist, why he follows clutter, culture and cowboys even into prison and how your mother could be the best marketing tool you have.
Part 2: “More Mics, More Problems”
Keep it small and minimalistic! Anthony loves free vintage stuff, shooting with small body digital cameras, and recording wireless. Learn more about the technical equipment Anthony and his team use to capture these songs in part 2.
Part 3: Focus On the Art
In Part 3 of this Pro Talk Anthony discusses the future of GemsOnVHS and how music brings people together. His advice for great art: “Just focus on the art and kind of leave the other stuff alone. Just do what you’re good at. Get better at what you’re wanting to be good at.”
Learning From Professionals: Sennheiser Pro Talk
In the music industry, there is no classic right and wrong. That’s why we at gigmit BLOG aim to share experiences and knowledge of people who work in the industry – just like our friends from Sennheiser do with their award-winning Pro Talk Series. Designed to serve as a valuable resource for aspiring engineers, producers and audio enthusiasts, the series focuses on the journeys of the world’s leading audio professionals and their expert advice for a path to success. In 2018 the Pro Talk Series won a TEC Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement in the Audio Education Technology category.
Check it out, get inspired and learn from professionals how to highlight the story of a great song.
