This weekend was my first experience at the Live From Memphis Music Video Showcase. This was also my first year volunteering as a photographer for the events. Attending a festival that focuses entirely on music videos is very different from a conventional film festival, but is just as entertaining.
My two favorite events weren’t a part of the main showcases. The showcase judges held a panel at Earnestine & Hazel’s, which lasted from 1pm until 5pm. The other event was on Sunday, when Live From Memphis and FuelFilm:Memphis premiered the results of the 48 Hour Music Video Challenge.
Journalist Stephen Pitalo is very knowledgeable when it comes to music video history. The blogger and author spoke about videos made the "Golden Age"—the late 70s to the early 90s—and showed a few examples to discuss the hidden backstories and influences that shaped these works.
Legendary music video director Jon Small loves to talk about videos and loves to learn more about them. Using his impressive resume as the example, Small discussed what makes a good music video—mainly, that the video should focus on the band itself—something some of the videos in the showcase did not do, no matter how entertaining they were to the audience. You can’t argue with this critic. I was happy to hear that because my own video prominently features the band (Swimmingly).
Bob Moczydlowsky will be the first to point out how difficult his last name may be to pronounce. Topspin Media, however, is not difficult. Topspin is a direct-to-fan marketing tool, one that also helps manage and distribute your creative endeavor, whether it be music, film, or clothes. His explanation of the how the Internet is changing the way we promote and distribute was excellent. This site may seem complicated at first, but Bob and the rest of this company provide excellent tools for marketing and distribution.
I enjoyed taking hundreds of photographs of the panels, live bands, videos, and awards presentations. But all that paled in comparison to seeing a music video I directed premiere on Sunday, 2pm at The Warehouse. During the previous weekend (February 24–26), I participated in the Fuel Film 48 Hour Music Video Launch, in which me and a huge group of other folks accepted the challenge of creating a music video in two days. I had so much fun overcoming that challenge! As I said before my video premiered, “I still can’t believe I made a music video in two days!” I shared this wonderful experience with the band Swimmingly, who are a great group to work with. If FuelFilm:Memphis holds another 48 Hour Challenge, I think I’ll be there with another music video pitch—but not before I submit another video into the next LFM: Music Video Showcase!
