Last minute DP job 10 million views

[Keith B Plummer]

I posted this a few months ago but I think it's interesting. I got hired as a DP in April two days before a music video shoot in Atlanta for a rap artist. I was referred to the director who was out of L.A. so that' cool. I said yes even though it was a busy week. Happy for the work and truthfully I haven't done a rap video in about 6 years so I thought it would be good to knock one out for the reel. It was a long and crazy day. The artist was cool and so was the director which makes it all was worth it. I shot on RED Epic Dragon 4k at 120fps for 90% of the day. Low budget, no lights, exteriors only, midday... The 120fps for most of the shoot was new for me but it's the director's style so you make their vision come to life. Anyway that video is one of the hottest rap videos out now. It has sparked an international dance crazy. I am astounded. Over 10 million views. You just never know, right? Really, who knew? Sometimes it pays to take the last minute gig. Finished in B&W. I think next time I'll have to try the Epic Monochrome. :smile5:

(Mature Audiences)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-9Wi6hbgZ4

​

Keith B. Plummer
www.plumgoodproductions.weebly.com
www.plumgoodproductions.com
Zeiss CZ 28 - 80 f2.8
Zeiss Primes

 

[Brandon Shafto]

Tight, Keith.
Sick job.

 

[Marcel M]

nice work and great message

I posted this a few months ago but I think it's interesting. I got hired as a DP in April two days before a music video shoot in Atlanta for a rap artist. I was referred to the director who was out of L.A. so that' cool. I said yes even though it was a busy week. Happy for the work and truthfully I haven't done a rap video in about 6 years so I thought it would be good to knock one out for the reel. It was a long and crazy day. The artist was cool and so was the director which makes it all was worth it. I shot on RED Epic Dragon 4k at 120fps for 90% of the day. Low budget, no lights, exteriors only, midday... The 120fps for most of the shoot was new for me but it's the director's style so you make their vision come to life. Anyway that video is one of the hottest rap videos out now. It has sparked an international dance crazy. I am astounded. Over 10 million views. You just never know, right? Really, who knew? Sometimes it pays to take the last minute gig. Finished in B&W. I think next time I'll have to try the Epic Monochrome. :smile5:

(Mature Audiences)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-9Wi6hbgZ4

​

Keith B. Plummer
www.plumgoodproductions.weebly.com
www.plumgoodproductions.com
Zeiss CZ 28 - 80 f2.8
Zeiss Primes

 

[Dan Kanes]

Rap music lyrics make me sad for those who live and sing it. Empty fantasies

I didn't see any fantasy here.

This is as real as it gets for the people in the video living in their town, and from what I could tell it wasn't really glorifying anything - just telling their story. It was hard for me to pick out what the dance was in the video that's part of a dance craze now though... But no doubt this is an important part of today's culture.

nice work Keith.

 

[Keith B Plummer]

Thanks for the comments guys. It's a good reminder for me to always do my best no matter the project. I would have never dreamed this many people would have viewed that video. Glad it worked out though.

 

[Nick Morrison]

Joking right? Count how many hand guns are drawn and references to making dead-end gang life look sexy. These type of fantasy films have major social consequences. Just sad to watch

Zeb not sure this is the right place for social commentary.

Its easy to moralize from a distance, much harder to understand and empathize up close...

 

[Raj Dye]

That view count could easily be fake. Youtube recently wiped billions of views from music videos after determining that they were fake.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...video-views-finding-faked-music-industry.html

Gang bangers flashing money, gang signs, and guns around? This was repetitive back in 2002. Now 14 years later you think this is something? Just because you did it in black and white and slow motion doesn't make it artistic. It's trash.

 

[M.Halsell]

Joking right? Count how many hand guns are drawn and references to making dead-end gang life look sexy. These type of fantasy films have major social consequences. Just sad to watch

I assume your disdain for violence covers the Hollywood products as well. The OP was sharing comments and success working on a commercial project. See nothing uncool about that.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

I didn't see any fantasy here. [/

This is as real as it gets for the people in the video living in their town, and from what I could tell it wasn't really glorifying anything - just telling their story. It was hard for me to pick out what the dance was in the video that's part of a dance craze now though... But no doubt this is an important part of today's culture.

That's a poor soul convinced that unintelligible babble about guns and money in 2016 over three sounds which a 5 y.o. could make with a casio keyboard, is music. Living in an illusion of achievement, designed by retardation creating media system to keep the masses as retarded as possible.


.



And before the social engineers turning the wheels of mass psyche design system called "entertainment" turned this music to utmost garbage and slop for the brain dead,


...some 20 years ago there was this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjsPG0Kspxo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXJc2NYwHjw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHRnvjCkTsw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC1xuVCBl4o&list=RDgC1xuVCBl4o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM4kqL13jGM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VCdJyOAQYM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbulmeDErOk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuhaFdBuwp4

 

[A. Clint Litton]

While for the most part I would agree with your assertion that this doesn't really add much of substance or elevate people, I think a lot of the criticisms of this video and it's contribution to culture should be directed at the artist and/or the director. My take away from Keith's post was that even when you get a call to do a random job that you think might not see the light of day, it's nice to try and pull something off that you can be happy with visually, as it may actually find some viewership in the end. Another aspect of his post that I thought was appropriate for sharing on this forum was that it was a job with no real prep or support, midday sun, lots of contrast, and relatively high frame rate, all of which say something good about the camera of choice. He also reiterated that he did his best to fulfill the director's vision, which is what he was ultimately hired to do...he didn't present this as his life's passion project.

I agree that it does paint a dreary picture when looking past the hype-filled surface, but I don't tearing down Keith as a constructive part of this particular discussion on culture.

 

[M.Halsell]

The human condition was not the subject of the post. It's generally considered poor form to derail a thread.

 

[Nick Morrison]

The human condition was not the subject of the post. It's generally considered poor form to derail a thread.

Exactly. The ethics of gang/gun themed hip-hop (and its roots/history) should best be left for ANOTHER thread (if any at all).

Keith was hired to do a job, and used a RED camera.

That's as far as this conversation should go.

This piece was NOT his vision - it was the director and artists.

And while I agree perpetuating violence is never GOOD, violence in America is REAL, gun over-saturation is REAL, and while some Hip-Hop videos do GLORIFY guns and drug culture, they often do in combination with images of excess/success in the style of "Scarface" (ie expensive cars, mansions, clothing, etc).

I thought the gritty realism of THIS PIECE, shooting it in what appears to be a REAL neighborhood down on its luck, with REAL locals acting as extras, added a layer of honesty/truth that did not AGGRANDIZE, but merely presented these realities as TRUTH.

Poor American neighborhoods are SATURATED in guns. That's a reality. As are poor neighborhoods AROUND THE WORLD. Poverty and violence go hand in hand.

I for one at least appreciated the honesty and straightforwardness of this imagery. It was NOT laden with the usual trappings of EXCESS, instead it sublimated gang/gun culture into its REAL setting - the neighborhood, as it actually exists.

There's something honest, and arresting about that.

You may not LIKE that truth. But it exists.

To quote Picasso, "Art is the Lie that tells the truth".

 

[Keith B Plummer]

So are you saying you get hired as a DP and get to the set and walk off because of the subject matter? Hell, I've been on features, commercials and political spots in which I didn't believe in the subject matter but gave it my all. My post was simply, I took a last minute job that was technically not the way I would have preferred it go but I did the best that could be done and now the song is a big hit. WHO KNEW? Actually, I make my bones doing docs. for museums along with corporate etc.

Yes I am amazed at the 10 million views because that's not my realm. Thousands of people generally view my work not millions. I was hesitant of even putting it on my reel but the song is one of the biggest rap songs of the Summer so that answers that question. This was not my statement on society. It was just, look at what could happen when you take a last minute job. I'm a professional and have been doing this for a very long time and that means compromise and giving the client what they want. You make suggestions but ultimately it's their show. I didn't see the thread going here but here we are.

 

[Patrick Gdovic]

This thread is pathetic and extremely unprofessional. Shame on you, Zeb, Raj, Hrvoje. Take your BS to tumblr. Great work on the video, Keith.

 

[Dan Kanes]

It's easy to talk shit when you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth.

I would certainly not celebrate this video because it portrays violence.

This is a cultural artifact of a time and place which is very real.

Even if it's not some of our reality - certainly I was born into a more privileged condition with more opportunity handed to me by family than the youth given a chance to be in this video - this is a very real and impoverished reality for some of the people in the video.


By the logic of some posters here, should we not showcase the work and celebrate the work of Vietnam war photographers like Nick Ut because it shows violence and "exploitation" of a people at a time ?

I would argue , hell no. This is documentary of some people's lives, and certainly violence plays a negative part in their experience. Some celebrate that violence, others don't.

If you don't like it - what are you doing to change their situation other than "pity" them?

 

[Dan Kanes]

You could just say nothing.

But, I'm glad you did say something, because it prompted me to say :

"Good job protecting the first amendment - and I support your ability to disagree with me."

-Peace Out

 

[Steve DiMaggio]

hey man, if you like what you do and are making a living doing it more power to you, I thought it was sick, regardless it is an art to be able to capture someone's vision and bring it to life. Do you, done deal man.

This is just as relevant as anything out there, its a culture and it is what it is, this is coming from a dude who has been robbed at gun point and drove taxis in a "urban" environment who might have been through bit of this.

Sure it glorifies a bit of violence ect but, its real life for some and it is art just as any 6 minute indie film is. I am just happy to see something shot on RED before the mass raven and scarlet "tests" on youtube and vimeo. Work werk wa wah werk brotha

and to say that arrested development and all the other things posted here were not main stream watered down crap shoved down suburban americas throat by MTV is crazy, first song I learned on drums was a BBD song. Thats my generation and those videos are not far off from nysc of the past generation.

this guy did an incredible job on this shoot in probably a not so comfortable environment, he should be applauded for his skill not scolded for the content he captured accurately. Lets keep it in context, this is a pro forum.

ZEN B you have given me some great advice in other threads but I am not sure this is the place for this type of critique. All due respect

My question is, was the put in BW in film convert? I shoot BW film stills and slide stills and am wondering

Steve

 

[Clint Lealos]

Drug addiction sucks and so do dealers, guns are a problem, poverty is tragic, violence is bad, gangs are destructive, people are judgmental, free speech is rad, and wether you like it or not this video is art. The video didn't make the problems, its a reflection of the problems. I think Keith's point is valid and everything else is just noise.

 

[Raj Dye]

This thread is pathetic and extremely unprofessional. Shame on you, Zeb, Raj, Hrvoje. Take your BS to tumblr. Great work on the video, Keith.

Patrick, you can't shame me. You think you are some kind of school teacher? You think you are some kind of arbiter of this profession? You are an example of what is wrong with this profession. Patrick and Keith, you would sell you your own community, you would sell out your own human race. That is what is truly pathetic.

I'm an artist and a highly skilled professional. I don't sell-out my community or sell out my fellow human beings by promoting trash like this.

I lived in the ghetto for 8 years. I've seen people acting like these kinda' fools way too much. My next door neighbor got chopped up by gang banging thugs like this and suffered in the hospital for 3 months before he finally died. ...and you promote this type of behavior.

To all those who say this is art. Yes, it is commercial art used for destructive purposes, just like this:

http://www.trbimg.com/img-52e6ecb2/turbine/la-na-nn-marlboro-men-20140127

That is a classic portrait of the rugged individual, and it's used to sell death. The photographer was an artist, but he allowed his art to be used for a very negative purpose. It's called "selling-out." People used to have enough class to at least demand money for selling out. Now, a few million fake youtube views is enough, apparently.

Take your BS to #worldstarhiphop on vine Patrick Gdovic and Keith B Plummer.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

The human condition was not the subject of the post.

Since the content of the post affects the human condition...

...the topic expanded.

It's generally considered poor form to derail a thread.

It is considered as tragic (and symptomatic) passively looking the other way, living in denial and thinking things will improve by themselves.