I’ve been fortunate enough to explore all facets of new media work here at MetroStar Systems. One of my passions is video production – from storyboarding to keyframing wicked motion graphics. Another passion of mine is music. Being part of the MetroStar Systems creative team, I get to meld the two together.
Music plays a vital role in professional creative fields. Take for example promo videos and commercials. How many times have you seen a commercial on TV and liked it simply because it had a cool track? Often times, I’ll remember commercials based on the music they used, not the product they sold. A perfect example is the latest IE8 commercial. The commercial itself isn’t mind-blowing, but the song “Too Close” by Alex Clare brings it to a whole new level – it makes an old internet search engine cool and sexy.
http://youtu.be/bJLMRW9XxFs
When you’re a creative professional, it’s important to always analyze examples from the field. When it comes to music, this means assessing why a song was chosen for the project and what makes it work. For example, the song used in the HPPrint “Happy Baby” commercial is perfect. The commercial has a very conceptualized storyline – what would it physically look like if the subject of a photo was shown being sent from the camera to the printer. Naturally, a baby is shown zipping across the Nation’s terrain in his rolling seat. The song “Brand New Key” by Melanie matches the oddity and carefree nature of the story concept and visuals. The song moves the viewer along with the baby, without the need for large sound effects.
http://youtu.be/I5s1QNfXGn4
What I’ve found is that alcohol, electronics, and car commercials usually have the best music. Take for example the amazing Greyhound spot by Absoult. The alcohol giant teamed up the popular DJ trio Swedish House Mafia to create a custom commercial where everything was integrated, from the story concept of high tech greyhounds to the title of the song itself, “Greyhound”. The song drives the entire concept of the commercial, magazine ads, and overall campaign. The song is not only in the background as an additional character of the storyline, it’s the star.
http://youtu.be/V3urgcBpFrc
Being in a creative field, it’s important to keep your ears open and consistently discover new music. Try getting into the best practice of:
- Using the music identifying app Shazam
- Staying plugged into Pandora daily
- Following music video playlists on YouTube
- Connecting with Spotfiy
- Googling song information from commercials, movie trailers, and promo videos
- Asking restaurants and stores “what’s that song?”
You never know when you’ll find the perfect tune for your next project.
Stay tuned for Part II of this blog where I go into detail about the music chosen for the MetroStar Systems SPtoGO promo video! In the meantime, check out a few more of my favorite commercials that utilize music in an awesome way:
“Lover’s Carvings” – Bibio
http://youtu.be/uLg817U9URM
“Ho Hey” – The Lumineers
http://youtu.be/L-FwaCz4yZ0
“Civilization” – Justice
http://youtu.be/gYA3hoBYrIQ
“Squeeze Me” – Kraak & Smaak