Warning:Strong Sexual Content, Music video HVX200a

Rakesh Jacob

Rakesh Jacob

Veteran
There is no nudity but there is a whole lotta raw strip club action.

Here's the deal, I'm not into the sexploitive thing but I have a friend from a group I used to produce. 2 of the members of that group are doing really well. But the third member, Dougie D, has been going trough a lot and has been strugling to get his music career off the ground and deal with family issues at the same time. He needs something that can get him attention and help springboard his career without canabalizing all his time.

I told him he needs to use the internet for what it's best used for, girls, girls and girls. Those aren't the exact words I used, but you get the point.
So I talked him into doing a video that walks to the edge of what's acceptable on mainstream internet video outlets like myspace, youtube, etc... But I also wanted something very stylized that I could appreciate for its creative merits.
SO in the end I hope I have created something that's on this side of the decency curve of a Girls Gone Wild TV commercial but still has artistic merit.

www.youtube.com/ipimpstv
http://vimeo.com/5367182

Good news is that it got leaked early to WorldStarHipHop and has done over 45,000 views in the first 11hrs!:thumbup:
 
I've never understood that bouncing of the ass cheeks thing, which is in a lot of music videos and the like. Seems incredibly unattractive to me. But overall it should work for your target audience.
 
Cassius I too find the whole dancing thing weird. The video was nicely done, but for my personal taste, I find the dancing very awkward and distasteful. That's just me. :) Great job on the video though.
 
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Thnx for checking out the video guys and the feedback!!!

To Cassius and mb72378, quick question, is it strippers/strip clubs in general something you guys don't like or do you just have a preference for the sterilized hollywood/tv version of stripping which is basically the skinny blonde doing ballet type acrobatics around a pole?
Cause honestly I personally don't care for the stripclub scene. I have only been to strip clubs for shooting music videos or scenes in films, and never during working hours to be a patron. However I DO NOT find overt sexuallity offensive at all and actually think it can be a healthy thing if allowed to thrive in the right conditions.

On a side note I was a music producer and being on the music scene for a long time I've always been friends with strippers cause basically all my friends would bring em home and I find them to be really fascinating people.
Matter of fact the girls in this video are ... um... "managed" by an ex-roommate of mine and they were super cool, laid back, fun and easy to work with. I really had a good time working with them on a professional level, they took direction well and were excited to be apart of it.
 
The ol' saying "less is more" comes to mind. Nothing subtle about this type of "dancing" (if you could call it that). You're right in that many people dig it though.
 
the thing that bothers me about this video as well as the song (or the whole gangsta rap genre for that matter) is there is absolutely NOTHING creative going on from one artist to the next. its just an effort in regurgitating cliches and reinforcing stereotypes.

bleh.
 
wgzn said:
the thing that bothers me about this video as well as the song (or the whole gangsta rap genre for that matter) is there is absolutely NOTHING creative going on from one artist to the next. its just an effort in regurgitating cliches and reinforcing stereotypes.

bleh.
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That can be said of any commercialized product. And while anything and almost everything in popculture seems to be derivative, to say "absolutely NOTHING creative going on from one artist to the next" is a really ignorant hyperbole don't you think? There's plenty of creativity if you understand the market and the medium and know where to look. And "gangsta rap"... really? Did you get your Republican talking points from the mid '90s? LOL
Cliches and stereotypes? Yes absolutely, this is mainly a marketing tool, and as such it plays to an audience. But show me anything of relevance and I can easily point out cliches and stereotypes. Things ARE and always have been mostly the same. That's what culture is. I don't mean "culture" as in the code word for this is better than that snooty nose in the air BS. But culture as in this is what is going on right now; this is relevant and relatable to this specific subgroup/segment.
And I'm not defending the artistic merits of the song or my video production. I just happen to find your statements particularly hyperbolic and myopic.
 
EDV said:
The ol' saying "less is more" comes to mind. Nothing subtle about this type of "dancing" (if you could call it that). You're right in that many people dig it though.
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I need to clear something up. This is not my coreography LOL. This is how girls in these type of strip clubs dance. I wanted to pull people into that world and have it be relatively authentic and still be viewable on the net. And based on the amount of people who love the video who are familliar with this type of dancing, as well as the people who obviously are not exposed to it having the "omg wtf is she doing" reactions, I'm happy. I think it's doing what it's intended to do and thnx for your honest reactions. Along with the numbers (which are very good) the feedback is paramount to gauging if what we have done is haveing the right reactions form people.
I like creating things that force reactions on either side of the spectrum because that's what ultimately generates attention :thumbup:
 
i appreciate your counterpoint. and you make several good ones. lets move forward with that in mind. this could be an interesting conversation...

That can be said of any commercialized product. And while anything and almost everything in popculture seems to be derivative
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oh, you are absolutely positively right! but there is a point where derivative stops and copycat begins

to say "absolutely NOTHING creative going on from one artist to the next" is a really ignorant hyperbole don't you think?
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no. i dont. there is literally nothing in either this song or the video that isnt directly cookie cuttered from 100 (or 1000) other pieces. not to say the same sentiment doesnt go similarly for mainstream rock, country etc... it just seems to go even more so for this genre (call it what you may)

guys with gold teeth - CHECK
skanky girls - CHECK
tough guy - CHECK
guys with blunt/swisher/etc - CHECK
reference to gettin mines or takin yours - CHECK
fat/geeky sidekick with dubious sense of rhythm who reinforces what a playa he is - CHECK
some kinda overblown lighting/post effect - CHECK
repetitve siren-type sound - CHECK
only thing missing from this product is a general motors product with rims bigger than the wheel wells.

dont take my critique personally. youve done as good or better job than anyone else with a similar source product.

I just happen to find your statements particularly hyperbolic and myopic.
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interesting. because thats how i feel about both this song and video. dont get me wrong, i know that sometimes the client says "i want XYZ" and no matter how much you try they wont budge. but i do think there is room in this genre to introduce new visual and artistic elements and approaches and let others copy that rather than just fall in to the accepted format.
 
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I think in general we both agree but our perspective is radically different. I appreciate a lot of things in commercialized media specifically this genre and you feel negatively towards it. I understand the argument of pushing it forward and being inovative. I quit being a music producer because of the same reasons you speak of, but my undestanding is that it was not for me at that point. But I still appreciate what it is and where it is as a work in progress and don't really judge it. It is an ever evolving thing and I'm happy to consume what I like and try to understand what I dont like.
Honestly the arguments you make CAN be made about everything, including your argument, but that's how you feel and I'm happy you took the effort to express it.
Hopefully we can exchange more ideas in the future.
 
For the type of dance/strip comment: I agree with what was said; subtlety is my preference. I express that in my photography work as well. That kind is less sensual and more 'hey, look at what I have'. It's a hard thing to put into words. There's a certain laziness to the style. And no, I don't go to strip clubs. I've been to our only local one once, and even then it was just because I needed to talk to someone there. The audience also plays a large part in that decision. The whole atmosphere just doesn't work for me. But, like I said, I'm a very different demographic.
 
The only thing you forgot was the baby oil ! LOL



Yea the bouncing ass check thing has been around since two live crew if not longer, but regain it's popularity from Aphex Twin in 1999. This is one of my favorite videos, great work from Chris Cunningham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNVoruHBaYM



Nice job man, really love the dark contrast look.
 
sebassttiann said:
compression and or camera settings. it just looks super crisp for stock hvx
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Just scenefile f6 (factory) 720 24pn @24. I wanted to do some overcrank but forgot. It was a 1 person crew (me) and I had camera, lights, crane, tripods and electrics to wrestle with and shoot/direct in a club I've never been in before. And only had about 5hrs till they opened and we had to wrap before then. It was pretty mucha no-budget favor for the artist who used to be in the first group I produced (musically) from back in the day.

As far as Compression: Edited in Vegas (raylight) including all the comp elements on a 720p timeline. Out to WMV 720p at about 6mbps I think, could be anywhere from 4 to 8 though.


twocik23 said:
The only thing you forgot was the baby oil ! LOL

Yea the bouncing ass check thing has been around since two live crew if not longer, but regain it's popularity from Aphex Twin in 1999. This is one of my favorite videos, great work from Chris Cunningham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNVoruHBaYM

Nice job man, really love the dark contrast look.
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Thnx, yeah Chris Cunningham is probably my all time fav music vid director especially his works with Aphex Twin which are f-ing EPIC!

EDIT: Just a quick note to all those expressing concern/dislike for the dancing. This is not a pop video. It's SUPPOSED to be an authentic/accurate depiction of a modern day urban strip club, not some tasteful anglo-friendly BS. Stripping is a precursor to sex, I don't know how you "subtle" guys like it but that's how it goes down in the real world. Sorry if I've corrupted anyone ;P
 
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