Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Dub FX music documentary Exercise

This is a YouTube profile done by supporters of Dub FX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7Fv0hB-R8A

We'll watch this actively.  Look for key images and techniques.  Train yourself to look at the way this video was composed and put together.

Take some notes of key events or themes.  Write down dialogue that has meaning for you and try to capture it word for word.

Be active, not passive.  You'll learn much more.

As you see in your Homework handout, the exercise is to respond to the short documentary by sharing an insight and something specific you noticed in your active viewing.  Read the other Comments as they come here on the blog so we are not repeating the exact same things but rather are adding to the conversation and using many different ideas in the response to the film.

Have fun and we'll notice a lot more as a group than we ever could as any one person!

Mike

Dub FX, stylised also Dub Fx and DubFx, (real name Benjamin Stanford) is a worldwide street performer and studio recording artist from St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia (Wikipedia).
With his girlfriend and performer Flower Fairy.

P.S. Here are links to two other Dub FX videos and note the production values of these YouTube videos.  Plus they are just good songs, IMHO.

https://youtu.be/WhBoR_tgXCI  The song "Flow" with Mr. Woodnote

https://youtu.be/9mKwjpTXh8E  "Made" with skateboarders in cameos

25 comments:

  1. Something that I found admirable of Dub FX in this video was him starting out as a street performer. Being a street performer, he threw himself into very different situations at a very rapid pace, making himself vulnerable, but also making his music more genuine or "real". But hey, he said so himself, "Nothing happens from sitting around and talking about it. You've got to do it; just ****ing do it".

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  2. This is actually from Jessica but she put it in wrong place so I moved it!

    Jessica: I enjoyed how the video showed Dub FX performing just on his patio and then performing on the streets and later on stage and in several places like Budapest. By showing this it supports when he says, "I'm not gonna try to please anyone just for the sake of pleasing them, I'm just trying to do something that I like". He is not worried about where he performs or who is watching him, all that matters to him is that he is doing what he loves. I also thought it was interesting how he performed with a variety of voices. I also learned that video composition and production requires several special effects and a combination of different videos all integrated to make an interesting video.

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  3. I think it is amazing how he can take something so simple and create something so outspoken and inspiring. It's refreshing to see that his motivation for doing all this isn't for fame or money. Going off of the quote that Jessica used, he just wants to express himself and wants to share it with others who appreciate what he appreciates. His music is like poetry or spoken word. That is one of the reasons that I love music so much is because its essentially poetry set to music. The words can convey emotion as well as the rest of the music.

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  4. The biggest take away I had from the video was that he is a one man band. He doesn't need anybody other than him self. This is awesome to me because in the long run we are all on our own. Are parents aren't able to do everything for us anymore so we have to go out there and take what we want. Dub FX showed that if you throw yourself out there you can make it. My favorite quote from the video relates to this by Dub FX saying "I'm not going to please anyone just to please then, I'm just going to do what I like and if it happens to please others that is great." I think what he is trying to say is he cares about himself the most, which sounds selfish but that's what he had to do to be who he is today. Dub FX's story is one of a dream coming to life. He did what he loved to do and has made his living doing so. Also making a huge fan base along the way.

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  5. I think the best thing about Dub FX, is that his music is his and only his. He builds every song from the bottom up until its is full. His songs are like paintings; they start out simple, then as he adds different notes and beats, they become a masterpiece. People of all ages and backgrounds connect with his music. I think this is a result of him starting out as a street performer, out of necessity his music has to be attractive and relatable. From his following, you can see it is. The best part is that he isn't doing this on purpose. "I'm not going to please anyone just to please then, I'm just going to do what I like and if it happens to please others that is great." This just goes to show how great of an artist his is, and how genuine his songs are. He is also very motivated. " If you don't throw yourself out there nothing's ever going to happen... your not going to make mistakes, your never going to learn. Nothing happens form sitting around and talking about it." This is evident in his song and his career, he is so good today because he was willing go and fail in order to get better.

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  6. Something that I saw that I thought was interesting was the fact that he wasn't afraid of anything. I agree with Nick that he started out small and wasn't afraid of doing that. Something that I saw in the video that I thought symbolized something more was the bird flying on it's own in the beginning of the clip. I think the bird symbolizes Dub FX taking flight on his own and trusting his wings to get him where he was going. I think it takes on this image to me because he started out on his own and just took flight instead waiting on support or starting out getting paid rather than just street performing. He has a lot of courage to go out an pursue his dreams and doing what he wanted to do. He is just an ordinary man who is out doing extraordinary things for the whole world to witness. This is true definition of the American Dream that is happening in Europe.

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  8. I really liked how Dub FX started the video in his little remote area of his balcony. He then showed his viewers where that led him, to streets and other countries. One thing that Dub FX said that really stuck out to me was, "If you don't throw yourself out there, nothing is ever going to happen." I really liked that quote because it reminds me that I can't expect to learn or expand my horizons by just sitting back and doing what I typically do. I need to put myself out there and try new things. I may fail at first, but I will get better over time. It all takes courage and perseverance. I also learned that video composition and production takes time and effort. Dub FX put a lot of thought into this video. He put it together in a way he may have thought would be most effective to his viewers. I believe he wanted to show us that things don't always start out great, we have to build ourselves up from the beginning.

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  10. My biggest takeaway from this video is how small details can go a long way in establishing a message, especially in visual media. As everyone else pointed out, I noticed that Dub FX’s being a one-man band is an important theme in the video. I also noticed that the video reemphasizes this theme through repetition of very specific footage. An example of this is clips of Dub FX’s feet. Throughout the video, when showing footage of Dub FX performing, the camera zooms in to show his feet moving as he works his loop station. This occurs both when the video shows him performing on the street and when it shows him performing at concerts. These shots, though they only take up fifteen seconds of screen time (at most), force the viewer to really comprehend that Dub FX is the only one creating the music, and he’s doing it using only his voice and his feet.

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  11. The aspect of the video that I took away from it was that Dub FX's music brings different people from different countries together. The video shows this when he is traveling throughout many different parts of the world i.e. India, Russia. In the video Dub FX states "The basis of most of my tunes is about freedom and freedom of speech" This is the reason why I believe that so many different people from so many different countries listen to his music. I assume that people who live in countries that are not free to say what they think or feel openly, enjoys his because his music is about freedom. I personally learned that creating music normally takes many different people but, in Dub FX case he engineers the music all by himself. I find this impressive because all he uses is his voice and a looping station. I also enjoyed how he performs in the street and how his music has a deeper meaning unlike many of the popular songs today.

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  12. What I took away from the video the most was that his main message was mostly about free speech. That message can be felt and seen through not only his music but the way he talks and acts. I feel he wants to share that message with everyone that's why towards the end of the video we see members of the crowd up on stage with him.

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  13. This is Morgan's Comment as she posted in new post, so I moved it to correct spot here:

    Morgan: My biggest takeaway from the DUBFX documentary is that you don't accomplish your dreams and goals by just sitting around. DUB FX is an example of how practice is important to anything you want to accomplish. I took this away from the documentary because I can apply it to my life. In order to reach my goals as a student at The Ohio State University at Marion, I need to apply myself and get out and strive for opportunities that will better my practice. DUB FX explained this well, "If you don't put yourself out there, nothing is going to happen".


    I learned a lot about video composition and production while watching the DUB FX documentary. The colors and the music kept you entertained and involved in the video. The camera angle changes and shows different views of each scene, which also keeps the audience involved.


    All in all, I really enjoyed the DUB FX documentary, he is an inspiration and I want to get out ad work for my goals just like he did.

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  14. Jirah also posted in wrong place, so here is her Comment!

    Jirah: Every since I was young, I was encouraged to be myself. For this reason, I quickly noticed Dub FX's individuality and how he thrived to be his own person. I liked the fact that he didn't try to impress other people with his music. Instead of being someone that he's not, he used his music to express himself freely and allowed people to flock to him. This video taught me that there are many components to producing a documentary. I learned that the setting, graphics, and introduction make a big difference when capturing an audience. I liked how he started off on the balcony and used graphics to go with his music. I also liked how he explained his rapping process and how he likes to try to be creative and try new things.


    My biggest takeaway from this video is that when you have a dream that you just have to go for. Dub FX made a good point and said that "nothing happens from just sitting around, you just gotta do it." This stood out to me because I am a strong believer in making your own destiny. I have always said that if you don't write your own story that someone else will. When I really listened to his words I liked what he said because he expressed his reality and turned it into a positive message. In the video, he really emphasized that his songs were about freedom and having a freedom of speech. One of the things that stood out to me the most was his confidence and positive energy. I really liked him because he spoke from his heart and can serve as a positive influence for many people.

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  15. I took alot of the same things away from this video as many others before me did. First of all i took away that he says to just throw yourself into things. What i got out of Dub FX saying this is that if you dont take a chance, if you always play on the safe side where you are comfortable, you will never become great. You may be good, you may be a little better than good but unless you take a chance that can sometimes seem scatterbrained or think that it will never work, you will never truly be great. Another example of this is when Dub FX says that once he finds a rhythm he will just go for it and start singing.

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  16. The biggest thing I took away from this documentary was "if you don't throw yourself out there, nothing's going to happen", as Dub FX says. Basically, if you sit around doing nothing to progress towards your dream, your dream is never going to come true. This statement means a lot to me, and should to everyone, because we all have big dreams we want to achieve, but what are we really doing to get closer to them? The video overall was composed and produced on the road and during Dub FX's adventures. The cameramen managed to capture the soul and essence of his music through scenes like Dub signing hundreds of fan's gear, or him performing on a crowded stage.

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  17. What I took away from this documentary is how passionate Dub FX is about his music and lyrics. While he was on stage he seemed to be in the moment enjoying it all like he knew it would end one day. If you listen to the lyrics you can hear that he is fighting for a cause. I am not sure what that cause is but he is spreading the word about being free and not oppressed. Another thing that grabbed my attention was the fact he said if you want something go out and get it. This is a good thing to live by because nothing in life is free and hardwork will pay off in the long run if you keep being persistent.

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  18. About 7 minutes into the documentary, it stood out to me the quote he made, when he said "if you don't throw yourself out there, nothing will happen." I thought this was so important because it summarizes the whole message he was conveying, he started out like Nick Reed said as a "street performer" and turned out to be pretty mainstream. It holds weight because if he didn't work hard to build his name recognition and work to become great, then he would have stayed a street performer. It to me is just an important message and he practiced what he preached, and everyone should abide by those words when continuing there future endeavors, and that if you aren't risky and go beyond the call of duty, nothing great will happen.

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  19. I agree with several of the people above me. One of things that stuck out to me the most was "If you don't throw yourself out there, nothing's going to happen." I think that's an extremely good motto to live by. So many people just sit around and expect things to get handed to them because they feel like they're entitled to something, but that isn't the way things work. Others, like Dub FX, go out and work for what they want. He started simply performing on the street, and ended up becoming famous. He worked hard for it because he knew it was what he wanted to do, and it ended up paying off in the end. It goes to show that if you work hard for something, good things will come out of it.

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  20. My biggest takeaway is that if you really want to do something and are passionate about it, then you should do it regardless of what people think. During the documentary the common theme seems to be freedom of speech, he simply goes around the country and performs how he wants. With Dub FX you see a man who simply wants to make music and share it with the world. Also in the beginning of the video, it cuts away for a few seconds to a bird flying. I think this represents Dub FX’s pattern of migrating at his own will, he travelled the world doing what he wanted going wherever he wanted and performing what he wanted. It’s amazing to see a man doing what he loves in the streets to entertain people and his success story that follows. Through his production of music he can provide an exciting life for himself and his fiancé, and at the same time entertain people.

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  21. What I found very interesting was how amazing he was at multitasking. He was able to remeber his lyrics and sing all at the same time making sound effects and controlling them using his feet. Another thing i found incredible was how he was able to remember all the pedals and which ones were certain effects. I agree with Dub FX the most when he says "nothing happens from sitting around talking about it, you have to do it." I agree strongly with this and try to use this in my life as often as it applies.

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  22. My biggest takeaway from the video was how he came up with this crazy idea and he knew it would be tough, but he was so persistant and became successful. Dub FX made himself his own brand and put in the hard work that most people wouldn't do. He started preforming on the streets with this foreign musical instrument and people started to catch onto him. He is a great role model to any aspiring artist that needs the extra motivation to keep pushing to make the break through. Dub FX had to jump in to show people this new and trendy instrument, and he knew it would take time. Everything rewarding in life takes time and hard work. A lot of people don't realize this but Dub FX does. That's the difference between him and people still preforming on the streets.

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  23. My biggest takeaway from the Dub FX documentary was that he made his dream a carer and that he gets to travel around the world doing what he loves. I just find it amazing how he made that a possibility for himself. I learned that it is extremely easy for someone to change the tone of his voice with the right equipment. Also, one thing i really liked about the documentary was that he showed us him traveling all over performing and just how moved his fans were by his music.

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  24. From this video the biggest thing that I took away from it was that Dub FX wasn't afraid to speak his mind. He believed that "if you don't throw yourself out there, nothing is going to happen." Which with this it is 100% the truth! Without taking risks a lot of things, good and bad will not happen in your life. Dub FX didn't stop doing what he loved because other people didn't like it, but instead he chose to go against the odds and persue his dream!

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