Home | List of Articles | Submit an Article | Contact Us

Hip Hop Music Videos Meet The Film Festival Circuit

In Radio, What is Commercially heard is not what is Culturally happening. You can guarantee the same logic applies to music videos. The music video industry is controlled by the major distributors of music. The marketing systems that are in place force commercial products ahead of the underground artists’ work right into the hands of the consumer. How do you compete with that?

Jesse Russell Brooks is the director of an underground music video commissioned by Change Everything Music in Los Angeles, CA. Once he was on board in July 2004, the small label stuck Brooks with that exact same problem to solve.

Underground Hip Hop artists have very little money compared to the commercial giants. The standard approach for many underground Hip Hop artists is to immediately distribute a music video on the internet through venues such as Ifilm.com or often to various public access shows in America. Independent agents such as The CVC Report or Royal 'D' Visual Marketing can distribute for your group or label and also help you try to place a music video on network TV for about $10,000. A small price to pay for the possibility of commercial notoriety.

This article is about a film-maker who exploited an arena that would develop the value of a Hip Hop music video over the underground competition, without competing with the commercial giants. “The power of the music video has been diminished for underground artists by the commercial industry. The consumer has become too savvy to rally around a public access music show in conjunction with one or two local radio interviews and or a club performance. In my mind, there was a piece of the puzzle missing. A modern day promotional tool that would augment the value of underground Hip Hop marketing.” Jesse explained.

“The International Film Festival Circuit is an untapped marketing device for underground Hip Hop artists. Absolutely Untapped.”

In America alone there is roughly 1500 Film Festivals that promote and screen work to over 10 million audience members a year. These audiences members include music labels, film directors, video game designers and famous artists all looking for what is new in film and music. Right now, 25% of these festivals carry a music video category. The last 75% is looking for a way to develop a music video category and will make adjustments to accommodate the music video art form, Especially if it is Hip Hop.

The Spaghetti Junction Urban Film Festival is the largest predominantly black film festival in Atlanta, Georgia. I emailed them to find out what their position was concerning music videos. A representative replied, “We do not have a category for music videos anymore. We did in previous years but did not receive any entries last year. Film-makers these days have over saturated the market with shorts and documentaries. The music video submissions simply are not there to invest the time and effort to promote a category for. If the pressure was there, we would offer grants, industry support, and find the money to make it happen.”

The Film Festival Market is the point where the needs of the underground Hip Hop artists and the underground film director can both be met. Festivals offer grants and cash prizes, merit initiatives, industry jobs, interviews, contacts and free advertising for the film-makers as well as the artists. Judges may be very important or distinguished industry professionals who make themselfs available to the film makers and artists. Local and national major players such as production studio executives and radio DJ’s are often in the audience. If they are not, you may be encourages to invite them with an endorsement from the festival director. Film makers and Musicians participate in talk backs in front of large audiences. There are areas for free shameless advertisement and a lobby for impulse sales. Local music stores and book shops participate to boost their image and products to the community. The film festival circuit is the missing link to underground Hip Hop marketing.

The film festival circuit is unspoiled by any impression of what Hip Hop should look like or sound like. It is the opportunity for underground rap artists and their directors to not only increase their audience, but to also share words and visuals that would normally get us stamped as “ Too Art house” or “Too Conscience” or “To Radical” or “To Controversial” by commercial outlets. Film festivals are made up of consumers and professionals looking towards the next creative move outside of the commercial world that may eventually broaden it.

“My goal is to not only influence film makers to start shooting music videos for the festival circuit, but to also influence underground Hip Hop artists to make music videos and begin using the film festival circuit.” Brooks has started an advocacy to influence festivals to add a music video category. The Queens International Film Festival has asked him to help develop their 2005 fall season with a music video category. This is the opportunity for festival directors to widen their economy and Hip Hop artists to broaden their playground. Brooks predicts that local bar bands and underground Hip Hop groups will eventually flood the America festival market with enough underground Rock, Jazz, Punk, and Hip Hop music videos that the category may begin to split into genres. Turning what use to be a venue to discover film-makers into one for discovering musicians as well.

“This is a Magic Bullets that could gentrify underground hip hop and forge a way for these passionate, intelligent, articulate, young gifted and black artists to express themselves in a market that does not have to compete with the stereotypical, commercially controlled musical kingpins.”

With in the past 6 months , ILLCOM’s music video “The Uprising” directed by Jesse Russell Brooks has received 11 awards and over $4000 dollars in cash grants from film festivals in America and abroad. The video has been screened in over 20 festivals in 2004 and is presently pending in over 45 festival competitions and 5 invited screenings for 2005. ILLCOM has sold more the 10,000 units and is pending a national tour Fall 2005. The Video Link is listed below.

Jesse Russell Brooks is currently on the MakeBelieve Film rooster as a music video director in Los Angeles and is currently in pre production on his next Hip Hop Music project. He is also a public speaker and film advocate whose goal is to influence underground Hip Hop artists around the globe to make music videos and compete in the Film Festival Market.

References and Contact Information

Jesse Russell Brooks
JesseRussellBrooks@gmail.com

“Illcom: The Uprising” Music Video Link:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2646463

The CVC Report:
http://www.cvcreport.com

Spaghetti Junction Urban Film Festival
WWW.SJUFF.COM

The Queens International Film Festival
http://www.queensfilmfestival.com/

About the Author

Margeret Sang has Written articles focusing on the Music and Film for Ezines and Collage press for 3 years.

Related Articles:

Music... The Perfect Remedy To A Long & Tiring Day - Music is a part of our lives almost every day. Even if you do not consider yourself to be a big music fan, you still unconsciously listen to music everyday. One big place where we hear music is on the television. There is background and "mood" music in sitcoms and TV shows that you watch everyday. We have all heard those catchy

How Did the End Come for the Cylinder Disc Driven Music Box? - Copyright 2005 Monique Hawkins The music box has a long and interesting history. Long before collectors sought the dresser top music jewelry boxes, inlaid music boxes, and pop up ballerina music boxes that are the popular today, the cylinder or disc driven music box was the entertainment in many homes in the 1800?s. These vintage music boxes ...

Alternative Sales Sources for Your Music - Following, is a list of alternative sources that may be interested in carrying your music for sale for their particular clients and customers, if only they were aware of your music. Most of the clients and customers are already "captive" audiences who are waiting on a product or service, so why not promote (and sell) to them as they wait?< ...

Digital Music; Home Studio Music Recording - Home recording has come a long way in the last few decades. Many people do not realize that much of what they hear on T.V. and in commercials is electric. Many people still have a negative connotation about how electric music sounds. They think that it must always have a cheesy sound. Part of this stigma is the confusion over midi. and wav. s ...

Would Chopin Have Passed A Music Quiz? - Q. My children are very interested in playing music. Is there such a thing as a music quiz for kids? A. Sure there's such a thing as a music quiz, and you can find one right inside of your head. Just reach up there, pull it out, and put it down on paper. I'm serious. Who knows where your children's musical interests lie better than you? Righ ...

How Unique Automata Make Valuable Assets to A Music Box or Antique Collector - Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins Music box and antique collectors should consider not limiting themselves to inlaid music boxes, musical jewelry boxes, carousel music boxes, antique clocks, antique cars, antique jewelry and the like. Collecting unique automata is also very rewarding. In addition, some also contain musical movements. Three inte ...

Vision Music USA Takes Their Services To The Next Level - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2004- Vision Music USA, LLC an independent musician’s resource specializing in Artist Development is now offering many new services to help musicians, including Merchandise, Graphic Design, Website Design and CD Duplication to name a few. Vision Music USA is a one-stop resource for i ...

For a Complete list of Articles with summaries Click Here