A Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear) beatbox mash up has gained a lot of traction on YouTube and has been picked up across the Web. Jules.tv caught up with Videomaker Swede Mason who reveals how the hit was created:
JTV: Do you make these films for a reason, is there some meaning attached to them?
Swede Mason: I’m not sure where the motivation comes from. I’m the most unmotivated person when it comes to most other things in life. I just have fun making these and I get a buzz out of it.
I think concepts and ideas are more important than high end production. A lot of the equipment and software that was unattainable a few years back is now at the disposal of the average cash strapped musician like myself.
JTV: How do you source all the footage and how long did it take to get the Clarkson video made?
Swede Mason: I record everything I watch on TV onto VHS. I wish I had sky+ (UK equivalent to Tivo) but I am skint. I just hear stuff that I think would be good to remix and keep ‘em on my computer. I’ve got shitloads of crap. With the Clarkson vid I recorded the powerslide bit about 2 years ago. Then I recorded the “eeeerr” noise and the bass drum sound about a year later and then decided to collect a load more sounds whilst I was laid up with a broken collar bone. The actual tune and Vid didn’t take too long after I had collected the footage - about 20 hours in total.
JTV: I guess getting the sound right is the tricky part, what kit do you use?
Swede Mason: I use hardware samplers and synths and a sequencing program called Logic for Mac. Logic has software synths that are quite useful for specific sounds, but hardware is good ‘cos you can kind of sketch ideas for the tune manually before sequencing it in Logic. Not many people use it anymore so you can pick stuff up pretty cheap. I recommend the Zoom ST-224 sampler. I’ve hammered mine for 10 years and it’s only just starting to pack up. I record the tune, then export into imovie and edit the video from the original samples over the top, syncing it up to the audio. The hardest thing is getting hold of the good samples.
JTV: What’s next for Swede Mason?
Swede Mason: I have got another load of clips I collected about a year ago of Richard Madeley (Brit TV presenter) but never used ‘em - similar thing, beatbox. I might try to do something with them. No way near as good as the Clarkson sounds though. There are other random things I wanna do too. Having a bit of a break at the mo and just trying to get my head around all this exposure. It’s been mental.
Long term I just want to carry on making this stuff and see what happens. A bit of editing work would be nice to pay the bills + I’d like to play live but need some better gear. That’s about it.
JTV: And how about the future for Video mash ups?
Swede Mason: I’m expecting to see a lot more of this kind of music/video, now that practically anyone can have a shot at it and get there vids online, potentially reaching a massive audience. It’s just the copyright laws which need amending in my opinion, then I wouldn’t have to work in a pub to pay the rent. Could rant for ages about stuff but gotta get to work. Cheers for the interest and support.
