By José Gandue @Gandour
Within our new section called Creatives, We're interested in delving deeply into what happens in the relationship between music and image, Especially in modern times, where, amidst the flood of high-definition cameras on the market, the choice is truly limited. the number of professionals working in the audiovisual market and they set the standard with their projects. Skull, an Argentine company created in 2011, has managed to stand out for its multiple tasks, which include documentaries, institutional campaigns, and advertising shorts And, of course, music videos.
We have interviewed Matías Mera, director and producer, founding partner of the company, who told us about the particular characteristics of Cranio:
What is a skull?
A multi-production audiovisual company. A space where We break the traditional logic that divides production companies according to specializations. Cráneo's vocation is to tell stories and transmit content and sensations. The packaging of these is secondary.
What kind of products do they make?
We develop television documentary series, focused on social issues. Our cycle Women in overalls, For example, it was selected by the TAL Network of Latin American educational and cultural television stations to be replicated in a dozen countries. We have a television production that includes about thirty of these types of formats, andeither in series of 26-minute episodes or micro-programs. We also produce a large number of music videos. This area is of particular interest to us because we understand that it is a creative space that is being redefined as a result of the invasion of video on the internet, After a period of crisis that began with the shift in direction of the main channels dedicated to its distribution, we also produced institutional campaigns, such as the one for the International Labour Organization, as well as purely commercial content, such as short advertisements. Currently, we are also launching our first fiction series, called Smoke. We are in charge of the production, working alongside Pablo Mileo, the magazine's director. I'm Rock and Diego Kurz, guitarist of the band The Bordo. The format is what's new, since the proposal They are humorous short videos of less than one minute, which are uploaded to the project channel daily.
Within this entire action plan, what role do music videos play?
One very important one, since they represent a collective effort with different bands And that presents us with very interesting creative challenges. We treat each video like a short film. We try to find the song's "color" and then weave the story from there. We're grateful to all the bands that give us complete freedom when making a music video. With bands like Bankruptcy rules From Argentina, we've made several music videos. Each one has a specific aesthetic and its own unique development. We are not afraid of appearing eclectic in aesthetics and narrative, but it motivates us when we create. The clip also It allows for a dreamlike and unstructured code to tell stories that give us immense pleasure.
In your opinion, are music videos still effective tools for music promotion?
Yes, more than ever. Video, as a format, It has exponential growth on the web. Nothing gets uploaded more than videos. It surpasses photos, texts, and audio. By 2020, it is estimated that 90% of web content will be videos. For a band that wants to transcend, attract attention, or promote its music, it's impossible to ignore this aspect. If you look at the attention most international mainstream bands give to their videos, He's going to realize that the clip is more alive than ever. Perhaps it has mutated in the sense that a blockbuster of the first cut is no longer made, but the aim is to have videos on most topics, But the format's relevance is stronger than ever.
What makes Cráneo's videos different from the others?
It's difficult to define the difference. There are excellent filmmakers who have been doing this for a long time and are a constant source of inspiration. What I can say is what specific characteristics our work has. First, an effort to differentiate it from any previous idea. We seek a unique identity for each project. Secondly, pay special attention to the visuals and ensure that each piece has a distinctive element, something that makes it special. The viewer should be able to say, "That video that…" and finish the sentence with something that makes it unique, or at least different. Thirdly, the collective elaboration mechanism. Make it very clear to the band before filming what we want to achieve, and then on set, involve the whole team in proposing ideas. Cinema and its derivatives are collective arts. While I hold a leadership position, leadership is just that: providing a means of expression for the group that is producing. Proposing a path for them. Then each one contributes their own part. We believe that can be seen in our productions.
Is there anything that Craneo.tv's musical clients have in common, other than simply having hired them to make a video piece?
I think the common denominator is the way we work and the respect for the role the production company plays. There's a mutual respect with the artist, and generally the bands we work with understand and respect our role. Beyond that, there's no difference in terms of musical genre. We're motivated to create... 13th Street, as to Bad Boy. TO 2 minutes, as to Ana Free. TO Brenda Asnicar like the New Yorkers of International. What they may have in common is the openness to propose a topic and from there work on the final product collectively. Nobody comes with closed ideas.
What kind of musical projects would they not work on?
None, really. Every genre tells a story, and if it's well done, we're interested. It's like film. Each author paints their own piece of reality. And a vision of things, and that, as long as it's well done, is interesting. Obviously, we wouldn't work with a band. that disseminates any content linked to racism or any culture of hate towards an oppressed minority. But luckily we don't cross paths with those kinds of artists. They don't seek us out, and we don't seek them out.
Finally, what is your take on the music video scene in Latin America? Are there any videos that particularly catch your eye?
The great challenge for Latin American artists It's about understanding the importance of the clip. Producing a good music video is expensive and requires investment. Previously, record labels contributed to this through record sales revenue. Today, in most cases, it's the bands themselves who finance their videos. Except for mainstream artists, of whom there are no more than fifty., The rest struggle to get companies to make a contribution that is usually never enough. On the other hand, the healthy proliferation of HD cameras has meant that anyone can film. This is great and gives any band the opportunity to have a video shot by a friend. But on the other hand, it creates competition that deprofessionalizes the genre. Sometimes it's hard to explain to a musician how someone can produce a video with ten times less budget than another. I explain it to them with a very Argentinian example. A music video is like a barbecue. You can make it with the cheapest meat or include offal, cheeses, and a good wine. It'll always be a barbecue. But the product will be very different.
[wonderplugin_slider id=»14″]
