Over the course of a 20-plus-year career as a filmmaker, documentarian, and digital cinematographer, Philip Bloom has cultivated a keen sense for storytelling. Knowing that the stories he aspires to tell can only be as good as the stories he gets from his subjects, Bloom’s chops as an interviewer are just as critical as knowing his way around a camera. Drawing on his vast experience interviewing a broad range of subjects, Bloom shares five tips that budding interviewers can take to heart, as well as pitfalls to avoid, when trying to capture a great story on film.

1. Choose a good story to tell, but not necessarily a familiar one. Ask yourself, “Am I interested in the story?” For people who are new to doing interviews, the temptation is to do a documentary or a story on something you know. That’s fine for practice. And that’s actually a very good thing to do because you’ll probably mess it up at first, and then you’ll watch it and learn from it. The best thing you can do to improve is to mess up a few times. (Not during paid jobs, of course.) You’ll become a better filmmaker that way. Everything you create should be better than the last thing you made.

However, I’m a big fan of not doing stories about things you already know. It’s more difficult to get the facts right and tell the story if you already know all about it. If the interviewee says something and you think, “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” then that person may not have covered the topic well enough for a layperson to understand it. But because you already know about it, you’re not going to pick up on that and make the interviewee explain it better. That makes things quite difficult when you have the edit together and the interview makes total sense to you, but someone else watches it and thinks, “I have no idea what this is all about. What are they talking about?” If I can’t understand what the person I’m interviewing is talking about or if the story doesn’t flow well, then I’ll know what I need to get.

Click here to see a list of Philip Bloom’s favorite tracks on The Music Bed

2. Find a connection. Find some way to make the interviewee feel more comfortable. I never jump into an interview straight away. I leave the camera rolling, and I look at it as just a warmup. If I’m in the person’s house, I’ll look around a bit first. Perhaps I’ll see a collection of decorative plates. We sit down, and I’ll say, “So that’s an amazing collection of plates. Is that something you’ve been doing for a long time?” I’m trying to get the interviewee to relax. After all, there’s a light and a camera, and the person is most likely sitting in an unnatural position because, generally speaking, that’s how you’re seated when you give interviews. You’re probably sitting in a chair that gives the videographer a nice background for the film, but it’s not a natural location for you.

Depending on who I’m interviewing and that person’s current situation, I’ll behave differently. If it’s a sensitive subject we’re talking about, then, obviously, I’m going to be very gentle. I once did an interview with a guy who has cancer, but I didn’t even use the word cancer until 40 minutes into the interview because you don’t want to jump in with sensitive topics. Now, if you’re doing an interview on set with a movie star, then you know straight away that you’ve got time to ask only a few questions. You’re going in there and you’re getting the job done.

As the interviewer, the last thing you want to do is launch into whatever it is you want to talk about—especially if the interviewee is new to this sort of thing. On the other hand, you may have a seasoned professional who needs no time whatsoever to warm up because no matter what question you ask, he or she is going to give you this answer. It’s really important that you know the difference between the two types.

3. Listen. Actually take in what the person is saying, as opposed to just working off a list of questions. If you have a rigid formula of “I’m going to ask just 20 questions,” then what you’ll find is that 10 or 15 of those questions become irrelevant once you get to them. You may need to select specific points that those questions would have covered, but don’t worry too much about the form in which the questions should be asked. Just try to use open-ended questions—those that elicit more than a simple one-, two-, or three-word answer. For instance, “Did you enjoy your day?” is a bad question, but “Tell me about your day” is a good question. And if you don’t have much experience with interviewing, then get some practice by interviewing your friends and family.

License tracks used in Ponte Tower: Josh Hoover, Sailing // Candlepark Stars, Bend But Not Break //

4. Make the interviewee feel like the most important person in the world. Use complete focus and be interactive with the person. If he or she shares something humorous, smile. If it’s something that’s emotionally hard for them, show sympathy with your facial expressions. I also try to maintain eye contact the whole time. The downside to operating the camera during an interview is not being able to maintain eye contact. If I’m operating the camera, I try and keep the camera so locked off and static that I don’t have to worry about it. What I’ve been doing on my documentaries is shooting everything locked off on a 4K camera. So I don’t have to worry about the focus—it’s locked off, it’s good, it’s running. Then when I come to get it, I can reframe on my HD timeline and just take something away from there. Of course it’s better if I have a camera operator, but oftentimes you don’t.

5. Have patience with the interviewee. Don’t rush the person. If he or she isn’t giving you the answer you want or isn’t responding the right way, don’t keep hammering away at it. The person will feel as though he or she has done something wrong. People want to feel as though they’re giving the right answer. That’s the whole point of an interview. And don’t talk over the person’s responses. Patience is absolutely essential for an interviewer. The best analogy I can come up with is a first date. Everything my date says to me is the most interesting thing I’ve ever heard, and I want to know more. I don’t talk about myself because that would bore her. She is my focus. She is the most important person here. It’s as simple as that. Just keep in mind that every interviewee is telling you the most fascinating thing in the world. Mostly, the interview should be viewed as just a conversation—a guided, albeit sometimes manipulated, conversation.

There’s no key phrase for getting an interviewee to open up more. It comes down to how you phrase the follow-up question, or maybe you tell a brief story about yourself. For example, say I have to ask a teenage girl about how awkward it was when she was in rehab the first time. But she closes up and won’t tell me what I want to know. What I would do is tell a five- to ten-minute personal story that the interviewee can relate to. Such give-and-take sharing makes the interviewee feel better because I’ve told her something that makes her feel as though she’s not alone. Of course, this part of the video will be useless to you when it comes time to edit, but it gets the interviewee into a position where she feels better and is able to carry on and perhaps open up more.

The takeaway: Act naturally. Like any rewarding human interaction and stimulating conversation, eye contact, empathy, and forging an honest personal connection are paramount in drawing the best out of an interviewee. Of course, doing your homework, knowing not just how but when to ask the right questions, and astutely reading the interviewee goes a long way as well.

Interview by Kristin Read

Written by Adam Gold

The post TMB Presents: The Art of the Video Interview with Philip Bloom appeared first on The Music Bed.

Here, Mann offers insight and advice to those inspired by the cultures he’s captured on film—and those who plan to make their own journeys abroad.

Choose Meaningful and Enjoyable Work

I enjoy working with small organizations because I can help shape what they’re doing and be a strong voice into the steps they’re taking. For me, what I do is very much about telling stories that make the world a better place, but it’s also about enjoying the projects. So I decide which ones I’m going to take based on the impact I believe my involvement will have, and if my skill set will be well used for that client or project.

Pack Light

Packing light has countless benefits. For instance, if you’re able to use only a carry-on bag, then you don’t have to worry about extra security for checked luggage, the airline losing your luggage, or hauling around a huge bag once you arrive at your final destination. When traveling to an urban area, keep in mind that if you can buy an item there, you might not need to pack it. Pack only those things you KNOW you’ll need. And if you’re in the ultra-light backpacking mode, then pack things you can use in multiple ways. For instance, sometimes travelers pack a pillow; I’d rather repurpose something, like my raincoat, and just roll it up into a nice, soft pillow when needed. Taking one item with multiple purposes is always better than taking multiple things that each serve only one purpose.

Communication Is Key

One of the most important things you can do while traveling, especially if you’re on a job, is establish robust communication—preferably via both phone and Internet. But if you have to choose just one method, choose the Internet. You can always use Skype for interactions requiring voice capabilities. Communication enables us to do what’s necessary in countless ways: something changes so you notify your team, a need pops up and you must accommodate it, you forgot to print something in your email so you can access it.

One of the best ways to do this is by getting a local SIM card at the airport or in a shop. Third-generation (3G) networks are nearly ubiquitous these days, and they’re surprisingly cheap when accessed with a local SIM card instead of roaming. While many U.S.-based carriers charge $30 per MB for roaming data, the cost of getting a SIM card locally tends to run closer to 30MB per dollar. And any unlocked phone will work. You can even buy a cheap Nokia in-country for like $10, but I love using the iPhone because it handles both voice and data so well. And 3G iPads also make great travel communicators because they’re all factory unlocked. I usually go in and get a one-month plan for about $30, which gives me 1GB of data. And then I use that for Skype, map programs, email, Internet browsing, and everything else. It’s so much better than hunting for coffee shops with WiFi all the time.

Behave as a Student of the Culture

I believe it’s dignifying to equate with people in another culture. For example, if you’re visiting a nation where the people sit on the ground to eat, join them! It’s one of the most powerful things you can do to build relationships—even if there’s a language barrier. And doing this will keep you from coming off as “the more affluent and sophisticated Westerner.” Wherever you travel, you should behave as a student of that culture. We have so much to learn from others.

As photographers, it’s very important to make the time to do this before we start shooting. When I make a portrait of someone, it really means that I’ve made a friend first or that I’ve worked to understand that person. It makes me better qualified to make someone’s portrait because now I know who this person is, and our interactions help me capture that on film.

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

I’ve always lived with the mindset that if someone tells me I can’t do something, then I really want to go after it. So anytime I experience technical difficulties in the field, I look for ways to exploit the maximum capabilities of my equipment to try and capture that. For instance, if I’m inside eating dinner on a rainy night in India, 95 percent of photographers in that same situation might think, It’s nighttime and it’s raining; I’ll continue to eat my dinner inside. But I think, Wow! No one else is shooting in this. I’ll go out and shoot some incredible slow-motion footage. I’m constantly looking for opportunities to branch out and do something different. I want to build bridges from my world to the developing world by telling stories that connect us or share the vision of the organization I’m working with.

If I could offer one creative tip from my own experience, it’s this: Remember that all people have a soul and a story to tell—from the security guy to the CEO. We need to value this fact, as opposed to treating people as inanimate objects. And that mindset applies whether you’re traveling in Africa or the Americas. People are people, and taking the time to listen to who they are and where they are in life—there’s no telling where that kind of mindfulness can lead us.

Interview by: Josh Read

Written by: Adam Gold

The post TMB Presents: Globetrotting Tips from Travel Photographer Austin Mann appeared first on The Music Bed.

Filmmakers + photographers, get ready to stay inspired and find relevant music to license for projects on-the-go from any iOS device!

The Music Bed App from The Music Bed on Vimeo.

Stay inspired anywhere with access to The Music Bed catalog right at your fingertips! As new music is released, you’ll be able to effortlessly keep up to date with our most recent library additions right on the app. Instantly update your wishlists with the newest hand-picked tracks.

Mirroring themusicbed.com functionality, you can easily swipe to reveal recently added artists + our most popular artists + featured playlists right from the home page.

Tap on any artist photo, album cover, or art work to instantly play continuously through an artist’s catalog or playlist for hands-free listening on the go! Hear something you like? Tap the song and add it to your Wishlist.

Any song you add to your Wishlist within the app will appear in your same list on the full site so it’s ready to license when you’re ready to edit — Hopefully, saving you hours in research time.

To celebrate the release of your new favorite app, we’ve got 30 Days of Giveaways where you could win $1,500 in song licenses + an iPad Retina from TMB, PLUS tons of insane prizes from the likes of Kessler, Rode, Zacuto, LensProToGo and MORE worth thousands of dollars! It’s too good… but it’s so true.

Click HERE to enter for your chance at 30 Days of Giveaways!

Click HERE for your very own download of The Music Bed App in the App Store!

The post Free iPhone + iPad App Release appeared first on The Music Bed.

Click here to listen to Salomon’s custom music on The Music Bed.

TMB: What advice would you give about how to choose the best clients to work with?

SL: I love projects that have a lot to say and have a lot of heart. For me, it’s always a decision of “Am I going to love this project?” I enjoy working on projects that will pump me up and working with clients who are open to creativity with their approach. For example, I love working on projects with Variable because they are genuinely awesome guys and we are on the same wavelength creatively. I also enjoy collaborating with Tony Anderson just because he’s an awesome guy to work with. To be honest, I say no to a lot of clients because I know what I want to be doing and I’m not going to chase the money. Personally, I believe that would kill the creativity within me.

TMB: What do you think is the biggest challenge for someone who is passionate about sound design?

SL: I feel like the biggest challenge these days is to remove yourself from social media often. People get so stuck on the Internet with who to talk to and conversations to be had with people. I know I get lost in that sometimes, and I just switch it off, go into my room, and create. I feel like sometimes social networks like Instagram and Flickr make me feel so inspired and creative, but then I realize that I can get consumed with letting other people’s work fill my creative void. It’s my responsibility to let my own creative work fill that void, not let social media do it for me. You can’t borrow the ability or time to create—you have to make the time. It’s so simple, but it’s the hardest thing to do sometimes. For me, that means shutting off the lights in my studio, going through Freesound.org, and saving sounds that inspire me. I spend hours organizing clips and visualizing the sounds. You must remember to keep experimenting with your own ideas.

TMB: Any tips or tricks you want to share?

SL: You know what’s a great trick? I use a police siren a lot. EQ is your best friend in sound design, and it really helps put things into the right space. I’ve found that I love to use low-end sounds and high-end sounds in close proximity to one another—it gives a push-and-pull of sounds that creates interest. The only other tip I’d like to share is that you don’t need to be a one-man show. Work is better when you collaborate with others. Lock arms with people who share the same vision but will challenge you to do something different than what you’re used to doing. A true collaboration means everyone is equally invested in the project; there isn’t just one dominant force.

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Although Salomon Ligthelm’s methods may seem counterintuitive to some, following his example doesn’t mean you should 86 your Internet connection. It just means you should take the time to figure out what types of projects excite you and who you enjoy collaborating with the most—then focus on doing those things with those people. Don’t try to be a part of every creative opportunity that comes your way because your time is valuable. Working on everyone else’s creative ideas instead of devoting regular amounts of time to developing your own will only limit how much time you’re able to spend in a quiet space alone—just creating. To make your own creative portfolio stand out from the crowd, be true to yourself and then regularly make time to get away from your usual routine so you can be inspired and let the creativity flow.

Interview by Josh Read

The post TMB Presents: Sound Design Tips & Tricks with Salomon Ligthelm appeared first on The Music Bed.

Holley Maher has trashed the formalities on her new acoustic 5-song EP, February. There is something to be profoundly appreciated about an artist who puts out a project for the sake of creativity and opens up their raw thoughts, feelings, and sounds to an eager audience — unfiltered, at that.

The February collection was produced in three days time by three musicians on a humble budget in a living room studio. While the premise might sound like a school project scenario, the brains and talent behind the recording are anything but amateur. Simple, honest songs are carried out by Holley’s bare voice — giving the project a natural believability with mature home-sewn charm.

Collaborative efforts include vocal, co-written, and production magic from Quinn Erwin of Afterlife Parade, Evan McHugh, Perrin Lamb, and Jeremy Lister. It’s personal. It’s imperfect. It’s everything you love about a stripped down EP.

That handy Holley even hand-made the fine cover work herself. Limited physical copies will be sold exclusively through her shop on HolleyMaher.com, but every track is licensable right here on The Music Bed!

The post Holley Maher // New Acoustic EP appeared first on The Music Bed.

Variable partners Jonathan Bregel and Khalid Mohtaseb talked with The Music Bed about their favorite projects and what guides their creative process.

TMB: Which Variable project is your favorite and why?

Khalid: That’s a very tough question to answer since our current body of work has a such a variety of filmmaking aesthetics, all of which I enjoy developing and shooting, so it’s hard to pick a favorite. In the case of what projects I am most fulfilled with, it would be the projects dealing with real people, human connection, and textured visuals, so in that case I’d have to say “A Reflection”, “Holi”, and “Greatness is Within.” There is just something magical that happens when you combine cinematic storytelling elements with real people and stories…It’s a feeling that is hard to explain, but just knowing that you are creating something true and of substance is really what we strive for throughout our body of work.

Buy music featured in “A Reflection” + more from this artist on The Music Bed

TMB: It can be difficult to keep talented teams together. What tips do you have for filmmakers who think they can do it all themselves?

Jonathan: Completely lose your ego and do the best you can to find a creative team or partner that lacks ego(s) as well. I think that’s essential if you want to make groundbreaking work. There is such an abundance of content being created today that it has literally forced creatives to join forces and come up with innovative ideas. We love this at Variable…creative challenges are what we live for! If you are currently seeking work in any creative field and have a big ego, I highly suggest looking at yourself in the mirror and slapping yourself a few times. You are not perfect, no one is perfect. I was fortunate enough to void the majority of my “creative ego” early in my career when my Godfather told me these words after I had been struggling with perfection anxiety: “Your highest purpose in life isn’t to be the greatest filmmaker ever, it’s to become as human as possible.” To this day I think about that quote and it continually keeps me grounded, inspired, and eager to learn. 

TMB: In Everlast’s Greatness Is Within, artificial lighting was the bedrock. In A Reflection, natural lighting blew the Vimeo community away. What advice can you give the novice filmmaker on when to use natural light versus artificial?

Khalid: In our case, lighting is completely subjective to the story that is being told and the circumstances [logistical or monetarily] that exist within each project. For example, we used very minimal lighting for “A Reflection” due to the fact that we wanted the subject to be comfortable with us and not be overwhelmed with a bunch of gear and lights. When working with real people and their stories, we always embed a very structured yet simplistic approach into our story and creative development. I think it’s also important to understand how much a location can make or break the look and feel of a film, especially when working with real people since you don’t always have the luxury of big lights and an art director. We always try to aim for locations where we can rely on the natural and practical lighting sources so that we can walk in on the day of the shoot with a couple small lights, or sometimes even nothing, and have confidence that the visuals are up to our standards. A common mistake most young DP’s will make is over-lighting a scene simply because they were granted the lights to work with. I am most certainly guilty of doing this in the past however now that I’ve matured my style a bit, I find myself using less and less lights on every shoot. Lastly, I don’t want this to come off like I’m suggesting that you don’t need lights because of course there are many scenarios where you will absolutely need lights, my point is that you should first learn the fundamentals of lighting before you blast on every light and end up with something that looks like either a soap-opera, or a horror-film. It’s all about balance, focusing on the story, and adapting to the circumstances of your production.

Jonathan: One of my early mentors was a photographer named Roy Cox out of Baltimore whom I interned for after highschool. Roy sparked my interest in lighting due to his intense passion for a perfectly lit image. At the time, I didn’t understand lighting but I knew the difference between an image that looked good, and an image that looked bad.  Roy, being the awesome and supportive guy he is, noticed my growing curiosity towards lighting and taught me so much incredible knowledge. The biggest tip he told me was that lighting is all about patience and understanding since it’s a skill that takes time to acquire. Roy went on to tell me about how he developed his knowledge on the craft which really inspired me to learn everything I could about lighting; he told me that he learned lighting one light at a time, the old fashioned way. He spent one year shooting everything with one light and a bounce board. After the first year, he bought a second light and spent the entire year having two lights and a bounce. He then repeated this on the third year and had 3 lights and a bounce. At the end of the third year, needless to say, he had tried just about every setup possible with one, two, and three lights. That being said, if learning lighting is on your to-do list, I suggest trying some form of what Roy did…I guarantee it will give you a better appreciation for the tools in your kit! You will also come out as a much more knowledgeable cinematographer and down the line and your producers will love you for saving them costs on extra lights!

One look at any of Variable’s attention-grabbing commercial and personal projects makes it clear: They find the deeper connection behind unfamiliar faces and places. That care and attention has enabled their amazing growth over the past year, and it’s why their work has touched millions of people all over the world.

Connect with Variable on Facebook & Twitter

Written by Chad Swiatecki, Interview by: Josh Read

The post TMB Presents: Lighting & Collaboration Tips from VARIABLE appeared first on The Music Bed.

The world of digital video and filmmaking has changed a lot in the last 5 years. Now, more than ever, people have access to cameras that can shoot amazing HD footage. The unspoken line between seasoned filmmaker and video hobbyist is blurring. The perception was always that it was the camera or gear that you had that allowed a person to become a filmmaker. Yet the beauty of it is that’s never truly been the case! It’s always been good storytelling that’s made someone a good filmmaker. And it’s how you use your tools and resources around you to tell that story.

So, we’re glad that the line is blurring, because it will hopefully challenge people to think about how to tell the story rather than which camera to go out and buy!

The challenge today for the independent filmmaker and videographer is that there are such strong opinions behind using certain gear or the right camera. The “which is the best camera” debate is exhausting! In the end, it’s not going to be your footage that moves someone. It’s going to be how you’ve crafted a story together using visuals, editing, sounds, music, timing and the relationship with your subject. All of these things and more go into the films you create. While the camera and gear are important, we always remind ourselves to think about what the story is first.

Top 5 favorite songs we’ve used from The Music Bed

Every Breath Is A Chance – Lovelite (carla+matt)

Live Forever – Drew Holcomb (betsy+ryan)

The Daylight – Andrew Belle (angela+mike)

Dancing Shoes – Green River Ordinance (kim + matt)

Always With You – Loud Harp (hannah+gavin)

We’ve purchased over 70 songs from Music Bed and it’s tough to pick our best. Usually, we love the last one we produced and right now, that’s Carla+Matt’s same day edit we filmed a couple weeks ago in Cabo.

Carla+Matt // Same Day Edit | Cabo Azul from Moetic Films on Vimeo.

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Website: moeticweddingfilms.com

Facebook: facebook.com/moeticfilms

Twitter: @MoeticFilms

The post Inspired Life With Moetic appeared first on The Music Bed.

We’ve got a FREE cozy Holiday music collection for your fireside enjoyment!

DOWNLOAD HERE + gift the link to a friend. That’s the spirit!

The post Fireplace Songs // Holiday Music Sampler appeared first on The Music Bed.

We’ve been looking forward to unleashing this singer/songwriter duo for quite some time.

Elenowen is the epitome of husband-wife music making magic. And the harmonies….oh the harmonies. Chills: Head To My Heart + What We Hope.

Take some of their Americana home and set it to your most sincere love stories.

Elenowen – “Head To My Heart” Lyric Video from Elenowen on Vimeo.

The post Elenowen appeared first on The Music Bed.

We’ve seen your eyebrows. We know they’re up.
You like what you’ve seen on The Music Bed but had no idea who was behind the visual operations.

We figure it’s time to eliminate the mystery and put a $2,500 Brand Package up for keeps from the friends behind our scenes at Concept Culture.

Long story short — Daniel McCarthy founded Concept Culture creative agency in 2009. Branding, websites, photo, video, pixel this, pixel that… you get it. Circa 2011, The Music Bed was merely an idea based on a need that Daniel kept running into as a filmmaker (The painstaking relevant music licensing problem. Familiar?) Thus, The Music Bed was born — and it’s been indie rocking ever since.

But what about Concept Culture? You ask. The photoshoppers took a little nap from the rest of the world and threw all their efforts into making TMB a sweet success.

Great news! They’re back and better than ever. Since Daniel is focused on his music licensing love – he’s taken an inactive role in Concept Culture. CC got some fresh legs in the game with the hire of a new creative director and a super spanking new image!

They’re ready to get their brand cultivation on, so click on this clickable and enter to win that $2,500 worth of business image restyle!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

The post Rebrand With Concept Culture appeared first on The Music Bed.