Making the IslandReefJob video - Part 1

If you didn't catch me singing my heart out in a cleverly reworded parody of Coldplay's "The Scientist", here you go...


If you haven't seen the Coldplay video for "The Scientist", it's worth checking out...


I wanted to provide a little info on the process of making the video...

First, came the idea. I think it came to me one night while lying in bed. I had seen the Coldplay video some time back, and I wondered if I would be able to reproduce a similar concept. It kept me awake for way too long just thinking about it. Subsequent nights I had trouble falling asleep, as well, while the idea was still ruminating, thinking of the possibilities and trying to come up with lyrics.

I was able to find a MIDI version of "The Scientist" (which is basically a text file telling a computer what instruments to simulate, along with the notes and durations). In the file I found, there was a guitar playing the vocal melody part which I didn't want, since I was adding the vocal part myself, as well as a drum track I didn't like. I was able to find MIDI editing software with which I was able remove the tracks I didn't want. If I recall correctly, I believe I also used some other software to speed up the tempo of the song, in order to be able to fit in all the lyrics that I wanted within the one minute maximum for the video.

--- Download the instrumental MIDI file for my version of the song. ---

Once I got the background music worked out to my liking, I then worked on recording the vocal track. For this step, I played the music to myself through earphones while recording myself singing to it through the microphone hooked up to my laptop. I used Windows Sound Recorder for recording. It took me many takes, along with some eventual lyric enhancements, to get a version I was relatively happy with. Listening to the results, I'm very aware that I'm not a singer. Even the final take had some pitch problems, but I was happy with it (and worked in a related comment into the official version of the video via the onscreen text).

I used Audacity, a pretty decent multi-track audio editor I found (after some searching), to remove background scratches and pops, as well as audible breath-taking, from non-singing parts of the audio track. I also used it to combine the background and vocal tracks into a single music file that I later imported into the video editing software I used.

--- Download the vocals without background/instruments. ---

--- Download the final version with music and vocals. ---

Since I had to sing the words of the song backwards for the video, in order for the words to appear to be sung normally when the video was reversed, I reversed the music using Windows Sound Recorder and saved a copy of the song in reverse for me to practice with. I also recorded short portions of the song, first forwards and then three times each in reverse, onto a portable tape recorder, so that I could both practice using it and sing along to it while recording the video.

--- Download the full song, vocals only, in reverse. ---

--- Download the practice version, vocals only, with song clips played both forwards and reverse. ---

If you really like Coldplay's "The Scientist", you can download it (or a couple other versions of it) via Amazon or iTunes, below.





By the way, the top 50 applications for the job have been shortlisted. No, I was not selected. I haven't viewed all of the top 50 videos, but there looks to be some pretty impressive applicants/videos. Voting for the wild card applicant continues at IslandReefJob.com for the next 14 days.

Out with the old, in with the new

Due to transmission problems, it was time for our 1995 Mazda Protege to go. I bought it in December 1998, right before we got married. It was a pretty good car for us, and I'm sorry to see it go.

But, I'm excited to now have a 2004 Honda Civic that's pretty sharp, and that I hope will last us quite some time.

I got the Best Job In the World

"I got the Best Job In The World", I proclaim in my music video application on IslandReefJob.com.

If you haven't heard by now, Tourism Queensleend launched a promotion for a 6 month island caretaker position, paying approximately $100,000 (in US currency), and is accepting applications via video submissions to their site. The job essentially consists of living on one of the islands in the Great Barrier Reef (in a sweet home with a beautiful view), having a blast exploring the area, and writing a weekly video & photo blog to share with the world the wonders of the islands.

They've received over 19,000 applications to date. They'll eventually narrow them down to their top 50, at which point they will open up internet voting for a favorite. That favorite, along with 10 others of their choosing, will be flown to Australia for an interview. Video applications are supposed to explain why that applicant is the best person for the job.

My application was just posted to their site this evening. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and working on it, and despite some parts being tedious, I really had a great time making it.

The video is a music video, and is basically a parody of Coldplay's "The Scientist" (which can currently be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNwQeedQfZE). In the video for "The Scientist", all the video is played in reverse. This means that Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay, had to sing the words of the song backwards so that when the video was reversed, it appears as if he is singing the lyrics of the song normally. The effect is enhanced by footage where it is obvious that the video is being played in reverse. This was the idea behind my application video. I used the same tune, using my own words, and all clips in my video have been reversed. It was an interesting and fun project (and technically challenging at times).

So, please check out my video. I hope you like it.
(Edited 6/9/09, providing permanent links. The old one on islandreefjob.com is no longer valid.)
Original application video.
Preferred version without on-screen text.

I don't expect to get the job or to be shortlisted in their top 50, but I really enjoyed making this video, which I hope you enjoy and even smile or laugh at. Among the thousands of other applicant videos, there are some very good ones, both in professionalism and entertainment value of the videos and quality and experience of the applicants.

I plan on sharing in future posts to this blog some additional information about my video, including how I made it and sharing some of the original video clips (with me singing backwards), so check back soon.

Applications are being accepted until sometime on February 22, so if you're reading this before then and you're really quick, you still have a chance, yourself.

Please share your comments. I'd love to hear them - good, bad, or whatever. Also, if you or anyone else has applied, please let me know and share the link to the video for all to see.