No Matter What on Soundcloud

No Matter What on Youtube

Well, this is one of those projects that I wish I had never started! I wanted to do a video with some animation (after a recent thread in the off topic forum about animation).

I found this software called Powtoon where you can make a free presentation and it seemed fairly easy and like a good idea at first but is where the problem started!

As with anything in life there is a learning curve when you do something for the first time and this video took a lot longer to produce than what I bargained for and it is not perfect but I am wholly and completely sick of it!

My daughter is only 13 years old so the situation in this song has not actually arisen yet but I tried to imagine how the conversation will go when we eventually do have it. (No it is not “the conversation”).

The idea of the video inside the TV was borrowed from Bob (rsdean) and Josie (Sundance) recent video of Old Red Guitar

The tracks used were
RT1006:Piano, Acoustic, Solo-Accompaniment, PopCaliforniaSlo
RT1856:Cello, Background PopCountry Ev 085
Some Midi strings (using Dimension Pro)
Some Midi Tube (also using Dimension Pro)
Some Midi Timpani (also using Dimension Pro)

Lyrics are:
My daughter came home to stay last night
I sat there on her bed
We talked and laughed till late last night
I've met someone she said

He's funny and smart and kind she said
His eyes are soft as fleece
His laugh is pure as pie
His words are twice as sweet

But how do you know mum
How do you know

Your smile is in his eyes
Your name is on his lips
Your soul is on the line
And you know that you are loved
No matter what

My mind goes back to when I knew
There's nothing could go wrong
The world was full that's when I knew
My choices were all gone
That's how I knew child

If you can see ten years from now
and he's right there by your side
as bright as light as sure as stars
your smile is in his eyes

Compliments and complaints are greatly appreciated.

Josie

Really pleasing sound there.

Great video clip you've produced there too, and I reckon you did a great job, and I also know that producing these types of video/audio clips increase the complexity exponentially!

(And I hope you get a little bit more time before the song comes to reality)

Best

Trevor

Very nicely done Josie! Lots of sequencing work in this one.

"your smile is in his eyes"

Great line.


Regards,

Bob

Joanne,

That was beautiful and the video must have taken quite a bit of work but it was worth it haha I know the feeling! but not from video production.

I do like your music and the videos. How do you find the time?!?!

Thoroughly enjoyed
Keep up the good work

Alyn

This is really good Josie. One of your best writes so far I think.

Compliments and complaints? Only compliments from me for both the song and video. The lyrics have a nice flow between the daughter's 'today' and the mother's 'yesterday'. If I were pressed for a nit, I would suggest changing the second line in the first verse that uses "last night" to maybe saying "late in the night" or similar rather than the repetition.

The video followed the song quite nicely and despite the aggravation and frustrations you may have had producing it, the video looked like it was done by a Pro.

Good job all around. One of my favorites of yours so far. Your choice of backing instruments was excellent and fit the song perfectly. BG's were good too.

Charlie

Hi Joanne,

just beautiful. The song and the video.
Your frustration was worth it.
I enjoyed it a lot.

Guenter

Joanne, This is one of your best writes. The cello works really well with the piano. Very well sung and great BGV. Loved the ending! Nicely arranged.I enjoyed it a lot. Tom

Hi Joanne!!! This song was wonderful and the vocal was outstanding. I liked the video also. I think this is your best by far. Thanks for posting it!! occ

Beautiful song/vocal, and stellar production!! Wonderful, sweet and poetic lyrics. If there's anything wrong with this, I don't know what it would be. Love it! Take care. Greg

Joanne,

This is beautiful. An Excellent write! A terrific production. Solid vocal and harmonies... your best in all those regards.

A terrific listen with a terrific message. A beautiful song!

I'll go against the grain, though, and say I don't care for the video.
You did a terrific job on it, but I think the song is far too good for a "cartoon video". You did some good work on the "I Will Always Be Here" video - live scenes - in the park with the kids and your dog with the occasional guitar/singing shots... with that type video - live, a mother and daughter talking on the bed, some quick reminiscence shorts (weddings, kisses, etc.) you could knock this one out of the park...

floyd

Hi Joanne,

I watched the video, and listened again on SC.
It is a beautiful song! I have listened and followed the story you tell.
The song is full of emotion and positive vibes.
I love the production, the piano to me sounded a little "out of the room", can't put my finger on it, but I had trouble too with my piano last time.... perhaps it's just me...

Anyway! I love your songs, your voice, your productions, and this is right there with the best I've heard.
I like your facebook page too !

See you around!

Fred

Hi Joanne. love the lyrics, backing, vocal and production.
Not so keen on the cartoon video however.
Agree with Floyd there.
Beautiful song though!
Strong vibrato there.
Cheers.

Josie,

This is really beautiful! The vocals, the arrangement, everything. One of your best we think.
Ha, ha, will check out the free Powtoon software.

Rob & Anne-Marie

Joanne,

What a pretty and moving song. Beautifully sung and produced.

The cartoon characters in the video are really cute. For specifically this song - I'd have liked to see you for real at the piano or somewhere singing it. The cartoon seems more lighthearted and the song sounds more poignant. jmho (I will admit here that I am completely spoiled by all the great videos you have already.)

Josie

Just a beautiful song! I think your lyrics here are outstanding.

The type of subject matter you've tackled here lyrically can be very difficult to navigate without coming off clichéd or sappy but I think you've done a wonderfully artful and passionate job.

The arrangement and instrument choices are spot on as well. I might consider whether the timpani is necessary. You've created a natural intensity or lift there with the melody itself, plus you've added the cello to the piano and strings (verses the first chorus). But that's just based on my expectations at that point in the song. I was not expecting timpani.

Wonderful write!!!

Thanks Trevor. The video certainly ended up to be a lot more complex than I bargained for and I am not sure if it was worth it or if I will be doing anything like this again! I think the old KISS (keep it straight and simple) principal is often the best when it comes to video making. Thanks for the nice comments.


Hi Bob. Thank you so much. There wasn't actually very much work in the song itself (the video is another story!). I am getting used to using midi and Dimension Pro. Glad you liked that line.



Hi Alyn. Yes being wholly sick of a song is NOT a good sign hey? I sometimes feel that way about the songs themselves as well but that is usually when I am trying to work with a whole set of songs at once, like for a album. I do have a small luxury with time at the moment but that is about to change as I take on a new job after Easter. boo hoo! Enjoy it while I can.

Thank you so much Charlie. It is so gratifying to hear comments like "your best so far" because it means that I am at least moving forward. I tried to find something to replace the repeat of the phrase "Last night" but couldn't make anything work. I thought of "that night" but that sounds funny since it sounds like it was a while ago and not just last night. So in the end I just decided to leave it and use a repetition in the same place in the second verse as well.



Guenter thank you so much for your consistently nice comments but I do wonder if the frustration was worth it!


Hi Tommy. That means a lot. Thank you. I had to go back and listen to the ending to see what there was to like. Glad you liked the cello and piano. I got very lucky with the phrase RB generated at the end of the chorus.

Hi Joanne.

The song is simply wonderful.

Charming lyrics and beautifully sung with all the emotion that the song deserves. The minimalist arrangement is exactly right and the recording and mixing is first class.

I know from first hand experience how much time goes into animation and although I think you did well to produce it, I also think the song warrants something less frivolous than a cartoon. Maybe a bit of soft-focus slo-mo of the mother and daughter walking by the surf on the beach. OK, so that might be a bit of a cliché, but you get my drift?

Anyway, great song. Loved it.

ROG.

Thank you OCC. So nice to hear from you again.

Thank you Greg! Glad you enjoyed it.


Hi Floyd. I absolutely love it that you speak your mind. I think I am going to have to rethink the video. Maybe the song is worth it (even thought I am wholly and thoroughly sick of it!! ha ha). I would love to "knock this one out of the park"! Did you see Lawrence's comment about the big drum?

Joanne,

This is an excellent song and is beautifully arranged and mixed. IMO, your best vocal yet - absolutely killer! Great job as well on the video - they can be very tough to sort out and get to the vision you see in your head as the end product.

Thanks for the shout out to Josie Beck and I.

Bob

Hi Fred. Thank you for taking the time to watch as well as listen on SC. I appreciate it. I didn't put any effects or anything on the piano. Just put two tracks panned right and left. Maybe they were panned a bit too hard? Trying to build up my Facebook page so thanks for that.


Hi Richard. Thanks. yes I can see that I am definitely going to have to redo the video and put this one down to school fees.

R & AM. Glad to have introduced you to something you may be able to use in your wonderful videos. I am sure for the right song it can be used to good effect.

Thanks Josie. Maybe the cartoon idea will suit a different song. I will definitely file away what I have learned for when I have something up my sleeve that will suit it. Will rethink the video. Thanks!

Hi Lawrence. Great minds think alike! I sent the song to Floyd a few days back to get some input from him and he said exactly the same thing but I left the drum in there anyway! When I rethink video I will also rethink the timpani. It maybe is unnecessarily dramatic.

Hi Roger. I am glad you enjoyed the song. I am going to rethink the video. I suppose the effort has not been wasted because I can always use what I have learned in another, as you say, more frivolous song. I'll have to think of something to write but it is not my usual style.


Absolute pleasure Bob. Thank YOU for giving me inspiration for my videos. You are so creative with your videos.

Josie,
A beautiful song. Well done.
Sorry you had such trouble with the S/W. I really can empathize.
SD

Eloquently stated above and little we can add it to other than
it's a fine write and we very much enjoyed it.

J&B

Wow, Joanne.. I can't believe I missed this one until now! This project is top-notch from start to finish!

yeah, I'm sure that you are tired of the learning curve regarding animation... but I think it turned out AMAZINGLY well! And I'm a little bit ticked that you stole my thunder, because I always figured that my first song would come with an animated video... but noooo, you and RSDEAN both had to beat me to it, so now there's no "ing" left in my long-anticipated "bling!"

I'm pretty sure this is the first showcase tune that contained timpani... so you've got a first there! Man, you're breaking new ground right and left in this project! And the timpani was used effectively IMO... sometimes they sound contrived, but I thought this application worked for me.

Regarding the TV idea inspired by Josie and Bob Dean's video: if you're gonna steal ideas, you picked the right team to zero in on! Above and beyond the song, they are both very good at the presentation! And your adaptation of the idea was very effective and added to the mood of your video (which I can't stop praising!)

Regarding the topic: some of the best songs are those that address universal themes with which we all identify... in that sense, this song is masterful! I've never heard the topic addressed in quite the same way, so your originality is right up front. I'd be willing to bet that this will be one of your most watched videos.

I think it is a most impressively managed project from start to finish! If you are half as proud of it as I am envious of it, then you are quite proud indeed!

SD Thanks so much. All in the learning curve I suppose.

Thank you so much J&B

Pat, Thank you so much. Sorry to have stolen your thunder but I have to say it is your own fault because you put me onto this animation thing in the first place! You pointed me to ToonBoom, which I looked at and it seemed like far too much work so I looked for something ‘easier’ (but I guess there is no easier in animation!)

Thanks Pat. I like the timpani. Floyd and Lawrence both said they didn’t like it so there is definitely something skew there. The jury is still out on this one!

As I mentioned, the situation has not actually arisen in my life yet but I am ‘practicing’ for when this does actually happen to me!

"As I mentioned, the situation has not actually arisen in my life yet but I am ‘practicing’ for when this does actually happen to me!"

You are now an expert; You wrote a song about the subject.