Crocodiles Music Video

[cwta eugene]

I made this last night using some public domain footage from an old nature movie. It works quite well I think. By the way, sorry it cut off the last twenty or so seconds. I know you guys put alot of effort into this song and it doesn't deserve to be cut off, but my video software just likes to do that. It might have something to do with the bit rate of these old movies. I don't know. If you can forgive me Geoff & Dan, please upload it to the Charybdis Music site on YouTube. Thanks for viewing!

http://www.sendspace.com/file/29y0eu

[Massed Gadgets]

Wish I could watch your videos, man, but I can't play .wmv's. Anyone know how I can convert .wmv's to something else like .avi or something?

[cwta eugene]

Go here and download the VLC media player for free: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Its got the option there to download it onto a mac as well, if you require. Good luck!

[Hudini]

Wish I could watch your videos, man, but I can't play .wmv's.

How come? It's a default Windows video format.

On topic: I haven't seen the video yet, but I will as soon as possible.

[Massed Gadgets]

Wish I could watch your videos, man, but I can't play .wmv's.

How come? It's a default Windows video format.

About a year ago, after Windows incessently bugging me to update my Window Media Player (the version I was using was fine for me, but I got tired of all the messages it kept sending me), I finally upgraded, and the install buggered up, but when I tried to go back to (or reinstall) the previous version, I kept getting errors. I checked the Microsoft help database for the error number I kept getting, and all it said was "no information currently available for that error). I gave up trying to fix it after a few weeks of frustration. I normally use Winamp to play music and videos, and it is supposed to play .wmv's, but for some reason mine only plays the audio of them. I've tried every fix and plug-in I can find to correct the problem, but nothing works. However, that media player you suggested DID work for me, so thanks for that, Hudini.

And Tanner, interesting footage you used there for the Crocodiles video...nicely done.

[bpmolder]

I just downloaded the file. Which album is this going to be from? Once we figure that out, I will have a description to enter when I upload it to Youtube.

[filthyfish]

You should put a little warning on that because I dont like watching things being speared. Sorry I cant watch the rest of it.

[bpmolder]

Yeah, just watched the video. That's cruelty to animals. Sorry, Tanner. Can't get behind that one at all. The song is supposed to be about Crocodiles hunting the antelopes, i.e. certain things consuming once innocent people. Humans torturing animals for no reason doesn't fit that. Sorry.

[Hudini]

You just gave me a reason not to watch it. Nothing personal, Tanner.

Besides the fact I am strongly against cruelty to animals, we could also get in trouble for broadcasting such a video on the internet.

[filthyfish]

You just gave me a reason not to watch it. Nothing personal, Tanner.

Besides the fact I am strongly against cruelty to animals, we could also get in trouble for broadcasting such a video on the internet.

I dont think its bad like that, its an old documentary looks like 1930s/40s and I guess there is a good reason for spearing a young croc, probably to protect livestock, in the same way a farmer might shoot a Fox or a Rabbid dog, but I don't really want to watch that kind of thing.

[cwta eugene]

Sorry guys. You're right. It's an old nature film where these guys go off in the jungle to film animals for some arabain prince or something. The reason I decided to make it the way it is, is yes "Crocodiles" is a song about actual Crocodiles and actual Antelope. If you want to look at it only like that, it is fine, in the same way a song like "Sheep" is only about actual Sheep. That's the beauty of music, you can interpret it in so many ways.

Geoff has made a great interpretation of the song. Read above. It's his interpretation and it's great. I love it.

To me, and the reason I made the video the way I did, "Crocodiles" is also a metaphor about our personal vices. The things we struggle with on a daily basis. Some of us, like the hunters in the video, approach our vices head on believing that we are tougher than them, that though they may be dangerous, we can put a spear through them and they won't hurt us. It's like any vice; alcohol addiction, drug addiction, chain smoking, porn, sex, money, prostitution, food, fame, etc. Most things that get us in the end we feel we have complete power over at first. Therefore, we're like the hunters in the boat taunting those vices, but pretty soon we, like the young man in the video, become the prey and, like the helpless young man trying to desperately swim away from the crocodile, we are captured and consumed by our vices.

So the video contained elements of actual nature and elements of human nature as well, if that makes sense. But that doesn't mean I need to show actual pictures of animals being harmed. Once again, I'm sorry. So how should I proceed with a new one? Same concept, but no footage of animals being harmed, just shots of real crocodiles, maybe veer from all crocodiles all together and focus on the drug dealer and stuff?

Your comments are wanted and appreciated. Thanks for being honest guys, your great!

As a side not- nobody complained about the guy being eaten.

[bpmolder]

I'm glad you didn't take offense to our comments, Tanner. I knew you wouldn't though. Always a good sport.

If you can find some nature films of crocodiles just stalking their prey, stuff like that, that would be great. I'm sure there are several sources of stock nature films out there.

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with animals actually hunting other animals but I'm concerned about the realism. I'm thinking that in the late 70's, something that shows too much gore would be smacked down by the FCC.

I like how you are adding the socio-political commentary though, with the hooker, drugs, etc. It lets people know what the song is about if it hasn't dawned on them from observing the lyrics.

So yeah, I think clips of crocodiles simply coming out of the water would be menacing enough, as they are quite creepy just sitting there and looking at you. They have always given me the heeby jeebies, crocodiles and ostriches both.

You can maybe include some shots of other animals running scared as well. I think that with the crocodiles would be great.

[Hudini]

Yeah, just crocodiles staring out of the water would be menacing enough if you ask me. And you can find tons of clips like that from the "Survival" shows, right out of the 70s.

[Massed Gadgets]

Although I found it disturbing myself, I didn't see it as cruelty to animals, I assumed it was old "National Geographic" type footage of natives of whatever region hunting the animals. Although I don't hunt myself, and don't condone hunting for sport, our ancestors hunted to survive and some tribes continue to do it to this day. However, I may have misinterpreted what the film footage was actually depicting. And yes, in context of the meaning of the lyrics, some more appropriate footage might be used, especially when the artists would prefer different connotations in the video of their songs.

Honestly though, I don't think we should be relying on video footage or photographs taken from the internet for any part of this project, even if it says it's in the public domain, because you never really know and it could come back to bite your ass. Are their any aspiring videographers amongst us?

[PooF]

Honestly though, I don't think we should be relying on video footage or photographs taken from the internet for any part of this project, even if it says it's in the public domain, because you never really know and it could come back to bite your ass. Are their any aspiring videographers amongst us?

This is true. I don't mind crocs being speared or hugged, but we have to be as original as possible. I don't mean we ought to spear a croc ourselves, but as Massed Gadgets is saying, it should be original. Is it possible to do footage? If not a croc, then a ... cat? Or something?

hehehe!