PRESS RELEASE
"Black
Hole" is the first music video off of singer-songwriter Rob Falgiano's
new CD Nice Mouth.
It was directed by Tom McDade for
Honey + Punch.
This is Rob and Tom's third collaboration.
McDade previously directed the video for "Hello Radio" off Rob's
2010 CD All Star Heart, and
"Sleigh Ride" by Rob's previous group Plaster Sandals in 1996, for Media
Play's annual local bands Christmas CD.
Full biographies can be found at the end of this release, plus
several photos from the shoot.
ROB'S FILMING NOTES:
A
friend of Tom's owns a home in Angola overlooking Lake Erie, so he
suggested we shoot the video on the frozen lake in January.
A long wooden staircase (pictured in the video) takes you from
the house down to the beach.
Tom
assembled a four-man film crew and a photographer to document the shoot.
They started filming early on a Saturday morning, but my arrival
call wasn't until the afternoon.
Tom's
girlfriend Melanie Morse was the star of the morning shoot, representing
the memory of a past love.
Weeks
prior, Tom took me through his ideas for wardrobe, including her bright
orange jacket.
I agreed that the
splash of color would pop great against the wintery white and grey.
When I arrived they'd just
finished Mel's portion.
The
crew were gathered back inside the cozy house to have a quick lunch.
Snow
cleats were distributed and off we went to shoot my stuff.
When I looked out on the stark,
massive lake I was confident we were going to capture something special.
The dunes suggested a lonesome, alien planet.
I have written many lonesome, uncomfortably personal songs over
the years.
I usually feel
embarrassed or pathetic when I finish one.
Then, for whatever reasons, these are the songs to which people
react most favorably, and I use that positive response to perform it
with conviction.
The
original feeling gets converted into something useful and good.
It took
all four guys to run the expensive rented camera and lighting.
They brought a small generator
onto the ice to power a PA speaker through which Tom blasted the song
during takes.
I introduced
myself to the crew. It was
important to make an effort to befriend them, even if they maintained
distance, because, the more comfortable I felt, the better it would go.
With more crew than performers (one!), it's easy to feel
self-conscious.
I brought a few strong Belgian beers to cut into my nerves, and sipped one while tuning the guitar. It was my dad's old Gibson that he never learned to play, and that I taught myself on in high school. Tom and I had a brief exchange - we decided my sections of the video would be performed "live." This suited me because I could simply sing and play along to the song in real time and it would hopefully look and feel natural. In performance, I often sing with my eyes closed because it helps me focus on pitch. There was the added benefit of being less aware of the camera. Now I kind of understand why rock stars wear sunglasses in videos even though it makes them look like they're trying to be cool. I bet many of them are simply nervous.
The
song sounded really good to me on playback.
I hadn't listened to it much
since finishing the CD.
When you work on a record you eventually lose all perspective because
you hear it so many times while recording and trying to perfect it.
A 5-minute song can easily
require 40-50 hours of recording, editing and mixing.
I only find out how good or bad
my recordings are a few years after they're done, when I return to them
more like a stranger.
We shot
several takes of me singing on various spots on the ice.
I loved the isolation.
It perfectly matches the song.
No one was outside but us; no
one watched nearby.
On a
personal level, Tom and I aren't super close, though neither are we far.
I think there's a mutual
artistic respect that allows us to work together.
There are limits to the amount of suggestions I can make to him
without creating discomfort, but I accepted that in asking him to direct
the video because he has talent.
He
was enthusiastic when I asked if he wanted to work on this particular
song. That was enough.
As the
late afternoon slid into evening we moved to another location down the
lake, but it was raining too heavily and the camera was uncooperative.
No one lost focus though.
There was a calm vibe
throughout.
When
night fell the crew lit a large, pre-built bonfire on the ice.
It was raining steadily so it
took some time to catch.
A fair
amount of gasoline was added before it went up.
Then we shot a few more takes in
the rain. Again, I was confident
this footage would look good if I performed decently.
The dramatic mood was palpable.
When
Tom was satisfied with my takes I went back up to the house to dry off.
The crew stayed on the lake for
another hour to try to get additional footage, but it had already been a
long day and the weather was worsening.
When they came back we had some beer and tasty pasta, cooked by
Melanie's mom, who'd put out other snacks.
The crew sat on the floor,
continuing to play with the expensive rented camera that had to be
returned in a few days.
They
were planning to do some shooting of their own for a separate project
the next day.
Tom
sent me a rough cut about a month later and I was impressed and excited.
He continued to refine it into the late spring, returning to the
lake to shoot additional exterior footage.
Towards the end of the process
we got together and did some final tweaks.
I'm
really glad we shot a video for this song.
I think it's one of my stronger
ones, and Tom did a great job.
Born and raised in Kenmore, Tom moved to Los Angeles after college where
he worked in many areas of the film industry, including as an actor,
cinematographer, and director.
Later while living in New York City, Tom discovered a love for
editing.
He was most
recently the Senior Editor and Director of Production at the lifestyle
television network called MOJO-HD.
Tom now lives in Buffalo and has his own production and
development company called Honey + Punch.
His clients include: Proctor and Gamble, Energizer, Sentry Safe
and Northtown Auto.
www.honeyandpunch.com
Born is Buffalo, Rob is one of city's most prolific songwriters, with a
steady stream of 8 CD releases since 1994.
He has sold thousands of records
regionally.
Rob's
music has been used on several TV shows: "Felicity" (WB), "The Black
Donnellys" (NBC), "Everwood" (CW-ABC Family), "Friday Night Lights"
(NBC), "Jack and Bobby" (WB), and "Dude I Just Want My Pants Back"
(MTV). Opening slots for more than a dozen national acts include:
Jakob Dylan, Ingrid Michaelson, Matthew Good Band, Ron Hawkins, Nickel
Creek, Spirit of the West, Chris Trapper, 10,000 Maniacs, & Goo Goo
Dolls. Rob has been nominated for more than a dozen Buffalo Music
Awards, winning twice.
www.robfalgiano.com
Tom / Rob consultation
Rob and Tom on the moon
Melanie Morse
Tom and the crew
Mel in action
Tom and Mel
Making it happen
