- Video Details
- Created by Katherine Barnett (beatnikblends)
- Start/End Dates: 2/22/2020 to 3/12/2020
- Music in Video: Energy Music by KrossMedia
- Filming Locations: Home, Ambler and Horsham, PA.
- The Ad Drive: Full Version (Click Here)
It’s been a month since my last post but it’s been a very productive month! This is going to be a very long post. Sit back… grab some green tea and read on, mon amie!
I finished making a new music video called The Ad Drive. I made this video to help promote the website. The colors are crazy and the abstract drawing is a loud standout but I love it very much. I don’t think I ever used orange and blue in this way before and I think it looks very cool. I love finding new blends. Color is an endless exploration into the unknown and I love it so much.
Making the video was a difficult process. A lot of things went wrong with filming, making the design, and the music video. Initially, I thought this video would take a week to finish, from filming to creating the music video. I could go into details about all the problems that happened but let’s keep things positive. It’s all worth it when the end product looks good. Every time I finish a video like this I get euphoria and this time was no different. I think the textures are great in this one and that’s always a challenge for me. I really wanted the video to look like a moving abstract art design. Not just the traditional aesthetic of a music video. I want to make a clear distinction that looks like an abstract art design that’s hanging on the wall but moving. Primary objective is create an alternate reality through color. Every video like this one that I finish feels like a moment in that reality.
I will make an effort to post updates throughout the design process. Sometimes I forget certain things that happened when looking back on the whole process. It’s best to blog throughout the journey. I will try… I am making no promises. At minimum, I aim to write at least 2 posts per month while working on projects. So much to do in so little time… I wish I had more time. I really do…
I finished making The Ad Drive on the 12th and on the 15th I started running ads to the video landing page. I did something very different for this advertising campaign compared to previous advertising campaigns. I made a landing page sequence consisting of nine additional videos to create an abstract art journey. During my time off in 2016, I learned a lot about internet marketing. Having a landing page sequence definitely helps retain an audience for a longer period of time. It’s not guaranteed but it’s helpful. I feel at this point, anything I do is a step forward and a learning experience as an artist and also an entrepreneur. I want to build something great. I feel like I have to some degree. There’s a lot of content here. I need to take more chances and keep stepping out of the comfort zone. Do things that might fail but overall nothing on this website is a complete failure.
I don’t want to go into the technical details with advertising but I do have a spreadsheet that’s helping me keep track of everything. For the landing pages, I wanted to showcase videos that I think are my best. It took several days to finish the sequence. I’m really excited and nervous. I think it’s always a win/win scenario when it comes to advertising. It’s risky and losing money is never fun when I’m already struggling. Even if there’s a loss, it’s a new learning experience. Advertising is an investment into this website and what I truly want to build here.
I will post every advertisement video on this website. One part I really love is the beginning. I wanted to do a jump and a spin. Do something different and crazy. Something that could potentially stand out. I like spinning… I hope the video stands out. It’s definitely a step outside the comfort zone for me as an artist and someone who is not comfortable with being in front of the camera. You can see the alternate version of The Ad Drive on Patreon. The alternate version is actually my favorite but I thought the original would be more suitable to present publicly. I am beginning to love purple just as much as red. I can’t believe I just typed those words. I used to hate purple with a passion. Now… I adore it! It’s safe to say that it’s my third favorite color. Nothing could ever top red and blue. Now I know the design and the look of video may appear to be weird or just poorly made. I can totally see that perspective. After posting the video on youtube, within an hour I lost a subscriber. I’m guessing it’s after the subscriber saw the video. I get it… I know how all this looks on the outside. I do this because I love it even if it’s not real art or just bad art. I wish my love was enough and it really hurts that it will never be enough. But… that’s ok for now. I still love the video very much! I want to be successful in spite the negative. I just don’t know if it’s possible but I’m going keep trying.
I made a behind the scenes video. It features unedited footage of my drive. Well… the only thing that’s edited are the credits. I wanted to play around with the text but other than that I didn’t add my design to the video. I thought it would be nice to share for patrons. I have lots of content throughout my travels that I haven’t posted. A lot of stuff requires editing to post and if it’s not needed for the album then I feel it’s a necessary cut. I can post more content through Patreon and I think it’s a great outlet for me. I am not sure if I’m going to make additional music videos before my trip. However, given the current situation (COVID-19), I’m not sure if I can go on my trip to Chicago in April. I already started planning the trip and if the situation stays the same then I wouldn’t be able to visit certain places that would make this album awesome. If I’m unable to go to Chicago in April, I will definitely postpone the trip. That’s life… Anything can happen at any moment. It’s one of the main reasons why I don’t like planning things too far in the future. It’s the catch 22 of my travel series. I don’t think every trip can be spontaneous like Annapolis but I hate planning things in advance. To end things on a positive, I will continue promoting The Ad Drive with the new landing page sequence. I hope to reach around 10 to 20k views. Right now, I’m close to 6k and I’m definitely optimistic. Views are only one part of the equation when it comes to advertising. Advertising can definitely be very tricky to master but I’m going to continue investing in this dream.