Adam made this song for Tearfund. It’s an organisation aimed at ending poverty through enhancing the power of churches. In that way it makes more sense than purely giving money or doing infrastructure projects that might not work with the community because only the people who live in a place, know what should and shouldn’t happen. Some charities do well intentioned acts but when they do not work alongside or with the community they can work against their plans.
It’s a nice song, and a moving video. It’s not my video for once but I would love to make a video in a different culture.
My first music video. Shot in about four hours. So far, over 1000 views on youtube and 32 likes.
It was originally going to have a third section where Adam becomes a youth worker but in the video it didn’t seem metaphorical, it looked like it was trying to be realistic which it wasn’t. Hence I removed it and made the video about him lighting the main candle alongside leaving the room. The aim of this was to show how someone can turn their life around, go from an alcoholic (and snuff taker if anyone noticed) to having a life of purpose. The snuff box in the video was made in 1771 by Abraham Tuppy. The way in which the character turned his life around was through music. I felt that music was Adam’s purpose and that he is achieving his purpose through things such as his first ep. And I showed that by having him write ‘Dear John Parker’ (John Parker is a double bassist who was half of nizlopi who sang the JCB song) and having John reply with a positive answer: ‘anything is possible in music’.
I also wanted to show Adam’s creative side by having the contrast between the old and the new which is a running theme in his songs. Hence I had both a typewriter and a computer keyboard, (I dislike always having apple products but it was what was there and I do approve of them aesthetically) a bucket of drinks and a mini fridge, a vinyl and modern speakers, and other objects such as the old style cameras.
I put the ending at the beginning to try to emphasise the ending. I don’t know if this worked. I wanted the viewer to ask the question why are the candles lit or unlit and I don’t think that got across. If I had had the candles unlit, there may have been a question asked but then the beginning couldn’t have been the ending.
Some of the clips of Adam are out of time. I spent so long editing it and different versions of it that when I published it I wasn’t in the mood for checking it all through. Adam wanted to be brought in towards the end, which is a good idea, but we spoke about it after I had filmed the clips. So he was cropped, rather than being shot deliberately like that. Ever since I have been able to think these things through beforehand.
I would love to hear any comments, good or constructive.
As a Sevenoaks Youth Councillor, we had a project that had been a dream for 20 years in the eyes of young people in Sevenoaks. For us, we had nothing, nowhere to go and we were neglected in our town. We need a youth café. We had a place in the heart of the town, a place to make our own, but we needed £150,000 to build it and that seemed impossible. However we won a bid, we presented ourselves to the Cory Environmental Trust and they believed in us. So it began, it was created and it is starting to become loved by the young people in Sevenoaks. Adam Wedd, the manager, is bringing young people together through music and I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of it. Any time soon I will post my next video of the acoustic night, last week, which had some amazing acts. I’m not kidding, there was so much talent in that room.
This poem speaks about a process that I believe most or all of us go through. The way we grow up assuming life is perfect and made for us when we are children. The saddening realisation that there are huge evils and things wrong with the world. Then the slow and becoming realisation that it is how we interpret the world which decides its beauty.
Personally I would write the third last line: ‘It just takes patience,’. This is because the silence that would result until the next line is read would emphasise patience more than repeating the word does. In my opinion. Does anyone agree or disagree with me?
tcopelandfilm 