Behind the Camera: Insider Tips
Hey everyone!
Just wanted to reach out and "say hey"! My name is Ben. Very nice to meet you too. If you're following any of the videos or photos from our Battle Studies Tour so far with John Mayer, I'm the man behind the cam! I film, edit, and photograph for each show and post it so, you, the fans, can keep up with our daily shenanigans.
If there's something in particular you'd like to see, don't hesitate to ask. I can't make any promises, but we're always open to ideas. And since I'm the one with the camera, you're talking straight to the source!
Anyway, in a matter of days, we went from sunny & warm south Florida, to a cold & snowy Canada! Its the nature of the job. If there's any lesson I've learned from touring in the winter, it's very simple - Moisturize. Drink water. Then apply chapstick. Repeat steps as many times as necessary to survive the weather!
And here's a little insider tip for all you readers - If you're a huge John Mayer fan, and you're in the cheap seats, you might want to make a sign that references a "Ticket Fairy". If you're lucky...you just might end up closer to the action that anyone else in the arena!
Make sure you show up early enough to catch our entire set. We usually go on at 8pm sharp!
Please comment and contribute and react and respond! When I get time, which is certainly precious while on tour, I will respond.
Hope all is well!
Ben
Comments
Feb 2010
Ben Having you on the tour
Ben
Having you on the tour was a real treat for those of us fans that could not make any of the shows. Thank you for bringing the behind the scenes world of MFSH to us on video. You did an awesome job and your videography skills improved greatly from start to finish. What will you do now that the mayer tour is over? Here's one vote that you stay on and film this summer's festivals. Thank you!
Peace,
Mar 2010
Do you sell videos, I am
Do you sell videos, I am trying desperately to obtain a picture or better yet a video of my son from last night. (Houston) He is in the orange shirt.
Feb 2010
Hi Ben, We want to meet and
Hi Ben,
We want to meet and learn more about Dave, can you do a feature on him please?
Thanks
Feb 2010
Hey everyone, Bright and
Hey everyone,
Bright and early bus call at 7am. We just left Toledo, OH and on our way to Grand Rapids, MI. As mornings are the quietest, they are the best environment for me to write and play catch up with the blog, friends, & family. I have the back lounge to myself. I've kicked off my shoes. Currently rockin' to some Band of Horses.
@herbboy: Congrats on the new addition! Love to hear about that kind of stuff! And we'll definitely keep the videos coming. It's a blast just to create and share our experiences with the world. New and old fans alike, we want everyone to understand the beauty of the journey. Whether it's serious, silly, or all around inspiring, we want people to feel a part of it all. We're also about to start posting to an Album Blog so you can keep up to date with the recording process and release of the new album, "Sound of Sunshine". Keep an eye out.
@kaylarose: There are countless times when I would LOVE to add more footage into videos. In fact, I have TONS of great moments that go unseen because there's just not enough time in the day to share it all! To give you an idea, the process of shooting everything to have a video up the next day can take anywhere from 6-8 hours. Just preparing a completed video for the web can take up to 3 hours depending on variables. Keep watching FrantiV!
@jennyluo: Glad you're enjoying. :) Keep watching and as I mentioned above, watch out for our Album Blog. You'll start to see posts regarding the recording and release of the new album!
@jdiver: Check out our FrantiV video from Charleston, SC! We posted a raw, uncut video of an acoustic version of the song. That song is building steam so we're so glad to hear that more and more people are picking up on it! You can also get a snippet of the song (and Michael talking about it) from our New York, NY video from 02.25.10.
Hope all is well with everyone! Please keep reading, posting, loving, and sharing this wonderful ride with us.
Best wishes,
Ben
Feb 2010
Hi Ben, I was at the Feb. 19
Hi Ben,
I was at the Feb. 19 Mohegan Sun show and it was the first time I heard Michael, a sin, I know, but I fell in love with the music within seconds. Definately love at first sight! I have gone and downloaded off itunes all of their songs, but can not for the life of me find the Hey Hey Hey song, that Michael played. I Loved it and want it for my ipod! Any chance of finding out if that will be available at all anytime soon for the fans?
Feb 2010
Great job with the videos!
Great job with the videos! It's really fun to follow along on tour, and I am getting ridiculously excited for my chance to be at the show! The energy of the crowd when Michael is preforming is amazing. Keep up the good work : )
Feb 2010
Hey great job with the D.C.
Hey great job with the D.C. Video!
I was little disappointed in the fact that you couldn't see everyone on the stage during the part when Michael Franti invited people up on the stage. I am not sure if I am asking too much but is there anyway you could put that part up!? If so that would be great!
Feb 2010
I am still getting use to
I am still getting use to this new format that we are using here, but I just wanted to say what up to all the old skool spearits who have come over to this community from the last Forum. I am diggin' all the updates from the road. Looking forward to more. Tell the boys that Big Matt from Chico just had a baby boy and a new rebel rocker was born!! Take care everyone..see you in the summer..hopefully we can get some smaller venues booked by then..
Herbboy
Feb 2010
Hey everyone! I'm going to
Hey everyone!
I'm going to try to reply to everyone in one response (because dinner is coming up and I never miss my dinner!) haha. So I feel like I'm always working, but I don't know that I would have it any other way. I feel honored to work alongside such a talented group of musicians, crew, and overall camp. I think that anyone that wakes up every morning and says "thank you for this day" should feel privileged to be in that position. And for that, I am thankful.
@whitey - No there is not a feature on Dave yet, but keep your eyes peeled as it will happen quite soon!
@Tanya - Thanks so much for the INCREDIBLY kind words! Everyone is absolutely thrilled about this tour and we are elated at the response we've been getting. Soooo happy to hear the "ticket fairy" found you! I've forwarded your post on to her so you can 100% consider the "thanks" received. We're going to keep posting daily videos and photos so YOU can enjoy the rest of the ride with us. :) So glad to hear you had such a positive experience. Don't hesitate to share the photos, the videos, the blogs, the music, and most importantly, the experience. I personally wish you the best and HOPE to see you at another show!
@Marc - I do believe a Yoga session might be on its way. You might get glimpses here and there, but I will certainly talk to him about doing a separate segment just for those wanting to practice with Michael. I'm hopeful to get crew profiles done! Not everyone loves the camera like Michael, but rest assured I am on par with this idea. As for a profile on me...well maybe that'll remain a mystery for just a bit longer. It will happen at sometime though.
@Josh - Just keep at it, man. You work hard. You dream big. And you have an open mind, everything you need will most certainly come to you. If you need to impact the world by way of film, you will find yourself in that position. I started by working for lo/no pay for a while. Got my name out there. Always helping when I could so as to ALWAYS be learning. Again, I'm going to try to get crew videos made! And just a curious question, where are you from? Please send me a message with the answer.
Hope all is well and talk to you all soon! Please get your fellow MF & Spearhead fans on board with this community. We want this to be a place where people can talk and express and have conversation flow freely.
Best wishes to everyone!
Feb 2010
Hope you all survived our
Hope you all survived our crisp Canadian winter! It takes some adjustment, but it's nothing a good thick pair of socks and a cold beer can't ward off!
Wanted to say that I was at the show in Montreal and simply love that I can easily come here and check out some awesome moments from the local show. It's nice to see some actual professional photos that put our sometimes out-of-focus, jiggly, overexposed shots to shame! I also wanted to say that I was a fortunate 'victim' of the ticket fairy and I'm here to announce that she really DOES exist!! She upgraded us from our mediocre, distant, diagonal seats, to front row. Yes, FRONT ROW! Now since she approached us without having a sign ('cause we really didn't know of her existence) and we were probably too shocked to squeak out more than a timid 'thanks', could you give her a heartfelt thanks from my sister and I. It was a night we will truly never forget thanks to her and her sidekick (and their fistful of prime tickets!) She may not have wings or a wand, but she sure does know how to make a couple of fans extremely happy!
Thanks again for adding another enjoyable dimension to the concert-going experience! Have a great tour!
Tanya W. (Montreal, Canada)
Feb 2010
Ben, Thanks for the intro.
Ben, Thanks for the intro. Hope to meet you soon. Is there an intro of Dave out yet? You are doing a great job! Keep em coming
Feb 2010
Hey Ben, thanks for the
Hey Ben, thanks for the access and insight into the scene !!! I love being able to feel connected what's happening with the band. I am hoping Michael will pick the new Guitar player for the next band profile,( sorry I don't know his name). I am curious about how he came to be in the band and who he is ...
As for things I'd love to see you shoot, or mini documentaries you might put together, I think it would be interesting to see if you can get Michael to take us through a whole Yoga session so we could "Practice with Michael". additional ideas would be crew profiles, I know from experience how hard the guitar techs and roadies work, so I think they deserve the same profile treatment as the band and I think it would make them feel appreciated. ( this includes you ...)I am looking forward to all the offerings... Namaste.
Marc
Feb 2010
Videos are great so far! I
Videos are great so far! I love how real and connected it makes the band. It's awesome to get to tag along with you guys while on tour, and as a vid production grad, I'm super jealous of your job (and those guys at the White House).
It might be cool to highlight your roadies - getting everyone sound checked and the band mixed just right. Bus life might be fun to see, too! Keep up the great work man.