Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar

The first time i saw this film clip, i wasn’t sure why but in the first 20 seconds i was so hypnotized by it. There was something going on that i could see consciously, something behind the foreground, something in the foreground, there was something that made this film clip amazing to watch. It all of a sudden clicked and the train rushes passed a series of bare carriage bodies, that the whole scene was matching EVERY part of the music. The percussion is fairly obvious and quickly picked up, but the melodic structure is also represented that is a little more subtle.

Notice the smoke stacks in the background, the mountains everything represents the music. This is one of the MANY film clips that i will feature Directed by the incredibly creative and inventive, Michel Gondry.

Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar from Rinat Crone on Vimeo.

Queens of the Stone Age – Go with the Flow

Styled like a Robert Rodriquez or Tarantino movie, this Apocalyptic looking film clip starring QOTSA as a team of outlaws, is not very subtle in terms of its message, but none the less a film clip i think LOOKS amazing and suits QOTSA and the song perfectly.

UNKLE – Rabbit in your Headlights

Arguably one of the best films ever created for me. I featured another great clip by UNKLE in my last post, but this one is the one they are most famous for. So why is it so good Scott, i hear you asking. Well, Thom Yorke on vocals aside, the song is powerful and emotive, the film clip of coarse had to relay the emotions.

The cinematography is a triumph, I love long tracking shots so that probably why for me it’s so good, i love how you can hear the goings on during the film clip, like the music has become part of the film clip rather than the other way around. But i think what makes it so good is the curiosity it provokes, you wonder what he’s saying, you wonder where he’s going, you wonder why people keep hitting him, ultimately the song i think is about the title, the rabbit gets in the way, gets hit and is left to die with no care or remorse, until one day the rabbit has its own way. So why is it so good? It provokes thought, discussion and opinions.

TOOL – Parabola

It was always going to happen. One of my favourite bands, with all the weird film clips, all the weird songs, weird timings, weird members was always going to be included. They have a style of their own, kind of Lynch meets Coppola, meets Kubrick, then mixed with some other weird stuff.
It’s good because you wonder what the hell is this? What has this got to do with anything? Well I don’t know, i never have known with any of their clips, i’m sure there is something. We all know art doesn’t have to make sense, and this film clip is just that…Art.

Broaden your musical awareness for the next trivia night with this interesting design quiz from the Logo Factory. Learn about the history behind the logos of some of the most listened bands on the planet. Sure you don’t need to be into them all but it is always good to see your knowledge stacking up and how graphic design blends in with the world of music.

Shown above is a scene of a mid 90s sci-fi movie staring Mr Bruce Willis. Notice the fictional gig on the wall posters that Willis tears down? It says MUSE playing the Vortex… Twelve Monkeys was released in 1995 while the band’s debut EP was released 3 years later. Could the film have influenced the logo and the first cover artwork of the English rock band? Who knows?

Now click here and take the quiz



SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is finally poised to go primetime. With the saturation of traditional online marketing channels such as paid search and display advertising, enterprises are looking for new ways to attract customers. While social media is getting all the rage, organic search, having a presence in natural search results pages is where the real revenue opportunities lie.

In both B2B and B2C, companies are increasingly taking SEO seriously and making investments in their SEO operations. For most companies, now is the time to take a harder look at SEO. There is a significant first mover advantage in SEO. If you can take a position at the top of the natural search rankings, the search engines will give you higher authority, more exposure and you become very difficult to dislodge.

While SEO best practices for websites have been around for several years, marketers are only now beginning to understand what makes a best-in-class enterprise SEO operation. One that can consistently deliver results with a positive ROI.

Dedicate resources to SEO

SEO is not a part-time activity. It is naturally competitive and requires constant attention from specialists who really understand SEO. Typically, the best performers among organisations have dedicated SEO specialists either working internally or outsourced externally.

Build a comprehensive keyword portfolio

If your SEO activities focus on only 10 or 20 keywords, you are missing the boat. You should think of each keyword as a micro-marketing channel – every keyword missed is a channel that you are not benefiting from.

Even a modest SEO operation should consist of 50 to 100 keywords. The most advanced programs are supporting several thousand keywords, in effect targeting an equivalent number of micro-channels. To grow into what is known in the industry as “the long tail,” you need to think through all the possible word combinations that your customers could possibly use as they search for your products and services.

Use competitive intelligence

When it comes to SEO, knowledge is power. If you are the first in your market to move aggressively toward optimisation, then you can be assured your competitors will follow your lead. You need to have competitive intelligence so you can respond quickly and effectively to your competition’s actions. If you are challenging an incumbent that is dominating the natural search rankings, then the best strategy is to first start by analysing what works for that entity and use that intelligence to focus your game plan of keywords, back-links, and content.

Content is King

The majority of companies envision what their site will look like when it is finished. This is a problem. A website should never be “finished.” It should be thought of as an investment in the growth of the business. There is always new content you can add to a site to increase revenue and bolster SEO performance. In layman’s terms, revamped content is like a fresh coat of paint applied to your home’s exterior surface. It enhances the overall look, feel and value of your brand.

A recent major update to Google Caffeine, an innovative new search algorithm, has placed more emphasis on fresh content. The days of a website remaining static for years at a time are quickly coming to an end. Fresher content ranks better, but fresher won’t stay that way for long. A steady stream of new content is needed to maintain consistent results in search.

A website should never be “finished.” 
It should be thought of as an investment in the growth of the business.

Adding new content to a site also increases reach and builds authority. As you publish more content relevant to your area of expertise, you will become a valuable market resource. Resources tend to gain natural links faster and with a sound link-building strategy in place, 
you will strengthen your site’s authority in your specific market. This authority will increase your organic search results.

Fresh content to your site will enable search engines and their users to locate your site using 
a wider variety of search terms, thus, increasing your market reach through SEO. If your site 
is currently made up of 20 pages and each page targets two to three keywords, then there are about 60 terms you can target for search. Why stop there? By adding another 20 pages of content, depending on your target phrases, you might end up doubling your organic search results.

Just as a website is never finished, your SEO initiatives must always grow and continuously improve. They must become more efficient, more effective, and should adapt to the 
ever-changing search space. Utilising targeted, relevant keywords will optimise your campaign, increase profitability and drive results.

Just as a website is never finished, 
your SEO initiatives must always 
grow and continuously improve.

Business Intelligence

Most people call it Analytics, but continually studying and analysing performance of your campaigns is a must. There are a number of tools available that can provide the intelligence 
to continually enhance the effectiveness of your campaign. Remember the only rule is there are no rules. Use available data to try new keywords, keyphrases, vary combinations until you experience success.

Born and raised in London, Nick Brandt studied Film and Painting at St. Martins School of Art.

He started photographing in December 2000 in East Africa, beginning the body of work that is his signature subject matter and style. He no longer directs, devoting himself full time to his fine art photography now.

Brandt’s first book of photographs, “On This Earth”, was published in October 2005, by Chronicle Books, with forewords by Jane Goodall and Alice Sebold (author of “The Lovely Bones”).

He has had numerous one-man exhibitions between 2004 and 2006, including London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Hamburg, Santa Fe, Sydney, Melbourne and San Francisco.

He now lives in Topanga, California….

The titles of his works aren’t the most creative, but they are descriptive.

Elephants Moving Through Grass

Elephant with Tattered Ears

Lion with Monolith

Giraffes Under Swirling Clouds

Kudu Against Sky

Leopard in Crook of Tree

Elephants in Ghost World

Posing Chimp

This guy has re-created a Daft Punk style, helmet from scratch, complete with LEDs and crazy dark tinted visor. Is this Nerdy? Incredibly Nerdy. It is significant to the world and it’s beings? No, but still…it’s pretty sweet.