IFC.com is proud to present the world premiere of "Put It Down," the new video from Mike Doughty from his album "Golden Delicious," which was released last year. Check out Mike's thoughts on the greatest low-budget music videos here.
Director's statement:
Whenever I'm asked to shoot something in the low-budget universe, the first thing I do is to take stock of what assets are at hand. That means: what, where and who might contribute to the project in such a way as to help it transcend its financial limitations. I often do this even before I have a treatment or a script, since that laundry list of "stuff" can, if you're lucky, provide inspiration. In this case, it certainly did.
For "Put It Down," we had a few things going for us. First was Mike himself, who was excited and available. Next was New York City. Mike, Tina Fallon (our producer/designer) and I all live here, and I wanted to create something that showcased both the familiar (Times Square) and the obscure (Red Hook). We also had access to a Tina's childrens' drawings that had actually been the inspiration for the "Odyssey" theme of the video and were incorporated as-is, as well being the template for Tina's artwork in the stage play and the stop-motion animation. And last but not least, we had friends and family members who were willing to (and compelled!) to participate both on and off-camera.
We wanted the video to have a homespun, low-fi, DIY vibe. For me, Mike's solo music has always had something of a handmade air to it and so I thought we could echo that by keeping things literally simple and homemade. Its that simplicity, I think, that's the strength of the video, both artistically and from a production standpoint. I believe the fact that all three of us shared that desire to keep things uncomplicated is what makes the video work so well. --Robert Barocci
loved the song. video told a great story. footage of new york made me long to return to my one time home.
Mike, it doesn't take much to make me laugh, and you had me cracking up through the whole video!! :) THAT'S what a great video is; entertaining and fun. Good job there.
This is a great mvid, I've been wondering when someone would use the Illiad in this business.
gotta love a man in a boat.
Fun and lighthearted. Makes me want to hear more of the music, which might still be a fantastic reason to make a video.
love the song, hated the video. makes no sense.
What a fun video with more than a touch of the absurd. And Mike's tune just makes me feel good!
Love Mike Doughty. Can't get enough of him.
That was great! Is it available for download anywhere?
i love the song, found the video a bit weak. the out of place person in the big city felt a little unoriginal and then the home made "at sea" parts felt undynamic. there really wasn't much going on and the story was without any interesting twist. overall, i'd rate the video not good, but the song awesome.