SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/456163
S X S W. C O M | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5 | S X S W o r l d 2 5 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE: Blackmagic Design, Precision Camera, iKAN, Corp, Olloclip, VSN Mobil, Digital Bolex, Izzi, Hive Lighting, Trace Live Network, GIROPTIC 360cam For more information contact Sara Barney: sara@sxsw.com | (512) 467-7979 ext. 229 sxsw.com/exhibitions/trade-show/come-capture INTO FOCUS. PLAY YOUR PART IN BRINGING THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING around all day, and then you have to put out so much energy in a short amount of time," said Nupoff who, although not a performer, has coached her band through many such sets. "You have to … por- tray everything that you are in a three-and-a-half minute song." Davis Powers is the senior music producer for Last Call with Carson Daly, where Fitz and the Tantrums had its television debut. "You can definitely tell when a band seizes the moment, and you can definitely tell when bands have the opportunity and then fall on their face," he said. He remembers Fitz and the Tantrums as a band that seized the moment, turning in one of the most memorable performances that Last Call has aired. When a late night show calls, bands generally answer, stretching perilously tight tour schedules a little further or taking a special flight to New York or Los Angeles. "It's super fast-paced in the TV studio," said Justin Sherburn, keyboard player for the indie rock band Okkervil River, about late night gigs. "You don't really have time to rehearse. It's basically a sound check. Then they take you backstage, and you come out, and you do a check for lights and camera move- ments. And then you go back, and they do the show sequentially, and you just come out as part of the show." He added: "It doesn't have a vibe like a performance, like a club show. It's daytime; you're in a studio. You try your best to bring a good performance and be animated and fun, but at the end of the day you're coming out and doing one or two songs. It's quick." Sherburn pointed out another great reason for a band to appear on late night television: it's fun. During his time with Okkervil River he has collaborated with The Roots for a set on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, watched Letterman's band leader Paul Shaffer rehearse his combo, and has generally hobnobbed with celebrities backstage at various network studios. Who wouldn't want the bragging rights of having played on Letterman or Kimmel or Fallon? Still, late night TV is not just the purview of the already-famous. Audiences are generally open-minded, willing to give a chance to a band they have never heard of before. "We've learned over the years that we have a very loyal fan base," said Last Call's Powers. "I could put Weezer on or another one of our bigger bands, or I could put on King Tuff, and the ratings don't change; they're consistent." When picking what artists to book on Last Call, Powers said he considers the general genre tastes of his audience and what will translate well to television. Beyond that, he mostly just follows his own taste and prides himself on providing acts with their first televi- sion appearance. "I like to think of it as purely as hipping your friends to a new band," he said, "but [Last Call] can do that on national TV. We are a late night show, so I'm looking for things that that audience wants to be exposed to … we like to be first on a lot of stuff, and we're able to cover a lot more ground because our audience at 1:30 A.M. is very music-sav v y." The Late Show's Zelikson said that as diverse as the media land- scape is, it can sometimes paradoxically lead to people only being exposed to one type of music. Variety programs like Letterman's, she said, can break through that. "If you like outlaw country, you can find a radio station on the Internet that only plays that," she said. "I think with the late night shows that have a music format, we're looking broad, and it allows someone who has an interest in just rock and roll to find something that they may not be seeking."