Niteskool Productions has offered one Northwestern freshman’s band a chance at fame, glamour and fortune in the form of a $15,000 music video.
Communication freshman Chase Baldocchi is the lead singer of the Bob Hill Band, whose song “20 Somethin Baby” was chosen as Niteskool’s 2009 music video production.
Baldocchi described his band as groove rock, or “Dave Matthews meets Red Hot Chili Peppers, throw in some ’90s rap and a little reggae.”
“They had a very original sound, yet it was very polished,” said video co-producer and Communication sophomore Ryan Luong.
The Bob Hill Band was chosen from about 50 song submissions, due in part to their potential and enthusiasm for the project, said co-producer and Communication sophomore Chris Simonson.
The band is signed to independent label Rogue Island Entertainment and released its first full-length album, “The Golden Gate,” over Winter Break.
Based in San Francisco, the band started when the members were in middle school and features Baldocchi’s younger brother on drums and three other students from colleges in California and Colorado. The band is named after a “not so enthusiastic” neighbor who used to complain when the band practiced in a nearby garage, Baldocchi said.
The members plan to tour the West Coast this summer and take the next year off school to work on the band, he said.
Video director and Communication senior Chris Wickman edited last year’s Niteskool music video and is “one of the biggest music video gurus on campus,” Simonson said.
“When he pitched the idea, we were really astonished at the visuals and aesthetics he gave us,” Luong said.
Several past Niteskool music videos have focused on telling a story, but this year’s idea is more about a visual experience, Wickman said. Representation, celebrity and appearances are the video’s major themes, he said.
One focus of the video’s imagery will be televisions, Wickman said. High and low speed shots, as well as throwing paint, scenes of presidents and a vintage Chevy will also come into play.
Niteskool received a grant of $10,500 from the School of Communication for the project, but hopes to increase their budget to $20,000 through fundraising, Luong said.
As the budget now stands, the project will require at least $15,000, Simonson said.
Niteskool is currently planning fundraising efforts, in addition to starting pre-production. Production is scheduled for May 1-3.
Wickman said he hopes the video will display the character of the band and become a “huge tool in the band’s arsenal” as the members continue to increase their publicity.
“The one and only purpose of a music video is to get someone to go online and tell their friend, ‘Hey dude, check this out!'” he said.
