Cost of Music Videos

Here's a rundown of the 10 most expensive music videos ever (as of whenever the article was written).
I'd settle for the budget for Michael Jackson's makeup on "Scream", the #1 video on the list.
On the flip side, this Sarah McLachlan video was made in '04 for $15 - the price of a DV tape. They had a $150,000 budget, but gave it all to charity, as outlined in the video. I guess if you're not getting paid, there's no point in practicing your camera moves (or getting out of the way before the playback starts).
This blog gives a rundown of where it all went, in case you don't think you can sit through a Sarah McLachlan video.

Panasonic HVX200

After reading a few things about Panasonic's AG HVX200, it has become the latest Camera I'd Most Like to Play With. It provides an almost ridiculous number of shooting options, including DV, DVCPro, DVCPro50, and HD. This is from DV.com's review by Adam Wilt:

The HVX200 "Manycam" offers unparalleled flexibility, shooting four image sizes in two aspect ratios at three different bitrates with 11 frame rates plus true single-frame. It records on tape and solid-state P2 cards...

A company in Chicago called Zacuto has developed some custom accessories for the camera. They rent and sell it in 5 different configurations, including a tricked-out "Studio" version for $26,000 (four times the camera's list price). It still has the limitation of two 8GB P2 cards, though (for now, anyway).

Banddot

I've started a new project. It's called Banddot and features interviews with and performances by indie rock bands. Check it out at Banddot.com. Jon Schwab is my co-producer/editor and designed the web site.