Who Is Matt? Matt Johnson Productions

Snow In Aggieland

Matt — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:32:21 +0000

Of my five years at Texas A&M, it has only snowed a handful of times and never in the large amount that it did on February 23rd. As the drifts kept getting higher, I was commissioned by the Department of Marketing and Communications at Texas A&M to take photographs of the campus covered in snow. Of course, I love taking videos more than photographs, so I took the liberty of shooting a few clips with my camera as well.

After a few hours of editing I presented this video to the Department of Marketing and Communications and it was immediately uploaded to the Texas A&M YouTube channel.

All filming was done over the course of two hours with the Canon 7D.

Lenses: Canon 28-135mm kit lens and 28mm FD lens.

The Impact Dodgeball Dodger!

Matt — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:47:26 +0000

Do you suck at playing Dodgeball? Do you need help preparing for the Impact Dodgeball Tournament on Friday February 26th?! Then you need the Impact Dodgeball Dodger! He can dodge anything!

For more information about the Impact Dodgeball Tournament as well as the Impact Retreat at Texas A&M University, visit ImpactRetreat.com.

This video will be available for download in High Definition soon!

Stand With SIMS

Matt — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:06:12 +0000

You may remember my friend Bryan Sims from my Autobiography video. Having been his close friend since we were both very young, when he approached me with the request to help him film a Student Body Campaign video, I jumped at the chance. I haven’t filmed this variety of the Texas A&M campus since I filmed my Why I’m An Aggie video.

Every shot has a story and has been carefully selected. I hope you enjoy the final work. If you would like to download the video in its full 1080p High Definition glory, download links will be available soon.

If you like this video and would like something created like it, please contact me!

The Aggie Ring

Matt — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:34:59 +0000

The Haynes Ring Plaza is currently the home of the Largest Aggie Ring ever created. The twelve foot tall Ring filled me with a sense of wonder to the point of making me want to create a video that showed it’s beauty.

High Definition download will be up soon!

I’m So Excited About IMPACT!

Matt — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:50:43 +0000

Have you ever been so excited about an event that you went mildly crazy? That’s how excited the Impact Executive staff and I am that so many people applied for Impact Counselor this year.

In case you were wondering, Impact is a Christ-centered retreat for incoming freshmen to Texas A&M University. You can find out more about Impact at their website.

You can download this video in High Definition below:

- Apply For Counselor (8) 1080p MP4 Video

- Apply For Counselor (0) 720p MP4 Video

Filmed on the Canon 7D.

Royalty Free Music For YouTube Videos

Matt — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:20:31 +0000

One of the most important (and most difficult to obtain) parts of any good film is music. Not just in an artistic sense that it must match up perfectly with the video, but in a legal sense as well. Music legal uses, especially in YouTube videos are an especially confusing subject. Not helping the matter is the fact that any time that you attempt to search for “free music” or even “royalty free music” online you end up with either illegal alternatives or music that is “royalty free” but that you still have to pay money to license.

Over the years, I’ve managed to cobble together a great list of quality websites that offer free and legal royalty free music for use in videos.

Most of these sites have a lot of offer in terms of Royalty Free and Creative Commons licensed music files. Please note though, that some creative commons licenses do not permit you to use songs in a commercial aspect, so if you plan on making money off a video that you use the music with, make sure it is legal.

This is a list that I have amassed over several years of creating videos. Most of these sites have a lot to offer in terms of royalty free and creative commons licensed music files.

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED MUSIC

- Free music that can usually always be used for non-commercial works and occasionally commercial works as well depending on the license offered with each song. Expect to usually have to credit the musician by name or a link to their website.

ccmixter.org/ – This is a community music remixing site featuring remixes and samples licensed under Creative Commons licenses.

freesound.org/ – The Freesound Project is just that, free sounds. They are licensed under the Creative Commons and uploaded collaboratively. Unlike CCMIXTER, The Freesound Project only concentrates on sounds, not songs.

audiofarm.org/ – Audiofarm is another Creative Commons licensed music website. There are a lot of options here.

http://www.joshwoodward.com/ - Josh Woodward offers a ton of music for free licensed under the Creative Commons. Just give him credit and you can use his stuff. It’s a little more rock and country oriented, but he has some chill stuff too. A great mix of songs that I have used multiple times.

incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/ - Kevin Macleod offers all of his musical creations under the Creative Commons license. He has some really great stuff, I’ve used his music in numerous videos. You can even use his music in your YouTube Partner program videos, just make sure that you link back to his site and give him credit.

soundclick.com – Soundclick offers a lot of great Creative Commons licensed music, all you have to do is dig for it a bit. Create an account and change the license type under your searching to Creative Commons and you’ll find some good audio.

derekaudette.ottawaarts.com/music.php - Derek Audette has plenty of good songs under the Creative Commons license. Just give him credit!

opsound.org/ – More Creative Commons licensed music from a variety of artists and genres. Use the menu on the left under the “Music” heading.

http://www.beatpick.com/ – Beatpick offers a wide variety of licensed music for download. If you are making a student or non-profit/non-commercial film then you are free to use any song on their site under the creative commons license. Just create an account and select that option when downloading the music.

http://bush-of-ghosts.com/remix/bush_of_ghosts.htm – Offers creative commons licensed music from their cds.

http://podingtonbear.com/?cat=1 – Podington Bear offers all of their music under the Creative Commons Non-Commercial license so use all their music in Non-commercial works. All of the music is also free to be used in student films and festivals.

http://www.jamendo.com/en/ – Jamendo offers a lot of free Creative Commons licensed music.

http://www.mobygratis.com/film-music.html – Moby has set aside music for independent and non-profit filmmakers, film students, and anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film, video, or short.

TOTALLY FREE/PUBLIC DOMAIN MUSIC

-Free music that is in the public domain and can be used for any works commercial or non-commercial. Some artists may still ask you to credit them by name or website.

pacdv.com/sounds/free-music.html -Pacdv offers a few free instrumentals for you to use royalty free. They just ask that you mention “Music by pacdv.com/sounds/” in your credits.

sonnyboo.com/music/music.htm - Peter John Ross has a few free songs here that you can use Royalty Free in your videos, just make sure you give him credit for them.

taylorhayward.org/freemusic.htm
Taylor Hayward offers a few piano songs that are completely copyright free so you are free to use them in any way, commercial or non-commercial. No crediting or any other references required. Just download and go.

publicdomain4u.com/ - This site contains recordings of songs that were published prior to 1922 and are now in the public domain which means the public is free to copy and use the works in any way. They may be old, but they’re classics.

openmusicarchive.org/ – This site is a little tricky if you’re in the USA. It offers public domain musical works that have expired copyrights in the UK. So, if you live in the UK download away, but if you live in the USA you should read the FAQ on the site before using the music in your video.

archive.org/details/audio – You can get a ton of live recordings of bands here. Most of the audio can only be used for non-commercial works though. Check their Music FAQ for more information.

freeproductiontracks.com/ - Free Production Tracks has a few styles of music that can be downloaded for free and can be used for anything, commercial or personal, without any royalty fees.

royaltyfreemusic.com/free-music-resources.html – Most of their stuff costs money but they have a few shorter clips that are totally free for personal/non-commercial use.

internetaudioguy.com/iag/freemusic/freemusic.htm - Internet Audio Guy usually sells a lot of audio, but they have a few nice tracks for download.

http://www.musopen.com/ – Another site that offers music that has had the copyright expired. You can get a lot of the classics on here and can search by composer.

http://whoismatt.com/curtvernon/ – My friend Curt Vernon has a complete CD that he has recorded for God’s glory. All of his music is free to use in any way you wish.

http://www.mattmcfarland.com/index.php/musicdownloads.html – McFarland Beats offers music composed by Matt McFarland for free use in any project. Just credit the songwriter.

Please leave me a comment letting me know if I missed any music sites, I will gladly add more to this list!

Who Is God?

Matt — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:46:48 +0000

Hey, My name is Matt Johnson, and I am a complacent Christian.

For over three years, I’ve had a Youtube account, and I recently realized that I haven’t been doing much to glorify God through it.

This is my attempt to change that.

I’m not one to preach, or to attempt to force my beliefs on anyone, because I am incapable of forcing anyone to believe what I believe. Instead, the Lord simply pressed upon me the need to, ask questions.

The first question is, Who is God? Is He the creator of the universe? Is He real? Is He a fantasy? Who is God to you?

You can answer this question by leaving me a comment here, messaging me, calling or texting me at (830) 743-9543, or contacting me through my website.

I’ve been a lazy Christian for most of my life. For too long I have been sitting back, and instead of letting God be in control of my life, I’ve been attempting to live for my own glory.

This is my attempt to live for His.

Thank you for watching.

To Answer, Please:

-Leave Me A Comment

-Message Me

-Leave a Video Response

-Call Me or Text Me: (830) 743-9543

-Contact Me Through My Website

_____________________________

Download in 1080p High Definition

Who Is God? 1080p HD .MP4 (30)

_____________________________

The intro shots were filmed using the Studio4 indiSLIDERmini Deluxe.

Lucky Street Mission

Matt — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:51:28 +0000

God is forming a team. A group of people that seek to do his will and purpose in Bryan, Texas. A team that is working to help those that are homeless, addicted, involved in gangs, drugs, and prostitution. Many have been called from many walks a life, and they all have one thing in common. Their desire to serve God and to see His will done in Bryan is paramount above everything else. This video is just the start of their story. It is the beginning of their journey. What has God called you to do for Him?

Merry Christmas!

Matt — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:26:56 +0000

I was walking through the kitchen when I came up with the concept for this video. The Christmas tree lights and creepy Santa Clauses were begging to be filmed. Originally I intended having super calming piano music followed by some form of death metal. As you can see, it turned out rather closely to that.

_____________________________________

Download in 1080p HD

-Merry Christmas (1080p MP4) (62)

Filmed on a Canon 7D

Lenses:

FD 50mm 1.4

FD 28mm 2.8

I’m A Rebel Bride

Matt — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:03:20 +0000

This past week, my friend Curt Vernon made a trip into College Station to speak at my church. That Sunday night, I met up with him and we ended up singing some praise songs that he wrote. I managed to film two of them, and this one, entitled Rebel Bride, is now a music video. I filmed over the course of two days and edited it in about a day.

This was filmed on a Canon 7D with a 28-135mm kit lens and a FD Prime 50mm lens. They both handled the lowlight conditions very well. All video was candid with nothing scripted except for the song.

Filming for the group of people hanging out happened one night at midnight. A week before, some friends and I were feeling called to sing some praise music on the south side of the Texas A&M Campus and when we got there, we met this guy Tommy and a few of his friends. They invited us to hang out with them next week again at the same time. The second time, I brought my camera with me and ended up filming the whole event.

The vibe that I was going for in the song was that though we may try to seek inebriation through other things (hookah, etc), but God offers inebriation through His love. You can see the progression from everyone doing their own thing to us all being brought together praising the Lord and praying at the end. God is always working and it was such a blessing being able to be a part of his will.

Curt gave permission for the song Rebel Bride as well as all of his other songs to be downloaded freely.

You can get Rebel Bride right here! Rebel Bride - Curt Vernon MP3 (139) (Remember to Right Click and Select “Save As”)

To get the rest of Curt’s songs just check out my blog post on Curt Vernon.

Download this video in High Definition:

- Curt Vernon - Rebel Bride - DIVX HD (79)

-Curt Vernon - Rebel Bride - MP4 HD (78)

Also, as a special bonus to all of you other cinematographers, I’ve included a download links to a few of the raw clips so you can see what kind of quality the Canon 7D offers. They are available for download below.

- 7D Raw 1080p HD Clip One (79)

-7D Raw 1080p HD Clip Two (71)

-7D Raw 1080p HD Clip Three (75)

Happy 40th Anniversary To The Texas A&M College Of Education

Matt — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:05:59 +0000

This August, the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M approached me with a request to commission a video they could showcase at their 40th anniversary event. If you would like to hire me to create a video like this for you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Fish Camp

Matt — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:48:21 +0000

This past July, Texas A&M Fish Camp approached me with a request to make a promotional video that would embody the Spirit and Tradition of the first experience that freshmen will have at Texas A&M.

For four days I filmed on location at Fish Camp and managed to capture the display of school spirit that took place there.

This is Fish Camp – A Freshman’s First Tradition.

Who Is Matt? Episode IV Is Coming

Matt — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:37:49 +0000

It has been nearly a year since episode 3. It’s finally time to begin work on Episode IV.

Coming soon…

Download in High Definition:
-Who Is Matt Episode IV Promo - DIVX HD (76)

-Who Is Matt Episode IV Promo - WMV HD (102)

The Culture of Content Creation

Matt — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:37:22 +0000

Last year, a crowdsourcing video company called Elastic Lab contacted me about doing some freelance video work. Having never took part in any projects that used buzzwords such as crowdsourcing I didn’t entirely know what to expect, but loving to create videos, I signed up.

My first assignment was simple, to record myself talking about why I used video as a social tool on websites such as Youtube and Vimeo. Many months after sending off the video, I was notified by Elastic Lab that my video (as well as many others) was available for viewing on their website under the heading “The Culture of Content Creation“.

At Elastic Lab’s request, I have abstained from embedding the video here on my own site and will simply link to their Culture of Content Creation video site.

You can view all of the Culture of Content Creation videos, as well as leave comments, and view the credits on their site. Hopefully at some point in the future I will be able to embed the video on my own site.

No One Comes To The Father Except Through Me

Matt — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:12:19 +0000

It has recently struck me how many people exist in our country who claim to be Christian, claiming to be those “chosen in Christ before the creation of the world”(Ephesians 1:4), adopted men and women of the Lord God Almighty, that so flippantly pass off many of his directly irrefutable and immutable commandments.

That may seem like a bold statement and I would just like to say that before I continue, please, don’t in any way think that I am calling any of you out or hold myself as perfect. I sin constantly, I stumble daily, but this is something that I have been convicted about.

While sitting in the body shop waiting on my car’s oil to be changed, I happened to be perusing Newsweek and came across an article that read, “U.S. Views on God and Life Are Turning Hindu”. I have linked to the article here: (http://su.pr/7cKjTs), I recommend reading it before continuing on because I reference many points in it.

In a nutshell, the article states that Americans are drifting away from a belief in God as the only way to eternal life and are instead engaging in a “divine-deli-cafeteria” form of religion that basically assumes that whatever works for you will get you to heaven.

Essentially, you believe what you will and I will believe what I will, and we will all meet up after we die in heaven where we will live eternally.

Let’s break this down scientifically (and I hate math by the way):

76% of the population of our nation of 304,059,724 (Source: U.S. Census Bureau: http://su.pr/2evBjb) claim to be Christian.
This comes out to roughly 231,085,390 American Citizens.
65% of the population of our nation believe that many religions can lead to eternal life.
This comes out to roughly 197,638,820 American Citizens.

197,638,820 U.S. citizens believe that there are MANY religions that can lead to eternal life.

Now, I could go into a hypothesis about how that means that there is a minimum certain percentage of U.S. citizens that claim to be Christian that also believe that many religions can lead to eternal life, but that is not the overall point that I am trying to make here.

The point that I am trying to make here is this:
There are currently a minimum of 197,638,820 U.S. citizens that are seriously in need of a strong awakening that a belief in Jesus is the only way to obtain eternal life.

This is a cry of conviction. One that has stirred within my own heart thanks to God and this Newsweek article. A conviction within my own life as well as one that I want everyone else that I know to share.

If you believe in God, know Him, and follow Him, then I ask you to read this:

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (http://su.pr/2ucQUr)

If you are a Christian, before you dare even think that missions work is something that only takes place overseas in Africa and any other country before the U.S.; if you believe that you have to travel to some distant continent to share God’s love and truth; don’t be fooled, there are at least 197,638,820 people that are lost in the U.S. alone. As Christians we are called to be ambassadors of God to these people, this is irrefutable.

Please note though, if you feel God calling you to go to Africa or anywhere else then by all means go, I didn’t write this to stop you.

If you do not believe in God or are having doubts, then I ask you to read this:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16 (http://su.pr/25M9Hg)

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” -John 14:6 (http://su.pr/1zhmQn)

A belief in God isn’t just another part of the religious buffet line, where we can choose to take and believe what we want and discard the rest. There are not many paths to God, there is only one. And it is through a belief in Jesus Christ.

I found myself consistently needing to refocus my thoughts because I had so much to write on this subject. If you want to talk about it in detail, feel free to message me or call me.

Please leave a comment letting me know what you think about this.