Throughout this video there are open captions on the bottom portion of the screen.
The video begins by fading to a black and white shot of a live student performance called Cypher. We can hear the hip-hop beat that the club used at this event in the background. The lyrics are muffled, but there is an attribute to Basement Records.
This shot transitions into an RGB moving graphic of the Basement Records logo.
The hip-hop music fades to the sound of a piano playing. The shot changes to a close up of the student, Bethel’s hands,, creating/playing the music on the keyboard.
The on-screen text reads: “Basement Records” and has a write-on brush stroke animation.
Bethel speaks on-camera: “Basement Records is a club that promotes student music.”
A close up of Bethel singing in the studio is followed by a quick montage of both him and Ben working in the studio with bright lights and quick transitions. The music has changed to a different hip-hop track also created by Basement Records.
Bethel: “For people who already make music”
The shot shows Ben singing in the studio. Graphics were used to give him a cartoon-like effect. The shot changes to a close up of Bethel singing into the microphone. The screen has a red tinged effect.
Bethel speaks off camera: “we show them how to market. We show them how to promote themselves.”
On-screen text reads: Bethel Adekogbe
The shot changes to Bethel working on the keyboard again in the studio.
Bethel: “We show them how to make great quality content so that they can show themselves professionally.”
The shot features a student in a music video created by Basement Records. The Brandeis campus is clearly visible in the background. The screen cuts to a different shot from previous Basement Records productions of a student playing the piano in the Spingold Theatre.
Bethel speaks on camera: “If you don’t make music, we teach.”
He is in the studio. There are three blocks of color on top of his wide angle shot. The shot changes to a close up of Bethel speaking into a microphone at the Cypher performance in black and white. The audio is Bethel’s rap lyrics he performed at the Cypher event.
The music transitions back to the initial piano track while Bethel is actually playing it on the keyboard in the studio.
Ben speaks off-camera: “It’s really a wide range of people that are interested in music.”
The screen cuts to a close up of Ben rapping/singing into the microphone at the live Cypher performance. The shot has a blue tint with light streaks at the bottom.
On-screen text reads: Benjamin Maffa
A shot of other performers at the Cypher are shown. The shot has a yellowish tint.
Bethel speaks on-camera: “I plan to go to med school.”
The shot changes to a cartoon-like effect of Bethel singing in the studio.
Bethel speaks off-camera: “Even though I’m not a music major, through Basement Records we were able to make connections and build networks.”
The shot changes to Ben and Bethel working together on a track in the studio. Different fade transitions intertwine Ben singing in the studio and Ben and Bethel working together in the same space.
Ben speaks off-camera: “It’s a record label type feel that Basement tries to create.”
The shot changes to Ben followed by Bethel singing in the studio. These two shots have a cartoon-like effect.
Bethel speaks off-camera: “Bringing bigger artists from all over Boston.”
The shot changes to a shot of the Boston skyline that also has an animated/cartoon-like effect.
Bethel speaks on-camera: “We have workshops, tutorials, different resources and learn about the different production software.”
There are shots of the Cypher with a blue tint followed by a black and white shot with a magenta trail showing Bethel working on his music in the studio and having a good time. This is followed by a close up shot of Ben working on production software in the studio.
Ben speaks on-camera: “It’s exciting – the music scene here.”
A shot of Bethel performing in front of the microphone at the Cypher event is seen. This shot has a blue tint. The music transitions back to the hip-hop beat from the Cypher event played at the beginning of the video. A close up, washed out shot of Ben adjusting audio levels in the studio appears on-screen.
Bethel speaks off-camera: “Brandeis really allows people the opportunity to be able to dip their toe in lots of different waters,”
There are interspersed shots of Ben and Bethel working in the studio and a close up shot of Bethel singing into the microphone at the studio.
Bethel speaks on-camera: “and try lots of different things.”
The screen transitions to another shot from the Cypher event with a blue tint.
Ben speaks on-camera: “Brandeis definitely has talent.”
The screen cuts to a close up of Bethel singing in to the microphone in the studio. He smiles and looks at the camera as the Basement Records logo fades in. The shot transitions to the initial scene of the motion graphic of Basement’s logo in various red, green and blue colors.
Ending credits and on-screen text read:
Tracks created by Basement Records
Produced by Tarah Llewellyn
The screen fades to black and the audio fades ending the video.