Though playing a Vans Warped Tour date and opening for Protest the Hero rank high among his musical career highlights, pursuing a university degree and paying rent have put Toronto drummer Nick Buchny in a financial bind. His practice space also doubles as his home, having moved out after his parents were unable to tolerate the aggressive double-kick drum during practice time. To get himself to performances, he does his best to fit a seven-piece drum kit inside his mother's small sedan.
Looking to upgrade his dilapidated gear and get a van with ample storage room, Buchny's wish came true with the help of Jack Daniel's' Supporting Act program. Returning from a successful inaugural year of realizing musical dreams for fans and artists across Canada, JDSA awarded him one of eight prizes valued at $7,000 to help achieve his goal. Whether you're a musician looking to get a leg up in your local scene and beyond or a music devotee in search of an unforgettable fan experience, Jack Daniel's wants to help you make your own artistic dreams reality.
Before February 25, record and upload an original 60-second video to www.JDSupportingAct.com in which you detail your wildest musical desires and why you need Jack Daniel's to make them a reality. Looking to replace some gear that got swiped at your last gig? You can wish for that. How about splitting your winnings on a tour van and studio time? That counts too. If playing an instrument isn't your strong suit, maybe you'd like some concert tickets to see your favourite Live Nation artist. Whatever it is that you need to help keep music in your life, Jack Daniel's has you covered.
In addition to a fan voting process, all entries will be judged on three different criteria. Videos that tell a compelling, personal story will be given top priority, and are sure to resonate with music fans. Buchny's shots of his messy practice space and rapidly deteriorating gear undoubtedly struck a chord with both viewers and judges.
Videos that demonstrate a high level of creativity will also be scored higher, encouraging entrants to leave the webcam behind in expressing themselves. A unique entry from Lee Tomaschefski, vocalist of Vancouver's Falling for Scarlet, put a fairy tale twist on her wish for a new laptop and acoustic guitar to replace her stolen ones.
Presentation will also ensure your video stands out in the judging process, so make good use of editing, titles, lighting and other video effects in putting your entry together. London, Ontario outfit Bohdi Jar made use of a variety of wild effects in putting together their psychedelic submission, featuring video overlays, colour inversions and even a kaleidoscope filter.
At last, you're all set to join in the excitement! But before you hit that record button, read through the full list of Jack Daniel's Supporting Act contest rules here and watch all the entries submitted thus far here.
