Michael Jackson - 'Thriller' (1982)
Hi all, well the tragic news over the past couple days is really just so sad. Michael Jackson, love him or hate him, he was a legend and will surely be missed.
For those who think of Michael Jackson as the skilled artist and driving force of the pop world, I have included a the link to the classic 'Thriller.' It is the ultimate Michael Jackson music video and worth revisiting, especially under the circumstances.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8
Enjoy.
26 June 2009
25 June 2009
The Performance Video With A Twist
Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Tell Me Baby' (2006)
directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
An important thing to keep in mind when making a music video is to enjoy it and the experience. When you can translate the real excitement, energy and all around good fun from actually making the video to a final product it produces an authenticity which is ultimately enjoyable to watch. A favourite example of a video that epitomises fun and enjoyment is the Red Hot Chili Peppers 'Tell Me Baby.'
directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
An important thing to keep in mind when making a music video is to enjoy it and the experience. When you can translate the real excitement, energy and all around good fun from actually making the video to a final product it produces an authenticity which is ultimately enjoyable to watch. A favourite example of a video that epitomises fun and enjoyment is the Red Hot Chili Peppers 'Tell Me Baby.'
A very simple set which looks like it could be a storage room in a university or a small rehearsal room in someones garage. Either way the set is basic; drum kit, black carpeting, white walls, just a crisp, clean, simple set and the filming style directly matches the set in its approach. With a basic locked off camera, there is nothing too fancy or flash about the way it is filmed. The focus is on the song and the party that breaks out around it.
When the music starts and you see people 'auditioning' obviously for a gig, it's an automatic tangible connection for the audience. The diversity of people shown as the 'auditioners' are also easy to relate to. Almost everyone knows someone who looks like or has a personality or characteristic similar to the people in the video; and don't think that's just a coincidence either. This part of the video matches the song to a tee, the chorus "Tell me baby what's your story, where you come from and where you wanna go...." That one line matched with the footage is a winning combination and I think helps to connect the video to the audience to the song to the band and everything in between. Really clever, I raise my glass to Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
This video is about connecting people, drawing the audience in and keeping them there and the best way to do that is with familiarity, with tangibility, with being able to relate. I mean who wouldn't want to rock out with the Chili Peppers?? And who hasn't used a hairbrush as a microphone and pretended to be the lead singer of a band....we've all done it. Granted girls more so than guys with the hairbrush, but, I nevertheless, it is a widespread connection that echoes across age groups, genders, beliefs, ideas, cultures...
You can tell that making this video would have been a lot of fun for the band, talent and crew alike. I imagine there would have been a lot of smiling and laughing on set. It is important to note that what happens off camera while filming a clip directly relates to the final product.
So lesson for today; happy crew, artist and talent equals a video that people will actively want to watch. Though it is not always able to be achieved as head to heads can often occur when co-ordinating so many people. It is really good to keep spirits up and energy flying.
Here is 'Tell Me Baby' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, get out those hairbrushes and sing away!
19 June 2009
The Layered Video
INXS - 'The Gift' (1993)
directed by Richard Lowenstein
There are few music videos that make you take a step back and say 'wow,' but I think 'The Gift' by INXS is just one of those videos. Made in the early ninties it is a video that displays a bit more of the edgy side to INXS. Although this clip is quite busy, there seems to be some sort of movement or image changing at all times, it doesn't take away from the song itself. Most importantly it housing something that is characteristically INXS, depth.
Depth
This element is something that always coinsides with INXS. It is an important element, because it keeps the audience coming back. Creating a film clip that does not bore you, that makes you want to watch it again is fanstastic, not necessarily easy, but fantastic nevertheless. What really makes this clip work is that it manages to find that subtle balance between being overwhelming and at the same time being subtle enough so as not to take anything away from the song itself.
Although this may sound easy to do, trying to create depth in a music video can backfire if you get too eager. There is that cliche that if a little is good, than a lot must be great. But knowing when to pull back is just as important as knowing when push the envelope.
In this instance, it is executed brilliantly because of the skills and techniques that Richard Lownstein has perfected throughout his career and is something that he does impecably well. He's done many INXS videos and they are all complex in their depth but are not overpowering. Whether that is a formula that clicked with working with the band or just Richard Lowenstein's ablility to communicate his ideas and concepts effective, I don't know. Either way, it is an impressive skill and is something that I personally strive to achieve in any of the work I do, because it is so unbelievable effective if you can pull it off and I think 'The Gift' is a great example of that.
The Colour Red
The colour red is a very attracting colour, which is why it is so often used in marketing campaigns, advertisements and in packaging. It attracts the eye and can provoke several meanings: love, hate and anger to name a few. With a colour that has so many meanings presenting it in a way that will stand out in a video, but depending on the usage, not overpower the video itself can be challenging. It is a bit of a confusing concept, but I refer you back to breakdown of Foo Fighters 'The Pretender.' The way red is used in 'The Pretender' is a sort of final take and this resistance, that completely fits the style of the video. Where as in 'The Gift' it evokes fire, it evokes mixed emotions it evokes a passionate expression of ideas/beliefs/concepts. No matter how many times I watch this video I do walk away with a different outlook on it, whether that be anger, freedom, frustration or pure excitement.
Movement
This is a favourite element of mine, whether it be used as a transition from one scene to another or a thread that ties a video together, it's effective. In this clip, everything images, the band, the graphics, everything is moving forward...once again another theme kept throughout several INXS videos, especially during the 'X' era. I guess you could express it as being a way for the artist to connect 'reach out' as such to the audience. Everything even the bands movements to the camera are always pushing forward. It is powerful when used in combination with the red colour and the layers of images...I love it. Enjoy.
directed by Richard Lowenstein
There are few music videos that make you take a step back and say 'wow,' but I think 'The Gift' by INXS is just one of those videos. Made in the early ninties it is a video that displays a bit more of the edgy side to INXS. Although this clip is quite busy, there seems to be some sort of movement or image changing at all times, it doesn't take away from the song itself. Most importantly it housing something that is characteristically INXS, depth.
Depth
This element is something that always coinsides with INXS. It is an important element, because it keeps the audience coming back. Creating a film clip that does not bore you, that makes you want to watch it again is fanstastic, not necessarily easy, but fantastic nevertheless. What really makes this clip work is that it manages to find that subtle balance between being overwhelming and at the same time being subtle enough so as not to take anything away from the song itself.
Although this may sound easy to do, trying to create depth in a music video can backfire if you get too eager. There is that cliche that if a little is good, than a lot must be great. But knowing when to pull back is just as important as knowing when push the envelope.
In this instance, it is executed brilliantly because of the skills and techniques that Richard Lownstein has perfected throughout his career and is something that he does impecably well. He's done many INXS videos and they are all complex in their depth but are not overpowering. Whether that is a formula that clicked with working with the band or just Richard Lowenstein's ablility to communicate his ideas and concepts effective, I don't know. Either way, it is an impressive skill and is something that I personally strive to achieve in any of the work I do, because it is so unbelievable effective if you can pull it off and I think 'The Gift' is a great example of that.
The Colour Red
The colour red is a very attracting colour, which is why it is so often used in marketing campaigns, advertisements and in packaging. It attracts the eye and can provoke several meanings: love, hate and anger to name a few. With a colour that has so many meanings presenting it in a way that will stand out in a video, but depending on the usage, not overpower the video itself can be challenging. It is a bit of a confusing concept, but I refer you back to breakdown of Foo Fighters 'The Pretender.' The way red is used in 'The Pretender' is a sort of final take and this resistance, that completely fits the style of the video. Where as in 'The Gift' it evokes fire, it evokes mixed emotions it evokes a passionate expression of ideas/beliefs/concepts. No matter how many times I watch this video I do walk away with a different outlook on it, whether that be anger, freedom, frustration or pure excitement.
Movement
This is a favourite element of mine, whether it be used as a transition from one scene to another or a thread that ties a video together, it's effective. In this clip, everything images, the band, the graphics, everything is moving forward...once again another theme kept throughout several INXS videos, especially during the 'X' era. I guess you could express it as being a way for the artist to connect 'reach out' as such to the audience. Everything even the bands movements to the camera are always pushing forward. It is powerful when used in combination with the red colour and the layers of images...I love it. Enjoy.
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