Hi There 😊
Right smack in the middle of a weekend, and it's time for a little FourPlay (4 Songs, 1 Theme). So last night we caught Justin Timberlake's new video Say Something. That got us talking about all the different videos that have tried this 1 Shot Concept. The most popular I would say is The Spice Girl's with their debut single Wannabe, where they are running through a hotel being disruptive. It was presented as a single shot video but there are 2 edits that is so seamless, that until today I always believed it was a one single shot. So leaving the Spices out of it, here's the 4 that I've picked to share with you.
Yellow - Coldplay
The initial idea for this song was for all members to be on the beach, amongst the crowd. Preparations were made and equipments booked. However, drummer Will Champion's mother passed on and the funeral was to be held on the same day. So as not to cancel the shoot, it was decided lead vocalist Chris Martin would go ahead with the shoot and the rest would attend the funeral. The video starts out in the dark, and as Martin walks on the beach singing, you see the sunrise behind him. This was pretty impressive as there was only chance to catch the moment or wait for the next day.
Hideaway - Kiesza
While Coldplay's video was up against the sunrise, this one was a routine planned with different groups of people. Kiesza had to learn 5 different dance styles over the course of 3 days and it helped that she had a ballet background. What didn't help is that she broke her rib just before filming started. Like a trouper she championed on and you see her dancing and walking through the city, joining in the different dance styles before she hops into the van she came out from at the start. Critics were impressed with the video and you won't be able to tell she had a broken rib through the whole routine.
Imitation of Life - R.E.M.
This whole video is a 20 second clip on loop. Then through the song, the camera zooms in and out, focusing on different elements of the birthday party it was set in. The editing also incorporated rewinds, forwards, freezes but somehow made all the sequence fit making it look flawless. It also manages to capture some of them mouthing the lyrics, including a part on a TV set up at the party.
The One Moment- OK Go
And here's the best of the lot. No surprise because these guys have always experimented with their videos and it is always a feast for the eyes. This was a 4.2 second clip. Then slowed down, accordingly to the different parts of the song to fit its 4 minute length. It's organised chaos with bursting balloons, breaking glass, paint buckets, water splashes, flipping pages, the lead singer walking through the pandemonium.... putting it into words doesn't quite justify it so watch the magic unfold.
Hope you enjoyed that... There are more songs with videos with this concept. Lisa Loeb's Stay and even Taylor Swift did it with We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. Are there more? You tell me.
’Til we meet again over text, pics, videos, maybe even coffee -Steem On!!
