Digital Good Time I
When I started to pursue my degree in Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, I did so with the dream that one day I would one day be making music videos. Though the unpredictable nature of life has pushed that dream back somewhat (hopefully temporarily?), I've maintained a great interest and appreciation for the visual side of music, so I wanted to start a recurring feature in which I post some of the more visually stunning music videos, shorts, and album artwork that I've seen recently.
First is a short called "Blissful", done by the motion graphics studio Left Channel. This is over two years old, but it still blows my mind. Using excerpts of Fantomas' 74-minute album/song Delirium Cordia, the black and white short makes excellent use of negative space in 3D to create a rather creepy environment. Also, I single-handedly credit this for getting me into Fantomas. Here's a YouTube link, but this really deserves to be enjoyed in all its clarion, non-pixelated-YouTube-FLV glory at the website:
Next is a music video. Can't say I'm much interested in Solange's sophomore album, but the video for her single, "I Decided", is awesome. Directed by Melina Matsoukas through Black Dog Films, the overall look resembles 60's-style pop art, complete with cut outs layered over highly Technicolor gradients and halftone circle patterns. Familiar pop culture references and images from the past 40 years a flash throughout, many of them related to icons of protest and revolution, such as Che Guevara, the Civil Rights marches, and the Tommy Smith/John Carlos black power salute at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
The visuals seem to have little or nothing to do with the song lyrics, and the entire thing comes off like a high budget rip ripoff of an M.I.A. video, but it really is well done. And, to give credit where credit's due, the song itself isn't bad. You can almost convince yourself that she actually had some creative control.
Links:
LeftChannel
Black Dog Films
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