New Gnarls Barkley video and backstory
John Paul sez, "My sister Wendy went to Jamaica to make a music video for Gnarls Barkley. I've always found it fascinating how she listens to songs and just fantasizes about what imagery or story goes with the music, and then struggles to make the video happen in an incredibly short time frame and on a tight budget. This video is maybe her finest. The imagery comes out of her head, partly inspired by a trip we made to Africa, partly inspired by Jamaican dance hall glory.
"Filming in Jamaica is worth it, and the dancers are not the only amazing Jamaicans behind the video. The local crew worked themselves silly to make this happen." Link (Thanks, John Paul!)
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What an amazing & inspired video! I think your sister Wendy should try to make a feature-- and although it could/would be pure hell (I'm sure) to continue this story, I can tell you that it would put Disney's Narnia to shame (even in this 3 minute glimpse).
Wow, this is great. This makes me hope that Gnarls Barkley will be doing an on-going time traveler storyline series of videos following this one.
Hi Im Wendy. I just wanted to say as much as I apprecaite my brothers imput he makes it sound way worse than it was, everyone was amazing and simpley making music videos is difficult. Big ups to my amazing location manager Peter Packer!
Zowie. Love it deluxe.
Wendy, your video is energizing and inspiring. Brilliant use of typography. Simple and wonderful.
I really liked it :)
Yeah, makes me want to see more of the story, too! Thoroughly enjoyable and well-made.
Enjoyed the choreography too I might add. Usually such a thing comes off as contrived but it seems to fit here so well.
I'm making a note here:
Huge Success!
Talia, that's exactly what I was thinking.
I generally hate pop-dance sequences. As you say, they are contrived, overly produced and I don't really care enough about the band or dancers to give them much leeway.
This was different however. This wasn't bling-perfect backing dancers, and uber-urban boyband bullshit. It wasn't even R&B-"yeh we do it street style"..
This was more like the old school hip hop days, when kids were dancing for the sake of it. You know those old videos? With three skinny little kids, just bustin' moves in some crappy back lot? Yeh, that's how I like it, just poppin' :)
And again, because the characters in Wendy's video weren't anyone I'd seen before on tv, or blinged up, I wasn't immediately repelled by what I was seeing (my usual bling dance reaction), quite the opposite, I was drawn in. And the camera work isn't focused on the 'troup', to make a point of the choreograhy, it's all tightly framed, so it's much more personal. I really like the bit (around 1.23) where the guy and girl are dancing together. Really nice vibe, very clear connection between the two characters and the audience.
As everyone else has pointed out, I really do hope this can be a series of GB videos, because I wanna know what's through the door :)
Hoo wee! Thanks for sharing, that is magnificent. I wanna know too what's on the other side of the door. Also good to hear another good song, finally, from Gnarls.
That video, for me, hearkens back to the videos of the early 80's with choreographed dancing and a mild story line.
The image of the two leads making their way through town to achieve their goal reminds me of David Bowie's Let's Dance or some of Duran Duran's early videos.
I'm not saying they are the similar or the same but the Gnarls Barkley video just has that feel of an early 80's video.
I also can't help but to sense a little touch of Wes Anderson with the text in the video along with the font choice and color.
I like it. A lot. =)
freaking nice video
Wendy
Love the vid
Dunno how much of the wardrobing was your doing but I noticed one thing...it's a bit convoluted.
Ska came out of Jamaica and got on a boat to England, where the white boys got rude styled,little baby skin heads all moon stomping away, and now you have Jamaicans dressed up in Skin head finery, 18 hole docs levis afred perry's and braces.
My how the world turns.
Great film
Great video! You did a fine job with it, Wendy.
It's totally worth it to film in Jamaica except if you happen to be gay, in which case it might cost you an eye, your health or your life.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/2922/176/
Outkastesque but not in as ridiculous a fashion as Andre 3000 comes across. Liked the simple type as a kind of otherworldly thing permeating the plane of reality.
This is wonderful. I am inversely reminded of a hilarious old Bloom County cartoon where Opus complained that music videos wrecked his mental imagery. That being the worst case scenario, this video is the best case: Wendy has produced a masterpiece that is totally in keeping of my impression of the song, only much much more so.
I love it. I love everything about it.
Wendy - any comment on Calyton's suggestion that you borrowed his style?
(Boing Boing, I can see why you don't trackback the web, but maybe consider it for your own posts)
Wendy,
Amazing video. Peter Packer helped us immensely (along with Maxine Walters and crew) in JA three years ago when my partner and I directed Hyperventilating for Tami Chynn. We love the old train station, what a place to shoot. Great crew and dancers in JA. Michelle knocked it out with the styling.
You did what a lot of video directors dream of: doing a video that has some soul for an excellent song. No titanic egos or the usual booty tootin, bling thing on screen. But you captured some real emotion and spirit as well as a bit of romance too.
I'm so glad to see such a video come out of JA. It's an amazing place to shoot, and the dancers and crew just give it up.
Going to JA to shoot a video over thanksgiving, wish us well.
Tim Naylor - DIrector - DP
PS. Who shot it and what did you shoot on? Looks great.