I was watching this lovely simple video for the Mystery Jets and its amazing what you can do with almost nothing
Mystery Jets - Serotonin by Rhys Jones and Paul Routledge
JK just removed his hat for this video, I remember this was quite the revelation at the time
Jamiroquai - Half The Man by (anyone know?)
You could spend a bit more and spice it up a bit. Add some sparklers, a spangly dress and slightly wider angle
Metric - Sick Muse by Justin Broadbent and Michael Leach
Metronomy - The Look by Lorenzo Fonda
Or you go for an even wider angle, spend a bit on some animated sea gulls and Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt and you have cult classic
Zero budget does not mean zero ideas. Or you can throw caution to the wind. Get loads of models, stick everyone on a plane to Spain and go for your life…
Dizzee Rascel - Holiday by Ryan Hope and Egoitz Audikana
Oh and get Goldie to come along too, for no apparent reason. I think both approaches work well.
Here are two very cool low budget videos that I saw recently. I though they might have been by the same director as both videos bizarrely use the same Pam Hogg catsuit, but no, entirely different directors on entirely different sides of the world.
Groove Armada - I Won't Keel by Anthony Dickenson
This video got a great write up on promo news with a decent amount of behind the scenes detail from the director Anthony Dickenson: read the Promo News write up.
Washington - Rich Kids by Mairi Cameron and Stephen Lance
Mairi Cameron and Stephen Lance have since won the triple J music video award for Washington's Sunday Best. Have a watch the Sunday Best video.
There are some bands who take their music videos very seriously. Here are three videos by three artists who consistently deliver.
First up is Aussie pop mix Sia, who has made low-fi stop animation her usp. Her latest is a fun singstar take off
Sia - You've changed
Sia - Buttons
Sia - breath me
Hot chip have delivered some great quirky videos in the past, but their latest takes some beating, the video left bemused, confused and quite frankly very unsettled. A great directorial (pop videowise) debut from comedian Peter Serafinowicz
Hot chip - I feel better
Hot chip - Boy from school
Hot chip - Over and over
If there is a band that are living proof of what a clever video can do for your career, it has to be OKgo. Don't get me wrong I love their music but if it hadn't been for youtube and the "million ways to be cool" video, they would have been indie also rans.
Okgo - A million ways
There latest video has too versions both just as "youtube friendly" and both beg the question, do these guys have nothing better to do with their time?
Okgo - This too shall pass
Machine video
Okgo - This too shall pass version 2
Thanks again for reading and as always a big thanks to all the video hosting sites, long may they all prosper.
I leave you with this manga inspired mentalism by Sugimoto Kousuke, love it.
Good to see people from your school doing something really creative and making it. Who would have thought young Dag Torgersbraten (AKA Dag Nabbit) would be come a superstar Drum and Bass producer?
They have been plugging away for a long time now and the big time is calling. Currently touring with the Prodigy and the release "Contact" should settle it.
Not only does this song have a filthy, filthy bassline, it has a pretty hot MTV friendly video.
The video really comes into its own at about 2:49 mins with some dark iconoclastic imagery. Directed by Tony Truand who also looks like he is on his way to bigger and better things.
This is my video of the year. There is so much going on in this video from Alex Kapranos's odd coloured shoes to the different video perspectives from the dancers.
The best bit though is the strange contratont the lead signer has with the androgynous Valkyrie. Superbly shot and timed perfectly to the music, well done Nima Nourizadeh.
Any video with Jarvis dancing goes straight in to the top ten.
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best, I can just imagine the pitch now "We'll just get him to dance about and we'll do some stuff to him."
Royksopp - Happy Up Here
Old skol gaming comes to life in this cute video from Reuben Sutherland
The Hickey Underworld - Blonde Fire
Joe Vanhoutteghem has made the creepiest video since Tool's Prison sex.
Warning to to be watched late at night alone.
The Maccabees - Can You Give it by James Caddick
This video is a loving tribute to the those brave souls who take part one of the UK's genuinely mental and dangerous traditions, Cheese Rolling. Cheese Rollers of Britain I salute you.
Depeche mode - Wrong
This video has gained alot of praise at various awards and rightly so. A proper big budget narrative driven video a rare beast these days.
Luxuriously shot a perfectly paced to amp up the suspense.
Ground breaking is a word bandied about a lot, but this video really is. The complexity of filming the multiple version would have been hard enough, getting the syncing and streaming together to make it a creative interactive experience is a real technical feat. The coolest thing on the net I have seen for awhile…
2009 must have been the year of the disturbing music video and here is another of them. The cable coming out of someone's belly button made my legs go all funny. Hiro Murai, great video but you need to seek medical help.
Also should note not 100% work safe.
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Heads will roll
The second Yeah Yeah Yeah's video to involve entrails has a lovely nod to recently departed king of pop and then it all goes horribly wrong.
Death Cab for Cutie - Grapevine Fires
Directed by Walter Robot this video is both tragic and touching, superbly echoes the sentiments of the song. A great example of what can be done with a little bit of emotion and animation. Love it!
Notable mentions
Well that is my top 10 best videos of 2009. Obviously this is just my opinion take it for what its worth.
There are a couple of notable mentions, Jonathan Glazer's video for The Dead Weather just misses of a top ten place. I love Glazer's work and this video is very cool and I really liked the idea and the cinematography.
The Dead Weather - Treat me like your mother
Then There was Shynola's video for Coldplay. I love just about everything they touch and I particularly like the flying sequence in this vid, but I just don't like Coldplay so sorry lads.
Coldplay - Strawberry Swing
If you want to see some more great videos from this year check these peeps 'Best of' lists;
Well Happy new year everyone and I will leave you with the video for Simian Mobile Disco's Cruel intentions, its re-editited footage from an upcoming short film Study After Cruel Intentions…
