Vampire Weekend’s Cousins by Garth Jennings
Tuesday, 24. November 2009 - 2:54 pm
After A-Punk a while ago, here’s another deceptively simple, beautifully conceptual Vampire Weekend performance video by Garth Jennings. And like A-Punk it just gets more enjoyable and rewarding each time you watch it.
There’s no framerate-manipulation this time. The band really did go that fast, up and down the track – powered by four grips running as fast as possible. And here’s an indication of Garth’s pinpoint preparation: the video was assembled by Dom Leung during the shoot and technically finished as soon as they had the last shot.
Two and a half minutes of joy.
Vampire Weekend
Cousins (XL Recordings)
Prod co: Hammer & Tongs
Director: Garth Jennings
Producer: Nick Goldsmith
Editor: Dominic Leung
Commissioner: Phil Lee
24. November 2009 - 4:56 pm
come back richard ayode……..a true film-maker and visionary
25. November 2009 - 9:15 am
Oh god, let’s not start all that all over again. Who can we put on a pedestal this week? Next we’ll be declaring the rise of the music video auteurs. When music vids cease being so utterly disposable then maybe it’ll mean something – not dissing Richard in anyway shape or form, I love his stuff, it’s just so vomit-inducing to hear people called visionary and true filmmakers, flippantly belittling the efforts anyone who has the bloody mindedness to even persevere with a career (if that’s what it is) in promos. Visionaries are the pioneers whose work shape the way we think about things in ways we would never have dreamed possible before. It requires a leap of supreme imagination in the face of downright ridicule,
Ayoade, visionary? Ah non. Talented? Mais oui.
Now I have to throw up again as I’m reminded what a fawning, syncophantic, nepotistic and utterly stupid industry this can be.
Here endeth the rant.
25. November 2009 - 10:25 am
give it a rest billy
25. November 2009 - 10:42 am
in the style of a jewish food critic
“calm down billy…….its just a music video”
you dismiss music vids………you say they are disposable………all art is disposable. it just depends how critics and the public open up or close their arms.
you do care billy………otherwise why go to this site and write words.
the above vid is a poor effort….you seem frustrated billy and that comment is going to enrage you…….you have every right to be so.
music vids are very important to MANY people………they start careers…..they are a chance for an individual to make his/her mark.
25. November 2009 - 10:57 am
Apologies Alan, wasn’t meant to be such a full on rant, my point is this: it never seems to be enough in this business for people to be really good at what they do, we’re always digging around for the new Gondry, or the new Chris Cunningham, but we’re never going to have that with the music industry the way it is. It’s not just music vids of course, everywhere we have people being stuck on pedestals and then promptly knocked off them. Why isn’t it enough to be really shit hot? As for visionary- for me the work Martin de Thurah has produced over the last few years has made me reassess what I think about music videos and in that sense maybe he is a visionary.
As for kipper, you poor sausage, I’m a director and have done my vids and enjoyed them, but I can’t stand the industry. I’m not bitter or frustrated, the best thing I ever did for my career was retire from it. I never said that music vids weren’t important, I just said they’re disposable – they’re commissioned by record labels and are out of date when the next single comes out. No-one buys them, no-one is invested in them, they’re a by-product of the artist’s public persona and joe music buyer has no idea, nor does he care, who the director is.
You’re right, I do care, way too much, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Oh, by the way, watch the Vampire Weekend vid again and see if it redeems itself. My rule of thumb – did it improve the song? If it did, then the video did its job and that’s enough.
Peas.
25. November 2009 - 11:04 am
you have hit the nail on the head billy.
but its all about individual taste.
just as you admire the work of de-turrah……i’m sure many people feel the same way about ayode.
i like sausages
27. November 2009 - 3:29 pm
is this how low music videos can get?