Coldplay ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’ by Mat Whitecross
Friday, 1. July 2011 - 12:45 pm
For Colplay’s Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall from their yet untitled fifth album, Mat Whitecross’ third promo for the band is this exciting stop motion, graffiti-splattering gem.
Mat explains that this was a production that grew out of a fairly simple idea – but then became a lot more complicated:
“A few weeks ago, the band were doing a photo shoot over at Millennium Mills with Bristol-based graffiti artist Paris, and our photographer mate Sarah Lee. They asked if I’d mind dropping by with a film camera so we could mess around in between set ups.
“Looking at the beautiful artwork Paris and the band were creating on the walls, Chris thought maybe we should just shoot the video for the new single there and then, with him walking through the building and the camera whipping between band and graffiti.
“Never having done it before, I stupidly suggested we come back another day and animate the graffiti using stop motion – so me and Paris shot some test footage that night with a stills camera to show the band how it might look. They were into it straight away, but it wasn’t till they gave the go ahead for the video that we realised quite how much work it would involve.
“As usual, what was supposed to be a really simple idea escalated and escalated – and we ended up putting band, crew and artists through hell and back – as well as gallons of paint – to hit the post-Glastonbury deadline, but it was more than worth it. I now have nothing but respect and admiration for animators worldwide – and absolutely no idea how they find the patience and stamina to put together features this way”.
Coldplay
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall (Parlophone, EMI )
Director: Mat Whitecross
Producer: Hannah Clark
Production Company: Pulse Films
Rep: Obmanagement
DP: Richard Stewart
Graffiti Artists: Paris, Gwen Liby, Mat Moran, Russell Maurice, Dan Sparkes
Editor: Nick Allix @ The Whitehouse
VFX: Gus Martinez & Marc Knapton @ Brewery FX
1st AD: Matt Carver
2nd AD: Chris Burgess
Production Manager: Natalie Bayle
Gaffer: Matt Moffatt
Sparks: Andy Walton, Delroy Burley, Dean Holton, Steve Fitzpatrick & Lee Parfitt
2nd Unit Camera: Sara Deane
Focus Puller: Charlie Herranz
Grip: Adrian McCarthy
DIT: Murren Tillett
Camera Trainee: Jack Johns
Playback: Roger Cutting
Stylist: Beth Fenton
Grooming: Lucy Burt
Production Assistant: Katie Ryde
Graffiti Assistants: Millie Proud, Ashleigh Ashley, Sommer Smith, Lester Hill, Nil Tomaken, Thomas Leer, Melissa Greenwood
Runners: Jim Archer, Peter Banks, Carl Rock, Teresa Orlando
Location Manager: Rob Surtees
Stunt Coordinator: Jude Poyner
Catering: Healthy Yummies
Colorist: James Tillett @ MPC
Commissioner: James Hackett
Watch: here
Coldplay official website
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1. July 2011 - 2:15 pm
You could have shown the band this to explain how it might look:
1. July 2011 - 2:38 pm
Their worst video yet.
1. July 2011 - 3:13 pm
I feel sick… terrible video
1. July 2011 - 3:21 pm
this video would have been great for hannah montana
1. July 2011 - 3:38 pm
I would just like to know what kind of budget was spent to make this farce of a video. Atrocious.
1. July 2011 - 4:01 pm
4 stills, a phone directory worth of production names and a write up.. and it still doesn’t amount to a half decent video.
1. July 2011 - 4:13 pm
Happy Friday one and all!!
1. July 2011 - 5:05 pm
I just don’t understand how this is signed off and given a budget. Anyone?
1. July 2011 - 5:10 pm
Spent such a huge amount of money, to make it look so damn cheap!
Oh, and UV paint… really? Has it not been done to death already in the last 5 years?
Talk about lack of imagination people….
1. July 2011 - 5:12 pm
Happy Friday indeed I love it when a video from a big band is awful. Have a great weekend haterz!
1. July 2011 - 6:25 pm
completely.
this has got to be turkey video of the year.
not one positive aspect.
1. July 2011 - 6:52 pm
This is what happens when you remove the pitching process.
1. July 2011 - 8:11 pm
Is this a joke…
UTTER CRAP
1. July 2011 - 8:13 pm
It’s not what you know, it’s who you went to school with…ditto on the above, bad video.
1. July 2011 - 8:17 pm
It’s got my vote for worst video of the year, congrats, keep up the mediocre work.
1. July 2011 - 11:03 pm
I think its pretty good to be honest, anyone care to share there better videos?
2. July 2011 - 2:27 am
its not really that awful, the UV setup was a bit unnecessary.. but alot of work would have gone into this video
2. July 2011 - 2:28 am
What did the stunt coordinator do?
I didn’t spot any stunts….Anyone spot any?
2. July 2011 - 6:08 am
Worst video ever? You guys need to get out more. I know you’re gunning for the stadium sellouts (cause anything else would exclude you from hipster status sipping that wine) and have it in for them, but this isn’t even the worst video this week.
2. July 2011 - 6:18 am
18 comments
In a day, this has to a record and the venom is so furious and fast. This is a BAD AWFUL EMPTY Video for sure but the week has provided us with even worse like mr Frisch says, so why no venom there?
The coldplay thing can’t help plus pulse films jobs seem to get lots of stick unless directed by ben Newman
Why? I don’t know, maybe jealousy but this venom needs to controlled
2. July 2011 - 8:42 am
This the most ridiculous thread I ever had the misfortune to go through… The cowards do creep!
2. July 2011 - 12:06 pm
I agree, it’s certainly not worst video of the year, or the week…
however, if you take into consideration the artist and budget at hand, the disappointment in seeing the results is on a par with the jonas akerlund britney ‘hold it against me’ promo
2. July 2011 - 12:11 pm
I’ve got nothing against Coldplay. I think the track is catchy, and sure, the video isn’t amazing (nothing like as good as the Shynola vid for Strawberry Swing) but I suppose credit is due for the effort put in.
Seems like they didn’t have the time to fully realise the idea – I’m guessing that’s the reason for the whole ultraviolet section. They suddenly realised how long it’d take to do the whole thing in stop motion, and so had to plug the gaps with something that vaguely fitted in with the aesthetic.
A shame, since gives you the feeling it was made up as they went along, rather than storyboarded the hell out of first to avoid just these sort of problems.
2. July 2011 - 1:15 pm
Tom – That’s quite an informed assumption.
XanXan – It’s not about sharing anyone else’s better videos, that’s wholly irrelevant and doesn’t change the fact that the video is shoddy. Parading someone else’s better video around simply makes this one look even worse.
2. July 2011 - 2:28 pm
I’m going to say this again…
Does anyone else feel that the comments section on this website is unfair to the hard working people who toil in this industry? Now that the Promo magazine is dead and gone, this blog IS the industry magazine and the comments under a video may end up influencing the way the whole industry views the video. Sometimes the attacks are personal as well, and this forum is giving people with vendettas or gripes far too open a forum in which to bring their bile. Should anyone be able to comment on a blog which is intrinsically linked to careers? Not that this thread will bother Mat Whitecross, but smaller directors careers could be affected. I’m just interested in what other people think…
2. July 2011 - 3:10 pm
I Agree with the fella above, there’s too much throw away negativity going on.
Music videos are all about Artistic expression. Sure It doesn’t always have to be liked but at least respected.
And if one is inclined to make a constructive critique or point for whatever reason then go ahead but don’t just sit there and slap some “What a pile of boring rubbish” comment & sign it anonymously. It tarnishes what is a respectable site.
2. July 2011 - 3:55 pm
I think the lack of a Production designer/Art Director really shows…
The art work looks rushed and substandard. Im the artist involved are good artist but maybe they where rushed or they had so much to do the runners did it all.
Worst video of the year by a long shoot, the fact if had a good budget makes it worse
2. July 2011 - 5:12 pm
I think if you had to register to post a comment people would be a lot less negative!
2. July 2011 - 6:37 pm
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FsjRzf68I0s/TdOxz6uVlTI/AAAAAAAAAzM/QntEDfnHxno/s1600/elephant20shit1.jpg
2. July 2011 - 11:31 pm
…ummmmmm, the work of BluBlu is really rather good
3. July 2011 - 12:06 am
Making up names to denigrate people over the internet. Does anyone feel better?
3. July 2011 - 12:14 am
But it is still a shit video, no irony intended.
3. July 2011 - 7:08 am
I’m not sure about that, Mr Haye. But even if it is, and I mean this as a genuine question, what is the point in saying it?
3. July 2011 - 12:01 pm
some moments of clarity
1. make this blog the place where you have to register your proper, working email address to post comments. it does totally effect people in a really bad way to be perfectly honest. it’s very stupid and totally ignorant to allow people to post at free will on here. it’s incredible that it exists, and the guys running it do a fantastic job, but do the right thing fellas. i remember a similar witch hunt against Emil Nava which if he didn’t have the metal, might have broken him. could have been avoided, and can be…
2. this video is absolute shit. Make trade fair? Fuck off mate Martin you wanker.
3. July 2011 - 12:16 pm
are you serious “voice of reason”? You get that earnest about how Promo News needs to make people publish their names, then you shit on the video under a pseudonym?
3. July 2011 - 1:13 pm
If you can’t take the feedback – be it positive, constructive or negative – then don’t post your video on here. You must be really stupid to assume that you’ll simply be getting praised if the piece is bad, it goes both ways. It’s no witch hunt (was it ever an Emil witch hunt, let’s be honest..), it’s simply feedback and people’s opinions..accept it or get lost.
3. July 2011 - 3:16 pm
It’s not about individual people ‘not being able to take it’, it’s about careers, reputations and how people are seen in the industry. Every negative comment I read is written by someone who patently has no idea what making music videos for some sort of living is actually like. The restrictions, the budgets, the briefs etc… Try pitching on 15k-25k videos day in day out and lets see you make masterpiece after masterpiece. If you don’t understand the limitations involved, or do and are just jealous that other people are working and you aren’t… then I don’t think anyone wants to hear your opinions.
3. July 2011 - 6:34 pm
People are entitled to opinions, freedom of speech and all that
People are entitled to stay and remain anonymous
People are entitled to review films for a living and look at what throwaway literature that is yet how much effort goes into making a narrative feature film and what qualifications does a james Bradshaw have?
3. July 2011 - 9:32 pm
Peter Bradshaw?
3. July 2011 - 9:42 pm
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/james-bradshaw/
I know you fool, the point being that anyone can string words together and critique 2 months of hard work and it may be cruel but they should be allowed this freedom
Loose one freedom and then what
!!!!
3. July 2011 - 10:17 pm
Fair criticism or constructive feedback…?
…but negative?
…and lets all remember that pixilation animation techniques are extremely difficult to execute – time consuming and an incredible physical and mental effort.
3. July 2011 - 10:21 pm
ah, i’m sorry. easy tiger…
4. July 2011 - 10:42 am
Maybe the director had a broken toe on the day of the shoot
4. July 2011 - 3:15 pm
I like the fact that I can get a video posted up here and it might be the only place I can get constructive criticism, or a true industry opinion. Much more helpful than unending praise from “nice” people. Bring on the hate, it makes us better!
4. July 2011 - 3:58 pm
This fella “well known” has the sanest voice of all, Michael Jackson syndrome is deadly. Can your promo rep or producer be totally honest? NO
We should thrive and enjoy criticism and be grateful we don’t live in censored middle east or china.
We should love the fact David knight is sat smiling knowing he’s stirring us all up and in the process creating better works of art.
Why do good videos get great comments?
Why do bad videos get negative comments?
4. July 2011 - 4:27 pm
there’s a huge difference between critique and insult.
‘this video is absolute shit’ is not a critique, and i’m not sure anything on this post would qualify as such. it’s just a succession of people, no doubt frustrated about their limited place in a floundering industry, venting hate at anyone vaguely successful who happens to wander into their path.
a critique is a harsh but valuable asset to a director, an insult is needlessly damaging and demoralising. it’s the language of children.
again, i’d ask anyone here who has posted their spiteful, cowardly shit: what is the point?
4. July 2011 - 4:28 pm
Healthy Yummies did the catering!
4. July 2011 - 4:40 pm
…the good videos don’t get that many positive comments do they? There was an absolute corker posted today that’s attracted very little opinion.
4. July 2011 - 5:21 pm
quite.
so if the very good ones don’t garner any comments and the mediocre ones inspire a fountain of vitriol, what does that tell us about the nature of the ‘criticism’?
4. July 2011 - 5:39 pm
that we’re human? and ultimately flawed
4. July 2011 - 7:53 pm
possibly… or that bored and frustrated people can be needlessly vindictive towards each other.
5. July 2011 - 11:31 am
Remove Chris Martin from the promo and you actually have a good video.
5. July 2011 - 4:40 pm
It’s not that bad for chrissakes. Substitute another band in there and it wouldn’t receive one comment. Maybe that says something in itself but not worth of the vitriol on here which is more about Coldplay/Budget/Not as good as previous Coldplay videos/relationship between director and artist.
5. July 2011 - 5:28 pm
for me, it’s more that the director chose to go stop frame in his video not so long after shynola tore it up with strawberry swing, which won armloads of acclaim and prizes incl a D&AD.
why would you want to do that…
5. July 2011 - 8:03 pm
Wikipedia:
The video recieved positive reviews by the critics who noted the colorful visual of it. Rolling Stone said: “The vibrant, colorful clip is well-suited to the song”.The New York Post wrote “the clip proves that the boys are just as interested in pushing boundaries with their videos as they are with their music”. Finally The Sun called it “a colourful affair”. Others considered that this sudden reinvention is “Coldplay cheating on serious with joyful”.
These people are on crack.
11. July 2011 - 7:48 pm
I like the styling