Film & TV
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Friday YouTube fun
For some Friday blog fun, we thought we’d pull out some classic clips from YouTube and a theme soon became apparent as we ran through some favourites… parodies and mash-ups. Here’s a notable one from a while back. Microsoft advertise a new bit of music software in typical Microsoft style.
Hilarious responses quickly followed putting the very same advertised music software to the test:
A little more recently, Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind was quickly re-hashed for a more Welsh-centric audience and a video that truly epitomises the word viral, Rebecca Blacks “Friday” has countless parodies all of varying degrees of success.
So it seems YouTube has become the home for a brand of humour that has long been around, but now, more than ever, a parody or remix seems to be the de facto response to any videoclip that has at least mild pop-culture success. There are a number of reasons that would point to why, not least the ability of the public to make video responses at a cost that’s never been lower and outreach thats never been greater.
That same public, namely us, are the filter of what is successful and what is not, we need to sort the wheat from the chaff. It seems the most successful parodies and mash-ups always offer an insight, a production skill, or tone of humour that has an originality and creativity. If we discover it, the author is given a massive springboard and a chance to reach out to millions of viewers in a matter of hours. Perhaps successful careers can be started?
This cut-up version of The Apprentice gained massive appeal, not just based on the popularity of the show, but in its own right:
The likes of Kutiman, remixing and reshaping musical YouTube clips from his bedroom to construct whole new original tracks, has gone on to be a prolific producer:
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Stereoscopy
I had the pleasure of watching Alice in Wonderland on Friday evening (one of the many perks of having children of a certain age). It was everything you’d expect of a Tim Burton film and I’d recommend a watch, but I’m not going to review the film, it’s the experience of watching it in 3D that prompted me to write this post.
This year could prove a very interesting one in the history of 3D viewing, with Sky’s 3D channel set to launch this Saturday with coverage of Manchester United v Chelsea, and 3D TV sets about to hit the market in the UK (albeit for several thousand pounds each). But does the experience of watching 3D really live up to the hype? Personally, I find it extremely hit and miss – and for the most part a distraction to what you’re watching.
Stereoscopy has been around since the 1840s, when it was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone. Originally, you’d view a pair of stereo images through a viewer resembling a pair of binoculars, so that each eye sees only the left or right image to create the effect of depth. Indeed, if you look the wrong way through a pair of binoculars at a pair of stereo images you can effectively make your own stereoscope – something I had great fun experimenting with whilst at college with a pair of 35mm cameras.
If you’ve ever seen one, there’s something quite magical about viewing antique stereo images from the turn of the last century. An image so far removed from the present suddenly becomes tangible, like you can reach out and touch it.
Unfortunately, that magic struggles to transcend beyond the novelty factor in the cinema. You’re suddenly hit with objects flying out at you in deep, exaggerated perspective, that detract from, rather than enhance the narrative. The most effective shots are those where you forget you’re watching in 3D, you just feel that much closer to the story.
Its a shame 3D material is reliant on such a controlled viewing environment to be appreciated. Despite the gimmicky nature of 3D, it remains a fascinating area I’d like to explore further. For starters, it’d be really interesting to work up the animation we created for Dealerward in true 3D.
There have been many false dawns in the advent of 3D, during the fifties and eighties in particular, but with Hollywood and Sky now embracing the technology it finally looks like 3D will be here to stay.
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Cows Go Moo (And People Do Too)
We’re delighted to be part of “Cows Go Moo (And People Do Too)”, a project to make a short film to raise the profile of children’s charity The Place2Be. The project has snowballed since we first met the project’s founder, Danny Somekh, and the film’s director, Armand Attard, last week. The film, entitled “Last Tango in Croydon” and starring Keith Barron, is now in full pre-production with a shoot planned for 27/28th April. Applied Works will be creating the opening titles and publicity material for the film. More to follow…
Blog: Cows Go Moovie
Follow: @cowsgomovie -
In Search of Tintin
This week’s Broadcast reveals Channel 4 have commissioned “Dom Joly: In Search of Tintin”, a 60 minute documentary to mark the 80th anniversary of Hergé’s most famous character. I do love Tintin.
