Feb 18, 2009

Bellagio Fountain Remix

Somewhere between a series of animated ink blots or gushing oil geysers is where I'd categorize this latest edit. I had started out with the idea of making a short travel clip of the fountains at the Bellagio that I shot while on vacation in Las Vegas last November. The further I got into it the more I felt like switching things up.

If you want to experience what the fountains are really like you can go to Vegas yourself or watch one of the thousands of videos already uploaded on YouTube. I opted for some inverting, overlapping, and rhythmic cutting. It was fun playing with the patterns and motion in this short, which made experimenting easy - and then creating several variations after mixing it with the MGMT Kids Soulwax Nite Remix. Parts of my footage were filmed from the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel, and others at various points out front of the Bellagio itself. Yes, it's different, maybe even a little weird and/or pointless, but to me it sure feels energetic and cool.


5 comments :

Anonymous said...

I don't think my Pinnacle I still have from 03 can do that! :) Interesting visual effect though, quite abstract/alien.

The images/cutting seemed a bit random/unrythmic vs. the music, like any electronica song put in its place would've had the same effect, but based on your other stuff, I'm guessing it was because this was made rather quickly and casually.

Editing Luke said...

You're correct Dave that the short wasn't cut verbatim to the music, but that's because it wasn't made with any specific piece in mind.

I disagree that it's unrhythmic though. You'll notice the various build in speed as the short goes on, the cuts of the fountain explosions in time, the slow down in the bridge of the song, and most obviously the sliding frame repitition that kicks in at 1:24 moving on the back beat.

It's actually a little more complicated than it looks, and my decision to cut it less literally, quite honestly, is because of how much I edit in general. I wanted it to feel like a personal experiment more than a music video for the song.

You're right, it was just a casual edit, but I disagree that its construction is sloppy.

Anonymous said...

Careful posting blog posts that make detailed sense to you, but aren't immediately apparent to viewers; from personal experience, they can have bad side effects.

Editing Luke said...

Haha, there's certainly a difference in the other blog post you're referring to . . . but regarding this one, it's not that there was a detailed point to it, i was just saying the edit was more technical than you gave it credit for.

Anonymous said...

I was able to see the first part of the video only but it's impressive... How you did it? The trick is so smooth.. ^^ Talented guy you are!