Who wouldn't want to be welcomed home this way? This ad titled Welcome Back from T-Mobil is in the style of several other flash-mob type scenarios, but this one in particular really pulls at your heart strings.
It seems fitting to post this on Remembrance Day as I think this would also be a perfect way to welcome soldiers home and let them know how much we appreciate they sacrifice they make. To all those brave souls past and present, wherever you're from and wherever you are, this bit of positivity goes out to you.
When it comes to creating a great advert you need something eye-catching. Amazon Kindle has successfully done this by incorporating some clever stop motion to emphasize the imaginative aspect of reading. I'm not sure they've convinced me that a book is better on a tablet, but at least I'm talking about it. Check out this cool series of adverts below.
It's easy to get hooked on a good music video, and even easier if you like the song. To tell the truth, it was the stop motion that pulled me in before I actually started to like the track. I've come across several stop motion shorts lately that are nothing less than amazing examples of skilled editing. For starters, check out the music video for Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie below.
I'm a huge fan of constructing my own travel edits, so it was without hesitation that I latched on to this really clever and unique edit by Mike Matas. Shooting several thousand photos on a trip through Morocco and Spain, Mike combined them to create a vivid and fast-paced slideshow of the experience. The texture and depth is impressive. You'll probably find yourself grasping for some lengthier shots, but the technique is undeniably well-executed. Well done Mr. Matas!
I've made it clear with my edits in the past that travel inspires me. The fresh perspective on an unfamiliar locale can bring out the best in my shooting, and ultimately fuel my most creative editing projects.
Stumbling around Vimeo I was introduced to Dear Japan by Matthew Brown. His beautiful and shockingly detailed edit of random attractions, faces, and textures literally paints a video portrait of a dynamic and vibrant cultural experience. It's a brilliant piece of editing, both to see and hear. Credit also goes to Nathan Miller for shooting this with the Canon 7D - amazing footage!
I love how something like this seemingly just falls into my lap and suddenly has me thinking about what I can do to push my own work further. My hours of Indio footage from last year immediately came to mind after my first viewing of Dear Japan, and now I'm considering doing a mashup of the hours of footage I shot on the open road.
Dear Japan is exactly what a good edit should be - captivating, lyrical, and emotionally focused. Matthew Brown, I don't know you, but well done!
A good music video, in my opinion, is more than just shots of a band or artist with quick jump cuts. What I love about the genre in general is how music videos make it acceptable to merge experimental art with mainstream audiences. You can focus on bold textures, colours, patterns, and imagery in ways that contribute to an overall emotion or visual theme - versus a traditional plot arch.
Happy Up Here is eye candy to me. Flashing lights, smooth computer transitions, and dated facades help to create an urban carnival/living arcade game with punchy logos and pop art thrown in for good measure. The depth and hand held ambiance of this chaotic environment creates a powerful framework for an otherwise 'open' musical arrangement. Strong stylistic choices really make the song for me - yet one more example of how a great music video has just as much influence as a great song.
This is one of those few commercials that you actually look forward to seeing on TV. It's the combination of music by the Cinematic Orchestra, the cinematography, and the uplifting message that really pulls you in. After seeing this Chivas commercial numerous times over the last year I'm still moved by it. In what's clearly a more sophisticated approach to the staple that has become the liquor ad, seeing this spot just plain makes me proud to be a man.
For all those who enjoy Star Wars, which I assume is almost everyone, you should check out this amazing found footage edit done by whoiseyevan.
What he does is source out old movie footage to create 'premakes' - trailers for modern or popular films in the style of films from the 1940's or 1950's. It's actually quite impressive that he was able to find so many clips that could double for the popular Star Wars characters. Whether Lucas took inspiration from any of these films is debatable, but the point is that the edit is so good it makes you believe he just might have.
My friend Tyler Cyrenne has regularly showcased my videos on his blog and I thought it was about time I returned the favor and showcased a few of his. With an equally passionate view of filmmaking, Tyler and I have often challenged each other and used competition to improve our projects. Film school saw many 3am meetings at Mac's to discuss how our assignments were unfolding.
In addition to the several shorts that he's helped me with (Buick to the Future Series, We Two Kings) he responded to be part of the 2nd issue of my column, Cinematic Acrobatic. His interview can be read here. Without a doubt, getting to know Tyler through film school resulted in a lot of good memories and projects that we still joke about today.
Check out his blog, Don't Make Charlie Angry and view a few of my favorite Angry Charlie videos below.
In some of the latest research I've been doing for the company I work for (creating original promotional videos for a website) I came across a collection of videos by Cloud Nine Creative Inc. As a response to the worst production company promo I posted a few days ago, this clip is an excellent example of how a promo should look. Catering to the wedding crowd (a very challenging business to be a part of) the work I've seen from Cloud Nine is both beautiful, polished, and wonderfully cinematic. This is where a steady cam and a small crew really make the difference between a home video and an unforgettable memento.
It's the editing that really attracts me here - I dare say that it's very similar to my own style with the quick cuts, use of bold motion, stylized slow-mo shots/transitions, and rhythmic pacing that I've used heavily in my corporate editing specifically. Working with this footage must have been fun, and the candid shots of happy couples and families complete the package. The work done here is impressive and from a technical standpoint deserves recognition. From my humble position, I say well done Cloud Nine Creative!
I first want to make it abundantly clear that this is not the corporate production company that I work for, haha. This video is in fact produced by a real company offering video services, and from their technical expertise I think it's clear why this video went viral.
This is just further proof that making movies isn't easy. Although the silver lining to this story is that this couple has gained millions of views and a lot of attention by mastering the 'so bad it's good' formula. Truth be told, I love this - and I can't be too harsh, as they've actually found a successful way to get a million views on this video alone. If I were actually making a feature film, I'd jump at the opportunity to have these folks in one of my mockumentaries. They're hilarious.
This clever animation is a great early intro to your Halloween weekend. I love simple concepts that are done well, especially when it comes to claymation. The novelty of seeing 24 frames per second in plasticine gets me every time. To be clear, R-Rated isn't nearly as violent in a world of malleable monsters.
I think it's funny that this is the second time I've posted a remix video that someone has cut from Disney's Mary Poppins. The first was Scary Mary, the footage cut into a convincing horror movie trailer. This one is perhaps even more brilliant. From what little I know about POGO (or Nick Bertke on YouTube) he seems to get a kick out of remixing popular video content. He has a mix from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one from Alice in Wonderland, and there's several others. This one, Expialidocious is by far his most inspired and catchy work in my opinion. I had to go out of my way to find a ripped mp3 so that I could put it on my iPod. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
I'm sure you remember children's book, now will you see the movie? I absolutely love the trailer for Spike Jonze's latest film, Where the Wild Things Are as the lyrical editing feels very much like my own style. I don't know much about the project, but I'm intrigued to say the least. See it for yourself.
I don't really need to say much, this video speaks for itself. This is just another edition of 'pay the compliment forward' for an outstanding production by another videomaker. I can only imagine how long it took to shoot.
I've always had a soft spot for stop motion, and with Halloween just around the corner some Pez candy seemed quite fitting also. This video was made by a fellow you-tuber who I've been subscribed to for some time. 'The Pez Song' was made months ago, but it's proven to be his most popular edit and one of my personal favourites. For the record, the music is original.
This video is an excellent example of the ingenuity possible with limited resources. I've always been a big believer that it's about the concept, not the equipment, that really dictates the success of a project. Here's more evidence to support it. A couple of university students made this stop motion film and cut it to a song by Sabrepulse. Simple and clear concept + top notch editing and animation = really fun to watch.
This short film, I Met The Walrus was nominated last year for Best Animated Short at the Oscars. You can finally see the full 5 minute film on YouTube, and it's absolutely worth it. The animation and story behind the film is so cool. Speaking of which, here's the back story:
'In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan, armed with a reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced John to do an interview about peace. 38 years later, Jerry has produced a film about it. Using the original interview recording as the soundtrack, director Josh Raskin has woven a visual narrative which tenderly romances Lennon's every word in a cascading flood of multipronged animation. Raskin marries the terrifyingly genius pen work of James Braithwaite with masterful digital illustration by Alex Kurina, resulting in a spell-binding vessel for Lennon's boundless wit, and timeless message'.
I'm obviously an advocate for unique editing styles and projects, and although I'd known about this video for some time I realized that I hadn't shared it here. You've seen Mary Poppins before haven't you? Well you at least know the basic story; Britsh nanny comes in and helps the children with some music, cheer and whimsy. Now look at how brilliant this video is.
It's the original film and audio from the Disney classic Mary Poppins edited into a horror movie trailer. I have to say, this isn't just a parody, this is a pretty damn convincing horror flick promo which just goes to show how the decisions you make as an editor can turn raw footage into almost anything you want. Mary Poppins is kind of freaky huh?
To pull something like this off is proof of how valuable technology can be in creating larger scale productions on smaller budgets. I came across this video a few weeks ago and was instantly impressed at what these 3 graphic designers were able to accomplish in recreating D-day with visual effects. Clearly these guys had a fair amount of experience and good computers to work with, but you wouldn't expect the result to be so polished based on how they start out. It's interesting to think how the amateur side of filmmaking, with YouTube and digital technology, is going to change and really allow anyone to make better and better films (if they actually care to do the work that is). Mind you, this isn't an amateur production, but in the future the strategy for filming scenes like this will probably be more and more common, and the number of people able to do this on a personal computer will only increase.
This video is pretty entertaining whether or not you're into the production side of filmmaking. The work speaks for itself, enjoy!
