OK Go’s Latest Is a Music Video Mixed With Illusion
OK Go is known for music videos that surpass even the most liberal definition of what a music video can be. Their latest video, for a song entitled The Writing’s On The Wall, is downright mind bending.
The video is below, but you should know a few things:
- No CGI or effects are involved.
- It was shot in a single take. Meaning: there are no edits, and exactly one video track for the entire thing. No cuts, no splices. No mistakes fixed in post production.
Here it is:
I’ve watched this at least a dozen times, because I’ve shot my share of video, and I cannot imagine how well the stars have to align to get this done in a single take. That’s astonishing.
Now, it did take nearly three weeks and over 50 takes until they got it right, which tells you how fragile the shooting strategy and set logistics were. But still, OK Go eventually nailed it, which is amazing unto itself.
Now, the question you should be asking is, “How did they do that? What was the setup? What did the set look like?”
I’m glad you asked.
In some ways, that video is even more enjoyable than the original, just because I kept distracting myself during the original wondering how they pulled shots off and got band members into new positions so cleanly.
In an age where everything is digital and you can’t trust much of what you see, what OK Go has done is that much more satisfying.
Have a great weekend, everyone. For our U.S. readers, have a happy and safe 4th of July.
