Video Essentials – Part I

I’m compiling my favorite music videos, organized by genres that I invented. Part I follows:

Visual Representation – “Untitled,” Simple Plan
Simple Plan’s “Untitled” has long been one of my favorite videos for its use of visual metaphor. An emo song with a message (sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving), the video depicts a fatal car crash caused by a drunk driver. At the moment of impact, each family member of the teenage victim is shown being physically and violently hurled across the room. The driver perishes, but the lives of her family are literally ripped away from them. The editing and visuals of the video are powerful and effective. It’s an exercise in simple and creative storytelling, and it gets me every time.

Single-Take Awesomeness – “1234,” Feist
Feist’s “1234″ is by now a catchy little jingle everyone remembers from the Apple commercials. But the video for the single deserves a little praise. Consider the fact that the entire video is filmed in one take. Not only do the dancers manage not to screw up the choreography (after who knows how many takes), but they manage to appear and disappear from sight. I still have trouble figuring out how all those people got behind Feist at the beginning of the video. Like the infamous Tootsie Pop question…the world may never know. Throw in the outrageously campy costumes and funky dance moves, and you’ve got yourself a cult hit!

Hilariously Nonsensical – “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Bonnie Tyler
“What the effing crap? That angel guy just felt me up.” Seriously, what is this video about? What is this song about? The oversinging, the young boys fencing/footballing/swimming, the glowing eyes, and that goddamn angel kid. Put it all together and what have you got? Hell if I know. But it’s great to dissect, particularly with people who are adept at observational humor.

Special Effects & Set Design – “Cry,” Faith Hill
As far as aesthetic qualities of music videos go, this one has has been at the top of my list for a while. Though the special effects are relatively simple, they serve the song well, fusing past with present and erasing time. The camera moves slowly and deliberately, catching the action rather than focusing on it, while Faith Hill’s expression and body movements are appropriately subdued. The set is positively gothic, being grimy, wet, and overgrown, but it contributes to the desperation of the song and represents well the singer’s inner feeling. Indeed, from the very beginning, when Faith Hill walks from the blurriness into focus, I just really, really love this video.
This video is not embeddable. To view, go here. And listen with headphones on and the volume up.