Week 13 - Music Video Comment

Hello Class, 

as discussed previously with Julia, I'm going to base this assignment on a video different from the one you discussed, since I wasn't able to see the Yellow Submarine video due to German copyright restrictions. 

I must admit it wasn't as easy to find a video to discuss once agin due to the copyright laws and also due to the lack of imagination and artistical composition of the videos nowadays. Finally I chose to discuss the music video of "You are a Tourist" from Death Cab for Cutie. I think this video could have had a lot of creative potential because of their usage of light reflections and geometrical figures. Sadly I think the color blocks and the more filigree lights used in the video don't really match. For example I love the bird perspective of the floor in minute 2:40 in which they showcase a city filled with different options while showing circles in complementary contrasting colors over a crossroad. Also minute 3:33 is amazing with all the more muted colors contrast so well with the highly saturated green of the moving windows. But the contrast from minute 3:33 to 3:36 is just too much, although one might argue that the difference of the geometrical forms to the more filigree ones could be seen as a contrasting complement, I think both of them tell a different kind of story. In my opinion if they would have used only the color blocking/geometrical idea the video would had been much better. All the room's, ballerinas and led lights on the musicians are just distracting elements which are not really necessary. I would love to know what you think about it. Here is the link where you can see the video: http://vimeo.com/24569549

Geometrical

Filigree

Yellow Submarine Yellow Submarine

Oh the good old Beatles. My Dad and his brother are both huge fans, as would be pretty much anyone of that generation? Of course not that they don't have a legacy to be enjoyed by many generations after them, but that was certainly the hey day. I visited a few Beatles spots when I went to London, but I've never been a huge source of knowledge on the subject. On their use of color, I really like the music video. And I really appreciate the art behind it, much more than so many music videos today. Even though the Beatles may have been singing about some unsavory topics (someone brought up Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds), I think at least that the video isn't too in your face with unsavory topics. To clarify, I think that music videos nowadays are taking the "sex sells" idea and just shoving it our faces. Just because it sells, doesn't mean it's the only way to sell. I think the Yellow Submarine video is fun and colorful and makes you feel very whimsical, I was tempted to dance around a little bit. It's all sort of silly, and I like it.

Yellow Submarine

I had no idea this movie was inexistence until having to view it for this class. I am so glad though that I now know this movie exists, I wish I could have watched it with my brother. He was a huge Beatles fan. He would have loved the music, I however am more a fan of all the bright colors. The use of color almost makes me feel like I can feel the music tactilely. That may sound funny, but it gives the music another dimension that only well directed and produced music videos can.
For some reason all the crazy colors remind me of an Andy Warhol exhibit I saw at the Denver Art Museum. He was like the king of Pop Art which uses bright colors and certainly isn't subtle and neither is this movie. All the colors with different shapes and dinosaurs and machines eating people gives life to the musical art. I don't know if I would recommend this movie for my nephews and niece today, but surely am disappointed I wasn't able to share the imagery gold with my brother.

Yellow Submarine

Strongly saturated, often complimentary colors were regularly used with occasional achromatic palettes in the background to make the colors stand out even more. There was an obvious difference in the colors and graphics used to match the mood of the songs; obvious to the point of being predictable.  So with an upbeat song the fish were a cacophony of colors with fins beating at a frantic pace. With Eleanor Rigby and all the lonely people the visuals were much more simplistic and neutral or achromatic. In between was ‘When I’m 64’, with images that were again simplistic to match the slower beat, but since the song is actually goofy the graphics were again colorful. Just imagine how much more interesting it would have been to have the frantic fish exploding in color to the tune of Eleanor Rigby.  And therein lies the rub. 

yellow submarine

I have always been a fan of The Beatles and Yellow Submarine is one of my favorite albums.  I remember watching the movie when I was a kid and thinking it was the strangest thing I had ever seen.  I still find it an odd movie watching it now.

I never noticed the rythmic movement of the animation before today.  Don't get me wrong, I intuitively understood the idea of stop/limited animation the film used to create the moving image, but I didn't realize how well synced it was to the score.  Not just The Beatles album tracks but the incidental music that helped move the story along.

As for color.  Yes, I think we are all going to agree that there are plenty of saturated, vivid hues in this film that add to the psychadelic look of the 1960s film. But what I found interesting was the contrast between the BLUE MEANIES and the YELLOW SUBMARINE.  Very striking contrast (bordering on a complimentary contrast of BV-YO.)  Love that.

I also, really appreciated the contrast of vivid saturates hues to the muted tones and tints.  The tones and tints were usually used in more somber unhappy moments and the vivid pure hues were used in happier joyous moments/characters.

My thoughts on the Yellow Submarine

The “Yellow Submarine” is a very colorful and graphic animation movie. It is highly reflective of the organic shapes, clashing colors and almost hypnotizing contrasts in the 70s. The following are some of the way color was used in a powerful way to compliment the music and the narrative of the story:

• In the opening scene, Pepperland was a harmonious and happy place. The scene had an organic and hand-drawn illustration quality, and was composed of whimsical objects, floral and foliage in backgrounds, and vibrant warm colors of greens, yellows and reds. All these elements suggested of harmony and nature. A cheerful classic music was playing in the background.
• In the scene where the villains “the Blue Meanies” appeared, the backdrop has been changes to a bleak monochromatic white and grey scheme, with the villains colored in contrasting deep blue. The cool and harsh color scheme is strikingly different from the previous scene. The music also changed from harmonious to dramatic and sharp. As the Blue Meanies attacked the people of Pepperland, and all victims that were frozen and turn into black and white statues, further emphasizing the contrast between the two worlds.
• In the scene of “All the Loney People”, we see a backdrop of the grey cityscape of London, and this time, the graphic is more photo-like and realistic, giving us a sense of seriousness and reality compared to the organic hand-drawn illustrations before. This of course corresponded with the seriousness of the music and lyrics of the song. With this backdrop, the bright yellow of the submarine really stood out, creating a strong focal point.
• At the large whimsical mansion where the members of the Beatles were living, it is interesting to see the different theme, music and colors in the different rooms. For example, the India room has a warm, deep violet color scheme, and had Indian music as the background music. The interior hallways of the mansion also had neutral colors and simple design, creating a contrast to the rooms, which were overfilling with whimsical and colorful characters and objects.
• In the Yellow Submarine” underwater “scene, the graphic was very vibrant and energetic, very much like the beat and the pulse of the song. The fishes had contrasting colorful patterns, which flashed in tune with the beat of the song. The contrasting stripe patterns on the sea rocks also added to the busy and mesmerizing scene.

Metamerism examples in interior design

One example of metamerism I have personally encountered is the impact of lighting on wall paint color. I am sure many of you have picked a wall paint color in a store based on the samples, and when you actually paint your wall at home, the color appears warmer.

This is due to the different light sources used in the store and at home. Fluorescent lighting is usually used at the hardware stores, causing the color samples to have a cooler tint. On the other hand, the lighting we have at home is usually sunlight or incandescent lights, so the paint color will look warmer.

Another example of metamerism is the effect of finishing/texture on color. On glossy or polished surface, more light is reflected, creating the illusion of a cooler color. I have tried to apply a semi-glossy paint to a wall in a neutral muted grey color, and due to the reflective finish of the paint, the color actually appeared to be violet during daylight.