Long, long ago in a blog far, far away, I wrote about my obsessive adolescent girly fandom for OK Go. Actually, it wasn’t all that obsessive – I mostly just watched their videos again and again and again. I didn’t delve into the stage of fandom where I find out everyone’s favorite colors and send them letters and trace their names on my school notebooks over and over again (for that, see Ira Glass). Well, I was just informed by faithful reader Ming that the fellas have come out with a new music video. This one stars a giant Rube Goldbergian machine that was actually built (and works!). Back in the days of yore (high school) I was a big dork (so was Ming, admit it, Ming) and we worked on a similar project sans rock stars. Our triggers were much less sophisticated than the ones that those big Media Lab and CalTech nerds came up with, but what can you expect with a budget of $90?
I sure do wish we had come up with the one that sends the guy flying backwards in a harness. We totally would have won the competition with that one.
And I kind of wish I liked the song better.
After reading the YouTube comments, I discovered they have a different video for the same song. Which, I have to say, I might like even better. It has the sort of oddness that I loved in their wallpaper video. Plus, there isn’t a former high school dork out there who doesn’t like marching band.
Love this, Robbi! (it sort of reminds me of the Garrison Keillor tells a story sometimes).
Thanks for the treat! xoxox
LOVE these guys! You got me into them when you wrote about the wallpaper video. Woody and I just watched this twice in a row. I think it’s safe to say he’s an avid OK GO fan. Did you notice the lead singer pinch rolled his suit? Fantastic…
yes! My boyfriend introduced me to this video, which we watched several times in a row with big smiles on our faces. It seems like this band has a genuine, loving enthusiasm for hand-made, team-made, creative work. I’m happy that they exist.
I find it interesting that the video is easy to understand in that you know it is a one take recording of a hand built thing- not computer generated animation, or some intricate video work shot in a zillion different locations with lots of splicing (i don’t know video lingo). but it is also mind boggling because the thing they built is SO extensive.
p.s. I’m just reading this blog for the first time in a while. It causes me to laugh out loud. Thank you. Your children are ridiculously cute.
Nifer – I have to admit, I had to look up “pinch roll” – mostly because I didn’t know whether pinch rolling applied to sleeves as well as pants cuffs. I couldn’t believe you watched it closely enough to notice if it only applied to pants cuffs. That being said, I inadvertently stumbled upon “pinch and roll”, which is something else entirely. And which I’m really glad the lead singer DIDN’T do. Yoik.
Tilly – Glad you’re visiting again. You leave good comments. It’s also completely mind-boggling that the whole thing was filmed in one take. In hollywood movies, they always talk about what a big deal a long take is to do, without showing any of the equipment/people/etc that are involved in the actual filming of things and without anyone messing up. Though, now that I looked it up, it looks like this video is no big deal – apparently Alfred Hitchcock filmed a whole movie in 11 shots, each shot using up a whole roll of film. Who knew?
Not I.