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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Justin Timberlake by David Fincher via Monochrome Epics

Nice one. Cool gear filming cool gear :)

My monochrome goes everywhere with me at the moment. I'm sad when it goes off to work hehe!

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Its fun firing off snippets from the daily grind with it too - showing people the difference right there on the shoot is an eye opener
 
This really made me giggle! The guy seems to think he is channeling Michael Jackson (with maybe a bit of Prince thrown in too for good measure) and that's all going on until a bunch of women show up in their underwear for no especially good reason. (Maybe Mr Fincher just thought it was a good moment) and then the other fellow starts to sort of rap and we go all trampoline.

Kinda Surreal which I liked but there was also something that really made me giggle away to myself here!

I also really liked the fact it is full of such low budget ideas, really well executed.
A lot of it's not that original but it's all been thought about and shot really well.
In that sense I thought it was quite inspirational too.

Really entertaining on so many levels. All of them rather strange. :)

I can't deny that it does make me want to play with the EPIC monochrome! :)

Any chance of making a monochrome dragon, you know in your spare time at some point! ;)

Freya
 
Sorry still having trouble getting over how funny it all is. I have to confess this is my first experience of Justin Timberlake! I know he is supposed to be famous and all but I don't really move in those circles.

Anyway getting down to looking at it more seriously and each time I watch it I ask more questions.
The first time I watched it I was wondering if the tie continuity thing was deliberate. It wasn't till I watched it again I realised the microphones also change and then started to question if the shots of the stage that are intercut, are actually supposed to be the stage or a different space altogether? Is it supposed to be confusing or is it just thrown together? Dunno. I think they are supposed to be switching between black and white maybe, as the kind of underlying theme?
The stage shots are sort of white and the bar shots are dark and black, so maybe it is intentional...or not...

...really wouldn't like to say...

The other big thing I wondered about was the trampoline shots where the background changes colour. It's obviously not chroma key. I wondered if it was maybe a luma key or if the backing is back lit and they turn on certain lights but I actually suspect it's completely different takes they have cut together because it doesn't seem to quite match? What does anyone else think?

Maybe there is supposed to be a thing about black and white and discontinuity both in motion, and erm, stuff.

...and does that guy blow cigar smoke all over a Neumann microphone! Because if he did, I think that's offensive right there... ;)

Not sure how intentional it all is but I find it interesting.

Freya
 
Incredible. Pretty images, stunning light. Great!! I admire the ML work.
Preping some good script to be shot on MOno...:)
Cheers from Brazil
 
Really feel confused about it now. I'm convinced that they are trying to be clever with the two stages, it's just cut together too well. Yes they probably have an amazing editor, but I suspect it was also shot to be that way. OTOH the bit where everyone starts smoking and where a bunch of women are shown wearing only their underwear, seems to just scream, "actually we couldn't be bothered any more so we will just fill here". To be fair the thing is 5 minutes long!

Whatever is going on with it I love all the cuts on the action. I also really think theres a lot to like about the cinematography in certain places.

I'd like to see them both shoot something else on the Monochrome... :)
 
FREYA... you are most undoubtably the only one on the planet analyzing a Justine Timberlake video... LOL.



Freya said:
Really feel confused about it now. I'm convinced that they are trying to be clever with the two stages, it's just cut together too well. Yes they probably have an amazing editor, but I suspect it was also shot to be that way. OTOH the bit where everyone starts smoking and where a bunch of women are shown wearing only their underwear, seems to just scream, "actually we couldn't be bothered any more so we will just fill here". To be fair the thing is 5 minutes long!

Whatever is going on with it I love all the cuts on the action. I also really think theres a lot to like about the cinematography in certain places.

I'd like to see them both shoot something else on the Monochrome... :)
Click to expand...
 
Heh heh! :)

Like I say I've not encountered him before and it's David Fincher and I'm wondering what is going through his head as he is making the thing. Is it like "This is just a Justin Timberlake video and I'm going to make a fat wad of cash" or is it more like "I have a great idea for something a bit special here". I'm guessing it might be a bit of both. Maybe he had the idea for something special before they pitched it and then when they were cobbling the thing together he was thinking "I'm going to make a fat wad of cash!". Clearly no-one told the cinematographer or editor tho, but then maybe they weren't going to make a fat wad of cash so much so they were just thinking about their craft or something instead. ;)

It's quite odd, not as Surreal as Lethal Weapon 2 which wins my all time award for surreal filmmaking, but still quite odd.

Freya
 
Freya said:
Really feel confused about it now. I'm convinced that they are trying to be clever with the two stages, it's just cut together too well. Yes they probably have an amazing editor, but I suspect it was also shot to be that way. OTOH the bit where everyone starts smoking and where a bunch of women are shown wearing only their underwear, seems to just scream, "actually we couldn't be bothered any more so we will just fill here". To be fair the thing is 5 minutes long!

Whatever is going on with it I love all the cuts on the action. I also really think theres a lot to like about the cinematography in certain places.

I'd like to see them both shoot something else on the Monochrome... :)
Click to expand...

It really is just a basic video, not sure there is any more to it than that. I don't feel any passion in this video at all. David Fincher is very intelligent, when he wants you to know/understand something, you'll know. He's made that pretty clear with his feature work.
 
Freya said:
Sorry still having trouble getting over how funny it all is. I have to confess this is my first experience of Justin Timberlake! I know he is supposed to be famous and all but I don't really move in those circles.

Anyway getting down to looking at it more seriously and each time I watch it I ask more questions.
The first time I watched it I was wondering if the tie continuity thing was deliberate. It wasn't till I watched it again I realised the microphones also change and then started to question if the shots of the stage that are intercut, are actually supposed to be the stage or a different space altogether? Is it supposed to be confusing or is it just thrown together? Dunno. I think they are supposed to be switching between black and white maybe, as the kind of underlying theme?
The stage shots are sort of white and the bar shots are dark and black, so maybe it is intentional...or not...

...really wouldn't like to say...

The other big thing I wondered about was the trampoline shots where the background changes colour. It's obviously not chroma key. I wondered if it was maybe a luma key or if the backing is back lit and they turn on certain lights but I actually suspect it's completely different takes they have cut together because it doesn't seem to quite match? What does anyone else think?

Maybe there is supposed to be a thing about black and white and discontinuity both in motion, and erm, stuff.

...and does that guy blow cigar smoke all over a Neumann microphone! Because if he did, I think that's offensive right there... ;)

Not sure how intentional it all is but I find it interesting.

Freya
Click to expand...

d00d. It's a music video.

You do win the award for overthinking, though.
 
I see RSH in it, nice work guys.
 
NateWeaver said:
d00d. It's a music video.

You do win the award for overthinking, though.
Click to expand...

Not a dood.

Yeah I'm quite keen on thinking about things. I can tell it's not a popular thing these days tho. ;)

Freya
 
Freya said:
Really feel confused about it now. I'm convinced that they are trying to be clever with the two stages, it's just cut together too well. Yes they probably have an amazing editor, but I suspect it was also shot to be that way. OTOH the bit where everyone starts smoking and where a bunch of women are shown wearing only their underwear, seems to just scream, "actually we couldn't be bothered any more so we will just fill here". To be fair the thing is 5 minutes long!
Click to expand...

Since you asked... I think the video is smart. None of it felt "thrown in" as you suggested. Here's my take on it:

Beginning of the video is JT formulating the lyrics and overall vibe of the video. He's putting things together and creating the concept. Then he's working with other dancers to choreograph a piece to visually compliment what's been inspiring him. He is a dancer so for him, that's part of the creative process. But the biggest inspiration for the song is obvious... A girl.

With the core pieces laid down, next up JT's inviting Jay-Z to collaborate with him. They kick around things a bit. Not sure how much exposure some of you guys have to this kind of thing, but that's how it's done. Just like how it's shown. Jay-Z nods his head... He's in.

JT then gets ready to perform -- confident smile watching a girl walk off stage before him. He's in a lounge but the backdrop is massive -- the Hollywood Bowl, I believe. http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/hollywoodbowl.jpg The idea here being JT is performing for a small lounge audience, but on stage he feels and looks, to the crowd, bigger than life.

The rest of the video is a play between the 'larger than life' performance, the intimate venue, the recording process for the track, and dream-like sequences (water splashing, rows of lights, etc). The dream-like sequences are in fact flashes of the 'real' music video. The video we're seeing is bits and pieces of the life of the track but there's a bigger story here. Instead of JT/Fincher shooting just one piece, they shot the entirety of the song's life; from creation to performance.

All around, nice video. Benefits tremendously from the Monochrome. And hey, hot girl plus a few spiritual homages to the Rat Pack.
 
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Rob Anderson said:
Since you asked... I think the video is smart. None of it felt "thrown in" as you suggested. Here's my take on it:

Beginning of the video is JT formulating the lyrics and overall vibe of the video. He's putting things together and creating the concept. Then he's working with other dancers to choreograph a piece to visually compliment what's been inspiring him. He is a dancer so for him, that's part of the creative process. But the biggest inspiration for the song is obvious... A girl.....
Click to expand...

Love it! ;)

I notice your analysis of the matter is very narrative tho whereas I was more looking at the cinematography, editing and "mice en scene".

You are definitely giving me a new perspective on it all! :)

Freya
 
Bob Gundu said:
Oh oh... Nate has 666 posts! Ha ha.
Click to expand...

I know, I was thinking the same thing. It seems to have bought out the darkness in him too!

And Freya, I think you should check out this super meaningful video shot on an Epic. You'll have a field day reading between the lines :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
Click to expand...

It's a claasic! Had no idea it was shot on the Epic! I think some of it is definitely alluding to action movie tropes.
and..this is the first time I've noticed the video starts with him falling asleep in the blazing sun!

Still not as surreal as Lethal Weapon II with super-hyper dog and everything tho.
Don't think anything can beat that really.

Freya
 
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