Adam Sadowsky engineers a viral music video | Video on TED.com

Adam Sadowsky engineers a viral music video | Video on TED.com

The video that follows this link explains how creating a viral music video has to be specifically engineered, not only for the viewer but for production aswell.

The video in question is OK GO's This Too Shall Pass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w


Famous for their 'Treadmill Dance', OK GO have a history of viral videos. The key cinematographic element taken from both videos would be their use of continous shots. The 'Treadmill Dance' is filmed with a static camera on a medium shot, and there is no consequential editing of the footage as there is not multi-camera setup or infact antoher element of the scene that is ealbourated on. Again, they have used a continous shot in their more complex This Too Shall Pass video but have created a dimension to the movement by tracking the camera along a systematic path. The reflection of this camera movement is that of the machine and also the widening and narrowing of shots mimics the machines size.

In terms of misé-en-scene the important factor in the video is the items and props used to construct the contraption. An audience would identify with the use of a toy car, a pool ball and and an umbrella ina  conventional manner but their use in this video is unconventional, the reason would be to gauge a reaction of familirity in unfamiliar circumstances in the audience. The playful identity and symbology of the use of props is crucial to attracting their audience.

Obviously the video has a certian younger audience because of the stereotypical nature of the video in its presence on the internet. the new media platform of Youtube helpped establish the video with a combination of social networking capabilites and freedom of access. The convergence of social networking on youtube, with devices like mobile phones and mp3 players that can now manage video data, music files and the internet allowed users to connect the video with their peer gorup and alsmost out of an organic surgence the viedeo grew.

An important note would be the popularity of this video, in comparison to the lack of popularity for their primary creation. This Too Shall Pass currently has 17,828,613 views whereas Here It Goes Again (Treadmill) has roughly 4 million. Perhaps it suggests their audience prefers the more polished creation and invested video they created after becoming more popular and signed, or infact that cinematogrpahical advancement in movement and depth of field has produced a more enjoyable video.

As a side note fore our video we are likely to use some of the ideas of continous shots in certain scenes and establishings of environments to reflect the viral nature of the video we are trying to create.