Keeping the art of the music video alive for the YouTube generation, the band OK Go has kept us wondering what they’ve got up their sleeves since trenching on treadmills for their Here We Go Again video in 2006.
Even before the explosion of that video, though, the group used clever choreography in the visual accompaniment for their songs and made it clear they were unafraid to jump into the groove themselves.
They’ve teamed up most recently with professional dance troupe, Pilobolus and Google, debuting an experiment last month that mixes old-school camera trickery with newfangled technology.
“Different shots are rendered in different browser windows that move, re-size and re-align throughout the piece. With HTML5’s canvas technology, these videos are drawn in perfect timing with the music.” It also allows you to embed a message of your choosing (like mine, captured in the image at right) into the music video – that is, if you’re using Google Chrome as your browser. [Read more about the collaboration at The Official Google Blog]
Try it out yourself by visiting www.allisnotlo.st. It’s definitely worth the free Google Chrome download, especially if you’re one of the many still browsing with Internet Explorer… you know who you are.
The video turns the work of Busby Berkeley on its head as the dancers and band members, shot from below, move in and out of kaleidoscopic shapes over a transparent floor. You can see it without the Chrome enhancements via YouTube:
In fact, you may have seen the collaboration performed live on the August 10th episode of America’s Got Talent. It’s not the first time the groups have recreated the visual magic for a live audience. OK Go and Pilobolus performed it during Pilobolus’ latest stint at New York’s Joyce Theater.
Itamar Kubovy, the executive director of Pilobolus, told the NY Times, “The band has an almost childlike wonder, and I think that’s a value of ours, as well.”
A great quality to have!
How can you inject a little childlike wonder into your next choreography, routine, or production?
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
