Hey Negrita vs. The Pretender

I am comparing the first Hey Negrita zombie video to the Foo Fighter’s Pretender (2007), the reason being that both videos start with an introduction to the band members, and begins ordinarily enough, but change via the middle and the end.

In the Hey Negrita vid, it appears that the band are doing a gig on a boat to an audience we can’t fully see, because they are in the shadows! These shadowy figures then reveal themselves to be zombies! This is good because we don’t really expect this. Watching this as one of the public, you would originally assume it would be a rather uninteresting animated music video in terms of storytelling. Instead, maybe expecting it to be another production showing the band taken from various shots and different timings to keep us enthralled in the group’s performance!

Of course, that does happen in live action, but there would be no need for this in an animated video! Why waste time and resources on animating a band who just stand there and play their instruments?

The reason a music video is usually told via animation, is because you can stretch the boundaries, than you would with live action. For example, Daft Punk’s Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003), an animated film about an intergalatic band using the duo’s music. That’s probably why the Hey Negrita vid was animated, to easily show the carnage and comedy inflicted upon the zombies?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5585590460724266855#

The Pretender is live action, and it begins with what appears to be band practice, within a giant white room. Opposite the band is a shadowy area; while behind them is a big red wall. The video cuts quickly as the tempo increases, about every two seconds.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2su4o_foo-fighters-the-pretender-video-pr_music

After about a minute and 20 seconds, a man in full riot gear steps out of the shadows. He stares at the band, but does nothing. After another minute, more riot personnel turn up, all standing watching the band, but nothing wayward happens. Another minute passes, and the riot squad lower visors and prepare for battle! After about 30 seconds, they charge towards the band that appears oblivious to their predicament. They are hugely outnumbered!

Dave Grohl (lead singer) screams into the mic, and the red wall shatters behind him, spilling forth waves of crimson liquid, washing away the Riot squad!!!

Though very different, both videos carry the same formula, a band playing, but there is something that opposes them, hiding within the shadows!!! Both videos have a good use of anticipation.

Also, depending on the tempo of the song, there is usually a certain amount of shots to accommodate the videos. The Pretender was 4minutes and 30 seconds long, and used about 220 shots, while the Negrita vid was 3minutes and 10 seconds, yet used just under a hundred shots.

-Nick

References

DAILYMOTION. Foo Fighters - The Pretender (Video Premiere). [online]. Available at:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2su4o_foo-fighters-the-pretender-video-pr_music

[Accessed 19 October 2009].

GOOGLE, 2009. Daft Punk - Interstella 5555. [online]. Available at:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5585590460724266855#

[Accessed 19 October 2009].

FOO FIGHTERS, 2007. The Pretender. The Pretender. CD. Roswell/RCA

Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, 2003. Film. Directed by Kazuhisa TAKENOUCHI. JAPAN/FRANCE: Toei Animation