In today’s culture, a music video is much more than just a video of the artist singing their song in a well designed set. A music video is a representation of who the artist is and what they want to portray. Whether it be a short story, an animation, or even a comedy short, these are playful, artistic choices that make them unique. They become original to their sound but as well as what they like to create and portray. One band that is a perfect example of this is the band Ok Go.
Ok Go is a four piece rock band from Chicago that have created their own unique artistry with their music as well as their quirky music videos. From making a Rube Goldberg Machine or filming in zero gravity, Ok Go has created numerous, iconic music videos that push the boundaries of creativity. Some of the most recognizable videos like “Needing/Getting” or “I Won’t Let You Down” have over 40 million hits on YouTube and both music videos are incredibly different.
“Needing/Getting” is the four of them in a car that has been modified with the attachments such as pneumatic arms and devices. They drive around a designed course hitting various instruments or objects that display the same pitch as their song. This is one of their biggest hits to this day with over 40 millions views.
On the other hand, “I Won’t Let You Down” was shot using Honda’s UNI CUBs. These are personal mobility units that is controlled by the rider shifting their weight. It starts off with them doing some choreography with just the four of them and they begin to add more people in the mix. It eventually turns into a bird’s-eye-view shot which creates the effect of a pixelated screen. This was another big production into making a music video.
Ok Go has many other videos that have this high production value to it. They truly try to be as a creative as they can and do something different. The videos are thoroughly planned out and have quality camera work to it. However, they first success was complete opposite. There single “Here It Goes Again” off their second album “Oh No” became an instant classic in both pop culture and the YouTube community.
“Here It Goes Again” is simply the four of them doing a choreographed routine eight treadmills. There are not cuts and no high quality production to it. In an interview with COS, he said the reason for that is they thought their label or manager would shut down their idea so they filmed the whole thing without a budget. But there is something about this low quality aspect that makes it so quirky and funny. It makes it relatable to any 2000’s kids. Anyone can go out create an entertaining video like this one. One does not need a high quality camera or production team. All someone needs is four friends that are willing to do it. In an interview with SNEWS, they talk about the creative process .
In “Here It Goes Again” visual or image is the main center point that makes this video so interesting to watch. The four of them line up perfectly with all the hits or held notes in the song. They choreographed the whole thing that fit perfect with the song. As great as the song is, the visual component takes it to a whole new level. It is light hearted, goofy, funny, but there is also a level of respect. They learned all these moves and synced it up perfectly to the music to create a simple but quirky video.
In the video, the ratio of likes is 350,000 to 6,500 dislikes. That gives the general vibe of how people have reacted to this video. The first comment I found intriguing was written by Cameron C. 5 years ago. He said “Dear Most Musicians who are popular nowadays, Notice How this video had exactly zero shots of: boobs, spending money, drugs, general opulence, how great your life apparently is. Yet, this is still a good video. Did you take notes?” with 460 thumbs up. This comment points out the contributing factor of what many music videos tend to do. They would show this false sense of life where is there is not a worry in the world and just show off the production value. There was no creativity or artistry in those types of music videos at all. Cameron seems to appreciate that fact that Ok Go did not have any sort of money but still made an amazing video.
Pepperoni Playboy said “People don’t realize the most amazing part about this video…it was all in 1 take. No cuts, editing, or mess-ups” 2 weeks ago with 24 thumbs up. He/She wants to remind everyone who watches this video that it is only one take. They cannot cut or edit a part in. They have to nail every move and pull off this video. Pepperoni Playboy seemed to appreciate the dedication Ok Go put into the video.
On the other hand, Fntime commented “Low Budget, yes. Good music, no.” 4 months ago (no reactions) which was of the few negative comments I found. There was no reaction to it but whoever this person is clearly does not like the music. They recognize it is a low budget production but I guess the music was not clicking with this person. He/She felt the need to say the music was not good but do many other people’s ear, “Here It Goes Again” is quite an enjoyable song.
Ok Go have been able to create these engaging, interesting videos for over 10 years. Whether they a whole production a design team or just a single camera, they are able to make a music video anyone can enjoy. It interests the viewer and really never makes them lose interest in what they are watching. “Here It Goes Again” is a video that has affected millions and will continue to do so. It is clever, witty, and just fun to watch. It adds more to the music and really enhances the experience when listening to it. In the end, Ok Go has created many music videos that continue to put a smile on someone’s face no matter the who they are.
Sources https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/capturing-wonder-ok-gos-treadmill-video-10-years-later
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/26/ok-go-music-videos-band-interview
https://medium.com/cuepoint/creative-alchemy-an-interview-with-ok-gos-damian-kulash-f07352913678
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1974961_1974925_1970484,00.html
https://www.snewsnet.com/news/snews-talks-to-ok-go-the-genius-behind-here-it-goes-again-treadmill-dance-video
Comment analysis reflects audience’s taste and merit judgment but does not necessarily show how the visual aspects manipulate the audience — in other words, the latter part of the post is a token of audience reception rather than analysis. I think your readership would be interested in your views in that regard, for example: what exactly makes some of the audience to consider it an objective superlative? What exactly do they mean by a “good” or “bad” video? Can we identify some visual patterns or tactics behind positively received rock band music video, especially the three videos in this post (assuming that they exemplifies the genre)? Or are there contradictory phenomena or representations which attain comparable popularity? This might involve delving into historical narrative but I think it is pertinent to the topic.
Otherwise, I have found your post eloquently written and well-structured; you have demonstrated your familiarity and affinity of this genre very finely.
Comment analysis reflects audience’s taste and merit judgment but does not necessarily show how the visual aspects manipulate the audience — in other words, the latter part of the post is a token of audience reception rather than analysis. I think your readership would be interested in your views in that regard, for example: what exactly makes some of the audience to consider it an objective superlative? What exactly do they mean by a “good” or “bad” video? Can we identify some visual patterns or tactics behind positively received rock band music video, especially the three videos in this post (assuming that they exemplify the genre)? Or are there contradictory phenomena or representations which yield comparable interest? This might involve delving into historical narrative but I think it is pertinent to the topic.
Otherwise, I have found your post eloquently written and well-structured; you have demonstrated your familiarity and affinity of this genre very finely.
Comment analysis reflects audience’s taste and merit judgment but does not necessarily show how the visual aspects manipulate the audience — in other words, the latter part of the post is a token of audience reception rather than analysis. I think your readership would be interested in your views in the analytical respect, for example: what exactly makes some part of the audience to consider it an objective superlative? What exactly do they mean by a “good” or “bad” video? Can we identify some visual patterns or tactics behind positively received rock band music video, especially the three videos in this post (assuming that they exemplifies the genre)? Or are there contradictory phenomena or representations which attain comparable popularity? This might involve delving into historical narrative but I think it is pertinent to the topic.
Otherwise, I have found your post eloquently written and well-structured; you have demonstrated your familiarity and affinity of this genre very finely.
Comment analysis reflects audience’s taste and merit judgment but does not necessarily show how the visual aspects manipulate the audience — in other words, the latter part of the post is a token of audience reception rather than analysis. I think your readership would be interested in your views in the analytical respect, for example: what exactly makes some of the audience to consider it an objective superlative? What exactly do they mean by a “good” or “bad” video? Can we identify some visual patterns or tactics behind positively received rock band music videos, especially the three in your post (assuming that they can exemplify the genre)? Or are there contradictory phenomena or representations which yield comparable interest? This might involve delving into historical narrative but I think it is pertinent to the topic.
Otherwise, I have found your post eloquently written and well-structured; you have demonstrated your familiarity and affinity of this genre very finely.