Watch: Radiohead/Aniboom Contest Winners
Yes, we are going to do another Radiohead article. No, we are not addicted to them.
Okay, so maybe I’m lying about that second statement. The fact is, we all love Radiohead, and if anyone were ever worried for the band’s sanity (Thom Yorke does go a lil’ mental on stage), then here’s more reason for discomfort. Throughout 2008, there was a music video contest for all budding directors (who love Radiohead), and the end result was pretty surreal.
Not with me?
Here is a little background for those not in the know. In March of 2008, Radiohead collaborated with a website known as Aniboom to select a single storyboard for a mu
sic video made by the people, for the people, in tandem with a song from the ever-popular In Rainbows. The entries included many newcomers to the short film field, and by August 11th, they had chosen not one but four winners.
Aniboom initially contributed $10,000 for the winner to realize their vision. Radiohead was so pleased with the finalists however, that they chipped in an extra $30,000 to fund the filming of three more storyboards. In the end, we’re left with four songs:
- “15 Step” by Kota & Totori
- “Videotape” by Wolfgang Laiser & Claus Winter
- “Reckoner” by Clement Picon
- “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” by Tobias Stretch
Now, keeping in mind of the videos that Radiohead has created in the past, this notion of allowing fans to put their spin on treatments seems kind of expected. This comes not long after allowing fans to remix songs a la Reznor by the distribution methods of RAW files. So, how did it all turn out?
With “15 Step”, Kota & Totori take a bizarre anime approach with scenes that both CosPlay actors and acid-trippers alike could immerse themselves in. Personally, it was too abstract for me to fully grasp whilst sober, but for use of color, I give it an A+. Clement Picon took the CGI treatment to “Pyramid Song”-like proportions with his video for “Reckoner” - a desaturated world where suburban homes and skyscrapers grow like weeds on a planet that feels depleted of life.
Laiser & Winter’s take on “Videotape” felt by far the most true to it’s accompanying song. Set in a parking garage, you feel as if you’re watching various inanimate objects take on new life through the lens of a security camera. It’s easily my favorite one in the bunch, though it does run a bit slow at first. However, the tie for surrealistic concepts in this grouping comes between the aforementioned “15 Step” mindfuck and the Tobias Stretch piece for “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”.
This is not entirely his fault though, considering that “Weird…” is one of the most enigmatic tracks on the record. Haunting melody and all-too-familiar Yorke-esque mantras cradle a video of close-up camera shots following antique and homemade toys through outdoor activities. It almost feels like the film Puppetmaster meshed with a kid’s bedtime story - but this you have to see for yourself.
Long story short, this quadruple threat to sanity waves in the wind for all to see. Just make sure you are not on any drugs, otherwise you might never come back.
Check them all out below…
“Reckoner”
“15 Step”
“Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”
“Videotape”
Dec 21st, 2008 at 8:52 am
[...] quadrupled the prize. Some background and all four winners - all worth viewing - are posted here at Consequence of Sound (make sure to hit the volume sliders on the individual animations - for some reason they’re [...]