Dog Boarding: it's what it sounds Like...

Daniels, composed of the same two cinematographers who shot the fantastic Passion Pit music video for the song "Cry Like A Ghost" which we previously viewed in class, are also masters of short comedic videos. One video in particular that I found to be really well shot and edited is the short, Dog Boarding. This video is set to the song "Helena Beat" by Foster The People.

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Daniels) use skateboards with stuffed dogs on top of them and ride them through a skatepark and over various obstacles. They also use a green screen to make the heads of the dog boards seem alive, which I found extremely creative. There are also real (and ridiculously adorable) puppies, shots of which are added and cut in a way that it looks like they are getting stomped down on and slid across half pipes.

In order to make the heads of the dog boards look real, which added to the overall reality of the boards themselves, they filmed the dogs' heads in front of a green screen, then added them to the shots in post production. It's such a simple idea, but it was executed with great precision by Daniels. The cinematography is just as great as the editing. Most if not all of the shots are lit perfectly by natural lighting, and the video cuts to the song in a way that perfectly incorporates the drops of the skateboards to the beat.

Thank god they make it clear that no dogs were harmed in the making of the video, because they look so real!

Passion Pit - "Cry Like a Ghost" Music Video

The music video for Passion Pit's "Cry Like a Ghost" is really amazing, and I can't stop watching it. Directed by DANIELS (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), this music video tells the emotional and confusing story of Sylvia, a girl trying to find her way through different relationships. The amazing part of this video is that the entire story is told through dance. The directing was well-coordinated and planned, as everything had to be timed correctly. The lighting and special effects enhanced the mood and helped tell the story.

Using fast-forward, slow-motion, rewinding, and repeating, Sylvia plunges into several different relationships. The viewer sees the happy beginnings, confusing and unsettling middles, and abrupt and heart-breaking endings to all of them. All through dance.

Tallie Medel choreographed the entire music video and is Sylvia. She graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Theatre Education with an Acting emphasis.

Here's the music video:

You can also take a look at the behind the scenes and hear what DANIELS has to say:

And if you like it a lot, they have an extended cut you can watch that gives a nice introduction to the character of Sylvia through a montage.