On the second day of the festival I was able to attend it myself. Second day there were videos competing in five different categories: Best visual effects, Best cinematography, Best art director, Best editor and Best song. So it was a full day's or lets say full evening's work to watch all the videos. It took about 4-5 hours to watch it all (including breaks). The BMVA took place this year in Gretchen, which is a nice club close by Mehringdamm in Berlin. FYI I don't mention all the videos that were competing but my favorites or dislikes. You can go for the full listings to BMVA site: http://www.berlinmva.com/main/nomineescategories-2016/
The first category was Best visual effects
The new "hip" in this year's videos were different kinds of paints and liquids splashing or oozing from the eyes. After you saw it in a couple of videos you started to think if they had seen bit too much of X-Files (black oil kröhmm..). There were some big names competing too in the best visual effects category, one was Zayn with "Pillow talk". I had heard the song quite some times in the radio before but was surprised how visually beautiful the video was. But at some point the couple's kissing and the red oozy eyes were getting bit blah..but anyhow the video had some beautiful moments. Here's some photos from it:
Find more from http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/6859330/pillowtalk-moments-zayn-grown-up
and here the bloody eyes:
I think Gem club - "Speech of foxes" should have competed in the best narrative section instead of the best visual effects. While watching I was just thinking about the story of the man in the video, where he was burning all his old photos. While throwing the photos into the fire he started to burn himself too and turning slowly into ashes.
Gem club - "Speech of foxes"
One other big name competing in this category was Björk with "Mouth mantra".
I had pretty mixed feelings about this video. First I thought oh how cool idea, then it was just gross and then I was thinking if I'm watching a mouth or a vagina..so after all that going trough in my head I just disliked the extreme close ups of the mouth. If it was Björk who's mouth was being filmed I can say at least that she has good teeth! See for yourself:
Björk - "Mouth mantra"
Carpenter brut - "Turbo killer" was one of my favorites from the category or maybe even my favorite. It's super camp disco style but it was cool and fun to watch! And the video stayed in my mind afterwards which tells that it was good!
I had pretty mixed feelings about this video. First I thought oh how cool idea, then it was just gross and then I was thinking if I'm watching a mouth or a vagina..so after all that going trough in my head I just disliked the extreme close ups of the mouth. If it was Björk who's mouth was being filmed I can say at least that she has good teeth! See for yourself:
Björk - "Mouth mantra"
Carpenter brut - "Turbo killer" was one of my favorites from the category or maybe even my favorite. It's super camp disco style but it was cool and fun to watch! And the video stayed in my mind afterwards which tells that it was good!
Prepare for some camp and fasten your seat belts!
Carpenter brut - "Turbo killer"
Montmartre - "Out of violence" was confusing video to watch. The song was pretty dance'ish happy going and the video was like the world would be ending.. If they tried to use this contrast as a powerful tool they failed. The song has some vibes from Daft Punk, it would be nice to dance to in a disco, but combined with this huge black storm thingy (which reminded me of the Dementors from Harry Potter) I couldn't really enjoy the video.
And here a Dementor for you too!
Darwin Deez was competing in multiple categories this year but I still didn't like his video "Kill your attitude" that much. It had a funny idea behind though...the whole music video was shot like the singer would be part of a video game "Counter strike". But I never really liked Counter strike so then I didn't really like the video either.
Noah - "Flaw" was one of my favorites too. A visually beautiful video with amazing landscapes. I liked the flying clothes and the floating bodies. The song was bit Sigur Ros'ish. Super dreamy!
Lunakid - "Technicolor". Lunakid comes from Germany and some of the producers and other crew of the video were also present. The video had very cool costumes! I hope there would be actually a category only for costumes. It would be awesome! I remember from this video mostly only the golden and black masks and the vcr tape. The atmosphere is pretty dark and so the song too. They are worshiping VCR cassetes, well sort of...maybe.."Must have old tape!"
Anyhow it is a cool video!
Susanne Sundför - "Accelerate"
I was happy to see Susanne Sundför competing in this category and knew the song already beforehand. Accelerate is a music video with loots of strobo lights, big disco ball and people floating naked in the water. Kinda sexy! The video is well done and fits the song good. Great song to listen bit louder!
Hurts - "Lights" was a totally new artist for me. They had a pretty crazy video with some as crazy dancing in a disco. And if you watched the video you'll know not to mess around with these people while they are dancing! This video won the category even though I would have wanted to give the prize to Lunakid!
Lance Butters - "Es zieht, ich zieh" (Google translate says: It attracts, I pull)
This was maybe the most disgusting video of the competition. It shows a man shooting himself to the head and how the corpse starts to rot with maggots wriggling around and mice eating the body. So in you have been warned and you can watch the video if you want. Maybe not good thing to do while eating or before eating.
I'll leave the Best art director, Best editor and Best song to the next post!
Noah - "Flaw" was one of my favorites too. A visually beautiful video with amazing landscapes. I liked the flying clothes and the floating bodies. The song was bit Sigur Ros'ish. Super dreamy!
Noah - "Flaw"
My immediate favorite was Stromae - "Quand c'est". I've listened before some music from him and have big respect towards this amazing artist! He has other genius videos too you should check out! (At least Tous les memes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAMWdvo71ls) The song "Quand c'est" when translated means "When it is?" in English. The trick is that if you say Quand c'est in French it sounds bit like cancer in English. Stromae uses this kind of tricks often in his songs and lyrics like "Moules frites" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z2fQjJIWMw) If you understand French the double meanings of the lyrics will open up easier.
But anyhow back to the video of "Quand c'est". It is a captivating and touching video to watch. How the "cancer" is taking hold of the theater and then eventually of the dancer while Stromae is singing. He is asking when the cancer would be taking a holiday, telling how mischievous it can be starting from the mother's breasts and taking slowly over the whole body. Stromae won the category of best visual effects with this video.
Stromae - "Quand c'est"
The second category Best cinematography.
Alice on the roof - "Easy come easy go" was totally new for me.
Easy come easy go is a very beautiful song, but the video didn't really get high points from me, it was another "breaking up" video. Seems like that was one themes of the music video's this year's competition.
Here's a live session of the song instead. It's soo much better than the original video. Sometimes voice is all we need.
Alice on the roof - "Easy come easy go"
More music from Alice on the roof: https://soundcloud.com/aliceontheroof
Major Lazer ft. Nyla & Fuse ODG - "Light it up"
Major Lazer is more known from his tongue in the cheek type music videos like "Pon de floor" so I was very surprised about the video I saw, in a very positive way. The music video tells about a funeral in a small village somewhere in Africa. I think there they see funerals as a more joyful party to celebrate the life of the deceased person. I like this idea a lot better and think that it should be more common in Europe too. Why to just mourn these people while we can celebrate the life what they had and remember the good things?
The "Light it up" video is just beautiful. It has a short extract from a poem in the end. The poem is called: "Kae" (translated remember). I was lucky enough to find the poem and would like copy it here so you can read the full poem before listening and watching the music video. It's a bit long but worth of reading trough. It tells about the struggle and the suffering Africa had to go trough because of the invasion of the western people. I tried to fix the possible typos what the translator left there..
"Kae"
by Kwadwo Nkita-Mayala as translated into Twi by Obadele Kwame Kambon
"My people
Do you know what time we are in now?
It is time to remember
To remember
To remember life
My people
We’ve rested so long in sleep
Far too long
Let us arise
Let us arise and remember
Remember life
Wise people and Fools
Beautiful stars and powerful Suns
Children and Elders of Africa
Remember
Can we remember the time before
The arrival of albinos/Europeans to Africa?
The time before we were dispersed all over this earth
Before slavery
Before colonialism
Before exploitation
Before the heart of Africa began bleeding
Who caused all of this suffering?
We know
We know
And remember
We did not forget
Remember and be prepared
Who ignores the truth?
Who ignores the history?
Who can forget Our suffering?
In slavery
In exploitation of colonialism
Nevertheless
We survived
We survived
Remember
Our enemy will be brought before justice
He cannot hide from the eyes of the Ancestors
Remember
Remember and stand
Birds have feathers because they were passed down to them by other birds
Remember
Remember
Where is the returning path (to Our Way)?
Look back and feel the unseen power of remembrance
Because Our Ancestors are with us
They are Our strength
Our Ancestors work very hard on Our behalf
We also, we must work very hard
To help Our children and change life on earth
Life is dying and undying
But you must remember
Look back
And remember
We are at a crossroads
Between life and death
Who will show us the way?
Who will open the path?
It is
Train your mind
Train your mind
To remember and to heal
To remember and to destroy
Remember
To hold onto that which holds you up
Do not give it away
Rise up (spiritually)
Sing a new song
Remember Our traditions
Let’s Return
To Our roots
To Our systems/nature/order
Remember
For Change
Remember
For Justice
Remember
For Balance
Remember
For Life
Remember
Collectively
Remember"
And here the music video which was one of my favorite from best cinematography category:
Major Lazer ft. Nyla & Fuse ODG - "Light it up"
Nao - "Bad blood" was also something totally new for me. It seemed to be also a trend to have naked people walking around. As a person from the North I was like okay again they have tried to use this nakedness as some sort of an effect, so people would go like "Oh what, she's naked!". I saw the person naked as a some sort of a life giver. When she was watching people they would have small trees popping out of their eyes. And the people would arise from dead. The song itself is pretty much house.
Nao - Bad blood
Lunakid - "Technicolor". Lunakid comes from Germany and some of the producers and other crew of the video were also present. The video had very cool costumes! I hope there would be actually a category only for costumes. It would be awesome! I remember from this video mostly only the golden and black masks and the vcr tape. The atmosphere is pretty dark and so the song too. They are worshiping VCR cassetes, well sort of...maybe.."Must have old tape!"
Anyhow it is a cool video!
Lunakid - Technicolor
Susanne Sundför - "Accelerate"
I was happy to see Susanne Sundför competing in this category and knew the song already beforehand. Accelerate is a music video with loots of strobo lights, big disco ball and people floating naked in the water. Kinda sexy! The video is well done and fits the song good. Great song to listen bit louder!
Susanne Sundför - Accelerate
Hurts - "Lights" was a totally new artist for me. They had a pretty crazy video with some as crazy dancing in a disco. And if you watched the video you'll know not to mess around with these people while they are dancing! This video won the category even though I would have wanted to give the prize to Lunakid!
Hurts - "Lights"
Lance Butters - "Es zieht, ich zieh" (Google translate says: It attracts, I pull)
This was maybe the most disgusting video of the competition. It shows a man shooting himself to the head and how the corpse starts to rot with maggots wriggling around and mice eating the body. So in you have been warned and you can watch the video if you want. Maybe not good thing to do while eating or before eating.
Lance Butters - "Es zieht, ich zieh"
