Speed of Sound

From Videoville

artist: Coldplay
director: Mark Romanek
label: EMI
year: 04.11.05
antville post - repost

treatment

filmed in 35mm color, “speed of sound” will be a luminous, mysterious, and visually astonishing performance piece.

the band will perform the song, dwarfed by a huge, elegantly futuristic structure made of curved, translucent panels.

arrayed behind these panels will be (literally) hundreds of state-of-the art led light-bars.

these lights are intensely bright, yet can change to any one of a million (yes, a million) colors in a fraction of a second. these cues will be intricately programmed and synchronized to the song. the light bars can also be ganged together, so that beautiful patterns can emerge across the entire expanse of the set.

but, amazing though these leds may be (there’s something about these lights that beautifully mirrors the uniquely uplifting/mystical sound of the band’s music), it won’t be all about the lights.

through the use of intimate close-ups, rigorously graphic compositions, slo-motion, and dynamic editing, we will capture the most intimate, vital, and passionate performance by coldplay yet committed to film.

at first, the video will appear to be dramatically, yet traditionally lit. then, as it progresses, new and more thrilling lighting effects will gradually be revealed using these new lights. as we near the song’s climax, the lights will glitter and change color thrillingly, sometimes even making intricate, abstract patterns.

remember, the idea here is not simply to dazzle, but to engage the viewer with the emotion of the song.

the purity of the conception, combined with the giant scope of the set/light show, and the deeply revealing/engaging performance by coldplay will guarantee an unforgettable piece.

© mark romanek / anonymouscontent | 04.11.05