quicktime, iPod video .mp4: www.coreysmithfilms.com

quicktime .mov: krs5rc.com

youtube: youtube.com

google video: video.google.com

<they're all different quality and size; iPod video .mp4 is best>

*new Xiu Xiu album, "The Air Force" on 5 Rue Christine. www.xiuxiu.org

*directed by Corey Smith. www.coreysmithfilms.com

opinions/criticism, please! your feedback really helps.

         

I'm confused, mainly. What vibe are you going for? Are you going for 'girl power' or humanism or indie-art irony? (I'd go for #3 since Xiu Xiu is down with that.) However you answer that, you need to use that to establish a sharper correlation between song (lyrics, musical parts) and video (girl, choreography, location, camera movement/editing). Check, perhaps, Chemical Brothers "Elektrobank," Fatboy Slim "Praise You," or Little Miss Sunshine.

         

corey, the gal is great! the setting, too. being shot from one angle only, it does not keep me captivated long enough, though. even when the song keeps changing, it remains too static, in my view. thx for posting!

         

By the way I'd delete your introduction on this posting. (If you have to explain it, as the saying goes..) Funtoosh is right: there's a lot going on in the song, but it doesn't correlate onto the screen.

Thx for posting, hope that helps.

         

hey

i can't fully address your question right now, kevathens, but the lyrics play a big part in the video. hopefully this will help some:

I know it's dumb to say that you are on my mind I know it's stupid to dream that you might think of me as a man

I can loose my own tie knot I can button up my own pants I can buy my own cigarettes I can pluck my own mustache

I read it's lame to wish that you won't walk out on me but I'm not embarrassed to sing plainly the words love and your name

I can pay all my own bills I can unroll my own tights I can untuck all I have to untuck I can weep through my own midnights

I can pay all my own debts I can rip off my own tights I can humiliate myself to your face I can weep through my own midnights

-thanks for the criticism so far!-

         

corey, thx for adding the lyrics - i guess that s what we (or i) meant, there is so much in the song, yet the video relies solely on that one shot. nothing against one-shots, of course, but in this case, it might not carry the tension far enough ... that said, i really love the beginning, works perfectly!

         

didn't you say that this footage was originally supposed to be used for muppet face?

         

Video was too weird, but cool tune.

         

this makes me so sad.

         

I second what Kev has to say. Just to expand on that, I was waiting for the video, or perhaps that should be the dance to develop along the lines of the Jamiroquai skit in Napoleon Dynamite. I feel that this is suspended too loosely between irony and worthy humanism

         

the only thing i can associate this with is this.

         

I've been a long time lover of Xiu Xiu, but honestly feel that their videos are just either just plain bad or bland. With this particular video I felt it rather boring. the one shot is very uninteresting and kind of trite. I found the second version of the video to be much more interesting and held my attention much more. The video almost seems as if it's to be a mockery of a fat dancing girl on a cable access talent show, like that's an easy laugh or easily able to catch interest. To me, that's really frat boy bro-ish and low brow. you have amazing music to work with, the video hardly reflects the depth or emotion. The camera movements are also rather jerky and do not flow well. Generally, this is just a boring video for an amazing song.

         

TO ANSWER MOST QUESTIONS:

 The vibe I’m going for is to draw a parallel between the lyrics that sing of not being embarrassed, being in control, and ultimately, breaking down and pretending that   everything is still okay (“I can rip off my own tights I can humiliate myself to your face I can weep through my own midnights”)  
 Key moments in choreography time out to the lyrics pretty well, in my opinion.  “I know it’s stupid to dream that you might think of me as a man”  (the dancer blatantly spreads her legs)  “I read it’s stupid to wish that you won’t walk out on me”  (she tiptoes back and forth), but I’m not embarrassed to sing plainly the words love and your name”  (she basically shows her ass to the crowd, smiling proud).  Specific lyrical references like “I can rip off my own tights, I can untuck all I have to untuck” are reflected throughout the setting of the video, which is supposed to look like a cheesy talent show.

The girl’s size and appearance was intended to be somewhat of a commentary on puberty, growing up in America, what it means to be large, and in general to be upsetting/pathetic/heart-warming at the same time. I want to note that her obesity isn’t shown to poke fun-it strengthens how bold she’s being to do this dance in front of everyone. I don’t know if it’s easily visible online, but in the full quality version, you can tell that she’s wearing a black mesh top with random holes throughout, with a pink tube top underneath (to cover what?!), then you’ve got black velvet capris that continues to her feet with that ripped mesh…and pink tassels! Girl’s got some fashion sense! And so does the stage-it’s covered in foil and cheesy All-American stars, lights, extension cords, and balloons. I felt that these additions went with the overly happy sounding bells throughout the song. The girl’s motive for doing this dance is somewhat ambiguous. Maybe she’s dancing to prove to the skinny/popular girls, that she can still have fun on stage. Maybe it’s because she wants to impress a boy that she has a crush on in the audience. Maybe she wants to prove to get her parents’ attention, as they are no doubt in the audience. Regardless, there’s something she’s trying to prove by doing this dance, and just in the way that the mundane and ambiguous lyrics (I can loose my own tie knot, I can button up my own pants I can buy my own cigarettes) leave the singer’s motives open, so does the girl’s dance. As the song changes, the dance changes (crazy mid-section=stepping the dance up a notch with a “suck it” move, followed by a twirl and high kick, nearly silent part with floorboards creaking=slow walking away from the audience). I agree with most of you; I don’t love the fact that I shot it as a one-shot music video. I had a fascination for one shot videos for some time when this video was made…something about it that is hypnotic to me. Definitely good for being stoned. At the time, I was thinking that it would come off as even closer to a real talent show video, complete with the average-quality camerawork, the spotlight always a second behind the dancer, even blocking tape visible on the floor.

("If you have to explain it..." < exactly.)

 I wrote wayyy too much about why I think this video works well with the song, but it was nice to get my reasons out there, and I hope it interests someone.  I try to create very personal connections to my music videos, as Xiu Xiu do with their lyrics and subject matter.  While this may not be the most effective way to entertain people via a music video, I’m happy that only a handful of people can appreciate that aspect of my work, and hopefully once I do a few more videos for bands/artists, I’ll get better at making something that everyone can connect a little deeper to.  Thanks for the comments!

-Corey Smith (Director)

 p.s.-  I slowed the video down once and put it to Xiu Xiu’s song, Muppet Face” at one time…but no, that version was never a serious video for them.