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The subtle way of storytelling: Sugarless (music video)


Here’s my first music video. I made it for a band some time ago. Due to its lengthy intro and narrative nature, it could very well be considered a short film.

I think there are two ways of storytelling:

-the standard one: the most common in mainstream media. Everything has an explanation; it doesn’t leave the audience wondering. If it does, it’s just for the thrills of “what’s next” or “what’s the explanation”.

-the subtle one: most common in “arthouse” products. Its logic is not the rational one of the standard storytelling. It works by impressions and feelings; it treats the story as an experience rather than a narration. It doesn’t explain everything and, in doing so, anyone can have their own interpretation of what happened. Instead of a single story, a single explanation for a single video: there can be infinite explanations and infinite stories for just one single video.

Usually, this second method of storytelling, when applied to mainstream products, tends to leave the audience unsatisfied.

I would like to know your opinion on my videoclip. Does it leave you unsatisfied? Do you find it boring or pretentious? Have you felt any kind of emotion by watching it?

I would just like to point out that the theme of the song made me purposely chose an ending that leaves “a bitter taste in your mouth”, but it doesn’t necessarily mean unsatisfied.
 
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I really liked the film, the colour is brilliant.
I guess I'm a romantic at heart, so to me the film seems to say that the main character is trying to get away from someone he is in a relationship with but he feels guilt and is immobile from that guilt. He waits, smokes & remembers, then realizes he can't let go on without her. This is only my thoughts on a brilliant & artistic work.
 
I really liked the film, the colour is brilliant.
I guess I'm a romantic at heart, so to me the film seems to say that the main character is trying to get away from someone he is in a relationship with but he feels guilt and is immobile from that guilt. He waits, smokes & remembers, then realizes he can't let go on without her. This is only my thoughts on a brilliant & artistic work.
Wow thank you very much, that was really kind. That's a very romantic interpretation indeed. I thought his cigarette was more about the acceptance of death. Anyway I would really appreciate also something you didn't personally like or anything you'd have changed
 
I can't fault it, Incubo. If I was editing I would change some of the transitions. When the guy is smoking from the full cigarette to the last draw is the best example.
Personally I'm really just learning to create, so I'd like to learn from you, as I aim to be this good. I'd like to know what camera's you used, what tripod or handheld Stabilizers? Did you film at night or change the lighting during editing?
 
I can't fault it, Incubo. If I was editing I would change some of the transitions. When the guy is smoking from the full cigarette to the last draw is the best example.
Personally I'm really just learning to create, so I'd like to learn from you, as I aim to be this good. I'd like to know what camera's you used, what tripod or handheld Stabilizers? Did you film at night or change the lighting during editing?
from the full cigarette to the last draw is the best example.
That's really the weakest part of the video, you found out immediatly ahah. Not much the transition itslef, I think, but the shots are horrible: they were taken some time apart and with a different angle, plus the sun was a bitch.

Whenever you wonder if that was filmed at night or during the day, you just have to look at the shadows. 90% of the times if the objects project their shadows that's the sun. 10% a very bright moon.
We made the "day for night" effect in post. In theory, to make the best of it, you should obviously film in cloudy days, so you won't have the apparent shadows. We had to film this in one day so it was just bad luck.

I'm not nearly as professional as many peolpe here, so I'd suggest you to look at better examples. Anyway I used an old Nikon D5300 and a very simple tripod. The hard work and the stabilization was all done in post. I think my best work is done during the planning phase: it takes me months to put together the best storyboard and then during the shooting I just follow it. So that's the only thing I'd suggest if you want to get "as good as me" ahah. Thank you again for your kind words
 
I like it. I feel the story is clear, not really open to interpretation. He had to leave his idyllic world to go off to war. He was shot, had his last cigarette. Death came for him.

In my opinion, the subtleties of 'perfect' film making aren't that important if the story is compelling. I think you did a very good job.
 
I like it. I feel the story is clear, not really open to interpretation. He had to leave his idyllic world to go off to war. He was shot, had his last cigarette. Death came for him.

In my opinion, the subtleties of 'perfect' film making aren't that important if the story is compelling. I think you did a very good job.
Well I think the story may appear very clear if you impose your own preconceptions on what is shown without questioning it. Wich is legit anyway. I mean you can enjoy it however you want. But if you start looking for what isn't shown, maybe you could find something that starts questioning your view of what is shown.
For example, you said he had to leave his idyllic world to go off to war, implying he's a soldier, I think. But does he really act like a soldier throughout the film? And then, if he's a soldier, where is his weapon? where are his comrades?
Then he doesn't really get shot. He's shot at by an unknown enemy but never seen hit. So does he really die in the end?
Maybe, in this case, the subtlety lies in the many stories you can imagine, and the way this effect is achieved.
Anyway, thank you very much for your response 🤗
 
You're right. I was wrong. Sorry...

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.... or perhaps I am under the misconception that you were trying to tell a story. It just occurred to me, after reading what you had to say again that maybe you were indeed trying to make cinematic art. To me, those are two very different things. Maybe the young man, who seemed to be running from something, possibly in a wartime situation was actually symbolic of his internal struggle to get over his lost love. Perhaps the full pack of cigarettes represents how he feels about himself and how by smoking a cigarette, he let go a part of himself he knew he would never get back. They say true love comes but once in a lifetime. That's why he threw the cigarette pack aside.... and perhaps the shadow at the end is how he now views life; darker and more cynically. You are right. If you give up on the idea of telling a story then the images could really mean anything you want. Anything at all...
 
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Ah, Day for Night. I first learned about this technique reading about Hammer Horror films from the 60's & 70's.
Again, I really like your work and even more now I know you're a modest person.
I only learned to use Shotcut a couple of months ago, its free and has some amazing transitions you can use if you ever re-edit the film.
Your film also so it reminds me a bit of one of my favorite music videos....
 
You're right. I was wrong. Sorry...

edit:
.... or perhaps I am under the misconception that you were trying to tell a story. It just occurred to me, after ready what you had to say again that maybe you were indeed trying to make cinematic art. To me, those are two very different things. Maybe the young man, who seemed to be running from something, possibly in a wartime situation was actually symbolic of his internal struggle to get over his lost love. Perhaps the full pack of cigarettes represents how he feels about himself and how by smoking a cigarette, he let go a part of himself he knew he would never get back. They say true love comes but once in a lifetime. That's why he threw the cigarette pack aside.... and perhaps the shadow at the end is how he now views life; darker and more cynically. You are right. If you give up on the idea of telling a story then the images could really mean anything you want. Anything at all...
Well that's not matter of being right or wrong really, it's just ways of seeing things you know.
To me, those are two very different things

I think the main cause is that you see, standard cinema and cinematic art as two very different things. Whereas I believe in (and I try to make) a blend of the two.
Anyway I really like your way of interpreting the actions in the video, they feel really inspired and inspiring, and that's just what I mean by subtle storytelling. It's fruitful and it let people make the story their own. It could even help discovering new things about themselves they didn't know. That's the reason why I find standard storytelling kind of sterile.
At the same time, it's no easy task to come up with certain images that let you do those things.
 
Ah, Day for Night. I first learned about this technique reading about Hammer Horror films from the 60's & 70's.
Again, I really like your work and even more now I know you're a modest person.
I only learned to use Shotcut a couple of months ago, its free and has some amazing transitions you can use if you ever re-edit the film.
Your film also so it reminds me a bit of one of my favorite music videos....
WOW that's so cool. It always struck me so much to find videos very similar to mine that I haven't seen before doing it. This even has a flashback with a girl dressed in white and candles 🤯 thank you so much.
About the editing program: I used DaVinci Resolve for this video. I think I could have edited it even with the free version, because it has a lot of stuff. If you haven't anything crazy complicated to do, it does a good job.
 
I completely respect you're ideas.

Here's the best example I can give of a film that tells a complete story but also leaves some room for personal interpretation; The Exorcist. The story is all there - intense but not really difficult to follow, however at the end, you can decide for yourself whether you believe Goodness won or if Evil won.

Personally, I believe it is the task of the story teller to tell the story. IF the story is well crafted, there may be a rich tapestry of ideas going on beneath the surface. For me, that is where the interpretation comes from. The main story is there and it is complete, but it is the underlying ideas that can be the bonus.

One more example.

Rocky
The movie starring Sylvester Stallone from back in the 70s. A block buster film that set the country's imagination on fire. That is saying a lot considering in the 70s we didn't automatically call every film a block buster the way we do now...
...anyway, Rocky is a nobody who is given a chance to fight the heavy weight champion of the world. He takes it, they fight, he loses but he makes a very good showing and ALMOST wins. That is what captured everyone's imagination. He almost won. He proved to himself and others that he 'wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood'. It was amazing. What a film!!! But that's not what they originally considered for the ending.

The director originally wanted to end the movie as Rocky was walking to the ring to fight the champ. Rocky would be walking down the long row of cheering fans. Probably would have had a nice back and forth with his girlfriend, Adrian, then the credits would roll. With that ending, you get to decide how Rocky did in the ring. Was it enough that he got his shot? Is that his victory? You would have had to decide.

We'll never know how an ending like that would have gone over with the general public, but my feeling is that the movie would have been enjoyed then forgotten... With the ending we were actually given, the movie exploded with success, spawning 5 or 6 or 7 sequels.

Forget about what film makers want. The audience wants to be told a story.
 
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