Top 5 Most Creatively Choreographed Music Videos
Music promo videos are an exceptional output for the creative expression of directors and productions teams. When budgets are limited, but the ideas are incredible; something magic happens and Directors reach a level of creativity that bends minds and delivers brilliance.
In this list I’ve favoured videos that rely on tight choreography and bizarre concepts, as those are what speak to me.I worked on a number of music videos in my twenties and they were some of the longest, hardest and most exciting work I’ve ever done. The dedication to get the shots that the director has in mind goes beyond any other type of film-making (but I’ve not worked on features).
Many great film directors honed their craft on music videos and returned to the medium even when they had made Oscar-winning feature films. I think that’s testament to the rare alchemy of passion and creativity that goes into visually expressing music that speaks to you.
Spike Jonze - Pharcyde: Drop (1995)
Spike could have a number of entries including Beastie Boys Sabotage and two from Fatboy Slim tunes; Weapon of Choice and Praise You. But I’ve opted for this earlier video due to the sheer creativity that went into the concept. I’m also a big Mark Gonzales fan, so his artwork that’s featured at the end is a beautiful touch. At a time when music video budgets were at their height, this was a refreshing change of direction, a smart idea.
There are some great behind the scenes videos explaining the process that went into making this, and they are worth a watch, including this one that also gives insight into how Spike approaches his creative visions and turns them into reality.
Michel Gondry - Daft Punk: Around the World (1997)
Another director who could have multiple entries based on his commitment and prowess within the realm of music video production. His ingenious ideas have been inspired by such a range of great musicians, from the White Stripes to the Chemical Brothers - and the mind-bendingly brilliant Kylie Minogue video for Come Into My World.
This video was inspired by a truly iconic and ground-breaking song from one of the hottest bands of the moment, the secretive duo Daft Punk.
This is a good making of video that captures behind the scenes and this is a short version if you’ve got a limited attention span.
Chris Cunningham - Aphex Twin: Windowlicker (1999)
This bizarre video gives me goose bumps every time I watch it due to the sheer weirdness that’s going on and the haunting beats that accompany the visuals. The 10 minute long video features 4 minutes of explicit swearing that feels pretty dated, but in 1999 it was barely noticeable - skip to 3:44 if “n” bombs and aggressive “wooing” is going to offend.
The editing is absolutely superb and the whole video feels like an event. The storytelling is not particularly complex, but there’s something there, and there’s a nice twist at the end for the “bad guys”.
Chris has directed many great music videos with Aphex Twin ensuring that the visuals that accompany their music is always of the highest order.
From the haunting Come To Daddy to the truly mental Rubber Johnny Windowlicker is probably the most accessible collaboration!
This is a breakdown including excerpts from Mr Aphex Twin himself: Richard D James.
Jonathan Glazer - Jamiroquai: Virtual Insanity (1996)
It’s impossible to watch this video without wondering how it was made, it’s just such a visually compelling stage. The original plan for moving floors came in at a cool £280,000 - far more than the budget would allow. The set designer came up with a plan so outrageous it had to be shown to Jay physically before he could comprehend how it worked.
The results are absolutely incredible, and makes for one of the most memorable music videos ever shot. The majority of the video is shot in a single take and although there are a number of minor bloopers in the final version, they are imperceptible to the casual viewer. See more about the fascinating making of in this video.
Trish Sie - OK Go: Here It Goes Again (2006)
Co-directed by the band and the lead singer’s sister, Trish Sie, this video took 17 goes to get right in a single take and features the band members in the starring roles. It has won multiple awards for creativity and is revered as one of the most cleverly choreographed music videos of all time.
Using 8 running machines, the clever use of perspective and simple mechanics make this a joy to behold.
Understandably, the band are proud of it’s success and provide some detailed insights into the video in this rundown - the best is on their Instagram channel.
Among the videos online related to this video is this very impressive rendition for a high school talent show.
The majority of these videos are from the 90s when music videos really became an important aspect to the release of any single thanks to the importance of MTV as channel for marketing new songs and artists. OK Go were arguably the first band to make it viral in the internet era with Here It Goes Again, and for that alone they deserve special mention.
There are so many great music videos, but these are some of the most impressively choreographed ones in my humble opinion, they not only featured impressive dance moves, but also convey depth that goes beyond the songs that inspired them.
In a world of choreographed Tik Tok moves there are millions of videos with clever choreography, but the videos here all include a level of production that take them to a different level.