Greg Johnson “If I Swagger”

1995-greg-johnson-if-i-swaggerRemember the blizzard of ’96? A crapload of snow was dumped all over the eastern United States. Greg Johnson remembers it too, for it was during the snowfest that the video for “If I Swagger” was shot in New York City.

Directed by Strawpeople person Paul Casserly, the video is an elegant black and white work, filmed in the aforementioned blizzardville and grey old London. Using what looks like an old film camera, the video uses a collage of images, like memories from an old photo album.

There’s no doubt at all that the video was shot in New York and London. The two locations are boldly featured. Well, if you’re shooting a video on the other side of the world, you don’t want it to be mistaken for Wellington.

There are also glimpses of aeroplanes. This is the life of Greg Johnson, international musician of mystery. It wasn’t just for show – he’s currently based in Los Angeles, making a living from his music.

The NZOA logo gets some special treatment in this video. Rather than just sitting in the usual bottom-right corner, the logo is carefully positioned to fit with the composition of the video. That way, it doesn’t distract from the video, and nicely complements the visuals.

With so few of Greg Johnson’s many NZOA funded videos being available online, it’s nice to find a good quality version of a lovely video.

Best bit: a lone figure walks on railway tracks. It’s a music video, man.

Director: Paul Casserly
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

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