October 2007: Magik Johnson, Mumsdollar, Natalie Elms, Opshop, Pluto

Dramatic smoke, a beachy stroll, a beardy run, and farmyard dangers.

Magik Johnson “East West Connection”

This video was filmed in East London and features a bearded man with a briefcase urgently running through the streets. There are a few scenes were beardo is in a white space, like maybe he’s in heaven, looking down on his other self madly running. It’s a decent enough video for the electro track.

Director: Sebastian Lloyd

Mumsdollar “Sticks and Stones”

We last saw Mumsdollar in 2005, where the young Christian pop-punksters were hallucinating roast chickens in the “Nevertheless” video. In “Sticks and Stones” they’re more grown-up and more serious (but with their pop-punk sound coming across as a little dated). The video shows the band performing the song, cut with shots of three very young children having carefree adventures on a farm. Wait, I’ve seen the horrifying 1977 farm safety film Apaches. I know what happens when unsupervised youngsters play on farm equipment. Get off that tractor, kids.

Director: Ivan Slavov
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Natalie Elms “Real Feeling”

Natalie Elms is a Christchurch singer-songwriter who previously lived in Australia. This video was filmed at Bungan Beach in Sydney and – Google Maps reckons – on the adjacent Betty Morrison Reserve. “Real Feeling” is a pleasant easy listening track but I wish the cinematography would have been inspired by that. The video is shot with a hand-held camera, so much of it involves shaky, jerky footage. Instead of a romantic beachy vibe, the camera creates a tense experience, with just a hint of motion sickness.

Director: Giles Lambert

Opshop “One Day”

“One Day” was one of Opshop’s most popular songs, peaking at No.4 and spending 35 weeks in the singles chart, helped by the song being the soundtrack for some emotional NZ Post ads. The video puts Opshop and guest vocalist Dianne Swann (Everything That Flies, When the Cat’s Away, The Bads = all killer, no filler) in a dark studio, with dramatic smoke and lit above with both starry and thundery skies. And here’s an observation – Opshop get better dressed with every video they make, from baggy shirts to sharp suits.

Director: Luke Sharpe
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Pluto “Waiting Watching” – missing

This is all a bit strange. Pluto are listed as having has funding for a song called “Waiting Watching” – and it’s appeared on all three databases I use. But there’s no sign of a video ever having been made for that song. But there was an apparently non-funded video made for the track “Nineteen Sixty Three”. Until recently, Fish & Clips has that video on their website and you can watch a one-minute except here.

Director: Jonathan Gerard

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