Pro-wrestlers at the beach, the comfort of 101, circular motion, the grooviest show in town, nocturnal projections, an anatomy lesson.
Motocade “Soap Opera”
More quirky guitar pop from Motocade. The video is based around different coloured circles on coloured backgrounds (like distant cousins of the Japanese flag), keeping things interesting with creative editing and layering. It’s probably the first video that Motocade have made where the aesthetic of the video matches the style of the song. They’re getting there.
Director: Tim van Dammen
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
Nesian Mystik “Nesian 101”
This was Nesian Mystik’s only No.1 single, and like pretty much all of their songs it’s about Nesian Mystik. The video is as lighthearted and fun as the song, with the boys (and a lone female dancer) getting down in front of a series of backdrops – a tropical island, an office, a supermarket and the local fish and chip shop. The video’s style feels much older than 2007/2008, like something more from the early 2000s. But maybe that’s its appeal – it’s giving audiences something they’re already familiar with.
Director: Luke Sharpe
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
PNC “Moonlight” – missing
All I’ve been able to find out about the “Moonlight” video is that it was directed by Jonathan Gerard, and very recently there was a version available to view on the Fish’n’Clips website. There also seems to be a dead YouTube link. All the internet offers up is this lone screenshot.
Director: Jonathan Gerard
Scribe featuring Tyra Hammond “Say It Again”
There’ve been a few music videos that have taken inspiration from far-out 1960s pop shows, but “Say It Again” is the first that has looked to home, basing the video on “C’Mon“. Scribe and the band are looking good in timeless suits, but Tyra’s plain dress and casual hair aren’t weird enough to pass for the fashion of a hip 1960s Kiwi chick. The video later switches to a contemporary studio setting, with the band replaced by a DJ and the go-go dancers with a hip-hop crew.
Director: Adam Jones
Shihad “One Will Hear The Other”
This song sounds shockingly pop, especially compared to the back-to-basics hard rock sound of Shihad’s 2014 album FVEY. The video is shot in Shihad’s new hometown of Melbourne and involves live footage of the band being projected on central office buildings. For the purposes of the video story, the projections have been set up by a crew of roving street projection artists, but it’s obvious that their hand-held projectors aren’t what was actually used. A bothered YouTube commenter suggests some scenes were deleted: “spent fukin 7 hours running back and forth in a room for sum fat director and got my scene cut from this clip”
Director: Adam Jones
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
SideKickNick “Something in Your Eyes”
Things get very anatomical in this video. It’s another animated production by the Trophy Wife collective, this time using elaborately detailed models – like claymation without the stop-motion movement. As well as a likeness of SideKickNick himself, the video also stars brains, eyes, hearts, teeth and other symbolic body parts. The something that’s in your eyes? Why, it’s an eyeball.
Director: Trophy Wife
SJD “Black is a Beautiful Colour”
This video sees a group of pro wrestlers spending a day at the beach. So of course there’s drama. It’s actually really enjoyable to watch. The wrestlers have a great sense of physical humour and even when they’re not doing their well rehearsed moves, it’s fun seeing them in the sea, sulking around the shore or playing an ill-fated game of beach cricket.
Director: Sean Grattan
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision