When I first laid my eyes on the début video from Sydney-based alt-rock quartet Why We Run, I was partly in awe of the stylistically brave optics of the idea and partly surprised that, to my knowledge, no one else in music has ever done this before. When you watch the video, you’ll see why.
First of all, the fact that the band are willing to experiment and break out of their comfort zones by using an age-old technique such as camera obscura, is something to congratulate them on. It’s inventive and visually quite remarkable. The video was directed by Tim Gibbs, who’s worked previously with the likes of John Lennon, Dire Straits and Motorhead, just from his past credentials you know he’s a true visionary.
He proposed the idea of the camera obscura. The idea is simple. They hired a van and drove it to numerous locations, but the key is in the detail. They blacked out everything but a small hole, leaving space for the light to creep in and reflect the outside world in. In almost-kaleidoscopic fashion, the landscapes beam inside the van and overlay the band’s performance.
Sit back and contemplate life while you watch the dreamy-scapes of Why We Run’s ‘Comfortable Lie’.
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