Nightowl Pictures - Mad World

A higher quality version of this video is available for download at:

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=12663

This video was incredibly important to me. I hadn't heard the cover of Tears for Fears "Mad World" until I saw the film Donnie Darko. I thought that Gary Jules brought a new level of darkness to it. What better show to use than FLCL, one of the fastest, most upbeat shows out there?

Anyway, about six months before the Otakon deadline I began conceptualizing the video. I knew it wouldn't be like other FLCL videos, but frankly, I didn't care. This was something I needed for myself. I wanted something artistic, different; something people would understand and enjoy, yes, but also, something that I could speak with... something that would allow me to convey my own hopes and fears through entertainment media. I wanted to get back to my film roots and do something slow. I didn't want it to hit every beat or be overshadowed by effects. Unfortunately, being who I am, I had to mess with each and every frame in some way. That's just the way it goes, I suppose.

Jeff Heller (gambitt) was staying with me over the summer by the time I began concentrating heavily on this piece. He ended up prepping a good number of the composites as I went to work putting together some of the other aspects of the thing. He also watched the show a few hundred times to find what might be proper footage.

We ended up using Adobe After Effects to do the composites, along with Magic Bullet to achieve an actual 2.35:1 Academy specified aspect ratio. I pulled out some of my favorite stock CDs of sky backgrounds, and utilized a technique I seem to use quite often - shooting the TV screen as video plays, then bringing it back in to the computer for an added digital effect.

A good majority of the video is actually Photoshop composites matched and animated in After Effects, in order to change backgrounds or match shots. Also, the largest composite in the entire video - the multiple screens - used a bit of After Effect's CG element (something I doubt I'll be using again anytime soon). God, that was a headache... Jeff and I ended up having to ask the folks on Creative Cow a thing or two. If I stay with CG, I think next time I'll stick with good old Lightwave.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• anime
• music
• video
• AMV
• FLCL
• Furi
• Kuri
• Fooly
• Cooly
• Nightowl
• Pictures
• Mad
• World
• Gary
• Jules

[TheWolfWithinMe]

FLCL is not a mad world. It's a freaking batsh*t insane world where the only person even remotely sane randomly spawns giant monsters from his head.

[xTheDreamingx]

wow.. that's amazing.. like, seriously, i'm speechless.. saying "well done" or "great job" would seem like a huge understatement, so i'll stick with "that's amazing" and hope that gives you some of the credit you deserve! lol

Donnie Darko is a great film! first time i heard this version of the song too, and this one is by far my favourite! <3

[MsStarsea]

Perfectly captures Naota's malaise and suppressed anger with the world around him. Not to mention the fact that the world of FLCL IS bonkers and nobody seems to notice.

[RoachFingers]

FLCL?

[Chicken993]

*Wonderful*

[Som1stolemycookie]

wow..... that is an amazing video. I have never seen FLCL but still it is a great vid.... and I love the song

[eMOtAsTIcCloWN]

"one of the fastest, most upbeat shows out there?" quoted from discription.

i would hardly call flcl... upbeat...

[XsakakixfanX]

lovly you probably could win alot of awards

[BouncingFerretFilms]

absolutely beautiful

[Alondra015]

Exelent job