CGI Animation in MV

CGI Animation has dominated music videos as technology has progressed. The term computer animation refers to dynamic CGI rendered as a movie. The term virtual world refers to agent-based, interactive environments. Due to technological convergences over the years, it is now possible for consumers to create professional work from their homes. An example of this is the Wacom Tablet Pen; I received one for a Christmas present last year. This piece of equipment is used in films from the likes of Pixar and can produce work that can be so clean cut it looks real.

In Music Videos CGI animation or alteration has become something of the norm; creating the artist into an untouchable, flawless creature. This is mainly done through the use of colour enhancements, skin perfecting, body enhancements and CGI based locations. In today’s music charts this is a vital component to creating a finished video. Society has become so dependent on the idea of aspirating for perfection, whether it’s realistic or not that the look of a video is flawed in the sense that they have become prioritising the aspiration of an unattainable image. Moreover, this creates a detrimental domino effect on the audience, often leading into low self-esteem and unsuitable idols for young girls and boys. A good example of this is the Katy Perry MV for the song ‘California Girlz’ in which her skin is flawless, such has a ‘perfect’ figure and the lighting creates an idyllic world – promoting her over sexualised image to young children.

Nonetheless, CGI in music videos does not always have a sinister effect. Gorrillaz, a British band formed in 1998 by the amazing Artist Jamie Hewlett who created the Tank Girl series of comic books and the voice of 2-D Damon Albarn. Gorrillaz have based their whole image concept on the use of CGI integration into music videos. The band members of Gorrillaz are all drawing in super flat imagery such as the art movement by Japanese Artist Takashi Murakami.  As such a fitting name was given to the frontman of Gorrillaz, ‘2D’. The lead guitarist is drawn as a small Japanese girl named ‘Noodle’, the bass is a menacing ‘sex-pest’ under the name of Murdock and the drummer is a large black man called Russell. Each of these characters has interesting personalities which is further illuminated in their extraordinary website.

As technology has improved over the years, their music videos have become significantly better and find new ways of wowing the viewers. In 2001, they released the MV for the song ’19-2000’, the video was completely CGI Animated creating a whole new world for the audience to be sucked into. In 2005, ‘Dare’ was released with a significant improvement on the integration of CGI into the real world. ‘Dare’ used technology to allow the 2D character of Noodle to interact flawlessly with the image of a real person. This effect for me meant that I felt that the characters had more of a real life (even though I know they are fake) .I felt as if the way they were presented (CGI) were the actual band. 2010 saw the release of the album Plastic Beach and the release of the MV for the song ‘Stylo’. Again in the few years, Gorrillaz had again taken a massive step forward in the presentation of the band and the use of CGI. In this video, the band members are presented in 3 dimensional animations but still retain their characteristics such as 2D’s endless black abyss like eyes.  The line between the real and animated has become that much more faded in this MV. An example of this is the road on which the car drives on, it is very hard to detect the transition between real and fake, and when seen is only briefly. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IUjtHf76wM&ob=av3e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAOR6ib95kQ&ob=av3e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhPaWIeULKk&ob=av3e