Maybe I love this because I recently went to the World's Largest Kaleidoscope. Maybe it's because it reminds me a bit of those old Mad Magazine fold-ins. Most likely it's because this video is pretty darn clever and fun. Director Keith Schofield does a much better job explaining the details of this trippy gem for Minus The Bear than we ever could, so we put him to work.
Keith Schofield, director: "I've seen the 'mirrored split screen' effect in a bunch of videos — most noticeably U2's 'Mysterious Ways' — but my idea was to do a twist on the premise, which fell into three categories:
- Crossing the Line: Where performers leap from one side to the next.
- Differences: Where the shot appears the same; but then a difference emerges. This was done by running the> shot twice and then compositing.
- Tracking: Where a specific point (like a guitar fret) becomes the line, and the performer's movement dictates where the line goes.
We shot on the HVX in 16:9, using only half the frame (usually centered). Most shots were locked off; the movement was added in post. I think half the crew never understood what we were doing. When you see it finished, it makes sense. But on set, we were shooting limes placed on the floor and a guy boxing a piece of wood.
The 'upside down eyes' section at around 2:50 is an idea I recycled from an older (rejected) concept. It's an optical illusion called the Thatcher Effect. It's created by turning a face upside down and then cutting out the eyes and mouth, and turning them right-side up. We're not used to seeing faces upside down, so we have a hard time noticing that things are actually off-kilter. It's only when this distorted face is rotated that we see something is creepily wrong." --> watch "Knights"
Minus The Bear "Knights" (Suicide Squeeze)
Keith Schofield, director/editor | Steven Johnson, producer | Factory Features, production co | Tyson Wisbrock, DP
