Sometimes you get lucky and the intuitive shuffle gets it just right on the playlist. One of my favorite study station go-to's on Spotify is "Feel Good indie rock". That's where I first got introduced to Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, though they've been around for some time. They have gotten some attention commercially on television's Mad Men, for a teaser. Specifically with this song.
40 Day Dream, comes from the band's first full length album: “Up From Below”
Release Date: 14
July 2009
Running Length:
13 tracks
Running Time:
56:58
Music Video
40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Running Time: 6:17
Genre: Indie folk, folk rock, neo-psychedelia
Style: Combination story (Narrative & Conceptual)
Key Moments for Camera Work:
The camera is in constant motion, following
the story of the central character (Alex Ebert AKA Edward Sharp) from different perspectives. The nature which surrounds the cast, is an identifiable character of the story as well. There are sweeping panning shots, primarily
of scenery. This gives a greater sense
of their surroundings.
There are hardly if any static moments: 18, is a tight shot which sets
tone for story (waiting).
I’m going to break down some moments of the video
from an artistic perspective. In a nutshell
though, what you will get a sense of is the usage of scenery, camera movement
and body motion to replicate the sounds you will hear in the song. It keeps the story moving along
intelligently. There are some obvious parts that we expect in most media, but
then there are some subtly that you have to connect *(note below 3:39).
Shot 1
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Shot 2
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Shot 3
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Shot 4
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Shot 5
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Shot 6
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Shot 7
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|
Marker
|
:18
|
:53
|
1:09
|
1:20
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2:04
|
2:38
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2:58
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Color
|
Natural/
Saturated
|
Warm/
Saturated
|
Natural/
De.Sat.
|
Warm/
Saturated
|
Warm/
De.Sat.
|
Warm/ De.Sat.
|
Warm/
Saturated
|
Shape
|
V&H
|
V&H
|
V&H
|
Silhouette
V&H
|
V&H
|
V&H
|
V&H
|
Line
|
Diag.
|
H
|
Layered H
w/ V
|
H&V
|
Layered
H&V
|
Layered H
w/ V
|
Diag. w H
|
Tone
|
Rich
/High
Intensity
|
Rich
/High
Intensity
|
Muted/
Light
|
Defused /
Grainy
|
Defused /
Grainy
|
Muted/
Light
|
Rich/High
Intensity
Center:
Defused /
Grainy
|
Light
|
Low Key
|
Hard
|
Natural?
|
Back
|
Low Key
Lighting/ filter or diffuser?
|
Low Key
|
Key
|
Rhythm
|
Static
|
Mod.
|
Mod-Fast
|
Mod.
|
Fast
|
Mod.
|
Mod.
|
Shot 1 Shot 2
Shot 3 Shot 4
Shot 7 Shot 8
Shot 8
|
Shot 9
|
Shot 10
|
Shot 11
|
Shot 12
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Shot 13
|
|
Marker
|
3:30
|
4:01
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4:09
|
4:15
|
4:25
|
5:55
|
Color
|
Cool
|
Cool/ Bright
|
Warm/
Sharp
|
Natural/
De.Sat.
|
Cool
|
Warm/
Saturated
|
Shape
|
V&H
|
V&H
|
V&H
|
Silhouette V&H
|
Silhouette V&H
|
|
Line
|
V&H
|
Diag. w H
|
Layered H&V
|
Curved:
H&V
|
Curved: V&H
|
Layered H w/ V
|
Tone
|
Defused
|
Rich
/High
Intensity
|
Rich
/High
Intensity
|
Light/
High
Intensity
|
Fully Saturated
W/ Bright Intensity
|
Saturated W/Diffusion
|
Light
|
Low Contrast
|
Natural?
|
Natural?
|
Key
|
Back
|
Back
|
Rhythm
|
Mod.
|
Mod.
|
Slow
|
Mod-
Fast
|
Slow
|
Slow
|
Shot 13
Notable Moments:
Notable Moments:
Not key moments per se, but the use of obvious artistic transitions
were used. For example, at 1:08, a blanket is used to cover the
lens of the camera overhead, and revealed into a new scene. 1:58, a close-up of a camp-fire, takes
the viewer from day to night. 2:26, tight
upper-angle shot of arms raised over-head, clapping out the beat of the music. This happens again at 3:21, this time the beat is articulated by the stomping of feet, even
closer in frame.
The song has repeats a chant in parts, notable at 3:39, visually, the people in the video
are not chanting. However, they are now
walking in a huddled group. The central
character is worn and evidently wearier than his companions. They help him
along.
Interpretation:
Does the video follow the story of the song or
reinterpret it in a new way?
The lyrics and the video both show
a man who is following a woman. In the video, there are scenes that depict the highs
and lows. The desert, and all its
vastness and uncertainty, can very much be indicative of any relationship.
Moments the female lead seem to be showing him great attention, later, indifference.
She reassures him, all along that she
knows the way. This is about “newish”
love. While the video itself is “far-out” in a trippy kind of way, it presses on
the vein of being blind in the throes of fresh beginnings, and so, stays
relatable.
The late 1960’s vibe from this
Indie Rock genre has a dream-like quality that the era was known for. Yet this
could have gone in so many directions! This was complete artistic fantasy. It reads like two soldiers that somehow found
their way in the desert, and survived by saving grace / native woman.
Flashbacks and delusions persist, and the soldiers are there to go along with
the “magical mystery” of it all. It
parallels well with the lyrics:
Well, I been sleeping for forty days
and I know
I'm sleeping 'cause this dream's too amazing
She got gold doorknobs where her eyes used to be, yeah
One turn and I learned what it really means to see
It's the magical mystery kind, must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oh no, I could die
Oh, now I can die
Hey, I been sleeping for sixty days
And nobody better pinch me,bitch
I swear I'll go crazy
She got jumper cable lips
She got sunset on her breath now
I'm sleeping 'cause this dream's too amazing
She got gold doorknobs where her eyes used to be, yeah
One turn and I learned what it really means to see
It's the magical mystery kind, must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oh no, I could die
Oh, now I can die
Hey, I been sleeping for sixty days
And nobody better pinch me,
She got jumper cable lips
She got sunset on her breath now
I inhaled just a little bit
Now I got no fear of death now
It's the magical mystery kind, must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oh no, I could die
Oh, now I can die
It's the magical mystery kind, must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oh no, I could die
Oh, now I can die
Lyrics Written by: Edward Sharp
