When YouTube selected Spike Jonze to organize its first annual music awards, the renegade director threw out all the clich s. Jonze selected a cavernous warehouse to displace the usual theater space as the event venue, and dispensed with the red carpet roll ups. The evening's hosts were tasked to improvise in lieu working off a script; and, rather than staging a series of typical musical performances, the show featured the filming of live music videos by enormous names such as Lady Gaga and Arcade Fire. At the end of the evening, directing collective Syndrome delivered an earth-shattering grand finale: the video of a debut single by Eminem, created live in one take before the show's audience.
In a riveting pop-cultural moment, the iconoclastic rapper, who has worked on many projects with Syndrome in the past, delivered an intense, first-time performance of the six-minute epic Rap God. The song comprises six wildly different historic rap styles that at once encapsulates the pantheon of hip-hop and forcefully asserts Eminem's status as a leader in the music game.
This was easily one of the most intense performances Eminem has ever given, states Syndrome Director James Larese. The live filming of music videos on this scale has never been done before. We had no way of knowing what was going to happen, but it was absolutely awesome.
Syndrome spent weeks preparing to live-direct the shoot. Using just four cameras aimed at the performer, the team blocked various angles and shots to identify the optimal positions for capturing the interplay of the strobe effects with the dramatic half-black, half-white stage. During the show, a live crew in an edit truck cut to pre-determined angles throughout the performance, delivering the live edited music video to the audience as it was filmed.
The idea is to create all these little moments that would normally take hours to capture, and synch them up in one take, live, continued Larese. It was an enormously ambitious undertaking and there was no one we would have rather had behind the wheel than Spike Jonze. It was so amazing to watch him do the blocking for Arcade Fire and Lady Gaga. He is so approachable, so supportive, so eager to try new ideas, so forgiving of mistakes. He also fiercely resisted budget constraints from show organizers, delivering a rare thing in production: an open, budget-less frontier where we can simply create.
Syndrome most recently partnered with Eminem on a music video and spot for Call of Duty: Ghosts. Prior collaborations include music videos for Berzerk, Crack A Bottle, and 3AM, and an additional spot for Beats by Dre. Shady Records realized that this is more than just pointing the camera and recording - it's feeling the artist out and catching who he is and what he does, which is very specific, explained Syndrome EP Monica Blackburn. There is a level of trust that we've developed by nurturing this relationship over a long period of time.
The 90-minute YouTube awards aired Sunday, November 3 from Pier 36 in New York City.
Credits:
Client: YouTube
Artist: Eminem
Segment: Rap God
Creative Directors: Spike Jonze & Chris Milk
Director: Syndrome
Art Director: KK Barrett
DP: Chris Blauvelt
Producer: Cisco Newman
About Syndrome:
Syndrome is an award-winning design and live-action directing studio. From concept to completion, we bring original ideas to life. Utilizing skillful and inventive in-house talent, we integrate our individual creative expertise to find imaginative solutions to complex projects, pushing boundaries wherever possible. Our diverse experience working in multiple forms of media allows us to serve creative agencies, production companies, major networks and studios.
Clients of Syndrome have a wide-range of content requests, from elegant to explosive, and with a strong team built of varied experiences, we bring a broad spectrum of capabilities to the creative table. Our focus is strategizing, conceptualizing and delivering striking aesthetics in order to communicate the most effective messages possible.
Syndrome was launched as an art and installation-driven collective in 2002, in the heart of Los Angeles, by artists Micah Hancock, James Larese, and Mars Sandoval. Along with executive producer Monica Blackburn they evolved into an innovative and bold collaboration of creative synergy. A decade later, Syndrome continues to expand and reinvent its visual and technological repertoire in the ever-evolving world of entertainment.
###
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
05/05/2024
A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...
05/05/2024
Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....
05/05/2024
WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...
05/05/2024
Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...
05/05/2024
NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
When YouTube selected Spike Jonze to organize its first annual music awards, the renegade director threw out all the clich s. Jonze selected a cavernous warehouse to displace the usual theater space as the event venue, and dispensed with the red carpet roll ups. The evening's hosts were tasked to improvise in lieu working off a script; and, rather than staging a series of typical musical performances, the show featured the filming of live music videos by enormous names such as Lady Gaga and Arcade Fire. At the end of the evening, directing collective Syndrome delivered an earth-shattering grand finale: the video of a debut single by Eminem, created live in one take before the show's audience.
