Going Direct to video?

Tweet

I’m looking at a music promo this week for Pendulum’s “Salt in the Wounds.” Not strictly an official music video, this interactive 360 video follows the band members on a journey to a derelict building to battle an unknown force.

Pros
This video has a voyeuristic quality to it, with the viewer being able to look around the scene and take in the unfolding story with a heightened sense of involvement.
The set up of shot and lack of tinting on the shots give a first person view, allowing the viewer to become increasingly drawn into the action.

Cons
However, it seems with this piece that I was rushed, with little attention paid to the storyline itself. This is disappointing as there was so much potential to have a larger more substantial narrative to this. It sadly seems as though the technology is being used for gimmicky effect.
The obvious visual theme and set up to pay homage to the ever popular landscapes of the Call of duty game series, it lacks the epic feel with the band members simply shooting at this unknown ball of badly generated green graphics from one spot, not to mention the poorly constructed frame setting.

This could have been directed in a much more exciting kinetic way to match Pendulum’s style. They could have at least MOVED– it makes me mad, WHY IS THIS SO BAD!!!
It isn’t even as if they had too little time to work with the song. The actual recording is just over 7 minutes. This promo lasts less than 4 and a half! Prime example of not working with a full canvas. In fairness, this could possibly be explained by the cost of producing a 360 video.


To End...
Believe me, I am the last to be actually wanting to put this down, with immersive new technology, and a quest element for fans to discover a code within the video to unlock the full version of the track in a free download, (xtrkaz for those that cant be bothered to look!) this could have been a ground breaker, instead it left me wanting to have never seen it and replace the memory with their amazing set at Birmingham’s NIA Arena last winter.