In today’s world of instant gratification and live streaming, Death Cab for Cutie now leads the pack in the production and release of a music video. Yesterday evening at 7pm EST director Tim Nackashi called “action!” and lead singer, lead vocalist and guitarist Ben Gibbard, got his cue to begin the music video for “You Are A Tourist,” Death Cab’s new single from Code and Keys, due out on May 31 on Atlantic Records.
As you watch the music video unfold, literally, the guitar chord lights up, naked walk-ons saunter by, and enlarged dollhouse rooms light up as bassist Nick Harmer walks on by, reinacting a touch of M.J.’s “Billie Jean.” You forget that this is a live production as the scene smoothly transitions to a modern-day Busby Berkeley synchronization, this time with ballerinas and Gibbard at the center singing, “When there’s a burning in your heart / And you think you’ll burst apart / Oh, there’s nothing to fear/ Save the tears / Save the tears / When there’s a burning in your heart.”
I expect Nackashi ran this like a director for Broadway production (but without people falling off their harnesses ala the Spider-Man musical), with rehearsals and then dress rehearsals, adding to the mix numerous cameras and their operators working with split second timing.
And when the song was done and the ballerina “tourist” dancers hit their last move, the lights came up and the crew gave themselves a well-deserved round of applause. Well done.
