Well on top of the incredible response to our new album Sleep Sound we've also had our little socks well and truly blown off by this video made by Chris Gregory (AKA MrFurrball) and sent over to us yesterday. He's clearly got some talent and some time to kill. Watch and marvel as we have!
A few words from Chris:
"Like all things Hope and Social this started out from a simple comment on Twitter from @jiffyjen last Thursday (12th):
I can't help but picture the pianist from the muppets at the intro to #rollingsideways #sleepsound. Anyone else? Probably not!
And so a seed was sown!
That night was spent trawling YouTube for Muppet videos that could maybe provide the required clips to put these thoughts into moving pictures. The 1st result, a whole 18 seconds can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVwUAzxHy3s. This was shown to a select few at the album launch and the response was such that it had to be finished - a fact further reinforced when the band were shown it the next day!
And so it began!
The ingredients for this little creation?
Several late nights - I think it took about 24 hours over 4 evenings/nights.
3 source videos
Turned into 111 individual clips which were then used as they were, slowed down, or sped up as required and combined using a piece of software I had never used before (Cyberlink Power Director if anyone is interested!)
Probably thousands of listens to Rolling Sideways (some sections as short as a second or two repeatedly to try and get the sync as close as possible)
And of course the magic ingredient, copious abounts of cider!!!
Oh, and a very understanding girlfriend!
Initially the plan was to just try and get the movements with the thought that trying to get any sort of lip sync would just be too difficult. This turned out not to be the case, and indeed in some instances the clips fitted so well by accident (the bah bah bah at about 1m34 probably being the best example of this), that is was decided to try and do it through the whole of the video.
The look to the camera from Rowlf was originally in the video at a different place as a filler between two clips that did not fit and only ended up where it did after a better fitting clip was substituted in its place. On watching through following this edit it just seemed to work so well it stayed!
Finally, special mention should also go to @scottishpenguin for her assistance in making this, and also for the fact that she did not really get any proper time with me during its production!"
Thanks to all who have made the last week of gigs such a joy...we're overwhelmed by the audience turn out and response to the new material. And the Muppets. Incredible. Onward onward...
