"When Miss Moon lays down/And Sir Sun stands up/Me I'm found floating round and round/Like a bug in brandy/In this big bronze cup/Drowning here in summer's cauldron."
Summer vay-kay is here, and, much as it pains us to crawl from the hammock, making sure not to spill a precariously perched Bloody Mary, we have indeed returned to share nectar from our voluminous video flower patch.
How's the weather where you are? Here at TikiKiti HQ (let me just bring up the satellite view) the forecast is topical with a chance of pain, followed by darkness when the sun goes down.
You may have noticed two months worth of awards in this post. Since we tend to get fewer submissions during these balmy summer days, we're really doing our best to keep our inventory fresh and up to date. So while the boss is paragliding in Paraguay, it's up to you and me to separate the wheat from the chaff.
For this installment, we have two winning videos, the first is for May and the second for June. Congratulations to both artists for superior work. Keep your eyes peeled for the arrival of the mailman bearing your Barclay Trophy.
(Note: Some video from this Top-5 have been removed from YouTube™ and consequently, cannot be shown here.)
1. Producer: Will Lucas
Artist: Arianna Grande
Song: "Sometimes"
Category: Narrative
We were fooled along with everyone else! What opens as a simple meet-cute bit of romantic fluff, evolves into cloak-and-dagger escapades and intrigue. Very robust visual storytelling and sensible use of metaphor imagery, e.g., mousetraps, fishing lures, board games.
2. Producer: Kathryn Jankowski
Artist: Solomon Wilbur
Song: "Show Me Love"
Category: Narrative
More suppressed female rage is unleashed as a trio of overworked paper-pushers try to smash through the glass ceiling while simultaneously realizing their jobs pretty much suck. That's a powerfully unsettling message.
3. Producer: RaymondisLazy
Artist: Mac Miller
Song: "Wings"
Category: Vérité
Mesmerizing and provocative travel imagery of Bangkok set to Mac Miller's moody beats and subdued soul crooning. Both big pictures and little pictures are worth equal time.
4. Producer: Mikel Arraiz
Artist: Neon Palms
Song: "Kiss Me Malibu"
Category: Narrative
And finally, how about a gorgeously filmed but feverishly grotesque examination of mating rituals and the cultures that foster them as a necessary evil. Like we don't have enough to worry about!Until next time, campers! Keep those creative candles burning.
