This year began with he same impetus as last year ended; with AI music videos making all the headlines. Here at TikiKiti we could see the code on the monitor screen — we needed to be involved. Our rating system had to be adaptable enough to account for the changes. We look at the overall 1) production quality; 2) creativity and performance, and 3) Editing. Numbers 1 and 2 are idiosyncratic, but it’s number 3 that is more involved and includes a degree of prowess and dexterity. Looking for this skill in the AI music video is what led us Directors Notes and their highlight of Patrick Hanser and his music video using AI.
What we found in this video is a producer focused and adept at editing. With his unique idea — creating a video to resemble the painting styles of Picasso and Kandinsky. We don’t know what led to him using actual video, but it was the correct decision. This is the foundation of his concept, and proved to be what made this one of the most definitive and ground breaking videos of the year. In fact, some of the best videos we see every day are made from in the same fashion as this video.
Here is Patrick Hanser and Bacará with “Cores” — the winner of the Barclay Award for Spring 2023.
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As always, the difference between videos in our top five for Spring was a difference of fractions.
With all the press about AI TikiKiti has not stopped highlight the good real-life music video. Here Anastasia Volkovskaya (Анастасия Волковская) shows us what a music video should be — a dance through her day including her apartment, the subway, and all over the town — all to The Doors, “Take It As It Comes” — never missing a beat. Her humor and playfulness are infectious. Just try to watch this just once.
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Everyday we see news of one drug or the next making headlines. Here Pablo Pinasco show us what being overly medicated is really like. This dreamy video matches perfectly the tone of “Xanny” by Billie Eilish. When learning more about Mr. Pinasco we discovered his other works including his video to “Saturday” by Loo Monetti. Since your there might as well check out his other works.
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Taking a side trip to a David Lynch-like film we have Eli Staub Films bringing us “Freak on a Leash” by Korn. From USC Film & TV Production, he exorcises his demons with some crazy good editing while never losing site the music that is driving this video.
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Mike Rhine has been busy this year. All through Spring he published five videos. Here is a consummate professional — his performances, camera work, and editing are not just consistently good but brilliant. Four of his five videos made our Top-10 throughout the season. Even though only one made the top five award candidates, we have to share the others here as well. Here “Comedown” by Grabbitz, “It's Gonna Be Me” by N’Sync, “Replay” by Fairlane, and in our Spring awards top five is “If I Came Back Home” by Grabbitz.
