Only 100 Years

Again, I was at the gym and I was watching Ellen and music videos simultaneously. What stuck with me today was not the humor in Ellen like she normally does, but it was in a music video that I have seen many times that I watched during the commercial. I have always loved the song, but I guess I had never enjoyed the creation of this video until this time I watched it.

The video was Five for Fighting's "100 years," and I couldn't help but analyze it like a geek and think of all of the ways that it was filmed and how John Ondrasik just sits there at his piano most of the time. I thought of how his life is passing him by why he keeps doing what he is doing, but that in each of the phases of his life, something different is important to him. At 33, he is in the beginning of his family and worried about time getting the better of him. The song is about him telling his 15-year-old self to take the time he has and make good with it.

I just loved the message of the song, but the way it was filmed was so simple and powerful to me and above all-- genuine. I didn't feel like this one was produced, I felt like someone caught John in his element, creating his music and sharing his true feelings. That proves that it was well produced! I could use this in a directing unit, for inquiry about what kinds of choices were made visually to tell his story. I could use it to talk about each of the roles that his character plays- that a character will grow over time and make some changes.

Here is the link to the video if you wanted to watch it: http://sonybmg.com/musicbox/video/fiveforfighting/
(click on "100 Years")