How was this done? Any ideas?

[Gerard V]

I just watched this vid on Google Video and wondered how they filmed those really fast camera angle changes. Are they really moving the camera at that speed or it is some kind of digital effect? Anyone know?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7453149804843990972&q=okgo

[Mug Funky]

smacks of CG and/or motion-interpolation (morphing :)).

probably the easiest way to duplicate this is to slow the music riiiiiiiight down, get the actors to play along at that speed, then move the camera normally.

then you can simply speed the lot up in post :)

btw, this is also how boy bands get their dance moves so tight - they play the song back slow and dance normally, then speed up in post.

my favourites are music videos where the singer is moving forward in a backward world. they have to learn the song backwards and mime to that :)

[2Bdecided]

It could be optical flo (or a cheap version of it!).

e.g. Snell and Wilcox worked on the effects in The Matrix...

http://www.fxguide.com/article333.html

Cheers,
David.

[Doobie]

As crude as it is, they might just be panning through multiple cameras. The rapid panning would be due to lack of sufficient cameras for smooth pans at lower speeds.

[Gerard V]

I had thought of the multiple camera idea (as used for flo-mo in the Matrix), but discounted it because some of the pans travel a long way and it would require a much more complex management of the band and extras to film the clip. Then again - I am often surprised at the lengths directors will go to to get just the right shot.

In this case I suspect some kind of software interpolation as suggested in prior posts. Maybe with additional cameras to provide accurate references on some of the longer pans.

@2Bdecided. Your article seems to describe the kind of software treatment I am expecting.

Still looking for a definitive answer.

[dbloom]

Even with an ideal multiple camera setup, a lot of postprocessing is needed to make the effect look convincing (as it does in the Matrix).
Here's a music video that was shot in a dome lined with literally hundreds of cameras without any postprocessing: http://youtube.com/watch?v=sk9BlTx3H98

[int10h]

Olivier Gondry confessed that he used 28 cameras to shoot that clip.

[Gerard V]

@dbloom and @int10h

Putting your posts together gives the answer. The video dbloom gave has much the same effects and the technology clearly shown. Add in the "28 cameras" and the OKGO clip is well explained. I'm a bit sad that it was done with a brute force multi camera approach rather than some new and exciting digital video processing effect. But now at least I know.

Thanks everyone for your contributions.

[int10h]

Playing it frame by frame, you can see the camera changes on the vertical scan in the begining.

[quake74]

Olivier Gondry confessed that he used 28 cameras to shoot that clip.

OT: Is Olivier related to Michel? I know Michel Gondry but never heard of Oliver...

[int10h]

Yes, Olivier is Michel's brother.