Valsa das Máquinas, Paramount Têxteis from grafikonstruct on Vimeo.
Music and detail shots are the name of the game in Valsa das Maquinas, a 1.5 minute video that flies by the first time you watch it.
Made by Grafikonstruct, a multiplatform studio in Brazilian, the video syncs an original waltz composed by Lucas Lima as the viewers sees really cool images of a textile plant. Musical notes are precisely edited to the movement of machine parts that you can’t help but notice the intentionality of the musical composition.
Within the first three seconds, you’ll hear the quick strikes of piano keys match the percussion-like movements of a machine. As you hear the introduction of the full compliment of string instruments at 15 seconds, you’ll see a the textile plant’s variety of threads and strings dance back and forth.
I counted 25 shots for the 1:31 second video. All the cuts between shots are fast without any transitions.
Most of the details in each shot have shallow depths of field that are subtle, and you have to really pay attention to see what’s out of focus in each shot. That’s because the producers do a good job of making the eye focus on what’s important in each image. The machines appear to be under soft lighting. However, there are some shots with shallow depths of field, such as in the 53rd second.
The camera stays motionless in all but one of the shots as the producers let the parts do the movement. It’s only until the 23rd second, where you’ll notice a huge roll of thread unwinds, can one pick up slow camera movement to the left that must have been shot from a mounted position or the movement created in post production.
The only natural sound you’ll hear comes at the end of the video. That’s when the waltz ends and the viewers hear the sound of the last machine and see final textile product made by Collezione Paramount.
All in all, it’s simplicity and synchronization makes the experience fun to watch.
And by the way, if you’re Portuguese is not up to date, the video’s translation means “Machine’s Waltz.” My headline’s translation: Who knew machines can waltz?
This piece is a great study of how to cut on the beat, which I’d like to learn from and incorporate in my own work. It’s also a great example of how powerfully music can influence the overall tone of a piece – imagine how different the same imagery might feel with different sound design.