The Celluloid Roll

by: Justin Liberman

Music has always been a corner stone in my creative process. I often listen to music and create play lists while I am working on the development of a new film. Often, a song can express a thought or feeling I am trying to communicate better than my words. When I am faced with that I listen to said song on repeat and write in a stream of consciousness till I am satisfied with the text. It's a trick of my trade.

My love for music has always been paramount in my life. From my earliest memories of listening to oldies in the back seat of our families car to my adolescence obsession with Pink Floyd, music was something I have always appreciated and understood. Last week however, I received a lesson and a demonstration of a redefinition of music, It came from the hands and mouths of Radiohead.

Having liked Radiohead for many years now, I never had the chance to see them live. Their music came to me in various waves throughout their career and my life. Creep was a constant on my grunge mix tapes on the mid 90's and OK Computer intrigued me with its electronic eeriness. Random songs from their Kid A album spoke to me and their sophomore effort The Bends had enough rock and roll in it that I ate it all up. It wasn't till I uncovered their B Side "Talk Show Host" that I became a true believer though. Their devilishly sexy telling of a tragic school shooting had ever fiber of my being on it's edge. The telling just came out, consumed me and coursed its way through my body. Their latest effort In Rainbows has absolutely infested my life. Not since Pink Floyd's Animals has a record spoken to me and stayed with me for so long. The album is rich in tone and aesthetic alike. To me, every song is a masterpiece that successfully portraits a vision and journey of the musicians.

Consuming, intoxicating, sexy, lucid, and remarkable are just a few words that can describe their live show last week in Massachusetts. Having scored amazing seats 26 rows back, dead center, I felt as if I was drowning in a pool of colors. Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway put on one the greatest shows I have ever seen. (David Bowie's Greek Theater show in LA is still my #1) A musician's creativity has never been more clear on stage than Jonny Greenwood's. His ability to create vivid, dense musical worlds for Yorke's angelic voice is an exercise is musicianship. All of the member possess total command over their instruments/worlds. It was a flawless show. Not to mention their lighting and visual design was easily the most creative and exotic I have ever seen on stage. With dozens of long prisms hanging from above, Radiohead looked like they were swimming in a vortex of colors and glass. A four panel teleprompter behind them danced with psychedelic design and avant-garde photography. It was a mind trip like I have never had before. Pure psychedelic punched up with crystal rock and roll sung by a crooked eyed angel.

I took some photos and videos that I want to share with you all. I hope they do the show justice for those who were their. It was a real incredible experience shared and recognized by everyone in the audience. I have never witnessed such camaraderie among concert goers before. Even the drunkards, stoners, and freaks had an communal electricity to them. It was fucking awesome.






Usually I end each post with a bit of advice or musing on cinema. This week, I wanted to share with you a little project that I am incredibly proud of. This video below was shot in Buenos Aires, Argentina in April. I was down there directing second unit for an American Express commercial and shot the following video with help from Antony Hoffman, Maria Alvarez, and Arturo Gigante. Having been strongly influenced by Radiohead's In Rainbows and even more so by the album's final track, Videotape, this project is my best effort to visualize the song's intent. I love it like a junky loves his junk.

Enjoy.