Cannes Lions

Gosh

ICONOCLAST, Culver City / JAMIE XX / 2017

Presentation Image
Film
Film

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Description

The music video follows an albino demagogue and his followers - a battalion of children trained in Kungfu - as he leads them to an enigmatic symbol representing many things - globalization, individualism, cultural appropriation, religion, and much more. The 400 some kunfu kids all have matching hair and outfits and move in perfect sync. The choreography creative visual patterns such as a whirlpool or waterfall down steps to mesmerize the audience. The video aims to draw attention to China, and to the iconography of the west in a neither positive nor negative light. The film is metaphorical but also aims to show audiences the world as it is real and beautifully strange. No CGI was used in order to call attention to that fact. Above all, the film aims to interpret the great song created by Jamie XX.

Execution

The film followed the release of Jamie XX's album In Colour released May 29th 2015. The video itself was shot over a year later in March of 2016 the film was originally commissioned in the winter of 2016. It released to the public in October of 2016.

It had an exclusive release on Apple Music - for which the viewership statistics are confidential and was later posted to youtube. The film was also programmed on networks around the world for various music related content.

Produced by Iconoclast the film was led by four Iconoclast executive producers, one of whom acted as an overall producer of the project - Roman Pichon-Herrera. He commanded a crew of about 30 in China and some 300 talent. They spent two weeks in china doing rehearsals with the dancers and preparing production.

A behind the scenes film can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6CH18yyQyE

Outcome

With the goal of reaching a worldwide audience the film drew attention and streaming from nearly all countries in the world. It was reposted and shared by a number of news organizations and cultural outlets.

The video also reinvigorated the "Gosh" song and pushed it back onto the charts helping Jamie XX collect the following awards.

The Guardian The Best Albums of 2015 - 2015 - Rank17

NME NME's Albums of the Year 2015 Rank - 3

Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2015 - Rank 2

Readers' Top 50 Albums Rank - 4

Billboard25 Best Albums of 2015: Critics' Picks - Rank - 6

Rough Trade Albums of the Year 2015 - Rank 10

Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2015- Rank - 11