Adam Sadowsky: How to engineer a viral music video

翻译人员: Lili Liang 校对人员: Angelia King

Hi there.

大家好。

I'm going to be talking a little bit about

我准备简单地谈一下

music, machines and life.

音乐，机器和生活。

Or, more specifically,

或者，更具体地说，

what we learned from the creation of a very large and complicated machine

从为一部音乐视频而制造的一套庞大复杂的机器中

for a music video.

我们学到了什么。

Some of you may recognize this image.

在座可能有人认得这个画面。

This is the opening frame of the video that we created.

这就是我们制作的视频开场。

We'll be showing the video at the end,

在最后我们会播放这个视频，

but before we do, I want to talk a little bit about

但是，在这之前，我想先讲讲

what it is that they wanted.

他们(OK Go)当时提出的要求。

Now, when we first started talking to OK Go --

第一次和OK Go乐队商讨的时候——

the name of the song is "This Too Shall Pass" --

这首歌的名字叫“一切都会过去”——

we were really excited because

我们当时非常兴奋因为

they expressed interest in building a machine that they could dance with.

他们表示有意制造一台机器，好让他们跟着它跳舞。

And we were very excited about this

我们听了非常兴奋，

because, of course,

因为，当然啦，

they have a history of dancing with machines.

他们有一段与机器共舞的历史。

They're responsible for this video, "Here It Goes Again."

这个视频就是他们出演的，“唉，又来了”（歌名）

50-million-plus views on YouTube.

在YouTube上获得超过五千万播放次数。

Four guys dancing on treadmills,

四个男人在跑步机上跳舞，

no cuts, just a static camera.

没有剪接，只使用了一架固定摄像机。

A fantastically viral and wonderful video.

一部令人叫绝并迅速走红的视频。

So we were really excited about working with them.

所以，能跟他们合作，我们实在是太兴奋了。

And we sort of started talking about what it is that they wanted.

接着我们开始谈到他们的具体要求。

And they explained that they wanted

他们解释说他们想要

kind of a Rube Goldberg machine.

一个类似鲁宾·戈德堡装置那样的机器。

Now, for those of you who don't know,

你们有些人没听说过

a Rube Goldberg machine

鲁宾·戈德堡装置

is a complicated contraption,

就是一套复杂而奇妙机器，

an incredibly over-engineered piece of machinery

一组令人煞费苦心制造出的机械装置

that accomplishes a relatively simple task.

只为完成一个相对简单的任务。

So we were excited by this idea,

这个设想让我们跃跃欲试，

and we started talking about

于是我们开始商量

exactly what it would look like.

这套机器该是什么样的。

And we came up with some parameters, because,

我们提出了几套方案--

you know, building a Rube Goldberg machine

要知道，制造一套鲁宾·戈德堡装置

has limitations,

是有很多局限的，

but it also is pretty wide open.

但发挥的空间也很广。

And we wanted to make sure that we did something

我们要确保我们所做的

that would work for a music video.

能在音乐视频中派上用场。

So we came up with a list of requirements,

因此我们列出了一些要求

the "10 commandments,"

称之为“十诫”，

and they were, in order of ascending difficulty:

内容如下，按难度的升序排列：

The first is "No magic."

第一条是“不玩魔术”。

Everything that happened on screen had to be

镜头里的所有东西都必须

very easily understood by a typical viewer.

让一个普通观众很轻易就能看懂。

The rule of thumb was that, if my mother couldn't understand it,

考量的标准就是，如果我的母亲看不懂，

then we couldn't use it in the video.

那么我们就不能用它。

They wanted band integration,

第二，他们要求乐队与机器合为一体，

that is, the machine acting upon the band members,

机器必须作用于乐队成员的身上，

specifically not the other way around.

而尤其不能反过来。

They wanted the machine action to follow the song feeling.

第三，他们希望机器能够跟着歌曲的感觉走。

So as the song picks up emotion,

也就是当歌曲渐入佳境，

so should the machine

机器要随着歌曲

get grander in its process.

运作规模越来越大。

They wanted us to make use of the space.

第四，他们希望我们充分利用空间。

So we have this 10,000-square-foot warehouse we were using,

于是我们使用了一间占地10000平方英尺的工房，

divided between two floors.

把它分成两层楼。

It included an exterior loading dock.

它包括一个外部装卸支架。

We used all of that, including a giant hole in the floor

我们用上了所有的空间，连地板上的一个大洞都没放过。

that we actually descended the camera and cameraman through.

我们就是通过这个洞口来升降摄像机和摄影师的。

They wanted it messy, and we were happy to oblige.

第五，场面乱成一团，这我们也非常乐意效劳。

The machine itself would start the music.

第六，机器自己会开始播放歌曲。

So the machine would get started,

这样机器就启动了，

it would travel some distance,

它会经过一段路程，

reacting along the way,

沿途进行各种反应，

hit play on an iPod or a tape deck

启动一台iPod或卡带机

or something that would start playback.

或者其它有重放功能的设备。

And the machine would maintain synchronization throughout.

第七，机器的全程运转与音乐同步进行。

And speaking of synchronization,

讲到同步进行，

they wanted it to sync to the rhythm

他们特别要求机器必须与节拍同步，

and to hit specific beats along the way.

并且全程的每一个拍子都要准确踩到位。

Okay. (Laughter)

行。（笑声）

They wanted it to end precisely on time.

第八，他们要求运作过程要准时结束。

Okay, so now the start to finish timing has to be perfect.

好，这样从开始到结束的时间就要分秒不差。

And they wanted the music to drop out

第九，他们还要求音乐暂停

at a certain point in the video

在视频中某一特定时间点上，

and actual live audio from the machine

然后由机器自带的音频来

to play part of the song.

播放歌曲的一部分。

And as if that wasn't enough,

好像这些都还不算什么，

all of these incredibly complicating things, right,

尽管以上所有要求已经极其苛刻了，对吧，

they wanted it in one shot.

他们还要求全程一镜到底。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

(掌声)

Okay.

好吧。

So, just some statistics

那么，下面这些数据

about what we went through in the process.

是从我们工作的过程中统计的。

The machine itself has

机器本身有

89 distinct interactions.

89个不同的连锁动作。

It took us 85 takes

我们演练了85次

to get it on film

为上镜头之后

to our satisfaction.

能够令人满意。

Of those 85 takes,

在这85次演练中，

only three actually successfully completed their run.

只有三次圆满完成运作。

We destroyed two pianos

我们总共弄毁了两架钢琴

and 10 televisions in the process.

和十台电视机。

We went to Home Depot well over a hundred times.

我们往家得宝超市跑了不下100趟。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And we lost one high-heeled shoe

另外我们还牺牲了一只高跟鞋。

when one of our engineers, Heather Knight,

那是当我们的一位工程师海瑟·奈特，

left her high-heeled shoe -- after a nice dinner,

落下了她的一只高跟鞋——在一顿美妙的晚餐之后，

and returned back to the build --

她回到工房——

and left it in a pile of stuff.

把鞋落在一堆杂物中。

And another engineer thought, "Well, that would be a really good thing to use"

接着另一位工程师一想，“咦，这可以派上大用场。”

and ended up using it as a really nice trigger.

最后他就把它用作一个非常棒的启动装置。

And it's actually in the machine.

它事实上就在机器中。

So what did we learn from all of this?

那么我们从中学到了什么呢？

Well, having completed this,

完成了这项工程以后，

we have the opportunity to step back and reflect

我们有机会退一步反思一下

on some of the things.

其中的一些事情。

And we learned that small stuff stinks.

我们领悟到琐碎小事会令人抓狂。

Little balls in wooden tracks

那些木制轨道上的小珠子

are really susceptible to

非常容易受

humidity and temperature and a little bit of dust,

湿气，温度，和哪怕一点灰尘的影响。

and they fall out of the tracks,

它们从轨道上滚落

the exact angles makes it hard to get right.

很难把握角度的精准度。

And yet, a bowling ball will always follow the same path.

相反，一个保龄球就总可以顺利地通过同样的路径。

It doesn't matter what temperature it is,

不管温度高低，

doesn't matter what's in its way;

不管前面有什么阻碍；

it will pretty much get where it needs to go.

它几乎都可以顺利到达目的地。

But as much as the small stuff stinks, we needed somewhere to start,

但尽管那些琐碎的小东西会让人抓狂，我们还是需要找到一个起点，

so that we would have somewhere to go.

这样才能知道该往哪走。

And so you have to start with it. You have to focus on it.

所以你必须开始动手，必须全身心投入。

Small stuff stinks,

琐碎小事让人头疼，

but, of course, it's essential, right?

但是，当然，它不可或缺，对吧。

What else? Planning is incredibly important.

还学到什么了呢？计划是至关重要的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You know, we spent a lot of time ideating

你知道，我们花了大量时间构思

and even building some of these things.

甚至做了一些模型。

It's been said that, "No battle plan

有句话说得好：“纸上谈兵

survives contact with the enemy."

不及临阵对敌。”

I think our enemy was physics --

我认为我们的敌人是物理学。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

and she's a cruel mistress.

它可是一位难伺候的主儿。

Often, we had to pull things out as a result

我们往往不得不把一些东西去掉

because of timing or aesthetics or whatever.

为了保证时间或美观性等等。

And so while planning is important, so is flexibility.

所以计划很重要，灵活性也同样重要。

These are all things that ended up

这些都是

not making it into the final machine.

没有入选最终成品的部分。

So also, put reliable stuff last,

另外，要把可靠的部分放在最后，

the stuff that's going to run every time.

也就是每次都能顺利运行的部分。

Again, small to large is relevant here.

这就与小件到大件的安排有关了。

The little Lego car in the beginning of the video

在视频开头的小乐高玩具车

references the big, real car

与视频结尾时

near the end of the video.

那辆大的真车相比，

The big, real car works every time; there's no problem about it.

大的真车每次运行都成功；没有任何问题。

The little one had a tendency to try to run off the track

但是，那架小车就很容易从轨道上溜出来，

and that's a problem.

这就成问题了。

But you don't want to have to reset the whole machine

但是你肯定不愿意因为把小车子放在最后出了岔子

because the Lego car at the end doesn't work, right.

而重置整台机器。

So you put that up front so that, if it fails,

所以你才把它放在最前面，即使它出错了，

at least you know

至少你知道

you don't have to reset the whole thing.

你不需要全部返工。

Life can be

生活可能会

messy.

乱成一团。

There were incredibly difficult moments in the building of this thing.

在建造这套机器的过程中，我们碰到过极其困难的时候。

Months were spent in this tiny, cold warehouse.

我们在这间又小又冷的工房里花了几个月的时间。

And the wonderful elation that we had

而最后我们兴高采烈地庆祝

when we finally completed it.

圆满完成任务。

So it's important to remember that whether it's good or it's bad,

所以，重要的是要记住，不管事情是好是坏，

"This Too Shall Pass."

“一切都会过去”。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

(掌声)

And now to introduce

下面请欣赏

their music video,

他们的音乐视频，

we have OK Go.

我们有请Ok Go。

OK Go: An introduction. Hello TEDxUSC.

OK Go: 自我介绍。TEDxUSC你们好。

We are OK Go.

我们是OK Go。

What are we doing? Oh, just hanging out with our Grammy. What what!

我们在做什么？哦，在把弄我们的格莱美奖杯呢。怎么样，怎么样。

It think we can do better than this. Hello TEDxUSC.

我觉得我们能做得更好。TEDxUSC你们好。

We are OK Go. Have you read the "Natural Curiosity Cabinet?"

我们是OK Go。你们读过《自然奇珍》吗？

I mean, "Curiosity" -- excuse me.

我说的是，“奇珍”--不好意思。

Let me start again.

我重来一边。

We need some more ridiculous things besides "The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities."

除了《自然奇珍》之外，我们需要一些更荒唐的东西。

Tim's sundial hat.

蒂姆的日晷帽。

Have you seen the new work they've done to the Waltz Towers?

你们见过新建的瓦尔特塔吗？

Sorry, start again.

对不起，重来。

(Barking)

(狗叫声)

Dogs.

狗来了。

Hello, TEDxUSC. We are OK Go,

TEDxUSC，你们好。我们是OK Go,

and this our new video, "This Too Shall Pass."

这是我们新的音乐视频，“一切都会过去”。

[unclear]

[不清楚]

Kay, we can still do one better I think, yeah.

凯伊，我觉得我们还能做得更好，对吧。

That one's pretty good. It's getting better.

刚才那段还不错。有进步。

(Music)

(音乐响起)

♫ You know you can't keep letting it get you down ♫

♫你知道你不该一直垂头丧气♫

♫ And you can't keep dragging that dead weight around ♫

♫你不该总背负着沉重的累赘♫

♫ If there ain't all that much to lug around ♫

♫如果没有什么让你踌躇不前♫

♫ Better run like hell when you hit the ground ♫

♫那么跌倒之后你最好拼命奔跑♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ You can't stop these kids from dancing ♫

♫你不能阻止孩子们的舞步♫

♫ Why would you want to? ♫

♫为什么要这样做呢♫

♫ Especially when you're already getting yours ♫

♫况且你已经得到了你应得的♫

♫ Cuz if your mind don't move and your knees don't bend ♫

♫如果你思想保守，不肯屈服♫

♫ Well don't go blaming the kids again ♫

♫就别再责怪孩子♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ Let it go ♫

♫都忘了吧♫

♫ This too shall pass ♫

♫一切都会过去♫

♫ Let it go ♫

♫都忘了吧♫

♫ This too shall pass ♫

♫一切都会过去♫

♫ You know you can't keep letting it get you down ♫

♫你知道你不该一直垂头丧气♫

♫ No, you can't keep letting it get you down ♫

♫不，你不该一直垂头丧气♫

♫ Let it go ♫

♫都忘了吧♫

♫ This too shall pass ♫

♫一切都会过去♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

♫ When the morning comes ♫

♫当清晨来临时♫

(Cheering)

(热烈欢呼)