KANYE WEST FLASHING LIGHTS MUSIC VIDEO 2046 EDIT VERSION

GRADUATION ALBUM LISTENING EXPERIENCE PT. 6 - FLASHING LIGHTS from kwest on Vimeo.

Here's a re-edited version of Kanye West's Flashing Lights music video. Wong Kar Wai fans will know that the video footage is from the Chinese director's noir film 2046. We're fans of Spike Jonze's films and music videos but we do prefer this new 2046 edit to the official version Kanye West co-directed with Spike Jonze. Watch the original cut of the music video below.

We were lucky enough to visit Kanye during his N.Y and L.A. studio sessions while he was recording his multi platinum albums The College Dropout and Late Registration.

In fact, Kanye recorded shout outs to the iconic clan of music video directors like Hype Williams,  Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze during early recording sessions that never made the final cut on Late Registration. Kanye West expressed his excitement to work with this visionary group of directors who changed the music video genre.

We agree with Paul Moore who has an insightful perspective on the cost effectiveness of this new music video. Our guess is that Kanye has probably now learned the lesson that a person doesn't need to spend a fortune to have a great music video.

However, we must argue that the content was most likely not used illegally because the re-use of the material is great for the film's director and distributor.  Wong Kar Wai's  futuristic film 2046 was only seen in theaters and on the festival circuit by arthouse cinephiles like ourselves during it's theatrical release.  Now the movie can be discovered on DVD and enjoyed by Kanye West's fans as a pop culture masterpiece of it's day.  We recommend renting 2046. The movie is a perfect example of director Wong Kar Wai's fearless vision as a director. The film also showcases beautiful production design by William Chang Suk Ping and cinematography by frequent Wong Kar Wai collaborator Chris Doyle. 

If 2046 was used "illegally," that means an amazing music video cost Kanye the price of a smart editor's day rate. Halfway through the video it was obvious Wong Kar Wai’s footage made the original Spike Jonze video–which Kanye and Co. probably paid a small fortune for–obsolete. I immediately tried to investigate whether or not the rights holders for 2046 had sanctioned the use of the footage, but I found nothing. If it was used “illegally,” that means an amazing music video cost Kanye the price of a smart editor’s day rate. source

Comments

[1minutefilmreview]

Nice. We're fans of Wong Kar Wai too.