I have always been a big fan of street performances, especially the ones that do not have a huge production. You know, the ones that make you stop in your tracks while walking down a city street or some random park where the performers are just so good that you can’t believe their act wasn’t televised, or being picked up by a big-time production company. The ones I’m talking about are the B-Boys breakdancing / freestyling, drums being played on the pots and pans or garbage cans, sometimes it can be as simple as a mime making people laugh or just a random dude juggling balls. These guys have a talent, and their grabbing attention for tip money, or maybe just giving a performance for the sake of just showing off their skills, and not expecting anything in return. It’s those folks that make you realize there are still people out there doing what they love (once again) just for the hell of it, which is a trait that has began to diminish in recent times.
This is the reason why Tim Hahne’s video caught my attention, here they were leaving a shoot fot the new Mercedes R-Class with the intentions of just filming for the city life and trying to capture the essence of NYC. They came across a (“street performer”) drummer in the subway, and decided to remix his music so they could use it for the soundtrack to this video. They titled the video “The Beat of New York,” and without this remixed recorded sequence of drums, I don’t think the essence would have been acquired properly. The video turned out to be great, but the soundtrack provided the “essence.” Therefore providing proof that it’s not only the video giving the viewer pleasure but also laying down the right track in some cases that can be crucial to the signifigance of the subject. In this case that so-called remixed “street performance” made this video authentic NYC material!
Nice job guys, your work is appreciated!