The Chrome Effect.
When I was at school, which was a long time ago, long before photoshop was popular and celebrities generally did look that ugly in real life, we were taught how to use traditional methods of colouring something. You know, pens and pencils and INSANE stuff like that. Anyway, we were once taught this method of how to colour something that was ‘chrome’ which isn’t a colour but more of an effect of how to make something look shiny…(oooh shiny….) here’s how it’s done:
1. Start off with a brown bottom - these are “mountains”.
2. Add a blue “sky”
3. Add a nice white line through the middle of the ‘desert’ and there you go IT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE CHROME. See, the illusion of metal is RUINED and a thousand hearts are broken.
Moving on….
Because of this I now CANNOT UNSEE the chrome effect in every day life and it is never more apparent than in the music video. You think it’s just a band/singer performing on a sunny day in some mountains? WRONG it’s to make the backdrop look shiny, like chrome.
Lets look at some examples:
Victoria Beckham and Dane Bowers - Out of your Mind.
Some Mel C song, I can’t actually remember what it’s called now but it didn’t have loads of autotune in it. Maybe I’d have remembered if she’d have said YOU’RE OUT OF YOUR MIND.
Beyonce - Sweet Dreams. Ok, the sky’s a little dark but it’s still the effect they’re going for. Chrome at night.
Spice Girls - Say You’ll Be There
Lady Gaga and Beyonce - Telephone
Also here
Sisqo - Thong Song. May be using legs as mountains but still…
Christina - Genie In A Bottle. I know there are no mountains but she’s not having a good year and she should be included because it’s half right.
Darius - Colourblind.
Then of course there’s Miss Britney ‘I’m ON a mountain beat that bitches lol at christina not getting it right’ Spears. I’m Not a Girl Not Yet a Woman.
So hopefully now you will understand the PAIN I get when watching a music video that incorporates the Chrome Effect. It’s like “OH mountains + sky like when you have to colour in something chrome”! I get it every time I see this and it’s so sad.
…I should go to bed…
