Prosper

Prosper Animation Music Video
Video Produced by Wendell McShine/ Yadira Albarran Kamin
72ironmen.blogspot.com/

There is a natural synchronicity, in Mexico referred to as “Mayan Timing”, that connects my latest body of work, “La Puerta Abierta” (The Open Door) and Sheldon's song “Prosper”. The coming together of our work in this special animated music video can be seen as an emotional out pouring of healing words and visuals stitching together the delicate fabric of the human condition and Trinidadian nationalism.

I'm an artist on the international scene working on projects ranging from gallery shows, commercial campaigns and independent film productions; but when the opportunity arose to do a collaborative project with The Band 12, from my home country, I immediately jumped on board. Their songs are captivating, emotionally charged and they portray in words exactly what my work is about. It was as if I'm painting in my studio in Mexico City, Sheldon is writing lyrics in Trinidad and the only thing that is connecting us is the concept of healing our mother land. This symbiotic union is evident in the video. The words match the visuals and the visuals match the words.

I chose stop motion animation as a medium because of it's organic nature. This allowed me to explore textures and emotions. It was a physical process in which I had to put myself into the characters in order to inject their movements with their individual multidimensional spirit.

The post production of the video was purposely manipulated to give a sense of Trinidadian nostalgic warmth in a super-realistic way. Packed with a lot of color and textures the overall tone has a soft ambiance that it is compatible with the tone of Sheldon's voice and music.

Shortly after the opening sequence there's a scene of a character reading from a red copybook who I call “The Bookman” and represents Sheldon as a story teller. He's set in an eclectic environment wearing turquoise rubber slippers that represent “the soul and color of the Caribbean”.

Sheldon's lyrics, “In sickness and in health,”juxtapose a visual of a medicine man walking with a petrol lamp guiding the way amidst the backdrop of the northern range. This scene is colored using a muted purple blue haze suggesting twilight, the leaving behind of negative ways.

Emphasizing building and community is a sequence of a man repairing a rooftop, another painting a house, and a lager than life character (El Santo/The Saint) places a house onto a prospering landscape. In his chest there is a doorway (love zone) a space within our own hearts.

In choosing to give answers and not just stating problems, I created a sequence where there's a character, representing the layman, dispondent in an impoverished pineapple field. In resolving itself

a hand places the jewel star (symbol of courage) into his chest “The Love Zone” activating positive consciousness motivating the character to contribute to his community by generating fruits (Pineapples, symbol of prosperity).

The trumpet man walks across a living room painted and decorated with iconic colors and furnishings of Trinidad. The checkered vinyl floor, petrol lamp on the wall, the Cabernet that holds mami's Sunday wears, etc. elements we need to see and reflect upon to remember ourselves.

“...crash our skeletons in our closets...” is depicted by a character taking off his devil mask and turning himself into a positive member of society, the cleaning out of his closet representing transformation and prosperity.

In closing, there is an image of a granny (the “best village” icon) handing out 'heart jars' representing the higher aspects of our community. The villagers receiving these jars use them to transform negative ways by releasing healing waters into the rivers of collective consciousness.

More on Artist: 72ironmen.blogspot.com

Music: 12theband
Directors: Wendell mc Shine
Producer: Yadira Albarran kamin