In 2004, as part of Panasonic’s Ten Short Movies – Capture the Motion series for the 2004 Summer Olympics, music director Nagi Noda made this: An exercise video both man and his best friend could do together.
The film is a word-for-word parody of Susan Powter’s first workout video except the video’s instructor is dressed in a body suit giving her the appearance of having muscles shaped like the fur of a groomed poodle dog. Exercising with her in the video are six actors dressed in dog costumes, with actual live dogs’ heads superimposed over their real heads. Nagi Noda, in her artist’s statement, explained that she arrived at the poodle concept after noticing that the dogs’ hair cuts resembled muscles. She believed that this concept would help her video appeal to people of all ages.
We’re already feeling fit this weekend.
Noda, who rose to fame directing creatively whack videos, including music videos for Cut Copy and The Scissor Sisters’ She’s My Man, passed away on Sept 7, 2008, after ongoing complications related to a bad car accident last year that resulted in chronic pain.
The 35-year-old Japanese director had also directed a TV commercial for Coca-Cola featuring Jack White of the White Stripes, and another too-cool-for-weird video for her fellow countryman, singer Yuki and her video, Sentimental Journey, featuring analogue clones. That’s enough surreal for one day. Rest in peace, Nagi Noda!
