Michel Gondry’s new movie, Be Kind Rewind is making waves, and not just in the cinemas. A quick search in Youtube shows the growing popularity of “sweded” videos: cheap, homemade videos parodying/paying homage to popular movies, just like the characters in the movie (Jack Black and Mos Def) do. Sweded videos are characterised by tacky props, exaggerated acting and DIY soundtracks.
What exactly is sweding? This is taken from Be Kind Rewind’s Youtube channel:
Sweding is taking something you like and remaking it from scratch by mixing it with other things you like. You can use whatever you can get your hands on, everyday things and items like technology and stuff. Then when you’re finished you have a new thing, an awesome thing. It’s not the same as the thing it was, but a better thing based on the old thing.
It’s putting you into the thing you love – That’s Sweding.
So a Sweded movie is a re-imagining of your favourite film, trailer or scene, made lovingly by yourselves using anything that you might have at hand. It doesn’t matter if it’s short, in fact the shorter the better, it’s easier and funnier that way.
The cool thing about sweding is that pretty much anyone can do it, no one is expecting you to make something that is exactly like the original (in fact, it’s pretty boring if you do) and coupling that with people’s love for movies, it’s instantly a great idea. Heck, I feel like creating my own sweded video now.
Has this sweding phenomenon helped boost box office sales for the movie? Perhaps not. But will it inspire more user-generated content? I say yes, and rather happily too, because we can never get enough creativity in this world.
And I daresay that Michel Gondry had a more noble purpose when he decided to direct the movie – to inspire everyone to be able to make a film, and to make a film theirs, and then to share it with their friends. Ah, the beauty of the read write web…
Michel Gondry, on sweding:
“…how to make a movie with yourself, for yourself. Doesn’t have to be good, it’s not a competition …and if it works, then people can watch a new movie every month and have a party.”
Here’s Edward Scissorhands sweded. It’s pretty funny, and if you’re so inclined you can check out more videos on Youtube (notable mention for Terminator 2: Low Budgment Day)
[Thanks to E for telling me about this.]
