Hi there. I'm going to be talking a little bit about music, machines and life. Or, more specifically, what we learned from the creation of a very large and complicated machine for a music video. Some of you may recognize this image. This is the opening frame of the video that we created. We'll be showing the video at the end, but before we do, I want to talk a little bit about what it is that they wanted.
大家好。 我准备简单地谈一下 音乐,机器和生活。 或者,更具体地说, 从为一部音乐视频而制造的一套庞大复杂的机器中 我们学到了什么。 在座可能有人认得这个画面。 这就是我们制作的视频开场。 在最后我们会播放这个视频, 但是,在这之前,我想先讲讲 他们(OK Go)当时提出的要求。
Now, when we first started talking to OK Go -- the name of the song is "This Too Shall Pass" -- we were really excited because they expressed interest in building a machine that they could dance with. And we were very excited about this because, of course, they have a history of dancing with machines. They're responsible for this video, "Here It Goes Again." 50-million-plus views on YouTube. Four guys dancing on treadmills, no cuts, just a static camera. A fantastically viral and wonderful video. So we were really excited about working with them. And we sort of started talking about what it is that they wanted. And they explained that they wanted kind of a Rube Goldberg machine.
第一次和OK Go乐队商讨的时候—— 这首歌的名字叫“一切都会过去”—— 我们当时非常兴奋因为 他们表示有意制造一台机器,好让他们跟着它跳舞。 我们听了非常兴奋, 因为,当然啦, 他们有一段与机器共舞的历史。 这个视频就是他们出演的,“唉,又来了”(歌名) 在YouTube上获得超过五千万播放次数。 四个男人在跑步机上跳舞, 没有剪接,只使用了一架固定摄像机。 一部令人叫绝并迅速走红的视频。 所以,能跟他们合作,我们实在是太兴奋了。 接着我们开始谈到他们的具体要求。 他们解释说他们想要 一个类似鲁宾·戈德堡装置那样的机器。
Now, for those of you who don't know, a Rube Goldberg machine is a complicated contraption, an incredibly over-engineered piece of machinery that accomplishes a relatively simple task. So we were excited by this idea, and we started talking about exactly what it would look like. And we came up with some parameters, because, you know, building a Rube Goldberg machine has limitations, but it also is pretty wide open.
你们有些人没听说过 鲁宾·戈德堡装置 就是一套复杂而奇妙机器, 一组令人煞费苦心制造出的机械装置 只为完成一个相对简单的任务。 这个设想让我们跃跃欲试, 于是我们开始商量 这套机器该是什么样的。 我们提出了几套方案-- 要知道,制造一套鲁宾·戈德堡装置 是有很多局限的, 但发挥的空间也很广。
And we wanted to make sure that we did something that would work for a music video. So we came up with a list of requirements, the "10 commandments," and they were, in order of ascending difficulty: The first is "No magic." Everything that happened on screen had to be very easily understood by a typical viewer. The rule of thumb was that, if my mother couldn't understand it, then we couldn't use it in the video. They wanted band integration, that is, the machine acting upon the band members, specifically not the other way around. They wanted the machine action to follow the song feeling. So as the song picks up emotion, so should the machine get grander in its process. They wanted us to make use of the space. So we have this 10,000-square-foot warehouse we were using, divided between two floors. It included an exterior loading dock. We used all of that, including a giant hole in the floor that we actually descended the camera and cameraman through. They wanted it messy, and we were happy to oblige. The machine itself would start the music. So the machine would get started, it would travel some distance, reacting along the way, hit play on an iPod or a tape deck or something that would start playback. And the machine would maintain synchronization throughout. And speaking of synchronization, they wanted it to sync to the rhythm and to hit specific beats along the way. Okay. (Laughter) They wanted it to end precisely on time. Okay, so now the start to finish timing has to be perfect. And they wanted the music to drop out at a certain point in the video and actual live audio from the machine to play part of the song. And as if that wasn't enough, all of these incredibly complicating things, right, they wanted it in one shot.
我们要确保我们所做的 能在音乐视频中派上用场。 因此我们列出了一些要求 称之为“十诫”, 内容如下,按难度的升序排列: 第一条是“不玩魔术”。 镜头里的所有东西都必须 让一个普通观众很轻易就能看懂。 考量的标准就是,如果我的母亲看不懂, 那么我们就不能用它。 第二,他们要求乐队与机器合为一体, 机器必须作用于乐队成员的身上, 而尤其不能反过来。 第三,他们希望机器能够跟着歌曲的感觉走。 也就是当歌曲渐入佳境, 机器要随着歌曲 运作规模越来越大。 第四,他们希望我们充分利用空间。 于是我们使用了一间占地10000平方英尺的工房, 把它分成两层楼。 它包括一个外部装卸支架。 我们用上了所有的空间,连地板上的一个大洞都没放过。 我们就是通过这个洞口来升降摄像机和摄影师的。 第五,场面乱成一团,这我们也非常乐意效劳。 第六,机器自己会开始播放歌曲。 这样机器就启动了, 它会经过一段路程, 沿途进行各种反应, 启动一台iPod或卡带机 或者其它有重放功能的设备。 第七,机器的全程运转与音乐同步进行。 讲到同步进行, 他们特别要求机器必须与节拍同步, 并且全程的每一个拍子都要准确踩到位。 行。(笑声) 第八,他们要求运作过程要准时结束。 好,这样从开始到结束的时间就要分秒不差。 第九,他们还要求音乐暂停 在视频中某一特定时间点上, 然后由机器自带的音频来 播放歌曲的一部分。 好像这些都还不算什么, 尽管以上所有要求已经极其苛刻了,对吧, 他们还要求全程一镜到底。
(Laughter)
(笑声)
(Applause)
(掌声)
Okay. So, just some statistics about what we went through in the process. The machine itself has 89 distinct interactions. It took us 85 takes to get it on film to our satisfaction. Of those 85 takes, only three actually successfully completed their run. We destroyed two pianos and 10 televisions in the process. We went to Home Depot well over a hundred times. (Laughter) And we lost one high-heeled shoe when one of our engineers, Heather Knight, left her high-heeled shoe -- after a nice dinner, and returned back to the build -- and left it in a pile of stuff. And another engineer thought, "Well, that would be a really good thing to use" and ended up using it as a really nice trigger. And it's actually in the machine.
好吧。 那么,下面这些数据 是从我们工作的过程中统计的。 机器本身有 89个不同的连锁动作。 我们演练了85次 为上镜头之后 能够令人满意。 在这85次演练中, 只有三次圆满完成运作。 我们总共弄毁了两架钢琴 和十台电视机。 我们往家得宝超市跑了不下100趟。 (笑声) 另外我们还牺牲了一只高跟鞋。 那是当我们的一位工程师海瑟·奈特, 落下了她的一只高跟鞋——在一顿美妙的晚餐之后, 她回到工房—— 把鞋落在一堆杂物中。 接着另一位工程师一想,“咦,这可以派上大用场。” 最后他就把它用作一个非常棒的启动装置。 它事实上就在机器中。
So what did we learn from all of this? Well, having completed this, we have the opportunity to step back and reflect on some of the things. And we learned that small stuff stinks. Little balls in wooden tracks are really susceptible to humidity and temperature and a little bit of dust, and they fall out of the tracks, the exact angles makes it hard to get right. And yet, a bowling ball will always follow the same path. It doesn't matter what temperature it is, doesn't matter what's in its way; it will pretty much get where it needs to go. But as much as the small stuff stinks, we needed somewhere to start, so that we would have somewhere to go. And so you have to start with it. You have to focus on it. Small stuff stinks, but, of course, it's essential, right?
那么我们从中学到了什么呢? 完成了这项工程以后, 我们有机会退一步反思一下 其中的一些事情。 我们领悟到琐碎小事会令人抓狂。 那些木制轨道上的小珠子 非常容易受 湿气,温度,和哪怕一点灰尘的影响。 它们从轨道上滚落 很难把握角度的精准度。 相反,一个保龄球就总可以顺利地通过同样的路径。 不管温度高低, 不管前面有什么阻碍; 它几乎都可以顺利到达目的地。 但尽管那些琐碎的小东西会让人抓狂,我们还是需要找到一个起点, 这样才能知道该往哪走。 所以你必须开始动手,必须全身心投入。 琐碎小事让人头疼, 但是,当然,它不可或缺,对吧。
What else? Planning is incredibly important. (Laughter) You know, we spent a lot of time ideating and even building some of these things. It's been said that, "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy." I think our enemy was physics -- (Laughter) and she's a cruel mistress. Often, we had to pull things out as a result because of timing or aesthetics or whatever. And so while planning is important, so is flexibility. These are all things that ended up not making it into the final machine. So also, put reliable stuff last, the stuff that's going to run every time. Again, small to large is relevant here. The little Lego car in the beginning of the video references the big, real car near the end of the video. The big, real car works every time; there's no problem about it. The little one had a tendency to try to run off the track and that's a problem. But you don't want to have to reset the whole machine because the Lego car at the end doesn't work, right. So you put that up front so that, if it fails, at least you know you don't have to reset the whole thing.
还学到什么了呢?计划是至关重要的。 (笑声) 你知道,我们花了大量时间构思 甚至做了一些模型。 有句话说得好:“纸上谈兵 不及临阵对敌。” 我认为我们的敌人是物理学。 (笑声) 它可是一位难伺候的主儿。 我们往往不得不把一些东西去掉 为了保证时间或美观性等等。 所以计划很重要,灵活性也同样重要。 这些都是 没有入选最终成品的部分。 另外,要把可靠的部分放在最后, 也就是每次都能顺利运行的部分。 这就与小件到大件的安排有关了。 在视频开头的小乐高玩具车 与视频结尾时 那辆大的真车相比, 大的真车每次运行都成功;没有任何问题。 但是,那架小车就很容易从轨道上溜出来, 这就成问题了。 但是你肯定不愿意因为把小车子放在最后出了岔子 而重置整台机器。 所以你才把它放在最前面,即使它出错了, 至少你知道 你不需要全部返工。
Life can be messy. There were incredibly difficult moments in the building of this thing. Months were spent in this tiny, cold warehouse. And the wonderful elation that we had when we finally completed it. So it's important to remember that whether it's good or it's bad, "This Too Shall Pass."
生活可能会 乱成一团。 在建造这套机器的过程中,我们碰到过极其困难的时候。 我们在这间又小又冷的工房里花了几个月的时间。 而最后我们兴高采烈地庆祝 圆满完成任务。 所以,重要的是要记住,不管事情是好是坏, “一切都会过去”。
Thank you very much.
非常感谢。
(Applause) And now to introduce
(掌声) 下面请欣赏
their music video, we have OK Go.
他们的音乐视频, 我们有请Ok Go。
OK Go: An introduction. Hello TEDxUSC. We are OK Go. What are we doing? Oh, just hanging out with our Grammy. What what! It think we can do better than this. Hello TEDxUSC. We are OK Go. Have you read the "Natural Curiosity Cabinet?" I mean, "Curiosity" -- excuse me. Let me start again. We need some more ridiculous things besides "The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities." Tim's sundial hat. Have you seen the new work they've done to the Waltz Towers? Sorry, start again. (Barking) Dogs. Hello, TEDxUSC. We are OK Go, and this our new video, "This Too Shall Pass." [unclear] Kay, we can still do one better I think, yeah. That one's pretty good. It's getting better.
OK Go: 自我介绍。TEDxUSC你们好。 我们是OK Go。 我们在做什么?哦,在把弄我们的格莱美奖杯呢。怎么样,怎么样。 我觉得我们能做得更好。TEDxUSC你们好。 我们是OK Go。你们读过《自然奇珍》吗? 我说的是,“奇珍”--不好意思。 我重来一边。 除了《自然奇珍》之外,我们需要一些更荒唐的东西。 蒂姆的日晷帽。 你们见过新建的瓦尔特塔吗? 对不起,重来。 (狗叫声) 狗来了。 TEDxUSC,你们好。我们是OK Go, 这是我们新的音乐视频,“一切都会过去”。 [不清楚] 凯伊,我觉得我们还能做得更好,对吧。 刚才那段还不错。有进步。
(Music)
(音乐响起)
♫ You know you can't keep letting it get you down ♫
♫你知道你不该一直垂头丧气♫
♫ And you can't keep dragging that dead weight around ♫
♫你不该总背负着沉重的累赘♫
♫ If there ain't all that much to lug around ♫
♫如果没有什么让你踌躇不前♫
♫ Better run like hell when you hit the ground ♫
♫那么跌倒之后你最好拼命奔跑♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ You can't stop these kids from dancing ♫
♫你不能阻止孩子们的舞步♫
♫ Why would you want to? ♫
♫为什么要这样做呢♫
♫ Especially when you're already getting yours ♫
♫况且你已经得到了你应得的♫
♫ Cuz if your mind don't move and your knees don't bend ♫
♫如果你思想保守,不肯屈服♫
♫ Well don't go blaming the kids again ♫
♫就别再责怪孩子♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ Let it go ♫
♫都忘了吧♫
♫ This too shall pass ♫
♫一切都会过去♫
♫ Let it go ♫
♫都忘了吧♫
♫ This too shall pass ♫
♫一切都会过去♫
♫ You know you can't keep letting it get you down ♫
♫你知道你不该一直垂头丧气♫
♫ No, you can't keep letting it get you down ♫
♫不,你不该一直垂头丧气♫
♫ Let it go ♫
♫都忘了吧♫
♫ This too shall pass ♫
♫一切都会过去♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
♫ When the morning comes ♫
♫当清晨来临时♫
(Cheering)
(热烈欢呼)