Gorillaz - El Mañana (Official Video)
The official music video for the Gorillaz song El Mañana, the fourth and final single alongside Kids With Guns of the album Demon Days. It was released on 10 April 2006 along with the single itself and was produced and animated by film production company Passion Pictures.
Synopsis[]
Noodle is floating along peacefully in the sunshine on her floating island. Suddenly the peaceful calm is shattered when two attack helicopters appear and start shooting at her with machine guns. Noodle takes refuge in the windmill. The helicopters fire at the windmill and damage it. Later Noodle comes out of the windmill to look around, and sees that the once beautiful sky has turned completely cloudy and dark, but the helicopters see her and attack again, and she is forced back inside the windmill. Eventually the island is so damaged that it cannot float anymore and starts to fall to the earth. It crashes on the ground and one of the helicopters drops a bomb on it.
Background[]
During the Demon Detour, Gorillaz were constantly under attack and suffering multiple threats, but none of the band members were aware of who was responsible for the attacks. Around this time, Gorillaz secured a new label in the United States, with the head of it being Jimmy Manson. Manson had initially auditioned for the guitar during the early stages of the band, but Murdoc rejected him after Noodle was choosen as the band's guitarist instead.
After Murdoc discovered that it was Jimmy Manson who was attacking the band, he devised a plan with Manson to eliminate Gorillaz and cash in on their success. Murdoc's plan involved using the Flying Windmill Island from the Feel Good Inc. video and having Noodle ride on it during the El Mañana one. Murdoc planned to stash guns in the windmill tower, and Jimmy would shoot the guitarist out of the sky while he would, supposedly, parachute off to safety. With the plan in place, Murdoc informed the other members of Gorillaz, who were initially skeptical but eventually agreed to it. Murdoc's actual intention, however, was to eliminate Jimmy Manson instead, by trapping him inside of the island while it was falling down.
During the El Mañana video shoot, the windmill island, with Noodle still in it, was blown-up on-screen. After director Jamie Hewlett called cut, the medical team rushed to search for Noodle, but she was nowhere to be found. After Noodle's apparent death, everything fell apart. Kong Studios, the Gorillaz HQ, began to crumble, with 2-D and Russel leaving the band not long after. However, the release of the band's autobiography, Rise Of The Ogre, revealed the truth about what had occurred. Murdoc had locked Jimmy in the windmill with no guns to shoot with, while Noodle had safely parachuted off in time. Jimmy Manson died during the island's crash.
The only question Murdoc didn't know the answer to was who was piloting the helicopters in the video, and who did they belong to. Initially, Murdoc had planned for the original helicopters from the Feel Good Inc. video to fire fake bullets. However, a group of unidentified helicopters suddenly appeared and began firing, then quickly departed, leaving the wreckage behind. It was later discovered that the helicopters belonged to an underground organization named 'The Black Clouds'. After they left the set, the actual helicopters from the Feel Good Inc. video arrived, claiming that they had been delayed by bad weather.
Plot Significance[]
For a few weeks before the video release, a series of events had been taking place. First, at Kong Studios on the Gorillaz website, boxes and other packing materials were seen in the lobby on February 16, 2006. A few weeks later, they were moved into Noodle's room. Subsequently, Noodle apparently began to pack the contents of her room into those boxes, and the windmill from the "Feel Good Inc." video was seen tethered to the balcony. After March 7, as an intro before entering Kong Studios, a movie would play depicting the windmill flying away. At the Gorillaz website, Noodle's room is largely barren, although the links associated with her belongings are still accessible and Shaun Ryder's head (introduced in the music video for "DARE") is still hooked up behind the partition. On March 13, her room started to crack around the corners on the walls. Additionally, the Armageddon Clock on the wall appeared to have slowed down and had an additional fourth hand. The clock has fallen off the wall and a part of the ceiling has collapsed, revealing a corridor from both Noodle's room and the Map. It was theorized that the events of the video are not merely staged, because the helicopters change in appearance. In "Feel Good Inc." they are lighter, and seem to more closely resemble Bell 47Gs. In "El Mañana", they appear heavier and more armoured, seemingly modelled more like the Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. This would seem to indicate that Noodle was pursued in the "Feel Good Inc." video, stayed at Kong Studios, packed up, departed, and was then pursued by two different helicopters in the "El Mañana" video. According to the history of the band, Noodle found out that she was in fact a test subject in a secret government super soldier project. The limited edition of Demon Days includes a DVD full of bonus features, including the "Feel Good Inc." video with audio commentary by the band members (Gorillaz), confirming that "Feel Good Inc." was indeed staged.
Since the video was released, an interview with Damon Albarn by MTV confirmed that Noodle had been "killed off", though he added that she "may return". An official mailout was sent out that featured Noodle congratulating Jamie Hewlett for winning the Designer of the Year Award 2006. There had also been an interview with the Gorillaz on the Australian video music show Video Hits. Shortly after the video was released, Gorillaz also performed on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, with Noodle present. Another recent mailout had reported that she was "missing". Seven months after the video was released, the truth was revealed in the Gorillaz autobiography Rise of the Ogre. In it, Murdoc finally revealed that the "El Mañana" video was indeed "staged" and that Noodle is still "alive". It turns out that the entire "El Mañana" conspiracy was calculated specifically to get rid of an enemy of the band: Little Jimmy Manson, a psychotic hippie turned industry executive who was set on sabotaging Gorillaz. Jimmy auditioned for Gorillaz a few years back, but was turned down after Noodle got the job. He held a grudge with Gorillaz ever since. Murdoc saw Jimmy's plan and decided to get rid of him before it was too late. Murdoc told Jimmy that he had a plan to "help him" kill off one of the band members so that firstly, Gorillaz would end with a bang and secondly, Jimmy could start a new band with Murdoc. Noodle was to do the "El Mañana" video with Manson stowed away on the island and then, while the windmill was crashing around them, Jimmy would shoot the guitarist whilst taking the parachute for himself. However, Murdoc turned the tables on Jimmy by not only "forgetting" to leave any weapons aboard the island but by also locking him in the windmill. Jimmy supposedly died within the crash while Noodle parachuted to safety. His statement followed.
"There's no way on earth I'm killing Noodle. Are you mad? She's Noodle. We're Gorillaz! The greatest band on earth. I'm arrogant, ruthless even, but I'm not stupid. I'm not having some two-bit mouldy despot record company nut killing off my band. No way, José. That clown got what he deserved. . . He set himself up and burned all the evidence in the process. Instant Karma for Mr. Jimmy Mason."
Murdoc Niccals—Rise of the Ogre
Murdoc stated that Noodle had been planning to leave after Demon Days. This could mean that she wanted to leave the band, but she could have meant Plastic Beach. Murdoc, in order to run with his plan to off Jimmy, made a deal with Noodle: she could disappear for some R&R with no fuss if she did the video. As stated in Rise of the Ogre, Noodle is in the Maldives "chilling out". In January of 2010, Murdoc hijacked both NME Radio and Yahoo! Radio, where he played a set of songs while further unveiling the premise of recording a new album, Plastic Beach, where it was revealed that Noodle's survival had been naturally retconned in that while the parachuting was confirmed, the band never saw her again after the recording of "El Mañana". Also, Murdoc's supposed rescue attempt was but a drunken delusion. As such, Noodle was replaced by a cyborg replica built by Murdoc using her DNA found at the windmill wreckage and parts from Russell's drum machine in order to provide guitar for the new album. Murdoc had also revealed that the helicopters, which shot the windmill down, were mercenaries that Murdoc had been selling bad weapons to in Mexico and he was still on the run from them. In the music video for "On Melancholy Hill" it is shown that Noodle is alive.
Later, in the music video for their 2012 single "DoYaThing", Noodle's seen safely sleeping in bed and the remains of the island is anchored to the side of the house with Russel, who is relaxing on the roof.
There has been rumours that Noodle was seen parachuting off the island so she may not be dead. Some say they see her parachuting at 3:27 when it is actually a shrub taken off the island. Some also say they have seen her parachuting off the island in one version of the official music video.
Animatic[]
Other than the unfinished drawings and animations from the animatic, it doesn't have many notable differences from the final version of the music video.
Availability[]
Music Video[]
- DVD format of the 'El Mañana' single;
- Phase 2 DVD 'Slowboat To Hades';
- DVD edition of, 'The Singles Collection 2001-2011';
- Official Gorillaz YouTube Channel.
Animatic[]
- DVD format of the 'El Mañana' single;
- Phase 2 DVD 'Slowboat To Hades';
- Official Gorillaz YouTube Channel;
- Passion Pictures' official Vimeo account;
- Pete Candeland's official Vimeo account.
Credits[1][]
Directed by Pete Candeland and Jamie Hewlett at Passion Pictures
Full Credits:
Title: El Manana
Length:4 minutes 30 seconds
Client: EMI/Parlophone
Band: Gorillaz
Management: CMO Management
Creatives: Jamie Hewlett
Producer:Cara Speller
Production Co: Passion Pictures
Director: Peter Candeland & Jamie Hewlett
Producer for Passion Pictures: Anna Lord
Executive Producer for Passion Pictures: Hugo Sands, Andrew Ruhemann
2D Production Manager: Jen Coatsworth
CG Production Manager: Emma Phillips
Art Director / Cg Supervisor: Antoine Moulineau
2D Animation: Rikke Asbjoern, Nelson Yokota de Paula Lima, Rob Stevenhagen, Daryl Graham, Heath Kenny
Head 2D Assist & Co-ordination: David Burns
2D Assist: Jonathan Wren, Katerina Kremasioti, Mitchel Wilmot, Brent Odell, Gerry Gallego, Sky Bone
2D FX Animation: Simon Swales, Barney Russell
Toonz: Phil Holder, Tim King, Megs White Dore
Checking: Tony Clarke
CG Animation: Wes Coman
Visual FX Supervisor: Harry Bardak
Visual FX Artists: Elisée Cesarotti, Marc Di Nocera, Rob Chapman, James Coore
Lead Technical Director: Nikos Gatos
Lead Modeller / Texture artist: Tom Bryant
Modelling / Texture artist: Mario Ucci
Lead Lighter / Layout artist: Lukasz Pazur
Lighting: Ludovic Walsh, Axel Akesson, Nikos Gatos
Lead Compositor: Johnny Still
Compositing: Niamh Lines, David Lea, Julien Limouse, Neil Riley
Matte Painting: Daniel Cacouault, Jim Bowers
Storyboard: Jamie Hewlett
Software used: Xsi, AfterFX, Toonz, Final Cut Pro, Combustion, Lightwave
Editor: Jamie Foord
Sound Design: Chi Li Shrewring
Videos[]
Gallery[]
|
|
|
| The full image gallery for El Mañana (Music Video) may be viewed at El Mañana (Music Video)/Gallery. |
Trivia[]
- The video is a continuation of themes in the 'Feel Good Inc' video. The floating island and the menacing helicopters both return.
- Noodle supposedly parachuted off of the island as it was descending towards the ground.