At long last Adele is back, and she hasn’t missed a beat. The impeccably talented British musician who swept the floor at the Grammys with her last album, 21, kicked off the campaign for her long-awaited follow-up album 25 today with the release of the music video for “Hello”, the first single. Why is Collider, a movie news website, writing about Adele, you may ask? Well besides the fact that she’s amazing, this music video happens to be directed by acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan. Not only that, but “Hello” is the first music video ever to be shot on IMAX cameras.
The collaboration between Dolan and Adele seems to be a match made in heaven. The sensibilities of the young director behind Mommy and Tom at the Farm are well suited for Adele’s massive yet intimate voice, and for “Hello” they turn their artistic direction towards a story of heartbreak, regrets, and solitude in the English countryside.
Visually this thing is gorgeous, and it certainly came as a surprise when IMAX announced today that the entire music video was shot with IMAX cameras. Why film a music video that’s unlikely to ever be exhibited in IMAX cinemas with IMAX cameras? Well, why not? IMAX cameras produce a greater resolution and sharpness than traditional cameras given the size of the frame, bringing an intimacy to the action seen in the video. Dolan is no stranger to experimenting with format, as he shot his most recent film Mommy in the unique 1:1 aspect ratio, so his choice to go with IMAX for "Hello" seems appropriate both from a technological and talent standpoint.
Anyway, today was a big day for both music fans and film fans alike, and the combination of a powerful song (try not getting goosebumps, I dare you), striking imagery, and the anticipation of a new album makes for a very exciting debut of “Hello”. Watch the video below. Adele’s 25 will be released on November 20th.
