Internationally acclaimed music producer and mashup artist Kutiman has never shied away from challenges. Since taking the Internet by storm in 2009 with the release of his first “Thru-You” video – which has garnered 11 million YouTube views to date – Kutiman has mesmerized digital audiences with his exhaustively curated videos commissioned by cities such as Tokyo, Tel Aviv and New York City.
Now Kutiman (Ophir Kutiel) has teamed up with Fiverr® for his next big project.
Instead of combing YouTube and gathering amateur footage to create another seamless song with his signature funky style, Kutiman has teamed with Fiverr musicians to create a unique video and song that reinforces his status a true mashup auteur and speaks to the power of musical collaboration.
How did this collaboration come about? It began as all of Kutiman’s projects do, with one musical anchor – in this case, a simple drum beat that became the backbone of the piece. With this beat in place, Kutiman set to work executing his vision for the video.
His process
Producing the Fiverr video represents a departure from previous projects. With Fiverr sellers, unlike with YouTube artists, Kutiman was able to speak to the musicians whose performances comprise the video. “The communication between the Fiverr sellers and myself was crucial in this project, and it was nice to be able to ask for whatever I want from them as well,” he says.
Kutiman’s access to Fiverr sellers meant that he had the power to tweak, adjust, and perfect each section. The participating Fiverr sellers rose to the occasion, going above and beyond his requests. “There were really only good surprises [from sellers],” he says. “For example, I asked the first drummer for a couple of beats, and he sent me like 10 different loops. People did more than I expected them to do.”
A key aspect of the Fiverr video is Kutiman’s discerning eye for what footage he uses. As in previous projects, he notes that he prioritizes the personality of performers as much as their musical talent, which enhances the idiosyncratic nature of the final piece. He says he values the sincerity of a performer over someone who is just showing off, and this is evident in the final video which captures the drive, talent and enthusiasm of the Fiverr musical community.
What was one of the biggest challenges of the Fiverr video for the Webby-award winning artist? The ending. Kutiman admits that when curating footage, it’s hard to select an ending for a video piece that feels totally right. He says, “I’m not sure I ever watched a project that I did and feel like it was 100 percent finished, to be honest…”
Perhaps this means there are future Fiverr-Kutiman collaborations to come.
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