Japanese Band Androp Uses 250 Canon Cameras and Flashes For Their Stage Show

So your band is about to go on tour and the obvious question is “what are we going to use for our backdrop?” Most bands would normally use a projector, an LED panel, or just some plain old stage lights. What the Japan based band Androp decided to do was much more interesting. Using 250 Canon cameras equipped with external flashes, the band wired everything together and programmed them with Arduino open source software to display different patterns of light and text. You really have to watch the whole thing to even grasp how cool this turned out. Check out the behind the scenes video below and then watch the second video below to see how it all came together.

Behind the Scenes:

Final Production:

July 27, 2011

Patrick Hall

DIY

Gear

Strobe light

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Anonymous
do they actually need that many camera bodies? overkill and kinda lame
Anonymous
What a waste of good 60d. They could have used a bunch of ebay triggers and receivers, and cheapo flashes instead of spending 300,000 on that rig.
http://www.facebook.com/pooria.koleyni Pooria Koleyni
It is stupid,there is nothing here in this video interesting and it is not about photography at all
http://www.kymberrae.ca kymber palidwar
yeah it’s expensive and total overkill, but it was pretty rad, you have to admit. and who knows… maybe they received advertising dollars from canon for it. if i was in a huge pop band like them, i’d turn around and sell all those cameras to fans, and donate a portion of the revenue for a charity. now THAT is marketing at its finest. :)
http://twitter.com/willfoster Will Foster
I totally agree with all the other comments…. and the music was kinda boring… It was a cool idea (sorta), but it never goes anywhere…
http://twitter.com/willfoster Will Foster
I totally agree with all the other comments…. and the music was kinda boring… It was a cool idea (sorta), but it never goes anywhere…
http://www.facebook.com/people/Russ-Turbide/100002507691143 Russ Turbide
wtf? all that work, all those cameras. to not take pictures and just have the flashes fire in patterns…
Who the F&*K thought of this? Lets get 250 cameras and flashes, and not take pictures with the cameras? Brilliant.
For these idiots next adventure thet’re going to buy 100 cars and adjust the seats for the excitement of it…
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
http://profiles.google.com/mi1stormilst Garrett Graham
You guys are a bunch of party poopers … not only did I find this very cool, the music was not half bad and the video production was great!
http://profiles.google.com/mi1stormilst Garrett Graham
You guys are a bunch of party poopers … not only did I find this very cool, the music was not half bad and the video production was great!
http://profiles.google.com/mi1stormilst Garrett Graham
You guys are a bunch of party poopers … not only did I find this very cool, the music was not half bad and the video production was great!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=506432237 Corey Melton
how? who? WHAT?! The money … the time … the resources … my head exploded
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=506432237 Corey Melton
how? who? WHAT?! The money … the time … the resources … my head exploded
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_D2G2F7NVFGMP4L5VLBK6IBYAW4 Martin Witt
I liked!
Except for you Garrett….You guys are a$$holes!
http://www.patrickhallphotography.com Patrick Hall
but then then wouldn’t have the same impact and their viral video would have been an epic fail
http://www.patrickhallphotography.com Patrick Hall
which reminds me of this classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdq577iClbU
http://www.patrickhallphotography.com Patrick Hall
which reminds me of this classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdq577iClbU
http://www.patrickhallphotography.com Patrick Hall
which reminded me of this classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdq577iClbU
http://www.facebook.com/pooria.koleyni Pooria Koleyni
And i would prefer to donate those cameras to some teenagers, teach them the basics and let them explore the world of photography who knows maybe in future some of them will become great photographer
http://www.facebook.com/abones2 Alex Bones
what a waste of cameras. this video actually made me feel sick when i watched it. but its cool to just say you used 250 cameras just for the flashes
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1057051583 Mark Payne
I presume each flash is a shutter actuation? If so, how long would the cameras actually last?
http://www.facebook.com/arno.kamphuis Arno Kamphuis
I think I agree with Mark, I think the flash is fired by firing the shutter! Which would mean that the camera might have recorded some frames…. SHOW US THOSE!!! But they probably didn’t store the photos :-(
http://www.facebook.com/werner.rolli Werner Rolli
Well guys, some of the comments here are pretty damn (excuse me) rude. I thought it was an interesting experiment. I would like to see the pics, though. To Mark: I do not know about the D60, but a Nikon D300 for instance lasts a guaranteed 150’000 shutter actuations, a D3 is supposed to last 300’000.
Anonymous
Epilepsy much, eh..?
Matt Turner
They were Canon 60D’s not Nikon D60′s.
http://twitter.com/briandragtstra Brian Dragtstra
And besides all the overkill comments, their music sucks :-)
Like the open source software though.
http://twitter.com/DavidJaneSA David Jane
my word. there are some idiots commenting here. remember guys, this is japan…the land where electronics come cheap. the cost of making this video is probably some change when compared to that of an average beyonce music video. what? Would you prefer this to be a Lady Gaga or Rihanna music video? would you applaud then and call this an ingenious idea? Get a life guys. This is unique, and fantastic. Well done to the team that pulled this off!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Russ-Turbide/100002507691143 Russ Turbide
Would I applaud if lady gaga or anyone else did something this stupid? HELL NO!
THIS: “cameras and flashes and only the flashes were used” Even if some yahoo wired them together and caused the flashes to make neat shapes IS STILL A WASTE OF 250 CAMERA BODIES .THAAAAAAATS what’s so stupid here. in this video the cameras arent cameras they are flash holders. thats it, things holding a flash………. FYI: IF JESUS HIMSELF, came back from the dead, and did this, i’d be saying the same thing.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=847470423 Louis Rafael Rosenthal
I was thinking the same thing – looking up androp on facebook, wikipedia, youtube, etc. shows them as basically unknown. Fstoppers has 43 times as many “likes”. Total upload views for AndropMusic channel on youtube: 770,000. Fstoppers has 400,000 more than them in that regard as well.
My take? They’re PUMPING money into every project to make it as epic as possible. That or they’re trying to become official Canon promoters ;) :D
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=847470423 Louis Rafael Rosenthal
I was thinking the same thing – looking up androp on facebook, wikipedia, youtube, etc. shows them as basically unknown. Fstoppers has 43 times as many “likes”. Total upload views for AndropMusic channel on youtube: 770,000. Fstoppers has 400,000 more than them in that regard as well.
My take? They’re PUMPING money into every project to make it as epic as possible. That or they’re trying to become official Canon promoters ;) :D
Denis Annamaier
Anyone of the haters watched the actual music video ?
There are pics taken by the cameras behind the band and also still shots from the side with the back lit by the flashes check the video at 2:58 and 4:10.
I do like the concept and i think the music video is a pretty cool mix between advertising for the band and the brand.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Lars-Thyselius/642831034 Lars Thyselius
Hahaha, for real guys! If that video was made in the US i bet my a** that the sound of the comments would be different…
There is a lot more of useless, wasting, destroying home-videos on the tube then this! I thought it was a cool and “outside-the-box” idea for a video, and why trash-talk the music? Not really on-topic, huh?
And a respond for the first comments, do you really need that big of a car, just for driving around downtown? ;)
http://twitter.com/jakestir Jake McKee
That’s awesome!
Not sure I get the mind set of the haters here, I would hate to watch any TV show or movie with them if they’re really that concerned about waste. Car chases, explosions, etc, must really hard to watch for them! lol
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504488358 Ira M
I’ll assume the only reason they used camera bodies was so that people would talk about it. Had it simply been a light board with 250 flashes it would have not received as much attention. I would have been impressed if they had somehow incorporated the still images taken by those cameras into the final production.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniil-Sosonkin/100000553826482 Daniil Sosonkin
There was a video on this site about some car going to the most dangerous road to prove they are good. Then there was a video about shooting an animation drawn on the wall from a car driving by. And there was a video about shooting Old Spice commercial. All those are just a small portion of sample of total overkill. Why everyone gets so upset about this video? I happen to think it was a creative way of doing it. Yes, they could’ve used regular lightbulbs. I don’t speak Japanese, so I don’t see the connection – maybe its in a song. The idea is still freaking awesome. Takes a feat to come up with idea, convince band to spend money, find people, design the light, construct, program, do the whole thing. And have the goal accomplished – now every single photographer on the planet knows the band :) how’s that for marketing
http://profiles.google.com/chris.rich.design Christopher Rich
For photographers, most of us are not watching very closely.. Watch the videos again, in 1080, full screen. You’ll notice that there are:
• a variety of camera bodies used, many of which are 1980′s era film camera (not 250 60Ds)
• a variety of flash guns used, many of which are 1980′s era flashes (not 250 580 EX IIs)
• Nary a strobe pop in sight
Each of those flashes have an LED strapped to the front, wired to a control board that’s running the animation.
The cameras are a marketing MacGuffin, so chill. And enjoy Linkin Park by way of Kyoto.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Albert-Lui/26800480 Albert Lui
I loved this, but I think if they also included custom bokeh cutouts, it would have really popped.
AshrafBot
They should have used more camera, just to piss people off more. So they got a hold of a whole bunch of cameras and flashes and wanted to use them in a non conventional way, big f’ing deal!
I thought it was a very cool idea and if I was given the chance to do something like this I know I would. Most of the people complaining here probably would too.
I’m guessing everyone’s just jealous.
http://twitter.com/imacphotography Ian MacMichael
Love it! very cool……
http://twitter.com/jesselash Jesse Lash
keen eye.
The obvious close ups on the logos scream endorsement. Not a waste… it’s advertising.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Rich-Maher/1651965517 Rich Maher
Right on Lars.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Rich-Maher/1651965517 Rich Maher
Right on Lars.
http://www.facebook.com/melvinsamsin Melvin Sam-Sin
It’s because it looks cool, I think it wouldn’t be that cool is they only had the flashes. I mean there are light walls and every band/ almost every band uses them. this gives the video something that is just super Epic (but thats how I see it)
Mike M
There are so many closed minded people on fstoppers now, it makes me wonder where the real artists went. Clearly this was an awesome and unique idea that none of you thought of.
http://twitter.com/NeileGibbs Neil e Gibbs
I think the people who are mad here just wish they had the money or the cameras. me personally I’m just jealous lol.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=506432237 Corey Melton
tru story
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=506432237 Corey Melton
for you Patrick http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43093637141
Anonymous
Good man!
Anonymous
totally different story… You still “Drive” the big car but they aren’t using the camera bodies in any shape or form
it is creative, sure, but it doesn’t make it not stupid
Anonymous
totally different story… You still “Drive” the big car but they aren’t using the camera bodies in any shape or form
it is creative, sure, but it doesn’t make it not stupid
http://www.facebook.com/people/Lars-Thyselius/642831034 Lars Thyselius
Have u even seen the music-video? They are cutting in picture from the bodies in the later-half of the video…so they are using em for sure.
And what is the difference between a huge car and the many bodies? You dont need a big-a** truck to get from A to B, a normal car will do the same, that is cheaper and better for the environment…That my friend is stupid. It’s just a way to show of and compensate for a small *****…

Japanese Band Androp Uses 250 Canon Cameras and Flashes For Their Stage Show

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