Listen closely, we'll only play this once (and very fast)
November 6, 2015 1:18 PM   Subscribe

The Extreme Minuet is "the world's fastest coin-toss orchestra of 43 people" performing one of Mozart's minuets in about 3 seconds, then played back at a much slower speed to hear the performance stretched to its usual length and speed. [SLYT, Suntory commercial shot with Phantom 4K camera]

The video also contains a bit of how the performance was set up.

In the YouTube description, there's a link to the Japanese webpage for Shuchu Regain (Shuchu.jp or 集中.jp), a very Web 1.0 setup but ramped up to 11 with scrolling backgrounds and text and EVERYTHING IS MOVING ALL THE TIME. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. [Via Presurfer]
posted by filthy light thief (27 comments total) 16 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm impress by whoever managed to break the beaker with their coin
posted by thecjm at 1:27 PM on November 6, 2015 [4 favorites]


It probably took a few takes for them to (mostly) land all the coins at once. And that one beaker broke!

That was super awesome thought!
posted by numaner at 1:27 PM on November 6, 2015


I think the pile of empty energy drink cans at the end testifies to the number of takes.
posted by Bistle at 1:38 PM on November 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


For relaxing times...

I like the one empty "spacer" beaker to keep the meter.
posted by chococat at 1:40 PM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


> Um. I'm not buying these throws being a single take.

It looks like a smaller group of people doing it in several sections to me, though the impressive landing of the actual coin tosses still takes place.

a very Web 1.0 setup but ramped up to 11 with scrolling backgrounds and text and EVERYTHING IS MOVING ALL THE TIME

Wow you were not kidding.
posted by lucidium at 1:52 PM on November 6, 2015


Pepsi Threw (tm)
posted by Frayed Knot at 1:58 PM on November 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


OH MY GOODNESS THAT WEBSITE IS JUST DELIGHTFUL
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT OPENING THAT TAB PEGGED BOTH MY LAPTOP FAN AND MY CAPS LOCK KEY
posted by phooky at 2:05 PM on November 6, 2015 [3 favorites]


Re-reading, let me say that I actually love the video & post; I just couldn't resist the Metafilter Meta Pun.
posted by Frayed Knot at 2:06 PM on November 6, 2015


So the electrode things on their arms.... for timing? muscle twitch? signal?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:08 PM on November 6, 2015


Not electrodes: Regain IV ports.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:10 PM on November 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


So the electrode things on their arms.... for timing? muscle twitch? signal?

For SCIENCE!
posted by rifflesby at 2:13 PM on November 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


It's a shame that the pitch and timing of the reconstituted minuet is complete ass, though.
posted by scruss at 2:31 PM on November 6, 2015 [4 favorites]


Any word on the second fastest coin-toss orchestra of 43 people?
posted by RobotHero at 3:14 PM on November 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


I'm not buying these throws being a single take.

The main shot, travelling along the jars, is filmed at high speed (framerate) with a high-speed motion-control rig that executes the fast camera move. A motion-control rig is programmed to repeat exactly the same move at exactly the same speed each time. The collective throw was then filmed enough times that there was a hit for each jar (including the nice touches of the broken jar, and the one coin that's left spinning in the air). Finally, the sections with jars that weren’t hit in the first pass are seamlessly replaced by the relevant portions from takes in which they were hit, by composting these (each with its own splashing droplets) back into the main sequence, so that you’d never know they weren’t all achieved on the same first take. Voilà!

(A more jaded debunk would hinge on the coins not really flying diagonally into the jars so much as they are vertically being dropped in from just outside the top edge of frame; though such a fast-coordinated-release drop would still likely require more than one take, and final compositing...)
posted by progosk at 3:21 PM on November 6, 2015 [5 favorites]


I saw a paper presentation at CHI'11 in Vancouver from a Japanese research lab that was using electrical impulses to stimulate the muscles in the hand. Would not be surprised if the electrodes were part of a similar system (actuate the throw electrically for timing)? Then again, considering I think progosk is correct about the way the final outcome was produced in post, it's entirely possible that the electrodes are just for show.
posted by Alterscape at 3:23 PM on November 6, 2015


The main shot, travelling along the jars, is filmed at high speed (framerate) with a high-speed motion-control rig that executes the fast camera move. A motion-control rig is blah blah blah

Well there goes my lifelong faith in the truth of advertising, I guess. Gee, and I figured the whole point was that these are the world's greatest coin throwers. My belief is shaken, shaken I say, to its core.
posted by shmegegge at 4:54 PM on November 6, 2015 [4 favorites]


I went to this comment thread to find out how it was faked, not whether it was faked. Cynicism about cynicism.
posted by Bobicus at 5:46 PM on November 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


Metafilter: Cynicism about cynicism
posted by John Cohen at 6:51 PM on November 6, 2015 [3 favorites]


You know how when you explain a joke it gets less funny?
posted by chavenet at 12:57 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


You know how when you explain a joke it gets less funny?

Oh, why does that happen? And howcome you mentioned it here? I don't suppose you could elaborate on that for me, could you?
posted by ambrosen at 3:57 AM on November 7, 2015 [3 favorites]


Thank you for including mention that this is an advert.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 10:14 AM on November 7, 2015


"It's a shame that the pitch and timing of the reconstituted minuet is complete ass, though."

I was thinking that might have been done deliberately, to add to suspension of disbelief.
posted by Robin Kestrel at 10:48 AM on November 7, 2015


Yeah, if it's so scientific, how come the end product sounds so awful?
posted by splitpeasoup at 11:11 AM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


MetaFilter: cynicism about cynicism.

In a pig's orifice!
posted by y2karl at 12:17 PM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


Johnny Wallflower: Not electrodes: Regain IV ports.

Just hook it to my veins!
posted by traveler_ at 3:28 PM on November 7, 2015


Yeah, if it's so scientific, how come the end product sounds so awful?

Because art is only a vessel for the demonstration of technology.
posted by sylvanshine at 10:09 PM on November 7, 2015


> Yeah, if it's so scientific, how come the end product sounds so awful?

Why, advertising is involved, so accuracy isn't the main goal. Reminds me of the Honda debacle.
posted by wwwwolf at 12:37 AM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]


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