See humanity's monuments to work, life, and death through a drone's eyes
Imagine being a drone, flying aimlessly over and through American metropolises in 2016. What would you see? For filmmaker Tim Sessler, it might look something like this. In "Balance," Sessler takes what he calls "an abstract look at our modern world" and makes something beautiful and alien with it.
Remember 'Koyaanisqatsi'?
When I say alien, I also mean unsettling. "Balance" clearly recalls Godfrey Reggio's 1982 experimental film Koyaanisqatsi, which, in the Hopi language, means "unbalanced life." Here, the slow-motion shots of empty alleys and streets are combined with upside-down cityscapes and Hitchcock-zoomed cemeteries. For men, the cemeteries are particularly arresting — suddenly, the skyscrapers that so perfectly encapsulate progress start to look like headstones to more you look.
Whatever, though. I love skyscrapers and city streets. Drones can be so judgmental.
More from The Verge
- Introducing Circuit Breaker, a new gadget blog from The Verge
- The State of the Gadget Union
- This is how Material Design looks on Chrome OS, rolling out now
- Microsoft’s excellent Windows Phone keyboard is now available for iOS
- Remembering Prince, an unparalleled musical genius
- This is Uber's playbook for sabotaging Lyft
- Dyson vs Big Paper Towel: the battle over hand-drying hygiene
