By: Karl Risley
The purpose of this remix done by the cast of Hamilton before the opening of the Hamilton show in London was to create hype for it! They combined famous UK songs with the Hamilton songs to connect with the UK audience! It is truly amazing that they easily adapted the Hamilton songs to fit all of these different UK songs. I am struggling to adapt just “I won’t back down” for my remix project. This video shows Lin Manuel’s genius once again, while also highlighting the cast’s talent. All of this would definitely make me want to attend the play in London, which is exactly what this video is suppose to do.
The original Hamilton songs are meant to take the audience on a journey through the life of Alexander Hamilton, while also making a stand for social injustices such as immigration laws, racism and the economical hierarchy that still exists today. In this video they easily adapt these songs in order to appeal to the United Kingdom, because after all this play is ultimately trying to make money.
The video keeps all of the lyrics from Hamilton’s songs in tact but puts them to the beat of many different UK songs seamlessly. Somehow the cast is also able to transition between songs perfectly, while also adding some lines that make the beat easy to recognize, like the beginning of “Hello” in this video.
The video is also visually appealing because it takes the viewer on a journey. The camera follows Lin Manuel and many other cast members throughout what I assume is the location of the play. Moving from room to room, person to person, the video is much more entertaining than it would have been had it all been filmed in the same place. Viewers also get a “backstage” view of the venue, adding more intrigue.
All of these subtle additions of creativity in the video matter because they connect with the viewer more deeply. It made me feel like I watched something special and got to know the cast and Lin Manuel better, and in a way not many would get to see if the only watched the play.
I can incorporate these additions into my remix of “I won’t back down” to produce the same feelings in viewers. I am combining Hamilton songs into a famous rock song that everyone knows, already following the premise of this video. Furthermore I will create a video that makes the viewer feel like they are getting an inside look in the production, instead of just producing the song. As can be seen in this video, every piece of the video contributes to its overall “vibe”. I need to make sure that everything in my helps strengthen the vibe I am going for.