Everyday Life – Coldplay

With the human experience at the heart of this song, the music video for Everyday Life searches for and discovers what brings us together as people. Travelling to Marrakesh, Cape Town, Kiev, and LA, Karena wants this video to highlight the beauty and artistry of the day-to-day, using these diverse places to paint a picture of the shared human experience. By capturing the universality of our habits, our routines, and our intuitions, we see an image of humanity, of love, and of our shared state of mind.

After first hearing the song from Coldplay, Karena started building a concept that centred around the ‘heal-the-world’ tone that she felt from the song. But a few words from Phil Harvey, Coldplay’s manager, shifted that approach.

“Rather than communicating a heal-the-world feeling, this is a feel-the-world song, and the visual has to align with that.”

The words struck a chord with Karena. She had a more visceral understanding of the intention behind the song, and she knew what the video needed to look like, feel like, and express. So she rethought the concept, repitched it, and met with Phil and Chris Martin to walk them through the new treatment. When they agreed, it began a process far removed from what Karena had ever imagined she might work on.

Heading to their 4 locations, spending 4 days in each, to the team it truly felt like they were travelling the world. They would edit on the plane and conceptualise the setups for their next city, evolving the creative vision as they went. And when they arrived, indulging in the way of life of the people living in those places, and capturing their story, was a magical experience.

Visiting each destination, glimpsing into the different cultures that painted a diverse but unified image of humanity, made this more than a music video. It was a spiritual journey, and a journey that evoked indescribable feelings.