Mein Teil is the first music video off the album Reise, Reise by Rammstein.
| Mein Teil | |||||||
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| Music video by Rammstein | |||||||
| Supporting release: | Mein Teil | ||||||
| Shoot: | 2 - 3 June 2004 | ||||||
| Location: | Berlin (Arena in Treptow and Deutsche Oper) | ||||||
| Director: | Zoran Bihać | ||||||
| Premiere: | 9 July 2004 | ||||||
| Length: | 04:43 | ||||||
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Information
- There is a censored and an uncensored version of this video. The censored video misses Till getting a blowjob from the angel and Schneider touching his crotch.
- The video premiere took place on 9 July 2004, on the German TV stations MTV and VIVA. For Fanclub members the video premiere took place on 8 July 2004, at 20:00.[1]
- In 2004 the official Rammstein website wrote this about the video:
The new Rammstein video "Mein Teil" was filmed in Berlin on the second and third of June, 2004. A 50-headed team and the director Zoran Bihać, who previously directed "Links 2 3 4", came up with the concept together with Rammstein. Because the large studios in Babelsberg were currently occupied with the filming of "Mission Impossible III", the Arena in Treptow was quickly converted into a large studio. The external filming on the second day took place on Bismarckstrasse, at the German Opera.
Video facts
- The video was shot under major initimacy and secrecy. The concept was that no one really knew what the others were doing during their scenes. The bandmembers kept that to themselves. Zoran said that with some of them, he really didn't know what will happen, because that's how they planned it.[3]
- It was the first time in a while where Zoran couldn't sleep prior to a production because he has never done anything like this before (improvised video).[3]
- Till wanted to be beaten while he sings the chorus. Luciana Regina wasn't able to punch Till so Zoran had to do it. "Of course it should've been her hands, but it'll be ok when we edit.", he said.[3]
- Till said that he roughly knew what will happen but he actually did know nothing and that's probably the reason behind the whole thing. "They throw us in at the deep end... We'll see. There is a kind of framework plot, but what exactly happens is something known only to the director." he said.[3]
- Till said that they liked the idea of doing an improvisation cycle like this, and that Zoran had a few surprises up his sleeve which they had to learn how to handle. "It's a lot more interesting than when you have a predefined storyboard, where you only do what's in the script." [3]
- Till personally said that he was quite excited about the improvised video. "That's good, that's how it's should be, when it isn't, it's shit, I think."[3]
- Zoran said that the beating was just one part, and there was no lust yet, so he began to think how to bring lust. Till just said: let's do it the right way![3]
- Till said after he finished shooting his scenes: "I didn't know what would happen. I had to do something I didn't want to do." He laughed and added jokingly "Hopefully, my mother doesn't find out."[3]
- Luciana Regina said that in that kind of business (erotic) you get used to the routine, but during the Mein Teil videoshooting everything was a perfect fit, the make up, the hair, the music. She said that her scenes were all planned beforehand so she knew how far it would go.[3]
- Zoran admitted that when he stuffed feathers into Till's mouth, it almost made him vomit. But Till just carried on recording and performing.
- "It was really important for us to be completely alone. Very important! Even those who were in there were almost too many." said Zoran. He added that they've crossed some borders. "I was in a sadistic mood today." he said about scenes when he beat up Till.[3]
- Paul's suit meant to look old, and in his opinion it didn't look long enough so what he did was "an old Rammstein recipe", he threw soluble coffee and water over it, but it still didn't look old, so he used bronze make-up that cost 100 grammes for 600 dollars and he used it all on the suit. Paul joked that "it practically became an 8000 dollar suit."[3]
- Paul said that he didn't knew what he would be doing in his scenes, but his aim was to deliver pictures that fit the song well, without using an instrument or aids of any kind.[3]
- It was Zoran who suggested using the suit to Paul, because there are Japanese dancers who wear tattered outfits like that and Paul agreed.[3]
- Paul said that for his scenes, he didn't have to change his ways. "I just did things that way I normally do them."[3]
- Richard took wrestling lessons to prepare for his scenes.[3]
- Richard himself styled the hair of his wrestler double.[3]
- Richard said that he thought that "Mein Teil" was his alter ego "with whom one always struggles in life, and tried to make amends with my second me, my shadow, to find a kind of balance. I tried to capture this on film, by wrestling with myself, so to speak. Maybe it will work and I can learn something from it."[3]
- Zoran revealed that the scenes with each bandmember will all show their characters. "It's Rammstein unmasked, we can say. They have their own problems with this. If someone performs in a woman's costume, it's a part of him. It's a part of his personality." He praised their bravery to allow this to happen. "I find it really stimulating, which is why I do it. They're naked! It's actually a bit like a psychogram."[3]
- Schneider: "We now want to try something completely new. Something entirely experimental. A basic rule is that no one knows what the other one is doing, or knows what the other one looks like. And another rule is, that we listen to a song and move our bodies to it, or perform and feel the lyrics inside. Then, once we begin to edit, we can see if the music fits one way or another. We're not sure just yet. With any luck, we can reach new levels, which are mostly discovered much later. We're speculating on both levels somehow manifesting themselves."[3]
- Schneider was characterized as Armin Meiwes' mother. He said that when he was dressed up as a woman you also change your mannerisms and way of talking. "It's as if you discover a certain trait in yourself, which is definitely inherent." He thought about his scenes: "I'll probably won't do much. I'll be just more woman."[3]
- Richard said that his scenes were exhausting and that last time he struggled like that 15 years ago (in 1989).[3]
- Emanuel Fialik said that there was a picture in a German magazine "Stern" about Armin Meiwes that helped characterize Schenider. "A tiny picture from his private archives, next to him which shows his mother and it's so perfect. And that's the original hairstyle. It's unbelievable!"[3]
- Schneider about improvising: "It's interesting, when you do the things spontaneously in that moment, and take inspiration from the music and the circumstances, and immediately implement it. This is the moment we are searching for."[3]
- Schneider about his scenes: "I was always torn berween whether I should move like a woman or not, which often just comes out of you, or if I should be Schneider. It became a mixture of both. A small, internal struggle."[3]
- Oli: "The idea of the video is, that you let yourself go, and pass the ball among yourselves. Zoran suggest a topic and you just do it."[3]
- Zoran instructed Oli to make ugly faces, but without poking out his tongue.[3]
- Oli about his scenes: "I have a good feeling, but this is only because I could switch off this control mechanism 100%."[3]
- Flake said that he wanted to do a something different than what was present on television during that time: "I haven't put much thought into what could happen. I just wanted to do something completly different to what I had seen on Swedish TV. I was shocked to see what kind of music videos that were broadcasted. I felt that none of them really supported the music at all. It was all produced in such a weird way, like holding a wedding ceremony. It was like a provision of services for a song, which was not appealing, neither artistically nor for the audience. And I didn't want to line up with this huge group of acts, that simply make a video because it's the done thing, like an ad in the newspaper."[3]
- Flake about his scenes: "There's nothing great about it. I try to dance, but I really just can't. Everyone knows this and think it's funny. I don't. I feel like you do a before a visit to the dentist."[3]
- The dancing shoes Flake got from Zoran were too small, he kept falling backwards which made every step for him very painful. "It certainly intensifies the acting" Flake said. "That was his (Zoran's) plan, but I enjoy the pain immensely."[3]
- Zoran said that Flake was uncertain about his scenes, but he think what he did, was great, especially because it was the complete opposite of what they've done before. He finds Flake talented.[3]
- After shooting his scenes, Flake admitted it was physically harder work for him than he thought, as it's rare to dance with so much commitment as he did. "Not for pros of course, but for me, that was really exhausting work."[3]
- Paul wondered if the group scene in the mud would be enough for the video.[3]
- Zoran abouth the mud scene: "This scene is a kind of intensification of a picture, that I showed to them from the Butoh Theater. It was greeted with rejection and acceptance. And what they did, that was Butoh Theater. There are quotations like: my dance is born of mud, and depictions of pain and stuff. We had tension like this the whole time and now I have to dissipate it. They can let the steam off now. Let it all out. Then there will be a real break and we can begin with a new story with new pictures. That's how I imagined it."[3]
- Richard: "Rammstein is emotional and all the more you try to cram into a concept, the more you lose."[3]
- Zoran: "What I have learned more than anything, and what the solution to many things seems to be, is the ability to let go. Even some of the ideas, that you grow attached to, because something better happens. But to be able to find security in this, is in fact the most important."[3]
Personnel
- Rammstein
- Luciana Regina
Media
Sources
- ↑ Rammstein website, News from 8 July 2004
- ↑ 1Live Lesung on 12 October 2018
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 Rammstein - Mein Teil (Official Making Of)