The Apple iPad 2 has shot its first music video. The new Apple tablet filmed and stars in the promo clip for Need, a perky slice of discobounce by pocket-sized US popstrel Eddy.
Four new iPads were used in the video shoot, filming the imaginatively haired Eddy and her friends jigging about and getting ‘down’ — probably, it’s not really our cup of tea. One iPad was mounted on a steadicam and another on a Kessler Crane Cineslider, which is like a mini dolly on a tripod for smooth camera movement.
The iPad 2 also makes an appearance in the video, where it proves you look like a bit of a plank taking a picture with a 9-inch tablet. The best use of the slate is at the end, when a disembodied hand swipes through the credits. Click play below to see the iPad 2 make its musical debut.
The iPad 2’s camera is its main new feature. Aside from being thinner, it isn’t a huge departure from the original iPad. The camera shoots 720p high-definition video, which is great for filming video, but is less than 1 megapixel for stills and isn’t a patch on the likes of the Motorola Xoom‘s 5-megapixel camera.
Shooting films and videos on phones and tablets is all the rage. Oldboy director Park Chan-wook recently shot a film using the iPhone 4, while Pamela Anderson appeared in The Commuter, a short film created with a Nokia N8. The iPad isn’t the first tablet to make a musical cameo, either: the LG Optimus Pad was unveiled in a clip for Korean boy band star Seungri.
Other technology is showing up in videos too. Shoegaze outfit Echo Lake filmed a ghostly promo using the Xbox Kinect games controller while novelty hippity-hoppers Black-Eyed Peas got it started in an augmented-reality iPhone app. Arcade Fire, the Chemical Brothers and Radiohead have all created high-tech interactive music videos.
The iPad 2 arrives in the UK on 25 March. If you’re tempted, check our guide to where can you buy an iPad 2 and how much will it cost.