Coldplay
Chris Martin spent a month learning to sing "The Scientist" phonetically backward. Director Jamie Thraves used this trick to make the world appear to move in reverse while Martin sings forward. By using a practical flipping rig for the car crash and avoiding digital lip-syncing, they created a haunting, organic look at regret. Chris Martin reportedly found the training so repetitive that he can still sing large portions of "The Scientist" backward to this day. The car used in the crash sequence was a 1982 BMW 3 Series, chosen specifically because its weight allowed for a more predictable flip on the practical rig. The video was shot on 35mm film in various locations across London and Surrey, requiring the production team to be extremely careful with their limited takes.