Synopsis
Presented as an atmospheric short film rather than a conventional performance clip, "What's Your Name" centers on a man and a woman in a stylized Los Angeles setting. Their connection unfolds through quiet, enigmatic encounters, with the repeated question in the title serving as an emotional prompt as much as a literal one. The video favors mood, visual texture, and ambiguity over a straightforward narrative, reflecting the song's themes of loneliness, romantic searching, departure, and the desire to make a meaningful connection.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was released in 2013 to accompany NO's "What's Your Name"/"Eleven Eleven" 7-inch single on White Iris Records.
- It was conceived as a short film with music by NO, rather than as a standard band-performance video.
- Jonathan Tchaikovsky and Madeleine Ignon are credited as the two principal performers, listed simply as "guy" and "girl."
- The film was shot on location in Echo Park, Los Angeles, connecting the project to the neighborhood where NO emerged as a local band.
- The production credits include cinematographer Ryan Carmody, editor Ernest Hemingway, Jr., visual-effects artist George Washington, and colorist Marc Steinberg.
- "What's Your Name" later appeared on NO's album "El Prado," released in 2014.
- NO subsequently changed its name to Black English in late 2014 after several years of touring under the NO name.