An unexpectedly moving short written and directed by Tom Judd and Ed Barrett of London-based animation studio Animade (previously featured here). Commissioned by WeTransfer, “Tend” follows the father of a young girl who, in his struggle to maintain their daily routine, risks losing sight of what’s really important.
Video for “Fallingwater” by Maggie Rogers and director/collaborator Zia Anger (previously featured here). Choreographed by Emma Portner, who shared a beautiful statement on her Instagram about working on the project:
“Music videos can often feel too quick to connect on any visceral level but I just felt so lucky to see her and to be seen back. We really worked on this together. I got to hear her journey, and try to give it a body. Channeling anyone’s natural gift is moving to me as a choreographer. I’ve said it again and I’ll keep saying it … but I just love releasing dance within people. All people.”
Watch “Fallingwater” above and check out our previous posts of Maggie Rogers and Emma Portner, if you haven’t already!
Love the style of this animation by Hamburg-based illustrator Sebastian König for Billion One’s track “All Of You.” According to König: “The whole video was inspired by that characteristic whistle sample at the end.” So simple yet so satisfying.
A great video for Idles’ track “Colossus” by Dubai-born, London-based director Will Hooper.
Lots of great shots in this video for Lykke Li’s track “Hard Rain” by Helsinki-based director Anton Tammi. We actually interviewed Anton last year during the release of his video for JIL’s “All Your Words” (check it out here, if you haven’t already!). Following from Li’s other recent track “Deep End” earlier this month, we had the chance to catch up with Anton again to discuss what it was like collaborating with the Swedish singer-songwriter and what he has in store for us next!
Watch “Hard Rain” above and see our full interview below!
Jeff Hamada: You mentioned this was a unique creative process for you, how it was different from the way you normally work?
Anton Tammi: This was the first music video I ever did with a strong artist involvement in the video. Earlier I’ve done my video stuff more in an indie way, I just did it, like I wanted, and put it out. So this was a new experience. Lykke wanted something specific, that’s very personal to her. She is hard core in her vision, and her own creative director. So it was a total collaboration between us, every idea she had, she ran it through me and vice versa.
Jeff Hamada: Was there something about this particular song that got you interested to make a video, or was it more the chance to work with Lykke Li regardless of the music?
Anton Tammi: It was her. The song is interesting too, it evolves all the time and gives you something new, like film music. When you hear her, you see a story… But it’s not only the music, Lykke Li is Lykke Li. She has acted in a Terrence Malik film, she has worked with David Lynch, she knows about film making in a way many don’t. When somebody like that asks you to do a music video for their song, it’s an offer hard to refuse.
Jeff Hamada: I’d imagine shooting a very personal story for an artist is tricky if you don’t know them well. How well did you know Lykke before you started shooting?
Anton Tammi: I didn’t know her personally before. But this video had a long pre-production time: It was four months before shooting when we started talking. We had many phone calls, me being in Europe and Lykke in L.A. She wanted a video based on a personal story – so, like a journalist, I did a bit of interviewing her over the phone. And based on our calls, I wrote ideas, and shots, then we talked more.
After finishing the script, we met in L.A. we did a bit improvisation there, and later improvised more in Mexico, where the actual video was shot. I asked her and the other actor — Moley Talhaoui — to do some acting before the shoot, and I shot them with my iPhone. This is how I got to know them better. Some ideas, like the fighting scene in the end of the video, kind of evolved during these iPhone impro-video sessions. We also shot another video “Deep End” with them on an iPhone, which is very much based on improvising. So by the time of the “Hard Rain” shoot me and Lykke and Moley already had melted that layer of Nordic ice, so it was easier go into emotion on set.
Jeff Hamada: What were some of the main visual inspirations for the video?
Anton Tammi: Not necessarily visual references all, but we talked about Ingmar Bergman’s Persona, and about Bibi Andersson. And also about Paris, Texas. And Gaspar Noe, and Dogme95… I don’t know how much from those conversations were left visually to the screen, but it all affected our state of mind. At least Natasha Kinski’s pink outfit ended up in the video!
Jeff Hamada: What’s next for you!
Anton Tammi: Next is vacation. I wanna see Lykke in Flow Festival. Maybe after the summer, I can try to find a script writer, I’d love to try to do a thing where we are writing and shooting and editing with a story (not only visuals) as the main focus. Something with dialogue. Music videos, can often be a bit — how should I put it — too beautiful.
This article features photos by Nirvana Nungaray
The second instalment of the documentary series Once Upon an Artist by Valencia-based filmmaker Marc Guardiola. Offering insight into artists’ experiences from a philosophical and poetic standpoint, Guardiola’s uses visual effects and metaphors to bring each unique creative process to life. Watch above as writer David Pascual (aka Mr Perfumme) relates his personal journey during the writing of his latest novel “Una pequeña llama en mitad de un terrible incendio” (“A little flame in the middle of a terrible fire”).
Concept, Direction and VFX by Marc Guardiola
Music and Sound Design by Paul Candau (Poules Production)
Additional Sound Recordings by Pepe Ábalos
This is just one of the many exciting submissions we’ve received in the past week. Consider participating here if you have a project you’d like us to check out!
An uplifting portrait by New York-based director Law Chen (previously featured here). “The Lions of Chinatown” follows Sara Lai, a young woman who has been training for five years to become an official member of Hung Ching, The Chinese Freemasons, New York City Chinatown’s most notorious lion dance crew. As Chen explains, the project is as much about the importance of keeping cultural traditions alive as it is the changes that need to happen within the culture in order to do that:
“In an unassuming walkup in Chinatown, is the clubhouse of Hung Ching, a lion dance crew that has been running the streets since 1956. There I discovered an art that I thought had completely disappeared, was being kept alive by a dedicated group of young people, who lived and breathed lion dance and chinatown. Amongst them, I met Sara Lai, a young woman determined to change the face of lion dancing by becoming one of only a few women to play the lion head, a traditionally male role in Chinese culture.”
Watch “The Lions of Chinatown” above and check out some photos of CFMAC taken by Natasha Eng below!
Directed by Law Chen
Producer: Jon Hsu
Cinematographers: Law Chen + Tinx Chan
Hair/Makeup by Angel Yu
Editors: Law Chen + Jeff Reagan
Color & Sound: Law Chen
Music:
Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow “Out”
The Blaze “Sparks & Ashes”
Special Thanks:
Victor Fong
Karlin Chan
CFMAC
Texas-born creative Mary Dauterman perfectly captures the laziness of contemporary friendship in this fun and fittingly brief short!
A surreal short exploring the mysterious inner self of an introverted artist. Written and directed by Freddie Favar, with gorgeous cinematography by Cameron Bryson (previously featured here), the film stars Vienna-based designer and model Jana Wieland. Watch “Jana” above and see full credits below.
Cast:
Jana Wieland
Gerhard Freidl
Julian Burlacu
Paul Hüttinger
Writer/Director: Freddie Favar
DP: Cameron Bryson
Editor: Siamak Saadatmand
Sound: Astral Kontakt
Make-up: Julian Burlacu
First Assistant Camera: James Amott
Voice-over Recordist: Jón H. Geirfinnsson
Production Assistant: Luisa Noelle Strupat
Archetypal Dreams Production Company – Favar Films Inc
This video was submitted by Freddie Favar and selected by our team. Click here if you have a project you’d like us to check out!
New York City-based director Griffin Stoddard captures a series of cinematic vignettes for George Taylor’s track “Come Follow Me Down.”
Christine and the Queens channels classic American musicals in this video for her track with Dâm-Funk. Taking inspiration from Charles Ebberts, Michael Jackson and Westside Story, “Girlfriend” was shot in the technique of a 1950’s musical, with a set-build and one of the largest ever rear-screen projections. Directed by Jordan Bahat (previously featured here), with choreography by La Horde (aka Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel) and in collaboration with Christine and the Queens, see full credits below!
Director: Jordan Bahat
DP: Jallo Faber
Producer: Jeremy Martin
EP: Celine Roubaud
Prod Co: Caviar Paris
Editor: Niles Howard
Storyboard Artist: Mike Jasorka
VFX by Mathematic
Post-Producer: Nadege Moreau
Compositor: Anthony Lyant
VFX On-Set Supervisor: Stephane Vogel
Color by A52:
Color: Paul Yacono
Producer: Jenny Bright
Kiev Prod Co: Limelite
EP: Vlad Bolelov
Producer: Nastya Ivaschuk
1st AD: Grits
Production Designer: Misha Levchenko
Rear Projection Team: Front Pictures
Gaffer: Eugene Vivcharyk
PM: Max Matveev
Focus Puller: Kostyantyn Vivcharenko
Hair: Lera Gornostay
Make Up: Tamriko Levchenko
Wardrobe: Kostya Goncharenko
PA: Dasha Iva
Plate Unit Detroit
DP: Geoff George
Location Manager: Dave Krieger
Record Label: Because Music
Manager: Flauvie Jaubert
Dancers:
Eva Ndiaye
Roman Guillermic
Jeremie Parent
Josh Wild
David Cottle
Liza Laepart
Special Thanks:
Mike Gioulakis
Terry Huynh
Corentin Desaedeleer
Kim Dellara
Alexis Celic
This is just one of the many fantastic submissions we’ve received in the past week. Consider participating here if you have a project you’d like us to check out!
A beautifully shot short by cinematographer Rafa G. Arroyo. Exploring the effects of an emotionally dead society and those struggling to find their place in the world, “As I Lay Dying” follows a young woman as she wanders through a frozen landscape trying to use her light to wake up her surroundings.
