Michael Langan: Hundred Waters “Cavity”

Michael Langan’s music video for Hundred Waters’ “Cavity” features the filmmaker’s trademark penchant for playing with multiplicity and repetition.

What begins as a deceptively simple pillar of light hovering over a nighttime desert evolves into a series of hypnotic visual echoes, as Langan sculpts forms with topographic light.

Entranced by the alien landscapes, I found myself oscillating between two states of mind: 1) wondering how the hell he pulled everything off, and 2) not caring at all.

From Langan:

We used a single flashlight drawn over the landscape hundreds of times to create the lighting effects for “Cavity.” The sliver of light on Nicole’s face involves a projector and a motorized lazy Susan, performed over multiple takes and then multiplied in post.

More from Langan

For more of Langan’s inventiveness, check out the films below.

Plasticine Rhythm

Animator, illustrator and musician Andy Martin took a series of stop-motion animations he created for Vine and used them as a launchpad for “Plasticine Rhythm.”

Martin’s explanation:

Using the iPhone app ‘Vine’, I created a series of stop motion loops over a period of about 6 months. It was a good way to experiment quickly with plasticine in motion and they were fun to make. As this series of animations developed they became more focused on animations that produce sounds, this gave me a bigger idea…

This is how I produced Plasticine Rhythm; allowing each stop motion loop, made using Vine, to dictate a sound and combining these sound loops on screen to build a compatible interplay of rhythm and melody. Once this was established I then played with all the elements, including the background colour and the mini TVs containing the loops, so every element was intrinsically linked with the music.

Making Of

Music

If you want more of Andy’s music, The Plasticine Rhythem EP is on Soundcloud:

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Cisma: Criolo “Duas de Cinco”

If Spike Jonze’s vision of the future in Her was too sunny for you, try on Denis Cisma’s decidedly bleaker take in this short film inspired by Criolo’s latest album, “Duas de Cinco.”

Set in the south side of São Paulo, where Criolo grew up, the short involves 3D printed weapons, futuristic drugs and the inescapable dangers of poverty. The film seems to agree with the old adage: the more things change, the more things stay the same.

From the release:

From the start, the director imagined a record of the Brazilian’s “favelas” in the future, 30 years down the road, in 2044. This idea was too ambitious to materialize without large sums and Criolo is an independent artist, but became possible with the support of the Grajaú community and the production team.

Nearly the entire cast is made up of friends of the singer and people who live in the neighborhood, most of whom had never acted before. The main cast includes Daniel Dantas, Morgana Naughty and Léo Loá, young students chosen with help from the drama teacher of CEU Jaçanã public school, named Tiago Ortaet.

Produced through Paranoid, Clan did an admirable job handling all post-production.

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Credits

Main actors: Daniel Dantas, Morgana Naughty and Léo Loá
Direction and screenplay: Denis Cisma
Production: Paranoid
Photography director: Will Etchebehere
Post-production and visual effects: CLAN vfx
Assembly: Fernando Stutz and Marilia Ramos
Soundtrack: Duas de Cinco – composers: Criolo, Daniel Ganjaman, Marcelo Cabral and
Rodrigo Campos | Cóccix-ência – composers: Criolo, Daniel Ganjaman and Marcelo
Cabral
Recording and editing studio: Oloko Records
Production coordination: Andrezza de Faria, Luciana Oppido, Gabi Hahn and Marina Blum
Production director: Silvio Bettoni
Post-production coordination: Andreia Lopes and Roberta Bruzadin
Coloring: Fernando Lui
Graphics: João Schimidt
Composition: Gustavo Samelo
3D supervision: Luciano Neves
Executive production of post-production: André Pulcino
Executive production of post-production assistant: Diego Souza
Assistant director: Camila Andreoni
Art director: Olívia Sanches
Art assistant: Clarice Cunha
Stagehand: Igor Apoena
Art clerks: Felipe Santana and Marcão
Wardrobe: Marina Vieira
Wardrobe assistants: Vinicius Couto and Tainara Dutra
Objects production: Bella Yumi
On-location production in Grajaú: Bruno Camargo
Machinery: Israel Basso
Gaffer: Marcelo Pinheiro
Cameraman: Thomas Dupre
Camera assistants: Joana Luz and Cris Zurrilho
Direct sound: Rene Brasil
Make-up designer: Denise Borro
Make-up artist: Lilian Berzin De Oliveira
Casting producer: Barbara Catani

Karni and Saul: The Staves “Winter Trees”


London-based Karni and Saul blend beautiful compositing with peculiar creatures inspired by laser-cut wood in this music video for The Staves’ Winter Trees.

For more woodcut-goodness, check out Nando Costa’s The New America and the work of Huntergatherer.


Credits
The Staves Winter Trees (Atlantic Records)
Directors: Karni and Saul
Production Company: Aardman Animations
Producer: Lynn Hollowell
Production Coordinator: Sarah Babbage
Editor: Dan Hembery
Character Design: Saul Freed
Illustrator: Owen Williams
Lead Character TD: Nathan Guttridge
TD: Maria Ocantos
Modelling TD: Rich Spence
Rigger: Dorota Sikorska
2D Animator: Tim Ruffle
3D Animator: Mathew Rees
Lead lighter/renderer: Ali Dixon
Lighter: Andy Lavery
Lead compositor/grade: Bram Ttwheam
Compositor: Jim Lewis, Jon Biggins
Commissioner: Sarah Tognazzi

Posted on Motionographer

Michael Fragstein: Boozoo Bajou “Jan Mayen”


Stuttgart-based Michael Fragstein created this music video for Boozoo Bajou’s Jan Mayen. Inspired by a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean, landscape and weather maps, the animation uses a kind reverse-stratacut approach to explore flowing lava-like animation.

Credits
Boozoo Bajou – boozoobajou.com
Apollo Records – apollorecordings.tumblr.com
Directed by Michael Fragstein at Büro Achter April

Posted on Motionographer

in/out: Mt. Wolf “Midnight Shallows”


London-based in/out (aka Jean-Philippe Blunt & Thom Humphreys) explore the world of chronophotography and Étienne-Jules Marey in this music video for Mt. Wolf’s Midnight Shallows. I love the video’s restraint and balance, lovingly reveling in each unique motion. The later shots that composite the dancer and echoed ribbon are particularly lovely.

For more chronophotography love, check out Norman Maclaren’s Pas de deux, Michael Langan’s Choros and Mass Market’s Nike “Human Chain”. Or roll your own in processing.

Hat tip to Promonews.


Credits
Directors/Editors: in/out (Jean-Philippe Blunt & Thom Humphreys)
Director Of Photography: Rina Yang
Head of music: Natalie Arnett @ JJ Stereo
Producer: Oliver Samuel @JJ Stereo
Manager: Keith Wozencroft @Third Rock Music
Female Dancer: Lily Grundy @The Royal Ballet
Male Dancer: Conal Francis-Martin @The Royal Ballet
Antique Camera: Sebastian Sussmann @Double Negative Darkroom
Bird Handler: Nigel King
Production Designer: Sean Leishman
Colourist/Online Editor: Toby Tomkins
Post Production Consultancy: Paul Gardner @JJ Stereo
Online Conform: Sam White & Joe Lovelock @The Whealhouse
Focus Puller: Karl Hui
Clapper-loader: Brendan Harvey
DIT: Joe Lovelock
Grip: James Roberts
Pre-light Gaffer: Rob White
Gaffer: Steve Garay
Bestboy: Elliot Beach
Sparks: Poom Saiyavath, Maikel Popic, Joel Judah Honeywell, Eduardo Dominicci
Runners: Ugne Ciesiunate, Declan Slattery, Saad Abbas, Hayley Dunn

Posted on Motionographer

Gergely Wootsch: Savages “Marshal Dear”


London-based Gergely Wootsch brings gorgeous Vonnegut-inspired visuals to this music video for the Savages’ Marshal Dear. Love the mix of 3D camera/environment and drawn 2D textures.

For more of Gergely’s work, check out The Hungry Corpse, This is Not Real and Ordæmonium.

Credits
Savages – ‘Marshal Dear’
savagesband.com

Designed and Animated by Gergely Wootsch
Additional Animation by Rosanna Wan – rosanna-wan.com
Produced by Beakus – beakus.com
Producer: Steve Smith
Commissioner: Big Dipper Productions

As imagined by Gemma Thompson and Gergely Wootsch.

matadorrecords.com
popnoire.com

Posted on Motionographer

Dream Koala: Odyssey

“It’s about the fear of not reaching your goals, the fear to die without realizing your dreams.” New music video for nineteen year old Dream Koala‘s Odyssey, directed by Fabulous & Les Gentls Garcons. Beautiful 3d imagery in taking the viewer through surreal environments and epic landscapes.

The Mill: We Are Shining – Wheel

Mill+ Director Carl Addy directs this debut music video “Wheel” for the London based duo WE ARE SHINING (Acyde and Morgan Zarate) as a way to visually articulate the band’s mesmerising sound.

Working closely with WE ARE SHINING, the Mill+ team visually represent the band’s influences and inspirations in this video through a montage of stills and video material derived from multiple sources made into hundreds of gif sequences.

“The psychedelic video tells the story of a primitive man who stumbles upon modern tribalism; fashion, music, sex, booze. As he tries to escape this world he encounters a temptress who breaks his resolve. The film then breaks down into a larger global party where everyone is dancing along to the end of the world, everything descends into a chaotic orgy of destruction leaving the tribal man broke, yet enlightened, and so the wheel continues.”

Credits:

• Design & Animation Studio: Mill+
• Director: Carl Addy
• Executive Producer: Luke Colson
• Illustration: Carl Addy, Simon Landrein
• Design: Carl Addy, Alexandra Pelham
• AFX: Matt Whitewood, Kwok Lam, Markus Nogueira Rosen

EDITORIAL
• Editing Company: The Mill
• Editor: Will Barnett

VFX
• Post-Production / VFX Company: The Mill
• 2D Artists: Bob Granger
• Colourist: Houmam Abdallah

TAVO Studio | 2013 Reel

TAVO STUDIO SHOWREEL from TAVO.

TAVO drops a new killer reel. enjoy…