In our fourth interview with this year’s D&AD awards judges, Eliza Williams talks to James Frost of the Music Videos jury. Frost, who created Radiohead’s stunning House of Cards promo, discusses the standard of work entered this year, how the economic climate has affected production budgets, and the reaction he’s had to that video…
In our fouth interview with this year’s D&AD awards judges, Eliza Williams talks to James Frost of the Music Videos jury. Frost, who created Radiohead’s stunning House of Cards promo, discusses the standard of work entered this year, how the economic climate has affected production budgets, and the reaction he’s had to that video…
The current issue of CR features The Annual, showcasing the best work of the past year. Nine projects have been chosen for our Best in Book section, the ultimate accolade. We will feature each of them in a series of posts this week with additional content to further explain each project. In this post, watch a making-of film for James Frost’s Radiohead video and see the responses of filmmakers to the release of its data via Google
The video for Radiohead’s House of Cards, directed by James Frost, is a technological first. Instead of using cameras, the promo was shot entirely by lasers and scanners, giving the images of a party, a street scene, and lead singer Thom Yorke an eerie and enigmatic effect.
The technique is explained in this making-of video:
As befitting the techie quality of the video, it was first released on Google.com. In addition, visitors to the site could also download the data and create their own visualisations, some of which are shown here.
Credits:
Director: James Frost of Zoo Film Productions.
Client: TBD Records.
Producer: Dawn Fanning
Matt Dent’s UK coins are among the graphic design nominations at D&AD
The nominations for the 2009 D&AD Awards have just been announced. After last year’s furore, will graphic design figure this time?
The good news for graphic design is that there are 13 nominations this year as opposed to two last year (112 entries are in-book). Traditionally graphic design has a high conversion rate from nominations into pencils so it looks as though there should be a healthy number of graphic design awards this year.
If there are, it will be the result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes. After last year, D&AD worked hard to engage with graphic designers and encourage entries, reducing the price and specifically targeting certain studios. It looks to have worked – Build, for example, has a project in the book this year and I can’t remember them even having entered before (Michael, correct me if I’m wrong).
Elsewhere, Environmental Design and TV & Cinema Crafts lead the nominations, with 14 from each jury. On the ad side, mobile has nine nominations as the field finally starts to turn up some interesting work. There are only five nominations in online advertising, but 19 in press and poster (plus the 14 in commercials) denoting something of a traditional fightback. Also, music videos has an encouraging 11 nominations.
It’s hard to spot too many Black Pencil candidates though – maybe Orange Ballonacy (a Best in Book in the CR Annual) or perhaps D&AD will follow Cannes and award Turner Duckworth’s Coke rebrand the major prize?
We’ll put up more images, links and analysis on this later but in the meantime, the full details are below.
And here are all the in-books for graphic design (sorry for the eye-straining size but it’s the best way to get the information up quickly)
Our friends at Coudal blog just linked to Lucinda Schreiber and Yanni Kronenberg’s charming animated music video for Firekites track, Autumn Story, which was made using white chalk, a series of blackboards and an awful lot of rubbing out…
On her Vimeo page, Schreiber explains that they “shot roughly 1900 frames… [and that] the frame rate varies between 12fps, 8fps and 6fps throughout”. The project apparently took “six months from start to finish… about four of them full-time”.
By the looks of the finished film, it was well worth the effort.
Dust Devil by Madness, directed by Adam Smith, production company: RSA Films
Adam Smith has directed this excellent promo for Madness’ new single Dust Devil. He talks to CR about working with Jaime Winstone and Alfie Allen in the video, and how it was shot.
CR: What’s the story behind the video, did you have a brief from the band?
Adam Smith: There wasn’t a specific brief – it sort of came from a few pub discussions with them and then some trust on their part. I wanted to make a story based on the character that is described in the song and through this process ended up remembering a lot of nights trying to chaperone “spirited” girlfriends out of some of the situations that pop up on a night out when you are a bit over “spirited”.
CR: How did you film it? Where was it shot, and how long did it take to shoot?
AS: It was filmed over one lively night in Soho (8pm to 5am). All shot solely using a body harness attached to the actress.
CR: Did you encounter any difficulties/problems on the shoot?
AS: Not really. We just embraced the chaos of nocturnal Soho. Quite a few of the local “residents” got involved and made minor cameos. Jaime was incredible at just going with whatever happened and staying in the moment. Very dedicated, hardworking and brave actress. Alex the producer, Owen the DOP, Chris the 1st and all our stripped-down crew were brilliant at just getting on with whatever minor hiccups we had.
CR: How did Jaime Winstone and Alfie Allen become involved?
AS: I asked them to do it. I had worked with Jaime before and think she is brilliant so wanted to work with her again. I couldn’t think of anyone else that would play the role better and would have the guts to take on Soho on a busy night with a camera strapped to her. Luckily she loved the idea and was available. The Alfie casting was again because he is brilliant but also for the instant intimacy that you get on screen between the two of them. It was important to the story in the video that the characters really loved each other. Also because we all know each other there was a shorthand whilst working and I know they are both really dedicated to what they do so we wouldn’t have any problems and that we might even enjoy the shoot (which we really did). The enjoyment of the evening was added to by Charlie Creed Miles (Nil by Mouth) and Jesse Keegan from North of Ping Pong playing the transvestites (at their own request!) and Peter Hugo Daly who has been in a lot of things I have made (from Little Dorrit to Lady Sovereign) played the mini cab driver.
CR: Did the band request not to be in the video?
AS: Three of them are in the video! Little cameos as the angry minicab punters. They had just got back from touring in Australia so there were only a few of them about. Gregarious gesticulating replaced nutty dancing for this video.
We Got Time by Moray McLaren, director: David Wilson
Here is a rather overdue round-up of some of the best videos that have passed under CR’s nose of late. First up is David Wilson’s rather fine promo for We Got Time by Moray McLaren. And if you’re wondering how it’s made, you can find out all about it here.
No One Does It Like You by Department of Angels, directors: Patrick Daughters & Marcel Dzama
Next up Patrick Daughters teams up with artist Marcel Dzama to create a surreal film for Department of Angels.
Warrior’s Dance by The Prodigy, director: Corin Hardy
Corin Hardy has created this animated video for The Prodigy, which features puppets created from cigarette packets. “I’ve always loved the Grimm fairy tales and there is a little of Elves and Shoemakers in this idea for me,” says Hardy.
Luftbahn by Deichkind, director: AlexandLiane
AlexandLiane has created this hilarious vid for Luftbahn by Deichkind. At least we’re assuming it’s all a joke, anyway…
Black Hearted Love by PJ Harvey & John Parish, directors: Jake & Dinos Chapman
Artists Jake & Dinos Chapman directed this video for PJ Harvey & John Parish. According to a predictably provocative article by Jake Chapman about the video that ran in the Guardian last month, the duo would like people “to watch our videos, go out into the street and burn their Porsches”. CR doesn’t own any Porsches but we’re still not sure that this film would initiate such action. We’ll let you make up your own mind though – let us know if any cars get torched.
Teddy Bear by Midfield General (feat. Ralph Brown), director: Kidda
This video is the latest collaboration between Midfield General and animator Kidda.
The Reeling by Passion Pit, directed by Hydra
Directing collective Hydra (Sam Stephens, Ariel Danzinger and John Hobbs) has made this video for Passion Pit. Inspired by the worn away layers of advertising and flyers on New York’s streets, the film was quite an undertaking. According to the production company, Humble, “the video, shot on the new handheld Canon EOS 5D II DSLR, was edited, tracked and composited in normal post workflow. Then, every other frame, some 4305 of them, was printed out, crumpled up, spray mounted in stacks, and then reshot on homemade animation stands. A month of long nights, razor cuts, toxic fumes, and a terrabyte of stills later, we came out with this.”
Titles sequence for Off Camera film festival, by Richard Morrison
Something different now – a new titles sequence by Richard Morrison, created for the Off Camera independent film festival, currently taking place in Krakow, Poland.
Outside Lands festival preview, directed by Elliot Jokelson
Finally, we end on another festival-related film, this time for the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco. Elliot Jokelson has directed this super-cute video which introduces viewers to this year’s festival line-up.
CR May issue cover, issue side. Photography: Luke Kirwan
The double, May issue of CR features nearly 100 pages of the finest work of the past year in The Annual, plus features on design for the London Olympics, advertising and YouTube, the amazing rollercoaster ride of Attik and, we hope, lots of other interesting thing too…
Cover, Annual side
The Designers Republic’s special issue steel cover for Autechre album, Quaristice, was one of our Best In Book selections. Warp and tDR have produced so much great work that this seemed a fitting endpoint for a great client/designer relationship
More spreads from The Annual
Will designers remember the London 2012 Olympics as fondly as they do those of 1968, 72 and 84? Not without an improved tendering process and a strong creative director, says Mark Sinclair
Inspiration? Rip-off opportunity? Eliza Williams looks at the effect of YouTube on advertising
The amazing rollercoaster ride of Attik
Beatrice Santiccioli colours your world – she may even have chosen the colour of your Mac
Airside is ten, but it nearly wasn’t. Gavin Lucas interviews Fred Deakin
Rick Poynor on Milton Glaser, artist
James Pallister reports from the Colophon magazine festival
Do we need 128 versions of the same typeface? David Quay responds
This month’s Monograph (for subscribers only) features Dixon Baxi designer Aporva Baxi’s collection of Nintendo Game & Watch games, shot by Jason Tozer
The May issue of CR is out on 22 April. Or you can subscribe, if you like…
Deluxe editions of U2’s new album, No Line On The Horizon are accompanied by Linear, a specially commissioned film by Anton Corbijn. “It is not an extended music video or a U2 documentary, it’s a new way to listen to a record – a new way to use film to connect to music,” claims Corbijn.
The idea is that, as many people will be listening to the album on a computer or MP3 player with video screen, they can choose to listen and watch the film at the same time. This extract is from the section that is accompanied by the track Breathe.
The film “follows a character from Paris through France and Spain to reach Cadiz before we eventually say goodbye to him trying to row to Africa,” explains Corbijn. Musically, it has a different running order to the album and an extra track, Winter, while the album track, I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight does not feature in Corbijn’s film.
The idea of the companion film was apparently developed during the making of the album. “The thinking is that as a lot of people buy music from the internet and are likely to hear this on a computer or mp3 player, their listening pleasure could be heightened by visuals. It is not essential to the record – you can either watch it or ignore it,” says Corbijn.
The lavish deluxe edition comes in a box with the Linear DVD, a poster and a book of Corbijn’s photographs
Kasabian’s new video for single Vlad the Impaler features The Mighty Boosh’s Noel Fielding in some vintage vampire nonsense
The video was directed by Warp Films‘ Richard Ayoade of IT Crowd and Nathan Barley fame, with post by Framestore
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
