STANDBY FOR ACTION . . .

I'm currently locked in the edit suite with three projects back to back - but one of them has been a very long while in the making . . .

Often you have crazy ideas that you need to keep on the back burner in the hope that one day they'd reach the light of the day . . . Knowing full well that they won't. Well, a few months ago I won the brief from a fabulous new electro artist . . . Pretty fearless himself, he gave me free reign to go wild with a concept.

And so I did.

The video is a massive labour of love - interweaving elements from all my bizarre reference points and creative heroes - and I needed to call in every favour I could muster, and rally all my dream team around. Even my dad  - Tom Lally - who's an art director and graphic designer in his own right was shipped into London to swell the ranks and get the video off the ground! In another life he would easily have given Derek Meddings a run for his money on the Thunderbirds set, so I was so happy Papa Lally got the chance to unleash all his creativity in the video's intensive production design and model-making. Father and son on a film set . . . Hmm. Could've been a recipe for disaster - but it was humbling, and incredible.

It was great to work with family on this - and also the friends in my team who are pretty much family to me over here . . !

I can't give too much away now, but watch this space. And prepare your eyes for a retina-blindin' scorcher . . .

http://www.stephenlally.com

http://stephenlally.blogspot.com

ON THE RUN . . .

. . . And scarpering behind camera onset of my latest music video. Chiffon adjusted, power pose established, wind machines on full blast - run, Lally, run!

Another new female artist, another irresistible opportunity to go a little crazy with the fabulousness . . . All strictly under wraps for now, but I can't wait to unleash this one.

 
So, this month I'll be pretty much locked inside an editing suite in Soho workin' back to back on two music videos and an installation art piece. Well, it's one way to avoid London's schizophrenic weather . . !

http://www.stephenlally.com

http://stephenlally.blogspot.com

EMILIA MITIKU - "LOST INSIDE" . . .

And another debut for me - and it couldn't be further from the dark dementia of "a quiet rage" if it tried . . !

Last month I flew to Spain to shoot the music video for Warner Bros' latest signing - the stunning Swedish star Emilia Mitiku.

 

 
Eagle-eyed readers may recognise the name; Emilia had a huge global hit when she was 18 with the insanely catchy "Big Big World" . . . Which was one of the big ol' songs of my youth! And now she's back in all her pop enchantress glory - with a new album that's a slinky segue into the rich, jazz sounds she grew up on. A sultry, soulful star - and an absolute dream to direct.

The promo marked my first video for my new music video home Red Lion - and an irresistible opportunity to mount a location-based video in foreign climes! My aim for the promo was to helm an intimate introduction to Emilia and her sound - we're lost in her dreamy song. We see Emilia retreat from the dying embers of a party in a grand villa to a shimmering, Balearic sunrise . . . And we never take our eyes off her for a second. It's Emilia's space, her vibe, her video.

The video was also a fabulous chance to work for the first time with the insanely talented hair and make-up artist Jane Bradley and the phenomenal beauty journalist and stylist Susanna Cohen. The look? Effortless natural beauty with a tribal chic / Grecian goddess edge . . . And the divine Ms Mitiku was certainly all of that.

Together with my regular DoP Charlie Herranz, the whole experience an absolute, sun-drenched joy - even for a deathly pale Irish boy like myself! And it was lovely to see my sketches  - like the one below - come alive. As you can see from the behind the scenes pictures, my video called for quite a few locations.

And quite a frequently stressed out director . . !

Yep. A huge, decadent Spanish museum, a sandstone cave hidden on a cliff face and filled with glitterballs, and a little private beach . . . All in a day's work. And only the best for my beloved Ms Mitiku . . !



http://www.stephenlally.com

http://stephenlally.blogspot.com