24.11.12

DEBUT MUSIC VIDEO - ANGIE - "SHINE" . . .

And here it finally is!


As blogged about way back in June, here's the finished music video for a new artist called Angie . . .


This promo was another massive labour of love for me as a director  - and as a production designer, it was a purposefully massive contrast to my art direction overload in Velvet Code's "Get Outta My house" opus. Whilst that video was a chaotic celebration of all things gruesomely kitsch, this video's vibe was stylised fashion . . . Dreamy but dark.


And in keeping with the message of the song, the video is a stark, minimalist play of darkness and light.


The song is all about ending a destructive relationship, and stepping out into the light. I wanted to visually illustrate this through dance and my three amazing dancers became ciphers - lyrical manifestations of the song. They initially appear as stoic, moving statues, before my two fabulous lead dancers - Jade "Flossy" Sullivan and Leah Debrincat - become engaged in a haunting, modern ballet . . .



Their dance is all about the duality of Light and Dark - and it soon becomes a duel to the death . . . The dancers are almost elemental, and whilst each of their dance styles differs, their overarching dance sensibility is expressive, modern, experimental.  And they play out a purposefully epic and cinematic struggle - beautifully choreographed by Dare Cullen-Jones.


The location was the basement space of Victoria House in Bloomsbury Square, London. I love how the space looks like a huge, eerie gallery : black floors and white tiles combining in a seemingly endless arena of pillars and walls. I wanted to ramp up those associations, and have fun with their forms. And most importantly, I wanted the white space to be a blank canvas for my dancers.


We shot the promo through revolving, warped perspex and crystals, so all the rushes have a dreamy, almost underwater edge that I hope gives the video a look all of its own . . .


And I cannot thank my creative team enough for once again pulling out all the stops for me - from Charlie Herranz's camerawork to my ever-present glam squad of Nina Butkovich-Budden and Issidora.

And an enormous thank you has to go out to my three incredible dancers - who went along with my vision and in the process, battled against creepy contact lenses, body paint and wind machines - and never complained once! I love ya all!


The finished video is below . . .



And the full credit list lies underneath . . .

ANGIE - "SHINE"

Director
STEPHEN LALLY

Director of Photography
CHARLIE HERRANZ

Hair Stylist
NINA BUTKOVICH-BUDDEN USING ORIBE

Make-Up Artist
ISSIDORA

Choreographer
DARE CULLEN-JONES

Dancers
LEAH DEBRINCAT         JADE "FLOSSY" SULLIVAN
AND  NINA DAVIES

Editor
MARCUS DABORN

 Colourist
SIMON ASTBURY @ UNIT, LONDON

Art Director
STEPHEN LALLY

 Stylist
CLAUDIA BEHNKE

Fashion Credits
JEFFREY MICHAEL         YULIA KONDRANINA
VICTORIA HUNT       LYUDMILA LANE
and  XIANFEN GU

Jewellery Credits
RAJINDER JOHAL        IMOGEN BELFIELD

Stylist Assistants
LUISA CLARKE         ELMA LI CONVE
JULIETA PIACENZA VANDERHOEVEN        LIZZIE MARGERISON

Make-Up Assistants
TORA YOUNG        SOPHIE KILLINGBACK

 Hair Assistants
ROSIE OSBORNE           JAZZ         JAKE GALLAGHER
and  LAYLA DRURY

Producer 
ROSIE WELLS

Post Producer 
LISA VAUGHAN @ UNIT, LONDON

With Thanks To
ARRI MEDIA        UNIT, LONDON      ID ARENA
ALICIA HERRANZ MERINO        LUCY BERRY        GEMMA DABORN
VICTORIA HOUSE        GABRIELLE LALLY  and  RAMON BUTKOVICH-BUDDEN