ARK VFX
SECOND ACCLAIMED VIDEO BY ARK
ARK DIRECTS SHAZNAY LEWIS' "YOU" VIDEO
01/07/2004
Ark has just completed a 'fantastical' new video for Shaznay Lewis. The second single 'You', from her new album is to be released this month.
The company was approached by Colonel Blimp, because of its creativity and project management. Ark's directorial debut for Muse's Sing for Absolution was greatly received by the commissioning world - and Cara Brady, commissioner for the Shaznay video, is keen to work with new directors and has a great instinct for talent. She championed Dougal Wilson in the early days and still does. Award winning editor Dayne Williams was attracted by the narrative content of the treatment.
The entire 'You' video was shot 'bluescreen', giving Ark an opportunity to create its own environments using Matte painting techniques. A set of storyboards were drawn and cut to the music in the form of a rough edit. From this, a shot list was compiled and the bluescreen requirements put together. Production paintings to illustrate the final look of the video were sent to the record company.
'We knew we wanted something ethereal and fantastical looking right from the start' explained Steve Tappin of Ark. 'Shaznay was professional and easy to direct, and we were able to shoot extra footage in Wales of some moving waves which was composited into the painted backgrounds during the edit. The amount of post-production work - in particular the bluescreen keying - was enormous and meant that we had to find a post house that could produce the quality we wanted and deliver it on time - we did, Golden Square'.
Both Muse and Shaznay occupy fantastical environments and the videos share an 'epic' big production feel. They are both 'artistcally' driven. It may be too soon to say whether this is the 'Ark' way, the next video they are working on might just be something entirely different….. but these videos give a good taste of the team's visual style.
Watch this space….
