The music videos have become an essential medium for artists to visually enhance their music and captivate audiences. In this blog post, we delve into the creative process behind the music video for Mike Williams' track "Living on Video", highlighting how we crafted a vintage 80's vibe and style to transport viewers to an immersive and nostalgic experience.

Setting the Stage: Unveiling the Mysteries of the Old Textile Factory

One of the defining elements of the music video is location—an old textile factory. This decision adds an alluring touch of mystery and intrigue, immersing viewers in an otherworldly experience from the very beginning. The surroundings symbolize the forgotten past, beautifully aligning with the song's themes of nostalgia and yearning for the vibrant spirit of a bygone era.

Establishing the Time: A Glimpse into the 80's

To instantly transport viewers to the 80's and establish the time and place of the video, we devised a clever introduction. The video opens with a glimpse into a CCTV camera room, where vintage devices like computers, screens, and phones serve as nostalgic reminders of the past. Moreover, the presence of a VHS player acts as a defining element, instantly evoking memories of the iconic 80’s era.

Embracing the 80's Aesthetic: Neon Colors and Reimagined Vaporwave Animation

To enhance the video’s atmosphere, we delved into the vibrant visual language of the 80's. Dynamic neon lights and mesmerizing lighting effects became integral parts of the music video, creating a mesmerizing interplay between sound and vision. The infusion of neon purple colors and reimagined vaporwave animation brought an electrifying energy to the visuals, invoking nostalgia while amplifying the impact of the music. And finally, 4:3 video format helped us to introduce interesting compositions to the video and deliver vintage viewing experience.

Paying Homage to the Roots: An Intentional Tribute

Another noteworthy aspect of the "Living on Video" music video is our homage to the original song's roots. Our creative team meticulously recreated iconic set and characters that defined the original video. This tribute honors the past, emphasizing the timeless appeal of the song while paying respect to its predecessors.

Storytelling: The Intersection of Technology and Music

The video’s narrative explores the concept of the emerging virtual reality, blending the realms of technology and music seamlessly. Through storytelling, we showcase how music in a form technology gains the power to transform the world around us, alters the surroundings and captures our imagination.

Thanks to all the team for their have work, attention to details and bringing our vision to life! We couldn't have done it without you!

A few more looks into the process:

At the beginning of summer, we embarked on a journey to create a commercial for Joom. Our mission was to represent customers of the company, revealing their dreams and showing how their daily lives can be enhanced with just a few clicks.

We were tasked with making three different settings feel natural, homey and cosy. After a meticulous location scout, we found three great locations ready to be transformed into our characters' homes.

1st location

The first set was a family home. After a little rearranging and creating a natural homey mess with toys and other decorations, we created a family home set that felt alive with its perfect imperfections. We also enhanced the cosy atmosphere by filling the room with arm morning sunray lighting.

The second set was grandma's home. This location was actually the second bedroom of the family home location. We loved the idea of framing our character between the windows; therefore, we added new furniture, plants and curtains, and transformed this idyllic corner into grandma's living room.

2nd location

The second location's tall brick walls, large windows and gorgeous wooden wall spoke to us with its cool, loft vibes. We knew this location would be perfect for our IT girl character. This character had a dream of making her home a bit cosier. Therefore, we showed how one could transform a space just with a few products ordered from Joom.

3rd location

We also had a non-home location-related task: find the perfect sunset spot with a scenic view. After climbing for around 10 mounds, we found our spot—it was the only mound facing west. As a bonus, a beautiful forest landscape could be seen from the mound. The only minus was the top could only be reached on foot. But our brave crew and actress climbed the long staircase, which was almost like climbing up a 7-story building!

The dog

Film set wisdom says it's most difficult to film with kids and pets. We did both. And fortunately, we succeeded! Our child actors, a brother and sister, performed precisely how we imagined. But the star of the show was the wonderful dog, Vilis. We wanted to give a huge shout-out to this good boy who could even be cute on command! He brightened our days and brought liveness to our commercial like a true champ!

A few more looks into the process:

Last summer, we had a thrilling three-day adventure with "Watalook" – an app every Beauty Professionals dreamed about. Today, we invite you to join in on the fun.

Unexpected stories

How do you create a tutorial that is eye-catching and wild? Incredible stories, of course! A kidnapping that turns out to be a barbershop appointment. A drag-queen drag-racing. A fun all-male wedding with a colorful female pastor. A castaway that manages to get a top-notch service on an island. The stories set us to have great adventures, and we rose to the task.

Lucky accidents

Sometimes, nature demands to be credited as a co-director and helps create the perfect scene. When we were filming one of the stories in quarries full of sand, it happened. You see, the mischievous Lithuanian wind is hard to control. Especially if the actor is rocking long luscious hair. But this time, just as the scene reached the climax and the actor raised his head in satisfaction, the gust of wind helped create the perfect final look.

It's crucial to turn these moments into opportunities for silly little details. For example, you set up the scene, the cameras, the actors, the cues... Then, you call "action"! And the actress stands up to have her face covered with branches and leaves. It's great to have an out-of-the-box (in this case, in-the-branches) thinking director who decides that this mishap is just the right mood for the ad.

Extreme conditions

It's great if your job allows you to try out something new. Our lovely scriptwriter provided the cast and crew just that.

It was definitely the first time our beautiful actress enjoyed a bubbly bath of...cold soup! And a famous Lithuanian recipe at that – cold beetroots, litters of kefir, chopped onions, and sliced cucumbers. So we really took a "summer refreshment "to a whole new level.

The second filming day also let us experience drag-racing firsthand. We met a fantastic crew of experienced drivers in an abandoned aerodrome. The whole team was excited to see them improvising and spinning at what felt like the speed of light. Just with way more smoke.

Team inside jokes

What did we take away from these 3 days? Our lovely drag queen loved her costume so much that she took it home. And our clients took the opportunity to participate, too! This time, they surprised us and volunteered to be one of the beautiful brides in our wedding scene. It might have created a challenge for our costume designer, as she had to search for male-sized wedding dresses throughout the city. But it gave us – the team, the client, and now – you, the reader, a great story to remember.

A few more looks into the process:

For those who haven't seen the final results yet -> click here.

Not that long ago, together with the band KAnDIs, we filmed this cinematic, mystical black-and-white adventure for their song "Kažkas atsitiko". And we hope you'll enjoy some making-of shots and a few facts from behind the scenes.

About the idea:

This time we took a film noir approach and created a story that could be interpreted in two ways. At first glance, it reflects a relationship between the author and the audience. Because it's often the audience who constantly searches and looks for a deeper meaning in various creative projects.  

On the second thought, it may be a story about the main character - Martynas itself. And the riddle starts when he breaks the fourth wall and tries to figure out if a song playing is actually written about him.

It's starting to look more mysterious when you think about it that way, right?

For those who haven't seen this clip yet, this is the final result:

Some more interesting facts and making-of gallery:

• It is a new version of a classic Lithuanian song by Antis. 
• The main singer Algirdas Kaušpėdas had to film himself at home under strict Covid-19 pandemic quarantine conditions. 

• We filmed all the scenes (except those with Algirdas) at LOFTAS cultural venue spaces and backstages. 
• Our gaffer has admitted that it was his dream to film something on the roof of LOFTAS. 

• Altogether, we've used ~30 meters of rope during this filming.
• The rope was actually green because of b&w post-production convenience. 

The last couple of months have been a real test for video makers: the world has stopped and a huge number of filming projects has been postponed or cancelled. And the world of videography has become quieter than ever.      

Now things are getting back on track and our videographer Lukas shares some tips on how to make the most of your more quiet times and get more creative as a filmmaker! 

#1 Try new ideas 

New video trends emerge all the time, and filming equipment is being upgraded even more often, so it is tough to keep your videos fresh and trendy. Lukas’s practice for that is quite simple.  

First of all, think of an idea — use your notes for that! Lukas’s memos consist of videography effects and filming techniques, which randomly appear in his head while surfing the internet or even just talking with fellow creators. It’s important to write down even the craziest ideas because, in the long run, you will definitely find a way how to accomplish it. And make sure you are passionate about the idea and do not try to force it; otherwise, you won't be motivated.

Secondly, make a plan: do a little test beforehand to find out what could be needed for its implementation. A plan is a must so that you won't lose any precious time during the filming. Then, get your filming gear ready and go shot a video.

Pro tip: Lukas is always taking a spare battery, a memory card, and a light source to deal with possible challenges.  

Lastly, when the production stage is over, it is time to put your headphones on, turn up your favourite podcast or music playlist and get the editing done. Don't be afraid to take risks or mix-up a few ideas, because that can make your work into a cutting-edge project!  

#2 Become best friends with YouTube

If you strive for more videography knowledge or inspiration, YouTube is undoubtedly the best place for that. From learning about neuro-cinematics, compelling scriptwriting, to understanding how to get the most of your camera or getting to know the power of editing. Deepen your knowledge here and support creators by subscribing to their channels. They truly deserve your support.

YouTube is also great for crafting a specific skill because there are a lot of in-depth videos and step-by-step tutorials, which you can follow. For example, if Lukas gets stuck with some video effect or filming technique, he dives deep into YouTube and quickly gets back on track with new tips to try. Even his first-ever shoulder rig was made of PVC pipes by watching one of the YouTube tutorials, and it worked flawlessly!

#3 Keep your creativity levels high

Sitting in front of the computer all day can be frustrating. Sometimes it seems that the most straightforward tasks require a tremendous amount of effort, and you start becoming less productive. When your motivation and creativity levels drop, it's about time to recharge it. One way to do it is to balance computer work with outside activity, which includes movement.

So grab your camera and go to a new place for a walk without any plan! It's the best kind of meditation for Lukas: stoping at any location, taking the camera out and starting timelapsing while getting that fresh air. Exploration process boosts creativity and breaks the routine!

The last tip form Lukas — meet up with other people and communicate, live or online. It's easier to come up with a bunch of great videography ideas together. You never know, those ideas might become real projects in the future. So if you catch yourself staring at the screen for an hour without any luck of creating something, it is time to break the spell and recharge!

Shooting in a rental studio usually provides you with both all and nothing. At first sight, it’s just an empty space, with some scarce equipment and for sure — a coffee machine silently buzzing in a distant corner. On the other hand, it’s the ultimate playground to unleash your creativity. Place your props, set up the lights, invite actors — and the studio transforms into whatever you might imagine. This time let us bring you to those vintage 1940s and share some insights into creating a Godfather inspired set design.

Why Godfather? — you may ask. Well, the concept derived from our client’s need to target a bit more classy audience and add some gangster attitude, just like in those Corleone movies. Having this clear style in mind, we started planning our set — the Godfather’s office.

More about the set design:

After carefully examining the movie, we listed a few main props to include. First of all, patterned wallpaper, heavy leather armchair, wooden desk, and a chest of drawers as the main components of the interior. Also, not forgetting the iconic blinds in the background, vintage phone on the table, fancy cigar put out in the ashtray and framed painting on the wall. Finally, with some interpretation by our set designer, the white lion sculpture is also here — cause why not? 

All the items together formed the set we desired — giving a clear clue of the theme but with our own creative touch.

While the set designer was on a mission to find all those props, our decisions turned to the lighting. All we wanted to create was this moody dark atmosphere. Smart combination of desk and floor lamps, natural daylight imitation through the blinds, and cinematic scene lighting helped us achieve this goal.

Next, shaping the main actor’s look was also on the list. Three-piece suit, rose on the lapel, makeup art, and the attitude were the main ingredients of Corleone charm, for which our actor rehearsed a lot, even adding some paper towels in his cheeks to look a bit more like the original Godfather.

And that’s how the whole set was built from scratch. Previously empty studio yet had all the vibes we needed, so, bring in the clapperboard - it’s showtime!

For sure, each shooting has some curious challenges to share:

The armchair includes an electric motor! At the beginning of the TVC, we can see the main actor turning around in the armchair. To avoid clumsy or unexpected moves, the armchair got an improvement — an electric mechanism that was supposed to smoothly turn the chair with a single click of remote control. However, to stop the movement, our assistant was silently waiting under the table.

Timing was the cause of repetition. As TVCs have a certain (and usually very short) duration, every second matters. This means – no improvisation is welcome in the Godfather’s office this time, sorry. So, all eyes on set and the script, seeking for those 10 perfectly engaging seconds.

The Godfather’s cat. Well, we are not going to talk too much about this one here. Sometimes cats are impossible and that’s a fact. And it’s OK.

A few more looks into the process:

We hope you got wrapped up in the magic of the season! Now we'd like to share some behind the scenes shots of our video-postcard.

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