behind the lens: simon taffe - 1/19/2010 |
We know what its like on the other side of a camera, and so do these guys. BTL features some of the faces that work creatively to make our favorite music videos possible.
Oh My God, Charlie Darwin is definitely a story about a man, an ode if you will, to a father of scientific thought who has met with a lot of scrutiny. The title track is full of a melancholic loneliness, and creating a video to match that was no easy task. Enter Glenn Taunton and Simon Taffe of End Of The Road Films, who decided to create a stop animated video to capture the pathos of the song. Simon took some time to answer a few questions for us about the video and how the pair came up with such affecting visuals.
Baeble:Can you tell us a little bit about how you got involved in making music videos?
Simon: Well this is the first one we have made over the last couple of years. I've been playing around with stop motion with my son, so I mentioned to the band that I could make them a stop motion video. Luckily they didn't ask to see to much previous work!
Who else have you worked with?
Just The Low Anthem, though we have shot live action shorts.
What are some of your favorite projects you've done?
So far The "Charlie Darwin" video.
Ours too. Is there an example of a video you admire or that has inspired you?
It was mainly inspiration from old films... films that used long shots more often. The Searchers for example.
When you first heard "Charlie Darwin" what were some of the ideas you had?
The first few times I heard it I didn't even listen to the lyrics at all, which is unusual for me...it's the first thing I listen to most of the time. After one of their shows at the Union Chapel in London I drove home to the country with Glen and listened to the song over and over and we came up with the idea of the world flooding from a single hole, and it's partly inspired form a children's book I read when I was six years old about a man flooding his village with porridge.
Conceptually, did the band have a lot of input? Were they involved in the process at all?
Not really. We drew them up a story board and there were a couple of things they wanted us to take out which we did, which worked out well.
Obviously the concepts in the song were important to the video. Can you talk a little about the challenges of taking those ideas and presenting them visually?
We just wanted it to have a feeling of emptiness that you couldn't pinpoint to any particualr period of time. I guess the water was a challenge because it goes everywhere and ruins things.
Stop animation can be difficult to pull off, what made you decide to go with it?
To be honest we just jumped into it. I felt I had a lot of artists around me who could help, or who have helped with the festival, so I knew we could pull it off. Once we started we knew we had to keep on going... it was a bit insane. We tried many things that did not work, that had to be re-built etc. It may take you 12 hours to get 5 seconds of footage but it's very rewarding every scene you get to watch back.
What were some of the more tricky elements of the video to create?
The water for sure... moving it every frame with six people holding rakes.
What was the bands reaction to the finished product?
We think they really liked it.
How do you think a narrative type video like this compares to the recent trend of music videos with nothing but trippy abstract stuff?
Glen and I are more inspired by films than other music videos. I don't mind making stuff that's random as long as it is visually exciting. Some videos these days try that, but end up very boring and just repeat themselves over and over.
Is there anyone you'd like to work with?
Would love to do a stop motion video for Tom Waits and a live action for someone like Beirut.
What are some of your future plans for creating music videos (if you can talk about them)?
I should be doing the next Low Anthem video for the new album and we have a few [ideas] we are story boarding now but cant talk about yet.
There you have it. Look out Beirut, these aces are coming for you. Check out the finished video below and stay tuned for more from these guys... they hit the first one out of the park. Who knows what they'll come up with next?-joe puglisi
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Low Anthem on Myspace |  | Permalink Share To:       |
|
|
Articles:
a conversation with alan palomo of neon indian and chaz bundick of toro y moi
a natural belief
an interview with 88 keys
an interview with barry hogan of atp
an interview with beach house
an interview with bruno dallesandro
an interview with ebbot lundberg of soundtrack of our lives
an interview with ed lay of the editors
an interview with fredrik saroea of datarock
an interview with jessica lea mayfield
an interview with josh epstein of the silent years
an interview with luke crowther of the rifles
an interview with nate ruess of fun
an interview with ross jarman of the cribs
an interview with the twilight sad
Arcade Fire @ Randall's Island
baeble goes to bonnaroo
Baeble Goes To Lollapalooza
baeble's best albums of '08
behind the lens: simon taffe
best of cmj
Black Lips
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
BoB '09: Best Album
BoB '09: Best Concert/Guest Apartment
BoB '09: Best Feature
BoB '09: Best Video
Cake's Vince DiFiore
cmj '08 top ten
cmj panel feature
cmj-must-see-list
cmj-wish-list
Daft Punk @ Coney Island
David Arquette
dinner with vandaveer
Drug Rug
Ellen Campesinos! of Los Campesinos!
exclusive interview: los campesinos!
exclusive interview: noah and the whale
favorite beatles songs
Five OClock Heroes
for the love of mongolian blue cheese
Fujiya & Miyagi
gettingdownwiththao
Gordon Anderson of The Aliens
hello 2010!
Illinois
intern warz
is kesha a parody of herself?
Jihae
laugh track: aziz ansari wants to spend the night
Marissa Nadler
matt and kim save brooklyn
metric, on their own terms
mugison feature
neo folks latest luminary, phosphorescent
pitchfork preview
radio city dreaming
rap battle: julian casablancas vs. bradford cox
Reine Fiske of Dungen
remember the lucksmiths: sunlight in a jar
Shiny Toy Guns
shout out louds: the work goes on
Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities
snow day: shovel this, clouds
sobering up when the hype is gone
Sufjan Stevens' BQE
sxsw 2010 free parties
t.g.i mixtape: top 10 edition
t.g.i mixtape: top 20 edition
t.g.i mixtape: volume 41
t.g.i mixtape: volume 46
t.g.i. mixtape 44
t.g.i. mixtape 45
t.g.i. mixtape 47
t.g.i. mixtape 48
t.g.i. mixtape 49
t.g.i. mixtape 50
t.g.i. mixtape 51
t.g.i. mixtape sxsw edition
t.g.i. mixtape: vol.39
t.g.i. mixtape: volume 38
t.g.i. mixtape: volume 40
t.g.i. mixtape: volume 42
t.g.i. mixtape: volume 43
t.g.i.mixtape: best songs of the summer
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 19
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 20
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 21
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 22
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 23
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 24
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 25
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 26
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 27
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 29
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 31
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 32
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 33
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 34
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 35
t.g.i.mixtape: volume 36
t.g.i.mixtape: y.b.p. edition
taylor kirk's mysterious timbre
tgi-mixtape:volume-37
the 52nd annual grammy awards
the bad plus - for all he cares
the guide to fall festivals
the horrors of indie rock advertising
The Kin - Interview
the many faces of michael jackson
the mythology of joanna newsom
the obligatory grammy post 2010
the-worst-record-of-all-time
these united states' jesse elliott
ticket to ride: why we should care about live nation
Tim Green of the Fucking Champs
top 5: exotic dance songs
top 5: summer collaborations
Top five songs featuring incessant perfect handclaps
top five summer shows
top five summer videos
top5songsforalonelybroken heart
topfivefakefeudsoftheweek
we are scientists interview
wish list snl bands
worst record 2
worst record 3
worst record 4: there is no hope
years in the making
You Say Party! We Say Die!
Young Galaxy
Archives:
March, 2010
February, 2010
January, 2010
December, 2009
November, 2009
October, 2009
September, 2009
August, 2009
July, 2009
June, 2009
March, 2009
February, 2009
January, 2009
December, 2008
November, 2008
October, 2008
July, 2008
June, 2008
May, 2008
March, 2008
January, 2008
October, 2007
September, 2007
August, 2007
July, 2007
June, 2007
May, 2007
April, 2007
March, 2007
|
