ATLANTA — Live-action production company Unheard/Of and director Dan Brown have joined forces with post/VFX specialists World Famous (http://worldfamousinc.com) to craft the new music video for Line of Sight, the latest single from electronic duo, Odesza. The video provides a juxtaposition of sci-fi elements amidst a tropical paradise to help portray the story of a boy and a robot on a lonely island.
According to Brown, the young protagonist’s ingenuity and sense of survival in the most isolated of sanctuaries provides a rather ideal foundation for the video’s narrative.
“The track is so big and open, it just felt like it was tailor made for putting a story under it. I focused on trying to convey something that was serious with a little melancholy but would ultimately be about hope and the human spirit to adapt and survive. In many ways I like to think of it like a parable with a science fiction twist but at the core it’s an adventure story, a kid lost in the jungle trying to live another day where he gets help from a robot instead of a pack of wolves.”
Shot over the course of three long days on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, Line Of Sight marks the second collaboration between Brown and Odesza following their work together on the It’s Only music video.
“We were really blown away by Dan’s work for It’s Only a few years ago,” says Clay Knight and Harrison Mills of Odesza. “When it came time to finding a director for Line Of Sight, we wanted someone who could represent the subtle sadness of the track yet pair it with feelings of hope and wonder. We loved Dan’s sense of imagination and idea of telling a story about friendship through a sci-fi lens.”
While the Line Of Sight shoot itself had to be completed in matter of days, the post production process to create the sci-fi components and characters within presented its own set of challenges.
“Along with the challenges you’d expect from shooting in the Hawaiian tropical rainforest with a small crew, the VFX required a complex, multidisciplinary approach and a whole lot of planning,” World Famous head of production, Casey Steele, recalls. “Still, all challenges were handled by a robust and talented post team and thankfully, we had the resources at the ready to really play and explore the art of it all.”
Despite the tight delivery schedule (just a few weeks) and the VFX/post efforts involved to bring Line Of Sight to life, the resulting music video serves as a moving testament to the solid, longstanding working relationship between Unheard/Of, director Brown and World Famous.
“It was a divide and conquer approach with everyone wearing a plethora of hats,” adds Unheard/Of EP Matt Ackerman. “Like most visual effects projects, there is always more to do and never enough time, but the team did amazing work within the timeframe.”
Nick Pezzillo cut the project for World Famous, with Champ Ensminger assisting. Joel Voelker served as colorist. Animators/compositor included Jacob Shroads, Jake Wegesin, Cody Cobb, and Charlie Bartlett. Rogelio Salinas was VFX creative director.