For You - Black Lights, Music Video

The idea for the latest collaboration between myself and the amazing Black Lights, was inspired by a video installation I saw at San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art (@SFMOMA) by Vietnamese artist Dinh Q. LĂȘ.

http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/446



Black Lights - "For You" | Director - Colin Warhurst
Music Video | Black Arm Management | Grey Tiger Media
Daniel Warhurst - Second Camera
Starring Laura Pye & Black Lights

Colin Warhurst - Director, Editor, Grading, Camera Operator (Canon 5D MkII)

The installation saw three cinema widescreen projections, running side by side, but that made up elements of one whole story. The film itself was a beautiful and immersive look at two contrasting sides of Vietnamese life in Hanoi; a rather calm and austere look at the City's ceremonial guards at the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, which then transmutes into a loud and raucous scooter rally through the streets by the Nation's youth.


The film was a stunning piece of work in and of itself, but I found myself drawn to the way in which all three screens interacted, and could help convey similar or contrasting images and themes at any point in the video. The overall effect was beautiful, mesmerising and completely engrossing.

The installation was something I have been massively inspired by since, and though the square crops adopted here in "For You" don't have the same sense of grandeur as "Sound and Fury's" gorgeous widescreen film projections, I hope the central theme of the story gels well with this method, and crucially, leaves the viewer wanting to view the story again and again to decipher all of the combinations and variations of meaning.


It was great working with Black Lights on another Project after last year's hugely successful live recordings, and it was great fun putting the band through their acting paces! We were always up against time constraints on this one, and we even got booted off of one primary location due to it "being private land" (apparently) but we did get out onto the streets of Manchester captured some of gorgeous City lights and Neon background which the DSLRs do so well.

Many thanks to Atlas Manchester, for being so accommodating and lovely; we hope to film there again as we had such a good experience. Massive thanks must also go out to leading Actress, Laura Pye, as we really threw her in at the deep end as the turnaround time was so tight!

All in all, a Film and Story we're very happy with, some lovely Photography, and an interesting narrative and visual theme about decisions and timing, which will hopefully keep you coming back for more.