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• Shooting Sand's New Music Video: 沙子MV

  Friday, Aug 28, 2009 6:52PM / Standard Entry / Members only
  1 comment
  I just had the opportunity to be the cameraman on the new music video for Beijing indie rock & blues band, Sand (沙子). I first shot an MV for Sand back in 2001, right after their first album, "Star Falling on My Head", was released. For that MV we shot mostly on the empty streets of Beijing in the late hours of the night, the band members running around banging their instruments in the middle of the empty streets. This time, we went for a more dreamy, old-school theatre-look. And we shot it all in one of the lead singer's apartments! Two full days all up, 16 hours a day.
  
  
  
  
  Before the shoot can start we have to cover the walls with black cloth, turning the room into a little do-it-yourself black box. To do this we use gaffer tape, taking off a fair bit of the newly painted walls I must say! For the windows we use extra thick garbage bags.
  
  
  
  All the actors wear masks in this MV. We even set one mask on fire (when the actor wasn't wearing it). I thought this music video was a mix between "Eyes Wide Open" and "Open Your Eyes"/"Vanilla Sky". Kinda creepy.
  
  
  
  
  Tom is that you? An "Open Your Eyes" moment. That's Liu Dong, Sand's lead singer.
  
  
  
  
  Old school, low-budget shooting. Comes off great on camera, great blacks and whites.
  
  
  
  
  Setting up the mini-jib on the dolly for some high angle shots. We used rugs so as to not destroy the lead singer's brand new wooden floor. You can see the garbage bags in the background, blocking the daylight.
  
  
  
  
  When we were using the jib I had to manually pull for zoom. Not ideal. The problem was that my jeans would then get in the shot during the take. We solved this problem by dressing me in a black blanket. The contrast of the blacks aren't as noticeable, you can't tell - hopefully.
  
  
  
  
  The director looks on.
  
  I'll try to post the MV up when it's all edited. Sand's new album (literal-translation "A World Which Long Ago Became a Fairy-Tale") is available now.