Transmission

Inspired by the practical effects of the Star Gate sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey and the opening sequence of Cowboy Bebop, the concept of the video took shape while observing a music festival stage through diffraction glasses.

 
 

An early test using a laptop, two iPads, and flashlights as light sources.

 

The music video was created in four stages:

  1. Filming the silhouettes' performances.

  2. Editing the footage into three distinct videos, carefully planning which performer would appear on each screen to prevent overlap (i.e., the same person appearing twice).

  3. Building the LED fixture, programming simple light sequences, and setting up a monitor for each video.

  4. Filming the fixture through diffraction glasses in a single take—after many, many failed attempts.

 

Camera planning.

 
 
 

A unique aspect of this project was that the final result required no video editing. Unlike typical productions, all editing was done early in the process, making the single-take capture the true final version.

A fixed view with no camera movement.

The LED sequence as viewed through diffraction lenses.