TEMPLES
HOT MOTION
DIRECTOR'S APPROACH
... AND DRIVING CONCEPT
Time is (not) an illusion. It gives everything proof of existence...and even though we may perceive it differently, it is one of the very few real units of measure we even have.
We conceptualize everything, we invent meaning where there is none. We create complex systems like mathematics, governments or science, all to make our existence make sense….
….but there is no scale…or much sense...
...what there is though is...energy. Energy that creates matter.
And matter that changes form in time.
I therefore propose a play on time and a visual capture of how light, mood and matter can change within the timespan of your awesome, ‘I play it on repeat’ hypnotic kind of track, ‘Hot Motion’.
All shot in a fluid, cinematic way, that gives the illusion of one continuous shot...until a point.
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1. HOW IT WORKS
ON SET VS ON CAMERA
2. THE CAMERA
PACE I ENVISION
3. THE MOOD AND
SET DESIGN VIBE
...THE LOCATION I'M PROPOSING
in London
Intro
Temples - Hot Motion
The flick of an old zippo lighter is taking up the whole frame, as if being Adam’s point of view. He drops the lighter down, off frame and looks around. The camera continues to act as his POV, spinning round super quickly. It’s hard to distinguish the surroundings for a few seconds, as colours and shapes morph into each other. The camera slows down and we understand the environment:
airy, minimalist, conceptual and with a heavy stamp of centuries gone by: we’re in an old chapel, who seems to have gone through wars (the location was actually bombarded during WW2).
Adam takes a few steps towards a colourful couch, where his guitar awaits.
The camera hasn’t cut yet. In a continuous smooth, slow shot, we move from Adam to James, who’s sitting in a different corner of the space. Moody lighting and set design contour his corner, with big, chunky candles flickering their lights behind him. There’s 14 of them.
The number of days in the lyrics will sometimes be matched by the elements in the set design, as a subtle cue relating to the track’s meaning.
* Please ignore the newly weds, the reference is for the corner of the location I’d like to use for the scene.
The camera continues moving in ample, soft turns. Tom goes past frame, in front of James, and the camera continues following him, leaving James behind.
The light changes as we move to the next set-up.
Tom’s carrying his bass around, playing all the while. The camera keeps him in shot but moves in front of him, tracking backwards as Tom’s approaching the lens.
00:40 --> Camera slowly arcs around again the entire space. With each turn, the space and lighting change. In deep red hues of light, Adam sits on a chair, playing his guitar, surrounded by 10 other empty chairs. Only his one is lit directly, making the other ones seem even emptier and more isolated.
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Camera leaves Adam behind and reveals James, a bit further.He’s laying on a beautifully coloured and patterned rogue, flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling. When the camera positions directly above him, he continues singing.
On the rug, continuing the set design motif of numbered items in accordance with the lyrics, are 9 items representing distraction: a phone ringing insistently, a bottle of whiskey, a woman half asleep and half naked laying next to James, a TV that’s not even turned on and a few more elements that will be chosen depending on James’ actual distractions :).
The camera reaches the girl’s legs, as she gets up and walks. We follow her footsteps, never seeing her face. With feet in close up, we follow her from slightly behind until she reaches Tom. She steps off frame, the camera pans up to Tom, sitting higher up on one of the chapel’s steps.
We get close, following his hands as he strikes the guitar chords, allowing rays of light to pierce through the shot. We focus on his face, then back at his hands slowly.
1:22 --> first ‘hot motion’ - camera pans back, revealing the entire band sitting next to Tom (in slightly Flemish classical painting inspired formation). They’re standing still, playing the chorus. The camera spins 360, super slowly.
1:35 --> music picks up and they start moving too. Approaching the camera, as it tracks back, the band performs.
The camera never cuts, but moves through them, leaving space for ample turns.
2:03 --> The camera rough pans down to a guitar cable. Following its trail on the ground, it reveals a bunch of other elements scattered on the floor (lyrics notebook open, classical vinyls (that have inspired the band),
a guitar, a microphone, a pair of sunglasses, a coloured scarf, etc etc.
(it would really be cool for these elements to be chosen by the band and to represent them fully).
2:44 --> The cable trail eventually takes us to James, sitting by a window (again, Danish/ Flemish light and composition inspiration). He looks outside the window humming the lyrics. On the wall behind him, 5 small paintings are hung in a row.
The camera pans left, right as Tom passes frame again. We follow him from a distance, as he goes next to Adam. James joins them for another segment of the performance.
This time, the camera swirls around the 3 of them as the chorus kicks in again.
3:50 --> Camera positions in front of them, all 3 in frame. It stops for a sec, only to go completely upside down the next.
3:53 onwards - the camera keeps the band upside down for this whole music segment. We also move very slowly backwards until:
4:20 --> The one continuous shot magic breaks and we cut sharply between extreme close-up shots: fingers on the guitar, chords moving frantically, eyes fixed on the instrument, lips on ‘hot motion’, strokes of the feet moving to the rhythm, rays of light hitting the guitars and the band’s faces.
Glares of light become stronger and stronger, almost like glass reflections until they turn into a flame. Adam’s hand puts the lid on the same old zippo and we CUT TO BLACK.
THE END.
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MOODBOARD
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Visual Effects
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Subtle, organic looking visual effects layers will be added in post, to highlight chosen camera movements, lyrics or key moments.
SOURCE OF INSPIRATION
who's directing
Anda is a multi-award winning producer and director, with over 10 years experience in the film, MV, TV and advertising industries. Anda’s passion & strength is bringing to life inspiring and meaningful filmmaking that aims at encouraging change, pushing the boundaries and changing perceptions.
Through her work, she blends classical, timeless cinematography with emerging technology and techniques. Anda’s first independent feature length documentary, ‘13 Shades of Romanian’, has been successfully distributed on TV ground and VoD and has won 6 awards and 9 official selection nominations at film festivals around the world.
Anda’s also a Tribeca finalist with one of the interactive music videos she produced in 2014 and the co-founder of This Is Insomnia, a London based boutique production company.
She’s created work for brands such as Samsung, Uber, Harrods, Nissan, Philip Morris and many other brands and is now in development with her first feature film, a female led drama.
Having her own production company and having produced for over a decade, Anda has a wide and trusted roster of talent that she collaborates with on every project, from DoPs to editors, art directors, stylists, make-up artists, choreographers, etc.
For any questions, please feel free to ask her out for a grapefruit juice - she’s always happy to sit in the sun and pump up more vitamin D in her body! Also, she does not refer to herself in the 3rd person in real life. :)
THANKS FOR READING THROUGH
