I sometimes think that the music video is a dying art form, especially since MTV doesn’t even show them anymore. But music videos can be reinvigorated with a shot of new technology and a little bit of imagination—in the case of this video, those new technologies are UAVs and 3D modeling.
The track is a collaboration between Chance the Rapper and LA producer Nosaj Thing called “Cold Stares.” It centers on a dance piece that uses real footage to represent the real world, and computer 3D modeling to represent a world of illusion.
The real world, which feels surreal enough on its own, was captured from 6 drones. While the crew was taking that footage, they were also using 64 cameras placed around the space to produce 3D models “with a high quality of texture.” The result is that the camera movements in “reality” and “fantasy” are perfectly aligned. As a result, the producers were able to achieve “a smooth transition between live-action and CG.”
For an awesome amount of detail, including behind the scenes test footage, information about the drones used, and how the virtual world helped was used as a platform for programming the angle and position of the drone cameras, head over to the video website at Rhizomatiks.
Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the show.
