The composer Alexander Proudlock approached me for an exciting project. Alexander has been producing gorgeous orchestral versions of Sam Fender's songs, and wanted me to provide an ambient, animated visualiser video to accompany his arrangement of 'The Dying Light' from Sam's second album, Seventeen Going Under. It's an incredibly moving song about resisting despair. And being a massive SF fan, I was honoured to be involved.
This is the first project where I used MidJourney, the AI tool at the concept stage. I wanted a black and white shot of a teenage boy looking out to the sea in longing for something better. What MJ threw up with my prompts provided a solid conceptual starting point.
I designed the room the boy would inhabit to be a slightly run down flat (maybe a squat) but peppered with records notes and musical influences.
All multiplane elements for the video were drawn in photoshop several times with several brush treatments so they could be overlayed and blended together to create a fluid shot that felt completely handrawn.
The final video sees a teenage boy looking out to Longsands beach in Tynemouth, watching the last rays of sunset disappear over the horizon. And Alexander's arrangement of the great Sam Fender is just sublime.