Mathematic Crafts Heavenly Music Video for Lil Nas X

American rapper and singer, Lil Nas X, the groundbreaking artist behind the global hit ‘Old Town Road’, has once again captivated audiences with the release of the music video for his latest single, "J CHRIST." Marking his solo directorial debut, the promo was written and directed by Lil Nas X himself and has already garnered over 14 million views since its release on January 12th 2024.

Collaborating with Paris-based creative VFX, animation, and motion design studio, Mathematic, the chart-topping pop star brought his visionary concept to life. Mathematic, having previously worked on ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’, took charge of the VFX production and art direction for the biblically inspired music video, in which the rapper, teases the comparison of his musical comeback to that of Jesus, who had ‘the greatest comeback of all time.’ 

For two months, a team of over 30 artists at Mathematic crafted the intricate VFX and environments featured in the video. Shot entirely against a blue screen, the production required extensive tracking and rotoscoping to seamlessly integrate Lil Nas X into fantastical biblical environments entirely modelled in 3D. The visual spectacle was further enhanced by numerous matte paintings.

The intricate post-production included crafting 3D clones and their outfits, meticulously rendering an arena with a crowd of over a thousand digital doubles and creating a devil character with hellish horns and a menacing tail - all digitally designed. 

Featuring a host of biblical vignettes, the video showcases the modelling and animation of dozens of animals on Noah's Ark and includes intricate fluid simulations for the tsunami and the final sequence depicting a stormy ocean.