MTh Nominated for MTV VMAs

Directed by MTh’s Grady Hall and featuring visual effects and post-production from Mirada, “Safe and Sound,” the popular music video from indie pop duo Capital Cities, has received nominations for MTV’s 2013 Video Music Awards including Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. Airing live from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on August 25, the MTV Video Music Awards will honor the year’s best and most innovative music videos. 

 

Filmed entirely in the historic Los Angeles Theater, the video for “Safe and Sound” – the chart-topping single off Capital Cities’ album A Tidal Wave of Mystery – opens with singers Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian kicking off a dance party with Fred Astaire-inspired moves that trigger an influx of other dancers and props from varying eras. Acclaimed choreographer Mandy Moore worked with over 70 dancers to create more than 40 unique dance sequences that each capture a precise historical time and style.

MTh Director Grady Hall originally envisioned a vibrant celebratory mash-up of dance styles from the past century for the video. “It’s the ultimate cross-time dance circle,” Hall explained. “Ballet versus B-boys, Funk versus Tap, ‘70s versus ‘80s. We wanted to cover every decade of dance, but I think we might need a sequel to do it.” 

With help from Danny Lockwood, Capitol Music Group SVP, creative & video production, and the MTh team, Hall was able to achieve this vision. The video is infused with a sense of visual wizardry from start to finish with the help of art direction and visual effects by Mirada Studios. Hall and Mirada Creative Director Jonathan Wu guided a small team of compositors through more than 80 visual effects shots for the video, including head replacements, complex animations, stock footage integration, transformations, and retro-inspired effects ranging from black and white silent film influences to psychedelic visuals. The visual effects allow viewers to see the magic as each memory from the Los Angeles Theater is elegantly revealed and added to a growing dance party mash-up.

Credits

Capital Cities “Safe and Sound”

CLIENT
Client: Capitol Records
SVP, Creative & Video/Producer: Danny Lockwood

PRODUCTION 
Production: MTh (Motion Theory)
Director: Grady Hall
Executive Producer: Javier Jimenez
Line Producer: Buddy Enright
Director of Photography: Shawn Kim
Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Production Designer: Teri Whittaker
Wardrobe Stylist: Roseanne Fiedler
Band Stylist: Jenni Lee
Hair/Make-up: Anny Kim
2nd Unit Director: Jonathan Wu
Additional Cinematography: Ernesto Lomeli

EDITORIAL
Editorial: Mirada
Editor: Mike Merkwan

POST PRODUCTION
Post Production: Mirada
President: John Fragomeni
Creative Director: Jonathan Wu
Executive Producer: Patrick Nugent
Post Producer: Derek Johnson
Production Manager/HR Director: Tina Van Delden
Art Director: Ash Wagers
Compositing Lead: Phil Guthrie
Sr. Compositor: Wesley Cronk
Sr. Compositor: Ryan Quinlan
Flame Lead - Tim Miller
Flame Artists - Marla Carter, Michael Vaglienty
Designers: Ashley Becerra, Jennifer Rahardjanoto
Creative Consultants: Ryan Erke, Kevin Lau
Roto Artists: Zac Chowdhury, Robert Dorris, Meredith Hook
Lead Stock Researcher: Jean Mougin
Stock Researchers: Daniel Choi, Luciano Herrera