Given the amount of times you've probably heard The Cinematic Orchestra's To Build A Home appropriated to add emotional depth to the visuals of others' work since its 2008 release, it's easy to forget that the track came out as a double promo video (with track Breathe) directed by Andrew Griffin and featuring its own stunning 35mm visuals, rich with an emotional depth that surpasses most narrative shorts never mind music promos. In case NFS readers missed it at the time I thought it was well worth revisiting especially as Griffin (or Griff as he's now known) has recently put out a teaser for new short The Gift:
The promo's script is a great example of well crafted, economical storytelling that does away with extraneous explanations of the why and how the couple reached this tragic point, in favour of showing us the story of their relationship through the hard interactions of the now. However, for me one of the highlights of the film is the casting opposite Julia Ford of the always great actor Peter Mulan, playing somewhat against type. If you're a fan of his work you'll be aware that he often inhabits men teetering on the edge of violence in films such as Tyrannosaur and My Name is Joe, so to place him in this lovingly dedicated role was a canny move indeed, and one which helped ease the progress of the commission as a whole:
The commission really solidified once we landed actors Peter Mullan and Julia Ford as the cast. Their involvement dispelled any concerns in regards to the production, their experience and talent adding and altering the shoot for the better. Once we had the cast, the crew came a little easier.
While this making of video may not be the most illuminating in terms filmmaking technique, it does confirm the fact that all English film set catering must feature scones and jam by law.
And to wet the appetite, here's a teaser for Griff's forthcoming film The Gift, which displays the same story and visual strengths as his previous work:
The 'double track' music promo is a rare beast, shout in the comments if it's something you've had the opportunity to tackle in your own films.
Link: Creative Review
