Music Video for Sky76 - Twist in My Sobriety

Music Video for Sky76 – Twist in My Sobriety

The music video production for the artist, Sky76, and his remix of Twist in My Sobriety.

Music video production

for Sky76 "Twist in My Sobriety"

When I first discussed the idea of a music video with Sky76, we talked about creating an abstract cinematic illustration of one his upcoming tracks, which are, of course, abstract and cinematic.

But then he sent me the track for his remix, Twist In My Sobriety, originally by Tanita Tikaram, released in 1988.

Sky76’s version has the same somber and thoughtful overtone as the original, but the remix explores more nuances and dimension. It was a beautiful track to illustrate with a music video.

Crafting a Concept

After listening to the track a bunch of times, I had the idea of a forest nymph leaving her woodland home to explore life among people in a city. And then she’d reconsider and go back to her solace.

Originally, I wanted to have the woman physically emerge from the ground, but the budget couldn’t allow it.

A note on the budget: with discretion to the client, I won’t say how much this video cost, but I can say that I did a lot of work at no charge only because I fell in love with the concept and wanted to see it come to life.

If you’re wanting a music video production on a low budget, my advice is to allow considerable creative freedom to your production company, and you’ll both come out of it very happy.

Cast & Crew

With the concept worked out, we needed the talent. I brought on Cassidy Lee, an amazing aerial dancer.

Having a skilled dancer who could translate the emotional depth of the music was essential.

Another essential need for a seamless music video production is great help. I hired Grant Kaufman, a young film student who’ll be going on to much bigger things. Grant was a swing shift, meaning he did a variety of tasks, including production photography and even a second camera for a few shots.

Creative Conflicts and Deleted Shots

Even though I had considerable creative freedom with this music video, there were still a few ideas that didn’t make it to the final piece. I was excited to have my Rosy Boa, Labby, in the video, but the artist didn’t like it.

Solving Problems

An important shot for this video was to have a bird’s eye view of the woman on the ground, surrounded by sheer fabrics. But with time constraints, I couldn’t lug the 12 foot crane jib out to the woods, so I for a strong tree limb and some trusty straps. I thoroughly tested it before putting the talent beneath a 14 pound camera rig.

This part of the production was wrapped in 4 hours. I got more shots in the city at night and relied on stock footage for the rest (some of my own and the rest licensed from others).

The editing required some long hours, but it was worth it. The final music video is something I’m proud of and I hope it adds to the beauty of the song.