The background
This production was unique compared to our usual type of music video, not least because the single Be More Mike was written to celebrate the life of world renowned endurance and adventure cyclist Mike Hall, and raise money for charity.
George and Dan from the superb folk rock band David Beats Goliath
were inspired by Mike, so cycled the 4,200 miles across America in the Trans Am Bike Race.
Mandolin Media were approached to work on the music video production, and Paul, our Creative Director, worked solo on the project.
The Shoot
Pre-production: George, the lead singer of David Beats Goliath proposed the idea of filming in the wilderness of Britain, juxtaposed with the band wearing smart suits. As with the colour grading, lyrics and melody, the desired effect is a sense of thought-provoking contrast.
George and Paul travelled to Wales and scouted the incredible countryside to find a fitting location, and planned out the shoot. They found a great backdrop to shoot the birds-eye-view opening aerial scene, with the river and road providing a sense of balance and scale. The location itself is remote, with George running alone on a path, the cut to a wider shot adds to the sense of isolation, invoking curiosity in the viewer.
Anna Haslock, Race Director at The Transcontinental Race and Partner to Mike -who was tragically killed after being hit by a car while racing in Australia - was on hand with local knowledge and was a great help throughout the shoot.
Production: The opening aerial shots of the video were filmed on day one, with just Paul and George on location. Timing the running was a little tricky, but we got there with a few takes and filmed from a few different heights, to give us options in post production.
The local sheep were not too amused when our drone got too close, and we did end up going too low at one point and hitting the ground, but the soft, spongy grass cushioned the crash and the drone was undamaged!
We also scoped out a location for the main body of the video, with our plan being to film the video in one shot. We wanted a place deep in the woods, with a dark, eerie atmosphere.
For the main shoot day, the whole band was on location, Paul was filming on a Sony FS7 cinema camera, with a Ronin 3-axis gimbal for stabilisation and a support vest to help take the prolonged weight of the rig.
With a lot of practise, the band were setup along the path to be in synch with the track, so as we hear their part in the track, they appear on screen. What you can't see off-screen is that each band member helped guide Paul on the narrow path, as he was walking backwards not being able to see where he was going.
There were a few trips and falls during the day but no harm done!
Post Production: The colour grading was intentionally cold, with a lot of blue, which adds a slightly eerie effect. This contrasts with the uplifting melody of the song, and creates a somewhat surreal/supernatural sense, in keeping with the theme of honouring the passing of a great man, Mike Hall.