Award winning video director Jonathan Robinson releases a brand new music video through FMRL Productions.

The video is for Adham Shaikh's track "I Dream" and looks absolutely stunning! The colours are vivid, the talent, makeup, FX, and props all give this video a real cyberpunk or post-humanism feel. I had a chance to ask Jonathan about the making of the video for a behind the scenes look, the interview is below. You can watch the video here >>

ADHAM SHAIKH - I DREAM [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

INTERVIEW

AGR8BUZZ: What can you tell us about the story that's being told here?

JONATHAN: The story is set in a future where the arts, such as music and dance, have been outlawed. Bia, our main protagonist is facing her final hours of life, because an Artificial Intelligence government has set her recycling date for the following day and has denied her the power credits needed to maintain her techno-physiological needs. So, she's like "screw this system and their boring-ass world view. It's time time fight back."

She breaks into the Arts Crimes Department, using her tricked-out, golden cyber-punk gauntlet. Inside the ACD she helps to free 3 prisoner test-subjects, who each have unique art styles, such as hiphop, aerial-hoops and belly-dance.

These criminalized artists hold artifacts and information that could allow Bia to hack the system and over-ride the oppressive rules and conditions which are threatening Bia and others like her. They each give her a data-chip artifact, which get placed into her gauntlet and integrated in to her own mainframe. We see information about these ancient artifacts on Bias heads-up display. She's wearing a head-set with an eye piece, which is actually from a really dope designer in the UK named Dominic Elvin, and each dancer is wearing one.

Hopefully people get a sense of what's happening, but I really think it's a video that asked to be re-watched to gather the details of the larger narrative. There's a lot going on, but I like that different people can watch it and get different experiences. Some might watch for the dance, the gear, lighting, music or socio-political themes. This is what art is to me. Art is not a simple explanation but a series of viewpoints for observing and experiencing the world we live in. If held correctly, it is also a set of tools to reshape the world and a force to fight back with.

AGR8BUZZ: How was the story created and how are you able to fit it with the music of Adham Shaikh so well, in particular this song "I Dream"?

JONATHAN: While writing this story, I was finishing my last year of the Digital Arts and New Media course at Selkirk College here in Nelson BC. I often feel very plugged in to the digital world, and watch those in my class absorbed by it too.

The story is based around the feelings and questions I have about the impacts of being glued to our screens and connecting through the online world, and how that will escalate for people and governments in the coming decades.

The video is asking us to prepare and think about what good and bad will come from an AI taking control of the world government, and what will become of the arts? If we reach the so-called "Singularity" with AI, then who will be left and what will they do to fight back to save our humanity? You know.. the typical Tuesday morning inquiries you explore while eating a peanut-butter and maple-syrup bagel sandwich, running to catch the bus to class and trying not to choke mid-stride. I believe the arts are catalysts for resistance, understanding and revolution, and are tools for change and progress. But they have been fought hard for and often met with much discontent by the status-quo of the day.

The music was one of the many synchronicities of this project. In the final days before presenting the final video at a public screening during my college program's Year End Showcase, I made a choice to find a better fit for the musical accompaniment for my ready to pop, third-trimester brain-baby. I had actually been working with someone on another continent for the music, but it wasn't the best fit and my style was obviously a bit too wild for them. So, I approached an incredibly eclectic, talented and interesting producer/DJ who happened to live in the area and I asked if he liked the concept enough to collaborate.

Adham Shaikh has a broad range of musical talents and sounds. He works with artists around the world to create genre-defiant world-music grooves that mesh with the electronic influences of bass music, trip-hop and dub.

When shown an edited version of the video, he was instantly stoked about the project, especially since he knew the dancers.. Amanda Lynn, Emily Hoggener, Gemma Luna and Jake The Lady are all well established and loved members of the arts scene here [Nelson, BC, Canada]. Adham ended up choosing something that fit the concept, mood and visual narrative perfectly. It was a song that also incorporated vocals by Gemma Luna. I loved the selection and after I made a few tweaks in the editing room, he was blown away, telling me: "It fits like a glove!" When I told other local collaborators like Nomads Hemp Wear, who provided the clothing for the dancers, they applauded the song choice and were also pleased, because they're friends with Shaikh already. He's loved locally, known globally, totally approachable, humble and fun to work with. He was the destined collaborator who synthesized the project into completion.

AGR8BUZZ: The video is super unique in it's look and feel, and how it combines technology and the arts. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in shooting this music video?

JONATHAN: Since it was my final project for my Digital Arts and New Media class, I took the opportunity to geek out and try a few new pieces of technology. I used a laser-cutter to etch acrylic ID tags, then I designed the their frames with Tinkercad.com, which I 3D printed. Later, I stuck laser pointers inside the tag frames in order to back-light the acrylic. I designed and 3D printed pyramid lamps and an access panel too. Searching Thingiverse.com I found a few more props like laser-guns and gauntlet, which I painted and styled up with lasers and circuit board remnants. I used Videmux and VLC to do some data-moshing, which is a way of removing i-frames and p-frames from footage, to break it apart, which let me simulate glitches where 2 different shots are melting into each other. I used Adobe After Effects and Illustrator for the 1st person view of the heads up display and edited everything with Premiere Pro on my iMac.

One of the most important aspect of this shoot was the set and lighting. I wanted an infinite blackness at all times. Luckily The Civic Theatre stepped up and gave me an artist residency, allowing me to film in their massive, empty space between screenings. Honestly, I feel totally blessed to have had a total dream-team for this entire project.

AGR8BUZZ: What's next for your film company FMRL Productions? Anything currently in the works..?

FMRL is short for Ephemeral, so I like to be open to change and shifting directions in order to explore the arts. But currently, I have some music videos coming up, and an artsy kind of project with a close friend, but those things are a bit hush hush for now.

I've been working with some cool local companies like Nelson Tiny Houses, and also IPTEC which is an international group who provide hyper-realistic first-responder training, where people have bones sticking out of them and bloody wounds, crushed cars and screaming actor patients, which is a pretty gnarly project I'm working on now. I enjoy projects that contribute to my community and the arts. I have a passion for social justice and activism too, which pulls me in a few directions with my project choices. Music videos are the most fun projects for me and I love the process, so there will definitely be more of those in the coming years too.

Thanks for the chat! People can follow me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmrlproductions/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fmrlproductions
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm9u1MsYo61lLWa60bTs0tg

ADHAM SHAIKH - I DREAM [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO & INTERVIEW W/ DIRECTOR]