embrace screen shot

Embrace Releases Spherical Music Video for ‘I Run’

On Monday, English rock band Embrace released a spherical music video for their latest single ‘I Run’ from their No. 5 album ‘Embrace’. The video was filmed using a 360Heros camera array, allowing director Danny Lacey to create a tinyplanet effect in the final production.

As you can see in the video, this technique allowed Lacey to portray the artists as if they were performing on their own miniature planet. This effect conveyed the message behind the song’s lyrics; as they  address the idea that people shouldn’t live in their own secluded worlds. This point was reiterated by lead vocalist Danny Mcnamara in discussing the message behind the lyrics:

The song is about the pitfalls of narcissism , We wanted to make a video that poked fun at the idea that anyone is the centre of the universe. That anyone can live in isolation in their own little world. When we discovered there’s a new camera set up that allows you to film everything around you and in effect create your own little world, it just seemed to really fit.

Danny Mcnamara pictured while filming with 360Heros video gear.
Danny Mcnamara pictured while filming with 360Heros video gear. Photo courtesy of Embrace.

Lacy’s portrayal captured the band members as they performed in spherical fields, walked through a warped cemetery and passed by skewed buildings. The combination of these environments and ‘I Run”s evocative audio creates a powerful experience for the viewer.

In terms of the creation of the video, it was filmed over the course of a single day across various locations in England. The filming was done using a 360Heros H3PRO6 Plug-n-Play Holder  with six GoPro cameras. The camera array was mounted on a unipod, giving the crew a high level of flexibility while positioning the unit and changing locations.

In reference to working with the 360Heros camera gear, Lacey commented on the aforementioned adaptability and ease of use associated with the gear:

“Because this was ‘guerrilla filmmaking’ with a very small piece of kit we were able to move from location to location without having to shift tons of lighting and camera kit. It’s basically 6 GoPros arranged in a unique patent pending array developed by Michael Kintner of 360Heros on the end of a monopod. This opened up many filming opportunities for us during the one day we had to film…. The tiny camera set up meant we weren’t attracting too much attention. The result was a wealth of footage shot with no hassle.”

Lacey went on to discuss the high level of freedom offered by the post-production software (Kolor Autopano Giga and Autopano Video) in creating the video. In this case, stitching the files from the six GoPro cameras into a tinyplanet, or spherical  presentation was the method of choice.

The band members also appreciated the array’s capabilities as they worked hard to get the most from the technology. Lacy noted that they offered useful and creative input throughout the filming and production process in order to achieve the desired look and feel for the final product.

‘I Run’ presents itself as the latest endeavor into the world of 360 degree music videos. The 360Heros team is excited to be working with inspired producers and artists like Danny Lacey and Embrace as they continue to pioneer this developing field.

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