Director: Bernard Gourley
Link to director’s reel
Labuda Management (323) 848-8425

I really enjoy the beat and dreamy affect the music has on my imagination when I listen to “Eyes Wide Shut.” The accompanying visuals should have a dreamy affect on the viewer, and give the music video a visual impact that lasts, letting the lyrics and music linger in the mind long after the video has faded to black….

I have a technique in mind that will totally grab you and pull you into “Eyes Wide Shut,” while presenting JLS in a stunning visual. We are going to take the single take video and step up the game with an added technique that will be amazing! I want to capture one incredibly fantastic moment, in a single take with the image going in and out of slow motion at exciting high-action points, then ramping back into real-time, while JLS remain in synch, performing…. It will be stunning!

Here is a sample of how the performances will look as we ramp the speed of the video, keeping the performances in synch…. Please let the video load so you can get the full affect.

There is a progression in “Eyes Wide Shut” that takes me on a trip as the music and emotion build. I want to visually capture this build-up. While listening to the song, I was inspired to do something that wouldn’t be typical…. My idea is a narrative, but the entire story takes place in real time, the same amount of time of the track….

As the video builds with each frame, JLS pulls you deeper into “Eyes Wide Shut” and finishes with a big payoff in the end….

THE VIDEO
We open inside an apartment building with one of JLS looking out the window…. The image is silhouette, almost mysterious because his back is towards the camera. In slow motion, he finishes pulling his shirt down over his head, and we ramp back to real time…. He turns towards the door to leave and deliberately engages the camera while “Eyes Wide Shut” is entering the first verse. He starts to sing directly into the camera…. The camera will be on a steady cam, so the framing and tracking will be smooth and elegant…. The camera leads him out as he closes the door behind him, again—seamlessly in slow motion…. He turns back towards the camera singing to us in slow motion but he is in synch! As if narrating his own story, he continues to walk, singing…. It sounds simple, but the effect will jump off the screen and visually grab us by the neck….

Two videos come to mind that had the same idea: James Blunt “You’re Beautiful” and Jill Scott “A Long Walk.” Both of those videos were incredible to watch, and we, as viewers were totally engaged in the artist. And, our video will be much hotter….

So, we track him out of his building out onto the street where he meets the rest of JLS. Everything seamlessly ramps into slow motion…. He pauses on the curb and tilts up to the sun to warm his face, still singing in synch. The camera tilts with him as the sun flares the lens. We tilt down to seamlessly reveal JLS in a wide shot, seemlessly stepping back into real time. When a bicycle nearly misses one of the guys, the action is captured seamlessly in slow motion… they walks towards the camera and we resume our walk…. The street begins to get crowded as we move towards the intersection…. A ball bounces into the middle of the street followed by a young boy, everything ramps into slow motion… The tension builds…. The boy is fine…. We tilt up to the crosswalk sign… it’s blinking red…. We tilt back down and we’re on a long lens looking at JLS waiting for the light with a crowd of people at the corner. He’s still singing. Everything feels real and natural…. The light turns green and everyone starts to cross. A peppering of the slow motion, seamlessly rides in and out, creating a surreal effect…. As JLS takes a few steps with the crowd, they pause,with the lead singer turning his head. The camera turns with him to reveal what, or who he is looking at…. It’s a gorgeous girl who has caught his attention on one of the adjacent corners. She notices him too….

Suddenly, Her face turns from beautiful smile to startled surprise! The camera turns back on him, and we see him flying back through the air in extreme slow motion (think “Matrix” style or the title sequence of “Watchmen”), while a car is skidding to a halt in front of him…. The imagery is surreal…. The track starts to fade while he is literally falling in mid air. And, we fade to black….

I want this video to be special and surprising…. Let’s talk about it some more, I think we can make a super dope video together…..

DIRECTOR: CARLOS LOPEZ ESTRADA

Link to director’s reel
http://www.immigrantfilm.com/directors/C.%20Lopez%20Estrada/

Labuda Management (323) 848-8425

“A picture carries the voice of a thousand words”.

In a cool winter evening, a beautiful woman (let’s call her Mae) walks along the sidewalk adjacent to an empty city park. Her slow steps reveal her reminiscent mood. At a closer glance, something is visible in her hand. It is an empty, wooden, and aged picture frame with a completely empty center.

Mae stops at a street corner. The viewer drifts into her perspective as she holds the frame up. The grass in the park is gray and mostly dead with the season. The viewer sees through the frame (as does Mae) to see the grass alive and inviting. This frame is magical…a portal to the past and her memories. Mae smiles by what she is seeing through the frame; she continues on. As she lowers the frame, the perspective shows the bottom of her pants and shoes, they are different than the ones she is wearing.

The rest of the video will be done in one continuous shot with no cuts. It will follow the journey of Mae through the street where she grew up…the street that holds most of her beloved memories.

She walks by an old and aged couch with tears and cuts on its fabric.

As she places the frame in front of it, we see the same couch but years earlier…brand new. On the couch lays Danny, he sings the first verse of the song. He is singing directly to Mae, she walks closer and closer but suddenly removes the frame and realizes that there is nothing there except the worn couch. By the couch, there is a dead tree…as Mae swings the frame by it, we see it covered in bright green leaves. Danny will appear all throughout the video and will be some sort of narrator to this story.

Up ahead sits an old decrepit flower store with a dusty “closed” sign hanging from the front door and broken windows. Mae holds the frame up and the same store is seen in an un-aged light, bustling with commotion. She uses the frame to peek into the old world; all she can see are smiles. Mark and Glen will also be featured prominently in the video. They will be performing their instruments all along Mae’s path. But they won’t be inserted vaguely…I want to create specific “moments” for them to appear. For example, we see the image of a 12-year-old boy through the frame. He is learning how to play a small guitar. When Mae removes the frame, we see Mark playing his guitar on the street, the same with Glenn and the drums.

Throughout the journey, we will also introduce several characters that will help us tell this story. For example, we will see a newspaper boy (5 years old) selling newspapers on the street. When the frame is taken away, we see the same kid but now as a teenager, still selling newspapers from that same specific corner.

We also see a couple through a window on their first date. They are watching tv together and the man puts his arm around the girl. When Mae takes the frame down, we see the same couch but now the couple is older and watching TV with 2 kids.

This formula will make the video extremely dynamic and will always keep it fresh. People watching it will not only be pulled in by the strong visuals but will also wonder “what happens next?” all throughout the song.

Towards the end of the song (last chorus) we will see Mae’s hands put down the frame. On a street corner sits a man bundled up in blankets by a fire. The man’s clothes are tattered and his face falls under a shadow. Mae slowly puts the frame in front of his face and realizes that this man is in fact Danny. Mae drops the frame on the ground and grabs Danny’s hand. He slowly stands and they walk away from the camera together. The camera looks down and finds the frame on the ground. The frame isn’t empty anymore. In it, there is a picture of Mae and Dan together from years earlier.

STYLE:

This is what I want to accomplish with the “frame effect”:

The “outside” and the “inside” images will be framed and composed exactly the same so that the images that we see through the frame match perfectly the world outside of them. They will literally be a cut out of the actual location, but aged a couple of decades earlier. We will recreate the effect shown in the image above but with moving images and not only pictures.

The look of the outside world will be gloomy, overcast and melancholic while the world inside the frame will be warm, alive and full of movement. This contrast will create very unique visuals. Also, a great attention to detail will be paid in the production design of the video; every single thing in the location will be changed considerably to accentuate the “time progression” effect. Trees, store facades, people and props will all be designed and placed strategically to make sure that the picture frame catches a glimpse of all of these details in both their old and new states.

I think that this concept will make a very unique music video. The “frame effect” will give us endless possibilities to create memorable moments that will carry us through the message of the song without making it a cliché love story. This video will showcase THE SCRIPT in a very fresh way and will allow the band to make an intriguing, creative statement.

It’s nighttime. We see a camping tent in the middle of a field with a light coming from inside. A title card reads: “Msunduzi, South Africa”

The camera slowly pushes in through the flaps and into the tent… We see an 8-year-old African American boy being tucked inside his sleeping bag by his mom. His mother grabs a book titled “Z” and reads:

the boy’s eyes slowly close as he falls asleep.

The camera zooms into his face. Suddenly, we hear a loud gust of wind come into the tent… his eyes open wide. He looks around and realizes that he is now out in the Legendary land of “Zakuland.”

the video will start with a shot similar to this:

We will start inside the tent and zoom in to the boy’s face, when the camera zooms out we see a whole new world around him.

THE LOOK OF ZAKULAND:

The visual style of Zakuland will be inspired by this picture:

I love the vibrant colors and the Youthful feel of this illustration. We will build Zakuland inside a Sound Stage and use a giant sky backdrop (identical to the one in the picture) with yellow, savannah- like grass. We will bring the above image to life.

Zakuland will be built with a style similar to this:
the video will start with a shot similar to this:

This set will allow us to create a very unique look for the video and a creative approach to a typical and distinctive African landscape.

The idea is to make Zakuland a Magical place full of color, warmth and life. There will be kids playing soccer on the grass, Animals running free, musicians, dancers, etc… An Astonishing Party inside of the boy’s Dream.

PLAYBACK:

The costumes and animals in this world will be created with a similar style to the “Lion King Broadway musical” using Natural materials like wood and fabric. They will be designed using a very theatrical style.

Costumes:

As the song ends, we will see all of these characters slowly disappearing and the boy, exhausted, slowly falling back asleep. He lays on the yellow grass and closes his eyes.

He opens his eyes Again… he is back in the tent with his mom. She is reading the final pages of the Zakumi Book:

“It is said that Zakumi only lets himself be seen by a few chosen people. If you ever witness the presence of Zakumi, you can consider yourself truly lucky.”

The boy smiles as he realizes that his arm is covered in Green hexagonal spots…just like Zakumi’s.

-the end-

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Director: Carlos Lopez Estrada
Link to director’s reel
Labuda Management (323) 848-8425

With a song this catchy and a melody that hasn’t left my head for days, I thought that the only way to make a video for this song would be by doing something that is bold, fun and will leave people talking for days:

Song Intro:
The video starts with a silhouette shot of Estelle walking into a bathroom. In super slow motion, we see her taking a big fury coat off and revealing her beautiful figure. She turns on the water knob…. Pink water fills the tub.

“I’m gonna call my baby….”

Estelle lays inside a bathtub full of pink bubbles. On a small Television we see a soul band playing live on a Tv show. They accompany Estelle (through the television) as she sings the first verse of the song.

On the television, we see Talib rush the stage and grab the mic… he starts rapping with the soul band. Suddenly, we realize that Talib is not only on the television but in fact all around the bathroom. Moving images of him appear everywhere. We will see his reflection on the water in the bath tub, in the sink which is full of water, on a small puddle of water on the tile floor…maybe even on the water in the toilet…he is singing everywhere.

The 1st chorus hits and we see Estelle exit the bathroom and walk into her living room. Just like the bathroom, the living room also posses some kind of magic:
There are frames all around with “moving pictures” of Hi Tek and Talib (these frames will either be holes on the wall or projections of Reflection Eternal performing the song).

Estelle keeps walking around all the rooms in the house (kitchen, bedroom, etc) and finds the band performing around every corner in the house. We see them on picture frames, televisions, billboards seen through the window, newspaper ads, etc.

For the last chorus, we see Talib finally arriving home. He is wearing a classy suit and stands firmly by the door.

He extends his hand and Estelle runs up to him. They embrace and break off into a quick, modern tango dance. This will me executed in a very elegant manner…making sure that the scene fits with the rest of the video. This happens during the last minute of the video…by the end of the song, we realize that all the images that were in television before, have now come to life and are in Estelle’s apartment. The soul band, Hi Tek, Talib, the Tv host and the Tv audience are all in the same location…they have all come home at Midnight.

Style and Execution:
This will be a very fun video full of movement and interesting tricks.
The entire apartment will be built on a sound stage and all of these tricks to show the band performance will be incorporated within the house itself.

Example:

Most of these camera tricks will be done “practically” and not digitally. This is something rare nowadays and will give the video a very unique look.

Vintage
The tone of the video will be similar to the style of the song: We will accentuate the “vintage” feel of the song by making all the sets and character have a timeless look.

Conclusion
This video will be inventive, amusing and memorable. And “Midnight Hour” is an opportunity for Reflection Eternal to make a wonderful and creative statement.

Director: Andrea Giacomini
Link to director’s reel
Labuda Management (323) 848-8425

CONCEPT:
The video takes us through an infinite sequence of rooms in a repetitive loop where we follow the two main vocalists (Estelle and Talib) through their day as they prepare for their midnight hour appointment. The video will be edited to appear as though it was shot in one long, fluid, continuous take, without cuts. Camera will be in front of the main characters, and moving around them in a wide perspective.

THE VIDEO:
Starts in total darkness, then a little light shines through a crack in a door as it opens. The door opens all the way and Estelle enters the room and the light in the hallway spills in behind her. She turns on the lights in the room; it appears that she has just returned home.

A few beats into the song, she begins to lip synch to the song. The camera pans left and right of her, revealing elements of the room (a TV set, a couch and a kitchen table on the left, etc.) as she moves through the room going through her usual routine.

She approaches another door, opens the door and turns on the light in the next room. Where you would be expecting a bedroom, she is suddenly back in her office, working late. She closes the door behind her, walks past her desk and down a long office hallway where there are other people working. As she approaches another door, she turns off the lights behind her, and pushes that door open.

The light is turned on in the new room.

Now it’s Talib doing the walking. He’s entered the living room Estelle first entered. As the camera pans left and right we see that the house is now filled with people, who are partying. Everyone’s dancing, Hi-Tek is DJjing. Talib goes through the crowd lipsynching to his section of the song, as revelers and dancers cross his path in front of the camera.

He walks through the room and approaches the door that Estelle initially went through. As he shuts off the lights behind him, he opens the door and turns on the lights in the new room. When the lights go up, we see that we’re back with Estelle in the office. She’s walking down the long hallway again, dropping papers around and behind her.

Visual References

The video continues with the non-stop action of one of the characters walking from one end of the room to the other, and with each entry and exit point leading between the office and the living room. It’s a continuous, seamless loop of those rooms, with slight differences in each room to indicate a passage of time and to coincide with the lyrics.

The two of them are never seen in the same room, until the end when she finally walks through the door back into the first room, which is home, and he is there waiting for her. They walk together through next door, and as they open it, they find themselves in the bedroom. Camera pulls up, passing through the ceiling.

Perspective is now from above and far away, instead of circling them. It is reveled that the room is a single square room in the middle of empty black space and not connected to any other rooms or anything at all for that matter.

They switch off the lights and we go back to blackness.

Director: Bernard Gourley
Link to director’s reel
Labuda Management (323) 848-8425

Introduction
Girls, Girls, Girls… and more girls! That’s what comes to mind when I listen to “Nothin’ On You.” Beautiful girls from every walk of life… and every corner of the earth… Now, this video shouldn’t be another objectification of women. Instead, it should be a celebration of beauty and diversity, and capture that amazing thing that happens between men and women, that chemistry….

So, diving right into it, “Nothin’ On You” should be visually stunning. It would be easy to put a whole bunch of exotic and beautiful women in front of the camera, cut it with a performance and call it a music video. However, B.o.B. deserves a music video with depth and creativity to represent him as an artist, that has depth and creativity. Ok, this being said, back to a lot of beautiful women.

This video should definitely be about gorgeous women. But, I want to present them and B.o.B.’s performances along with Bruno in a brilliant choreography. I don’t expect either B.o.B. or Bruno to dance. When I say choreography, it’s more like an entire musical scene that plays out on a city block in the style of Busby Berkeley.

Imagery/Choreography
I want to create a music video where everything is moving in a surreal synchronization that results in a spectacular display of imagery. From every angle, the choreography and camera work will come together in deliberate compositions that bring “Nothin’ On You” to life like a Broadway musical, except we’ll use an actual downtown city block, make the video modern and fresh with dope choreography that combines the classic ideas of Busby Berkeley with today’s innovative street energy. It’ll be like “America’s Best Dance Crew” meets Showgirls….