Lamb ‘Build A Fire’ by John Nolan
Thursday, 15. September 2011 - 3:30 pm
John Nolan’s video for Lamb’s Build A Fire is ostensibly a performance video for the revitalised duo (who released 5 this year, their first album in years, from which this is the first single). That’s quite a surprise from a director renowned for his amazing animatronic works in various films and TV, and his genius short film Nolan’s Nuts. The visual effects are there – but they’re mostly the in-camera variety, as Lamb’s performance is punctuated with appropriate bursts of flame.
“After listening to the track for the first time I knew that I would write an ambitious idea,” says John. “Build A Fire is one of the heaviest tracks I’ve heard from Lamb and with its gentle intro, building verses and exploding chorus I felt that the film needed to be as big and epic as possible, achieving the same energy.”
“The shoot was great. I guess shooting a special effects film at night, on a deserted wasteland with no electricity under an airport was both incredibly ambitious and probably stupid, but it worked. Producer Ebony Maitland pulled in an exceptional crew who worked incessantly until the early hours. Richard Van Den Burgh did an amazing job with the explosions and flame effects, timing and triggering each one perfectly with the track.”
“Lou and Andy were brilliant. There were times when I could see that they wanted to crack up laughing because the heat from the explosions was so intense behind them but I didn’t feel it mattered. If anything it stopped their performance from being too stiff. It was great to work with them both and their energy and belief in the idea was perfect”
“It was difficult to know how to shoot the band with low light before the explosions and extreme light when they were triggered, two totally different exposures. Director of photography Chris Sabogal captured each explosion perfectly, producing lens flares and a beautiful hazy contrast.”
Lamb
Build A Fire
Director: John Nolan
Prod Co: Streetlight Films UK Ltd / 1/33 Productions Paris
Producer: Ebony Maitland
DoP: Chris Sabogal
Rep: Debs Ramsey
Stylist: Tara Sugar
Editor: John Nolan
Colourist: Denny Cooper @ Rushes
Flame: Rufus Blackwell @ Rushes
Related posts:
- Nolan’s Nuts by John Nolan First, there was Nolan’s Cheddar, introducing the world to the...
- UNKLE’s Runaway (Pointman Re-edit) by John Nolan John Nolan has spent nine years working in creature and...
- BUG 18: Nolan’s Cheddar by John Nolan Modelmaker, sculptor and animatronic designer… and now John Nolan makes...
15. September 2011 - 5:52 pm
Deadly boring video. This one here shot years ago in the same location stomps it tenfold:
15. September 2011 - 10:18 pm
wow that’s a big explanation for such a dull video…not a good director choice, who’s the rep?
16. September 2011 - 12:06 pm
Lazy in every which way possible…
16. September 2011 - 1:11 pm
Great video and love the explosions!!!
16. September 2011 - 1:30 pm
Yes, we’re seeing quite a stream of videos coming through here lately with the most ridiculous write-ups – sorry guys, get your sh|t together. Who’s writing this babble?
16. September 2011 - 1:35 pm
Absolutely with you there. If video posts are not being filtered or regulated before they get posted on here (i.e everything and anything under the sun), then at least do a decent job of the write ups. We’ve come a long way since the days of proper features circa Promonews magazine, don’t turn this into another Antville, pretty please.
16. September 2011 - 2:19 pm
The problem isn’t the write ups – its the prick comments from people like ‘Bangers and mash’ and `Bring it back sing it back’ thats the problem – who the fuck do you honestly think you are??!!
You fucking students should shut your mouths and get a job – assholes.
16. September 2011 - 4:08 pm
What a RIP OFF from UNKLE’S Reign!! Shameless thief
16. September 2011 - 5:09 pm
check out paul calf up there, feck the students, bag-o-shite and all that.
this video isn’t an unmitigated disaster by any mean, the director wanted to film a spectacle alongside the music and fair play, explosions in videos.??? Are we back in the mid 90s?
But for some reason the entire crew (and director) lets the piece down with sloppy boring work, no urgency in the camera, no sweat on the foreheads of the band, no makeup dripping to enhance the fire FIRE FIRE FIRE
If the FIRE is so highly regarded by the director in his interview why oh why has he left it in the background and not connected it to the artists. This is where it all falls apart
just lacklustre looks, limp frames and large buliding. We should all look at the ian brown video which is identical in too many ways, and once we look only then will we realise it was more a wasted opportunity and i thinks thats sadder than making a bad video
16. September 2011 - 6:26 pm
Couldn’t have put it better myself. May as well have had them standing in front of a green screen. Total let down.
17. September 2011 - 11:32 am
Yeh lets set the band on fire that will work
17. September 2011 - 11:40 am
Ok guys lets get a grip… The Ian Brown video was 150k back when we had budgets and this was 5k… Yes 5k! Is it really fare to compare the two? If the arse hadn’t fallen out of music videos maybe we wouldn’t be so disappointed. The video is a very beautiful and cinematic piece so lets give the poor director a break no?
17. September 2011 - 11:42 am
Here here I agree… the budgets are shit i need to find another job.
17. September 2011 - 2:02 pm
UNKLE’S Reign……..
are we back there again ???????
BOREd……
Thats 3.50 ill never get back.
Poor lamb.
baaaa baaaaaa baaa baa baaaaa
17. September 2011 - 5:52 pm
If the location wasn’t the same as Unkle’s then there would be no comparison.
I’m sure there are very few locations in London that are fire friendly. As far as ripping off goes maybe ‘Reign’ is a blatant rip off of Radiohead’s ‘No Surprises’? We can do that all day. Why waste the time?
Good job.
19. September 2011 - 7:47 am
Dave – Reign and No Surprises? Really? That’s just pedantic.
19. September 2011 - 2:36 pm
whos the idiot who compared promonews to antville?
david knight is an ass kisser, because the prod houses keep him going
antville is more indie oriented, the comments are more acid on the verge of becomin insults
antville is the shit
19. September 2011 - 4:55 pm
MateiMocanu / underdog. you are the idiot.
19. September 2011 - 11:19 pm
bring it back – john is that you
20. September 2011 - 12:19 am
Wow! Really? All this negativity. All this venom and hate. C’mon guys. Its only a music video! Thank god I don’t direct music promos!
21. September 2011 - 8:32 am
@john why the fcuk did you call dave for? your idea of good fun?