Andrew Donoho brilliantly blends CG and live action in his promo for George Ezra's Anyone For You, using Extended Reality (or XR) technology to drive the concept, and frame another winning Ezra performance."To parallel the idea of George being 'anyone for you', I captured him in five natural environments with a distinct atmosphere to match his ever-changing appearance," explains Donoho, who also acted as VFX artist for the video. "We filmed the video in an XR stage [in Los Angeles] using entirely CG backgrounds, rendered live on a 80 foot screen, to playfully give his backgrounds their own digital identity crisis."As his artificial worlds break down like a person changing themselves for love, we introduce one of my favourite techniques of all time: a live, digital feedback loop of George projected behind George ad infinitum over the walls and floor."Ezra brings his customary playful energy to the project, and is mesmerising to watch throughout - especially when that feedback loop of his performance takes over the screen, perpetually repeating over and over like an infinity mirror. The combination of artificial and real elements feels fresh and seamless, and Ezra's bubbly presence heightens the carefree mood.
Rob Ulitski - 31st Jan 2022