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The Weeknd 'Heartless' (live on The Late Show) by Alex Lill

David Knight - 11th Dec 2019

What sleight-of-hand goes on here? The Weeknd's appearance on The Late Show to perform new single Heartless takes the TV live performance to a new level. 

First off, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) is not there when hem is introduced by host Stephen Colbert. He's slouching backstage with a drink, as if he stepped straight off the set of his music video for the song. And then he goes walkabout, though the corridors of the NBC Studios in New York.

And then things get really weird, as the everyday takes a surreal turn. Alex Lill's direction leads us to a rare but very real 'how did they do that?' moment.  

If Spike Jonze pushed the door open onto the possibilities of subverting a classic TV studio performance with his direction of Karen O and Danger Mouse's performance of Woman on The Late Show earlier this year, Lill and his team - including DoP Michael Ragen and production designer JC Molina - has taken it much further. 

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David Knight - 11th Dec 2019

Tags

  • Live
  • Pick of the Day
  • TV
  • Pop
  • Soul
  • The Late Show

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Credits

Production/Creative

Director
Alex Lill
Producer
Brendan Garrett
Producer
Jeff Kopchia
Production Company
Executive Producer
Saskia Whinney

Camera

Director of Photography
Michael Ragen

Art

Production designer
JC Molina

Grading

Colourist
Connor Coolbear
Colour grade company

Other credits

Post

Les

Additional VFX

Jam VFX

David Knight - 11th Dec 2019

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