Raleigh Ritchie 'Aristocrats' by Jacob Anderson
Rob Ulitski - 12th May 2020
Jacob Anderson's latest outing as musical alter ego Raleigh Ritchie has prompted this thought-provoking video for new track Aristocrats, directed by Anderson himself.
It is a family portrait through British history, that switches through different time periods through appropriate costumes, from the times of the Crusades, to Victorian times and the 1960s. But in Aristocrats, this great British family are black, as Anderson laments the one-sided teaching of British history, switching out the overwhelmingly white British aristocracy with a more diverse set of characters.
Switching between periods, the barriers between the periods begin to break down. As the camera draws closer to Raleigh, these scenes become more confused and mixed up - a manifestation of the artist's frustration at being served up a skewed version of history.
Through motion control, DoP Joel Honeywell utilises simple tracking shots to bring the focus to the characters and costumes, punctuated by exaggerated closeups as the concepts builds towards its frenetic and haunting climax. Editor Jo Lewandowska cleverly intercuts the different setups to create seamless transitions, with the switch-up in pace in the final few moments a genius balance of tension and emotion.
JACOB ANDERSON:
"I love my country, but I don't always feel loved by it. With this video, I wanted to explore this."
"British history is complicated, especially as a POC, and history is everything! It's what we learn from to help us build our future.
"Back in school, I didn't learn much about British history, aside from the country's victories and a version of some of its atrocities. Sometimes it's a confusing place, and although I love my country, I don't always feel loved by it. With this video, I wanted to explore this and my relationship to my own history and the history of those who came before me."
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Rob Ulitski - 12th May 2020
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Credits
Production/Creative
- Director
- Jacob Anderson
- Producer
- Precious Mahaga
- Production Company
- F
- Executive Producer
- Luke Tierney
- 1st AD
- Steven Eniraiyetan
Camera
- Director of Photography
- JH
- Focus Puller
- Daniel Lemon
- 2nd AC
- Christian Swaine
Lighting/Grip
- Gaffer
- Ben Millar
Art
- Art Director
- Alexandra Toomey
Wardrobe
- Hair & Make-up
- Sara Bowden
- Wardrobe
- Jodie-simone Howe
Editorial
- Editor
- Jo Lewandowska
- Editing company
- Cut+Run
Grading
- Colourist
- Simon Bourne
VFX
- VFX Company
- Analog Studios
- VFX
- Fabio Zaveti
- Post production company
- Framestore
- Post Producer
- Chris Anthony
Commission
- Label
- Alacran
Other credits
Video Playback
Trevor Kelly
Sound Playback
Roger Cutting
VFX Supervisor (on Set)
Dan Hawkins
Motion Control Operator
James Gillett
Motion Control Assistant
Robert Legg
Grip
Jim Philpott
Grip Trainee
Peter Blewden
Electricians
Bruce Melhuish, Maxime Hodgkinson, Luke Greenan
SFX Technicians
Bernie Newton, Michael Taylor
Art Department Assistant
Lady Devine R. Tugade
Assistant Costume Designer
Veronica Johnson
Costume Assistants
Hannah Olivia Newland, Yodea Marquel Williams
Hair & Makeup
Chloë Dixon, Sophie Scott
Runners
Joel Witter, Archie Trueger, Elizabeth Johnston, Merika Holmes
Edit Producer
Maggie McDermott
2D Artist
Guiseppina Cataldo
VFX Producer
Rose Nicholson
Cast
Jacob Anderson, Ray Adedeji, Lola Ajayi, Thomas Huggins, Sinead Hunter, Munashe Johnson, Sarah Jane Martin, Verna Williams
Rob Ulitski - 12th May 2020