Bring Me The Horizon with Yungblud 'Obey' by Oliver Sykes
Rob Ulitski - 4th Sept 2020
Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes reanimates the Japanese monster movie genre in his thoroughly entertaining video for Obey - co-starring fellow Brit rocker Yungblud.
Taking inspiration from Mecha - giant robots controlled by humans, popularised in Japanese anime and concepts such as Power Rangers and Transformers - the video pits Sykes' robot, towering over the city below, against Yungblud's punkier, spikier humanoid nemesis. All hell ensues when they confront each other - building to a disarming (and hilarious) final twist.
With the spot-on production design by Dale Oliver Slater, and sterling work on robot wardrobe and makeup by Natasha Lawes, DoP Dan Stafford-Clark pays homage to the Japanese source material (and possibly Beastie Boys' Intergalactic too) while adding a contemporary flair of his own.
Then VFX work at Creep Post put excellent finishing touches to Sykes' vision. Talking about the meaning behind the video and the track, he says: "We consider ourselves free but only because the chains are invisible, and we are controlled in ways we don't even want to think about. They tell us how to live with a smile on their face - like shit ain't fucked up, inform us of tragic statistics like its nothing… it’s a weird world.
"2020 is the year where we’re all being challenged by a deep and dark reality, but it’s also feeling like a time of hope and positivity. Our generation is waking up, realising what’s being conveyed, what we’re being sheltered from, and with that comes empowerment. We are being controlled in ways we don’t even want to think about, but with knowledge comes strength, and choices.. and the music video represents all of that.
"I wanted to add a real sense of nostalgia to the music video also to deliver such heavy lyrical content as a reminder of simpler times, and I’ve always been a huge fan of anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, so creating a blend of that, Power rangers and Godzilla was a super fun and creative shoot."
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Rob Ulitski - 4th Sept 2020
Credits
Production/Creative
- Director
- Oliver Sykes
- Producer
- Craig Dixon
- Production Company
- Sony Music Entertainment
- 1st AD
- George Nelson
Camera
- Director of Photography
- Dan Stafford-Clark
- Focus Puller
- David Agha-Rafei
Lighting/Grip
- Gaffer
- Barry Keegan
Art
- Art Director
- Dale Oliver Slater
Wardrobe
- Wardrobe
- Natasha Lawes
- Hair & Make-up
- Natasha Lawes
Casting
- Lead actor
- Anna Engeström
- Lead actor
- Joshua Hubbard
Editorial
- Editor
- Oliver Sykes
Grading
- Colourist
- Chris Bell
- Colour grade company
- CP
VFX
- VFX
- Jonathan Klahr, Becanti Wijnbergh, Andrew Macleod
- Post production company
- CP
- Post Producer
- Cal Gordon
Commission
- Commissioner
- Kat Cattaneo
- Label
- RCA Records
Misc
- Set Builder
- Fin Sullivan
Other credits
Key Grip
Andy Woodcock
Playback Operator
Alex Bates
VFX Supervisor
Jonathan ‘JK’ Klahr
Desk Operator
Kester Mclur
Sparks
Dom Palgan, Dan Smith
Costume & Make Up Designer
Natasha Lawes
Wardrobe Assistant
Kate Sullivan
Set Builder
Fin Sullivan
Art Department Assistants
Sadie Haque, Rosie Kennedy, Lucy February
Fight Coordinator
Russell Macleod
Robot Oliver Sykes
Anna Engeström
Covid Supervisor
Cleo Hodgkinson
Online Editor
Laura Flack
Robot Yungblud -Joshua Hubbard
Rob Ulitski - 4th Sept 2020