videoAnna Meredith & Scottish Ensemble 'Tull' by AINSGlasgow-based director AINS takes an inventive and fun approach to a performance of modern classical artist and composer Anna Meredith's dramatic piece TULL by the Scottish Ensemble - using the highly graphic device of arranging the orchestra members on pink-coloured plinths, in endlessly changing arrangements.From a locked-off camera the players and plinths appear and disappear in different parts of the frame, in different sizes. The effect is an engrossing watch, a form of live action animation at human size - mostly, if not all, created in-camera - that draws you into the music and the performance. Meredith's music has previously inspired creative visual interpretations from the likes of Simon Owens and Ewan Jones Morris. And this video fits well into that body of work - a strongly graphic, quirky idea that was a quietly heroic feat in its execution."Directing a music video for a classical ensemble, a shift from my usual genre, was an exciting new adventure for me, and I loved every bit of the process," says AINS, who has also directed music videos for singer-songwriter Be Charlotte and HYYTS, credited as Ainsley Bowman. "A unique aspect on set was having a live conductor for playback – definitely a first in my book!"The inspiration for this project came directly from the music, which is bursting with lively, spontaneous energy. My goal was to visually echo this vibrancy, transforming the sound into an unexpected visual narrative. We began with a minimalistic approach and gradually ramped up the visuals to match the track's growing intensity."My aim was to bring the plinths to life by shooting everything in-camera, giving them a personality that's almost human, reminiscent of stop motion. This required meticulous planning for positioning the plinths and some serious heavy lifting – it was all hands on deck for this one!"I'm immensely grateful for the dedication and hard work from everyone involved. A huge shoutout to the artists, the Scottish Ensemble team, and our incredible crew for going the extra mile."
Rob Ulitski - 11 months ago