CHRIS STRONG | DIRECTION | CREATIVE DIRECTION
I co-wrote, Directed & Produced this Music Promo/short film for Black Black Hills’ debut single ‘The Celebration’.
Upon hearing the track I immediately felt inspired to create something that was firmly rooted in British folklore.
‘The Celebration’ is a thematically and emotively dark sounding song. Because of this I wanted to tell a simple but very cinematic and gripping story, focusing on the atmosphere of the track without being a literal translation of the lyrics.
As the track is so evocative, I felt that to do the song any justice I needed to tell a story. I also purposefully wanted to create something that subtly blurred the boundary between ‘Short Film’ and ‘Music Promo’.
The outcome of our efforts was a unique take on the idea of a modern gothic thriller. A story that combines the sort of imagery familiar to ancient folklore, pagan-esque ceremonies and the creepy stuff of ‘pulp literature’ style ghost stories. ‘The Celebration’ purposefully sets out to embrace the notion of a ‘British Mythology’. To create a contemporary fable that celebrates the mystifying forces of nature which lie deep within the ancient woodland and forests of rural England.
The film itself tells a tale of the furtive exploits of an illegal metal detectorist (a ‘Nighthawk’) in a rural English landscape as he sets about trespassing and plundering secluded parts of the land with dire consequences. This allowed us to build a narrative foundation with which we could turn the everyday, the idyllic and the quaint into something far more sinister. I wanted to teeter on the brink of the unknown and play with the primal instincts buried deep within the collective human psyche.
Production Company: Blac Ionica
Story By: Blac Ionica
Producer: Blac Ionica
Production Assistant: Millie Marsh
1st Assistant Director: Isusko Garcia
Director of Photography: Will Bex
Focus Puller: Eva Arnold
Steadicam: Rob Hart
2nd AC/DIT Tech: Lami Okrekson
Casting Director: Jane Frisby
Location Manager: Ben Carter @ Lovely Locations
Stylist: Adelaide Turnbull
Make-Up: Jo-Jo Copeman
Art Department / Props: Rebecca Todd
Art Department Assistant: George Evennett
Catering day 1: Sasha Turnbull
Catering day 2: Ambassador Catering
Runners: Jess Bishopp, Chris Shooter, Daisy Gatehouse
Storyboards: Sally Pring
Editors: Alec Rossiter, Leanne Welham
Head of Production @ MPC: Jonathan Davies
Colourist/Grade @ MPC: Steve Gatti
Producer @ MPC: Glen Purcevil
VFX: Blac Ionica
Additional VFX: Barnaby Hewlett
Compositing: Barnaby Hewlett, Jamie Howlett, Kooch Chung
Sound Design: Blac Ionica
Cast
Metal Detectorist: Frank Jakeman
Woman: Helen Terry
Police Officer: Lee Harris
Shadows: Arno Baernhoft, Christopher Beck, Riyonn Farsad, Michael Tomlinson