INFINITE PANDITS

Coolio approached me to direct a clip for Infinite Pandits. The track’s underlying sample is from Falco’s Der Komissar, and he thought it would be fun to also reference the clip (multi-level sampling).

A lo-fi greenscreen clip is just something I needed a good excuse to give a crack – like most of the video assignments I have taken on of late, if I haven’t done it before, that’s what I want to do next.

Also, it goes without saying that Coolio & Housemouse are one of my favourite acts, and Infinite Pandits is an undisputed masterpiece. Of course I said yes!

A good location is worth thousands in production value, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of including Canberra’s own NASA base in the clip. Coolio and Housemouse loved the idea, and Lou and I did a reccy a couple of weeks beforehand – Tidbinbilla Tracking Station is a hidden gem, with a cool permanent space exhibit and rolling hillsides dotted with satellite dishes.

I used Tidbinbilla to add a bait-and-switch beginning to the clip, the long, quiet intro and title screens suggestive of a pastoral indie flick more than the subsequent bangin’ sci-fi comedy. It also bookended the clip well, the final shot static and turning to sepia, setting in amber the gallant space crew of the HMAS Solid Rolled Gold.

The nature of greenscreen means the majority of the work is in post. Once you have edited the clip – the point you’d normally finish – the work starts. It was time-consuming sourcing appropriate backdrops, but thankfully there is a great community sharing free greenscreen elements (including the inside of space carriers!), and I eventually found everything I needed.

This is the most effects-and-automation heavy clip I have done – my next challenge should be adding in more interactive greenscreen elements rather than passive backdrops.

The clip was timely as Nick soon approached me to do a fun karaoke video for Adelaide’s birthday – I took what I learnt this time around and we shot a high-energy dance-a-thon, with several ideas I am definitely going to re-use for future videos (shout-out to Yen Tso who suggested making the Fleetwood Mac segment resemble the cover to Rumours).

This is the second time Coolio and I have collaborated on film – expect more!