In the latest music video for Grizzly Bear, Spy Post partnered with Encyclopedia Pictura to create bizarre visual effects for the sci-fi inspired film.

Set in the desert, ‘Knife’ doesn’t skimp on peculiarity with its massive machines, quicksand and a stone creature that uses its magical crystals to save a poisoned bearded man.

For Spy Post Lead Artist Darren Orr, the video was an opportunity to work with the members of Encyclopedia Pictura who he describes as being insanely creative, talented and hungry.

‘The guys created their previous videos by themselves so this was a departure for them to work with a post house,’ says Orr. ‘Their reel was different than anything we had ever seen. I was excited to collaborate with people who are thinking in innovative and unusual ways – and Knife’s really exemplified their approach.’

Spy Post worked on a number of VFX shots in the machine and quicksand scenes. The band provided all of the background plates and greenscreen shots, as well as material filmed in different formats.

‘We worked with 6K images since they were doing sweeping moves in the effects,’ explains Orr. ‘There was a lot of layering and compositing of elements, and the large files proved to be a challenge. The rendering of one shot took four hours.’

The band was shot against greenscreen while the machine, due to its massive size, was done in stop motion and filmed in parts. Spy Post composited the various segments to reconstruct the machine, which was then used to create the long, languid pullout shot in the beginning of the video. For the quicksand sequence, Lead Compositor Jon Wank integrated the band members into the quicksand and surrounding environment.

‘The quicksand and massive machine composites are examples that our clients have very few limitations,’ concludes Wank. ‘Technically, we have the tools and the artists to create anything imaginable. For us, it about working with our clients to realize their ultimate creative vision. ‘

Title: ‘Knife’ by Grizzly Bear
Label: Warp Records •

Production Company: Ghost Robot
Director: Isaiah Saxon & Sean Hellfritsch of Encyclopedia Pictura
DP: Sean Hellfritsch •
Executive Producer: Zach Mortensen
Producer: Mark De Pace •
•
Editorial Company: Encyclopedia Pictura
•
VFX Companies: Encyclopedia Pictura & Spy Post
VFX Artists/Compositors: Darren Orr & Jon Wank @ Spy Post •

Prosthetics/Special Effects Make-up: Isaiah Saxon, Daren Rabinovitch & Vanessa Waring

www.spypost.com