Smoke & Mirrors, in conjunction with London based vfx studio Stranger, recently completed work on a unique Jon Glazer-directed music video for alt-rock supergroup The Dead Weather. Treat Me Like Your Mother features Jack White and Alison Mosshart of The Kills colliding in a ferocious and surreal duel with automatic weapons. The face-off is set in a dusty field bordering a gaudy suburban housing tract, where the duo unloads their clips in a relentless onslaught that complements the music’s powerful cadence. Despite skewering one another with countless bullets, both walk away as the video fades.

Smoke & Mirrors chipped in with many of the effects for the firing and impact of the weapons, including bullet hits, ground hits, and muzzle flashes. Stranger created the blood, the bullet hits, bullet holes and light rays through Jack White.

“It is not often one finds a band willing to take such a risk as this, nor is it common to have Jon Glazer directing it. To find ourselves being asked to join the party was both an honor and a privilege that everyone at Smoke & Mirrors was proud to be part of,” said Broughton, Smoke & Mirrors co-founder and creative director. The full-length video premiered in the U.S. on Cinemax July 11 and in the UK on Channel 4 July 13 2009.

About SMNY
New York and London-based design, animation and VFX studio, Smoke & Mirrors was founded by Creative Director/VFX Artist Sean Broughton (NY), Penny Verbe (UK) and Mark Wildig (UK). A creative and artist-driven company synonymous with vision and originality since its inception, Smoke & Mirrors has consistently succeeded because of its collaborative approach and ability to build lasting creative relationships with directors, producers, agencies and clients alike.

About Stranger
Stranger is a team of visual effects artists, supervisors and producers based in London.Their services include: script analysis and vfx breakdown, vfx supervision from pre-production to post, vfx production design, cleanup and restoration and compositing of all kinds.

Stranger is part of the new wave of independent visual effects houses who believe in de-mystifying the vfx process for producers and directors. Stranger provides greater flexibility, accessibility and creative control to film makers.

Credits
Artist: The Dead Weather
Song: Treat Me Like Your Mother

Production Company: [email protected]!
Director: Jon Glazer
DP: Max Malkin
EP(s): Lizie Gower, Liz Kessler, Sheira Reese-Davies
Managing Director: Line Postmyr
Producer US: Rachel Curl
Producer UK: Mark Whittow-Williams

Telecine: Smoke & Mirrors/London
Colorist: Mark Horrobin

Post/Effects: Smoke & Mirrors/NY
CD: Sean Brougton
Flame Artist(s): Sean Broughton, Nic Seresin, Philip Akka, Sam Caine, Stephanie Isaacson, Tony Lawrence (UK)
Producer(s): Paul O’Beirne, Lauren Shawe
VFX Producer(s): Belinda Grew, Leigh Warner, Paul O.Beirne, Lauren Shawe

Post/Effects: One of Us/London
VFX Producer: Rachael Penfold
VFX Line Producer: Chaya Feiner

Visual Effects: Stranger
Stranger team:
Paddy Eason
David Emeny
Hugh Macdonald
Andre Brizard
Matt Plummer
Jonathan Harris
Sally Spencer

Editorial: The Quarry
Editor: Paul Watts

Audio Post: Wave Studios
Mixer: Johnnie Burns

Related Links
www.smoke-mirrors.com
www.strangerfx.com