UNHEARD/OF Director Dan Brown Brings Sci-Fi Parable to Paradise in Odesza’s Captivating ‘Line of Sight’ Video
Live-action production company UNHEARD/OF and director Dan Brown have joined forces with post/VFX specialists World Famous to craft the stirring new music video for “Line of Sight,” the latest single from renowned electronic duo, Odesza.
With its vivid juxtaposition of sci-fi elements strewn amidst a tropical paradise, the “Line Of Sight” film seamlessly aligns with ODESZA’s epic, infectious electro-pop tune as the story of an unlikely bond between a boy and a robot on a lonely island unfolds.
According to Brown, the young protagonist’s ingenuity and sense of survival in the most isolated of sanctuaries provides a rather ideal foundation for the video’s narrative. “The track is so big and open it just felt like it was tailor made for putting a story under it,” he says. “I focused on trying to convey something that was serious with a little melancholy but would ultimately be about hope and the human spirit to adapt and survive. In many ways I like to think of it like a parable with a science fiction twist but at the core it’s an adventure story, a kid lost in the jungle trying to live another day where he gets help from a robot instead of a pack of wolves.”
Shot over the course of three long, hard days on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, “Line Of Sight” marks the second collaboration between Brown and ODESZA following the equally captivating “It’s Only” music video. “We were really blown away by Dan’s work for ‘It’s Only’ a few years ago,” says Clay Knight and Harrison Mills of ODESZA. “When it came time to finding a director for ‘Line Of Sight’ we wanted someone who could represent the subtle sadness of the track yet pair it with feelings of hope and wonder. We loved Dan’s sense of imagination and idea of telling a story about friendship through a sci-fi lens.” Brown adds, “They are great collaborators. They have strong ideas and really get behind the ideas they like, so they’re great to have on your side. It’s always better to have that level of passion on the other end.”
While the “Line Of Sight” shoot itself had to be completed in matter of days, the post-production process to create the sci-fi components and characters within presented its own set of challenges. “Along with the challenges you’d expect from shooting in the Hawaiian tropical rainforest with a small crew, the VFX required a complex, multidisciplinary approach and a whole lot of planning,” World Famous Head of Production Casey Steele recalls. “Still, all challenges were handled by a robust and talented post team and thankfully, we had the resources at the ready to really play and explore the art of it all.”
Despite the tight delivery schedule (merely a few weeks) and the VFX/post efforts involved to bring “Line Of Sight” to life, the resulting music video serves as a moving testament to the solid, longstanding working relationship between UNHEARD/OF, director Brown and World Famous. “It was a divide and conquer approach with everyone wearing a plethora of hats,” adds UNHEARD/OF Executive Producer Matt Ackerman. “Like most visual effects projects, there is always more to do and never enough time, but the team did amazing work within the timeframe.”
“Line Of Sight” is the latest alluring addition to Dan Brown’s impressive filmography, following his high-profile Super Bowl spot for Wendy’s -marking the fast-food giant’s first Big Game entry – as well as his intense, provocative and surrealistic short film “Color TV, No Vacancy,” which earned raves from Vice/Creators Project among several other top-tier outlets.
Downloads:
Credits:
Production Company: UNHEARD/OF
Director: Daniel Brown
Executive Producer: Matt Ackerman
Line Producer: Angela Tillson
Director of Photography: Joel Voelker
1st Assistant Camera: Coty James
Post Production Company: World Famous
President, Founder: Alan Nay
Head of Production: Casey Steele
Editor: Nick Pezzillo
VFX Creative Director: Rogelio Salinas
Art Director and Pre-visualization: Juan Arenas
2d/3d Animation and Compositor: Jacob Shroads
2d/3d Animation and Compositor: Jake Wegesin
2d/3d Animation and Compositor: Cody Cobb
2d/3d Animation and Compositor: Charlie Bartlett
Designer/Animator: Emma Frost
Jr. 3d Animator: Kalin Fields
Assistant Editor: Champ Ensminger
Colorist: Joel Voelker
Post Producer: Steiner Kierce
About UNHEARD/OF:
UNHEARD/OF is a collection of passionate directors and filmmakers with an eye toward artistry and design.
About World Famous:
World Famous has been creating award-winning commercials, music videos, brand films, and the like for more than a decade. Whether collaborating with agencies, working directly with brands, or burning the midnight oil on a passion project, our singular focus is to make work we love.
About Odesza:
Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight have earned a GRAMMY nomination and Gold singles in the U.S. and Australia while racking up 29 Hype Machine #1s (most recently for “Late Night”), over half a billion combined Spotify and YouTube plays, and over one billion plays on Pandora. With two full-length albums to their name, the Seattle-based production duo creates atmospheric, cinematic music blurring genres and musical styles while incorporating live instrumentation into their performances. They recently sold out a two-night stint at Red Rocks (19k tickets) in under an hour, and have sold out every show in 2015 and 2016 while headlining festivals around the globe. Their forthcoming album ‘A Moment Apart’ comes out September 8, 2017 with a world tour to follow.