Memory Tapes’ “Yes I Know” from Najork on Vimeo.
At first glance, a quiet, almost serene black and white video. Nevertheless, it’s packed with visual effects. Each image is carefully and subtly modified and contributes to the incredible atmosphere. With controlled changes in reality that take you into a dreamworld, you not only listen to the Memory Tapes, but you can see them as well.
What makes this video even more special is that it is not made with extensive 3D applications — no Flame, no Nuke, just After Effects. Two-dimensional camera tracking, puppet tool and a lot of layers make this ambitious project come to life.
Director Eric Epstein:
This would have been a good excuse to learn, but it’s hard to abandon one’s strengths. And with the emphasis on footage integration, much of the project was going to live in AE no matter what. I figured if the approach was unusual then at worst the results would come out looking unique. Realistic compositing was not top priority, so long as the motion seemed natural.
The main techniques I employed in this video were things I had played with before and had wanted to push further. That helped zero in on some images I wanted to create, but the feeling of the music was still the driving force behind everything.
On Najork.net you can find, next to other neat works, a bit of making of.
audio: memorytap.es
direction and post: Eric Epstein najork.net
director of photography: Aaron Epstein aaronepstein.com
the guy: Ben Aufill
production company: m ss ng p eces mssngpeces.com
additional thanks to Robert Lopuski from forgottensundays.com for suggestions and encouragement