Biffy Clyro - Tiny Indoor Fireworks (Official Video)
Biffy Clyro's Tiny Indoor Fireworks
Client: forest of black | Directed By: Oscar Sansom
Our Work: Character design, 2D Animation and Compositing
We had the pleasure of being asked by Forest of Black to provide 2D animation for the music video for Biffy Clyro’s Tiny Indoor Fireworks.
The song was released during the Covid 19 lockdown and so the production faced multiple challenges.
Firstly, we had to coordinate a team of animators in different locations who were not only responsible for their own sections of the film but also for coming up with unique approaches to the various looks required throughout the video.
For the animation of the band it was vital that we captured not just the likeness of Simon, James and Ben but also their characteristics when they moved.
Luckily we were provided with great reference footage that the band shot themselves in their own homes. To capture their performances we discussed rotoscoping (tracing the footage) but didn’t want that classic, bubbly, rotoscope look. Our solution was to rotoscope the key poses of the actions but then classically inbetween the animation for the rest of the motion to get a hybrid, animation/rotoscope look.
Once the rotoscoping was done we worked on the liquid paint effects, using the motion of the band to direct our animation.
With the animation completed we added layers of texture in the compositing stage to add more life and vibrancy, along with camera shake to add a final touch of energy.
We were also asked to create a very different style of effect, using the motion of the band to create multi-coloured, scratchy, scribbly motion trails to put over the live action.
Forest of Black wanted to create a wild, graffiti style to the effect. After some tests it was decided that the best way to achieve the look was to draw over the frames using digital paint brushes that created a realistic, hand painted effect. Additionally, unlike normal animation, we didn’t refer to previous frames to add a sense of chaos to the final images.
This project was a fascinating challenge both logistically and stylistically. Music videos provide a level of artistic freedom that is almost unique to the genre and it makes for an incredibly enjoyable experience.