Directed by Die Antwoord’s Ninja, the story he conceived with band-mate Yolandi Visser for "Alien" shows the South African group continuing to push the boundaries of what a music video can be.
JAMM was brought on to bring Ninja's grotesquely beautiful vision to life, with the goal for the VFX to create something never-before-seen yet authentic-feeling, a creature transformation which could exist within the pages of National Geographic.
Shot in Detroit, the video features Yolandi as a hoodie-wearing, insect-resembling alien whose non-citizen status forces her to trawl the streets alone. When she catches a glowing centipede-like creature and eats it – ravenously – a metamorphosis begins, starting with a webbed cocoon that begins to grow and glow around her.
CG Artist Zak DiMaria led the JAMM team through the cocoon FX simulation, the most challenging aspect of the VFX process. Incorporating references from the natural world, we made a custom digital mold that could evolve, with delicate threads of webbing that would grow down the contour of the alien's body.
Another exciting aspect for this project was creating a photorealistic centipede with the wings of a damselfly, led by Animation Supervisor Stew Burris. Additionally, JAMM created the CG opening titles featuring the neon-lit insect encircling the Die Antwoord logo and song title. The sequence sets the mood for the entire film, a bizarre visual feast enhanced by the JAMM team's attention to detail.
ZEF FILMZ 2018