Directed by MTh’s Grady Hall and featuring visual effects and post-production from Mirada, “Safe and Sound,” the popular music video from indie pop duo Capital Cities, has received nominations for MTV’s 2013 Video Music Awards including Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. Airing live from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on August 25, the MTV Video Music Awards will honor the year’s best and most innovative music videos.nnFilmed entirely in the historic Los Angeles Theater, the video for “Safe and Sound” – the chart-topping single off Capital Cities’ album A Tidal Wave of Mystery – opens with singers Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian kicking off a dance party with Fred Astaire-inspired moves that trigger an influx of other dancers and props from varying eras. Acclaimed choreographer Mandy Moore worked with over 70 dancers to create more than 40 unique dance sequences that each capture a precise historical time and style.nnMTh Director Grady Hall originally envisioned a vibrant celebratory mash-up of dance styles from the past century for the video. “It’s the ultimate cross-time dance circle,” Hall explained. “Ballet versus B-boys, Funk versus Tap, ’70s versus ’80s. We wanted to cover every decade of dance, but I think we might need a sequel to do it.”nnWith help from Danny Lockwood, Capitol Music Group SVP, creative & video production, and the MTh team, Hall was able to achieve this vision. The video is infused with a sense of visual wizardry from start to finish with the help of art direction and visual effects by Mirada Studios. Hall and Mirada Creative Director Jonathan Wu guided a small team of compositors through more than 80 visual effects shots for the video, including head replacements, complex animations, stock footage integration, transformations, and retro-inspired effects ranging from black and white silent film influences to psychedelic visuals. The visual effects allow viewers to see the magic as each memory from the Los Angeles Theater is elegantly revealed and added to a growing dance party mash-up.nn
nTo see the full video for “Safe and Sound,” online here.nnCreditsnCapital Cities “Safe and Sound“nnCLIENTnClient: Capitol RecordsnSVP, Creative & Video/Producer: Danny LockwoodnnPRODUCTIONnProduction: MTh (Motion Theory)nDirector: Grady HallnExecutive Producer: Javier JimeneznLine Producer: Buddy EnrightnDirector of Photography: Shawn KimnChoreographer: Mandy MoorenProduction Designer: Teri WhittakernWardrobe Stylist: Roseanne FiedlernBand Stylist: Jenni LeenHair/Make-up: Anny Kimn2nd Unit Director: Jonathan WunAdditional Cinematography: Ernesto LomelinnEDITORIALnEditorial: MiradanEditor: Mike MerkwannnPOST PRODUCTIONnPost Production: MiradanPresident: John FragomeninCreative Director: Jonathan WunExecutive Producer: Patrick NugentnPost Producer: Derek JohnsonnProduction Manager/HR Director: Tina Van DeldennArt Director: Ash WagersnCompositing Lead: Phil GuthrienSr. Compositor: Wesley CronknSr. Compositor: Ryan QuinlannFlame Lead – Tim MillernFlame Artists – Marla Carter, Michael VaglientynDesigners: Ashley Becerra, Jennifer RahardjanotonCreative Consultants: Ryan Erke, Kevin LaunRoto Artists: Zac Chowdhury, Robert Dorris, Meredith HooknLead Stock Researcher: Jean MouginnStock Researchers: Daniel Choi, Luciano HerrerannAbout MThnMTh is a creative home for directors with a sharp visual and narrative focus. Roster directors include: Akama, Atanasio + Martinez, Mathew Cullen, Guillaume de Fontenay, Jesus de Francisco, Guillermo del Toro, Steven Diller, Gr
