When it comes to music videos, there rarely is anything new under the sun. But Mark Krivoshein’s “To the Death” qualifies for that category. Or to put it another way: When was the last time you saw selfie sticks capturing medieval warriors singing neofolk music? Following the video—featuring LYOD—there’s an interview with Kriovshein, who studied in Moscow, worked in St. Petersburg, and now is working remotely in his hometown of Kirov (Vyatka).
Interview with Mark Krivoshein
MobileMovieMaking: What motivated you to become a filmmaker?
Krivoshein: I grew up in a creative family — my father is an artist, my mother is a professor of art history. The love of creativity was given by my parents and teachers from childhood. Now I consider the profession of a filmmaker as a promising and interesting job.
MobileMovieMaking: How did you develop your moviemaking skill?
Krivoshein: At the university, we were shooting student works on analog film and editing by cutting out the frames on a special analog device. However, I have always been motivated by the study of modern technologies for shooting photos and videos, so I have always spent a lot of time on self-education. Youtube and Patreon provided high-quality information for my studies.
MobileMovieMaking: Are there any filmmakers who influenced your approach to making movies or who inspired you.
Krivoshein:I’ve been inspired for many years by my teacher at the university — Vadim Yusov. He was a world-famous cinematographer who worked with Tarkovsky. Such names motivate you to study art and trying to do something new.
MobileMovieMaking: How did you get together with the band?
Krivoshein: Supporting the local musicians seemed like a good idea. I suggested that I shoot this video, because they are making music in such a rare genre. There are very few musical bands in Russia , and in the world, playing neofolk. This is authentic music, using handmade replicas of ancient instruments.
MobileMovieMaking: How did you plan the shoot?
Krivoshein: A good start is half the battle. The theme was a medieval Slavic-Scandinavian journey of a warrior who goes to the last fight. The singers are warrior bards. The planning and preparation took about a month: I teamed up with my girlfriend and we looked for suitable locations, costumes, drew storyboards and other references.
MobileMovieMaking: Could you say something about how you cast the movie.
Krivoshein: A lot of help was provided by the local club of historical reconstruction, headed by Sergey Biserov. Thanks to him, we found suitable types of ancient warriors and dresses.
MobileMovieMaking: Can you tell us anything about the wonderful locations?
Krivoshein: I’ve found suitable locations in the relict forest near Kirovo-Chepetsk. It was exciting to go there in a small group, because there are bears and wild boars. Another location is a wooden fortress that my friend built on his land.
MobileMovieMaking: What gear did you use.
Krivoshein: Initially, there was no shooting equipment! I was planning to rent it. I know that there are various grips, attachments, converters and nd filters for smartphones, but I had none of this. We shot the video with just one selfie stick, DIY mounts and several Youngnuo and Amaran LED lights. I made a spontaneous decision to shoot a clip on my Android phone because I’ve discovered for myself the McPro24fps app. I made some shooting tests — the result seemed impressive. I told the guys that I’m going to shoot a music video for them on my smartphone. They said OK, let’s do it. Now, I think that it was an absolutely successful decision.
MobileMovieMaking: What are the advantages of shooting with a mobile device rather than a traditional camera? Are there any disadvantages?
Krivoshein: The obvious advantage is that the camera is in your pocket. This is very important for outdoor filming. The smartphone camera is not afraid of rain and snow, while with a regular camera i’ve would be worried if something happend with it. Among the disadvantages is the lack of the usual replacement optics and some other technical points. In the near future these 2020 mobile phone problems will look ridiculous.
MobileMovieMaking: How long did the shooting take?
Krivoshein: We successfully shot everything according to plan in two days.
MobileMovieMaking: During the shoot, did you encounter any unexpected problems?
Krivoshein: The most difficult thing was to shoot the battle of the warriors in the forest. It was very cold and keep snowing all day. I planned to shoot the battle as close as possible, but it was dangerous, because men waving swords are not funny at all. To shoot this, I bought a giant stick at a hardware store and made a special DIY mount out of it for up close-ups.While shooting, there was a moment when the sword broke in half and flew at me. The next time the sword struck close to the camera and all the equipment fell into the snow.
MobileMovieMaking: Were there any special techniques you used to stage the battle?
Krivoshein: I studied battles through historical movies and TV series. Some scenes we tried to copy. Since it was cold in the woods, we only had two hours for the entire shooting of the battle.
MobileMovieMaking: Could you talk about your approach to editing the movie?
Krivoshein: In terms of colors, I chose a restrained palette, and in terms of editing, I chose dynamics in accordance with the rhythm of the song. I spent in general two months on editing and color correction in Davinci Resolve, I really do like this software.
MobileMovieMaking: How do you feel about the finished movie?
Krivoshein: People say that at the end of the clip they experienced goosebumps. I consider it an achievement. It seems that in neofolk genre it turned out to be one of the most interesting videos. This could probably be one of the first epic video shot on an smartphone in history. I mean, I didn’t find any other works where a combat historical scene is filmed on an Android phone. The band is insanely happy with the result. The music video turned out greater than they expected. This clip gave the band a boost. Their streaming went up andd they earned new fans.
MobileMovieMaking: Is there anything else you want to say about the production?
Krivoshein: I did a lot of work in this project. In other projects, these roles can be performed by 10 people: searching locations, script, producing, directing, camera shooting, makeup, editing, color correction and other — all of this I did myself. It’s a big responsibility and took much time, but I think it’s a great experience. Now that I understand what other people are doing on the set, in future projects it will be easier to communicate with the film crew.
MobileMovieMaking: What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out making movies?
Krivoshein: You can shoot cinematic projects with the device in your pocket. Even if you live in a small town in Russia.
MobileMovieMaking: What’s the best way for readers to keep up with your work?
Krivoshein: My main works are on my website. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Feel free to contact me. I will be glad to cooperate in international projects or do some shootings remotely.
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The editors of MobileMovieMaking have chosen “To the Death” as the Mobile Movie of the Week.
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Amazing work from Russia!
The more I watch this, the more I like the music and the video.
Another proof that in order to create art it is not necessary to have expensive equipment or travel to remote locations. After all, everything you need is already at your hand. Amazing work of Russian musicians and filmmakers!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Amazing!
MV is awesome! I watched it like a movie. Historically accurate and feels very patriotic. Love it!
This is a very good video and music. I’m just thrilled!!!
Это восхитительно!
Я горжусь творением моего побратима и земляка!
Воспевание жизни, быта и деяний наших предков, посредством кино и музыки, разбудит в наших сердцах любовь к своему отечеству и к родной земле.
Режиссёрская работа Марка не просто уникальна – она восхитительна!
Great work!
It,s really amazing work from Russia! When I watched this video, I felt like I was inside this frame. Thank you Mark for these feelings. Excellent work!!!
Amazing work!!! 👏👏👏
Bravo!