“There for You” is a unique music video meant to foster creativity among young kids. Directed by Simon Horrocks and sponsored by Generali Switzerland, the video features Luca Hänni. The Zurich Film Festival co-sponsored the project.
Interview with Simon Horrocks
MobileMovieMaking: What equipment did you use in shooting the video?
Horrocks: We used 2 iPhone 12 Pro Max. We used FiLMiC Pro for most shots. We filmed in Dolby Vision but didn’t master it in that format. I used a Tiffen Black Pro mist filter on my device and a DJI OM 4. Bennett had a 2x Beastgrip tele, a Variable ND, Zhiyin Weebil 2 gimbal.
MobileMovieMaking: What about the lighting?
Horrocks: We used one main light with a softbox and about 6 battery powered tube lights, as practicals. The tube lights could also be controlled by an app.
MobileMovieMaking: How did you plan the shoot?
Horrocks: I wrote the video idea based on the lyrics and with the idea of seeing our friends in real life after lockdown. I wanted a party, summertime atmosphere to match the feel of the song. I wanted to have the video become more colourful as it went along so by the end it’s like a celebration of getting back together with your friends. I wrote a simple AV script which matched the sections of the song to the intended visuals. Once everyone was happy with that, I created a basic schedule, the same way I schedule short films. I just use Google Sheets – it’s free and easy to share and edit.
MobileMovieMaking: What was it like on the set?
Horrocks: The kids only had a few hours to rehearse the dance so we shot those parts on the 2nd day of the weekend shoot to give them time to practice. They’re not dancers, just enthusiastic kids. So they couldn’t rehearse for too long anyway.
MobileMovieMaking: Did you encounter any difficulties with the production?
Horrocks: The biggest hiccup was when it came to editing. I’m an Adobe Premiere user but it doesn’t work with Dolby Vision too well. Because I’d never used Final Cut Pro FCP before, decided to edit anyway and then import the edit into Final Cut Pro. Unfortunately it wouldn’t read the file. This meant I had to copy the edit shot for shot into FCP which took me about a day. Other than that, it went pretty smoothly.
MobileMovieMaking: Is there a takeaway for people who are planning to shoot their own music videos?
Horrocks: My lesson from last year was to make the music video this year more abstract. Last year it was more like a short film with more of a narrative, but that made it more complicated to film. Music videos are about music, obviously. A too-complex narrative can take away from the music, if you’re not careful.
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We’ve previously featured several of Simon Horrocks’ movies including “How an iPhone Film Shocked the Movie World,” and “Making a Sci-Fi Movie with No Money.” Horrocks has also just finished a book, Smartphone Videography – Beginner to Advanced. It’s currently available on his Patreon page.
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The editors of MobileMovieMaking have chosen “There for You” as the Mobile Movie of the Week
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