Vfx studio Moneyshots recently completed work on SHORTY (Put it on the Floor), the new music video from director Gregory Dark. One of several songs created specially for the feature film LOVE DON'T COST A THING (opening Dec. 12, 2003), the video features the film's star, Nick Cannon, and hip hop stars Busta Rhymes, Chingy and Fat Joe.
The music video celebrates the wrap of the film by flying Cannon from Los Angeles in a 727 to see his rapper friends in different parts of the country. "Everything had to be shot in a short amount of time," said Moneyshots creative director Elad Offer. "Since a lot of money was spent getting the 727 to go directly to each of the artists, the idea was to make the plane focus of everything and give it some 'bling-bling."
"I had only been able to shoot the interior and close to the plane due to the limited filming schedule," said Dark, "and we needed to open the video up and give some perspective to the plane in space."
"Together with Gregory and editor, Asaf Eisenberg," stated Offer, "we came up with the idea of soaring in and out of the plane mid-flight using CG sequences that start with the artist sitting next to a window on the plane. The camera goes flying out the window, turns around to see the plane and then comes back inside the plane. We created three different versions or variations: one goes beneath the plane, another goes out to the end of the wing, another goes out a "convertible" roof. An entire CG sequence was designed where, as the party goes on inside plane, the "convertible" roof slides open for about 30 seconds. The camera flies out through the open roof to reveal a group of dancers putting on their moves on the tarmac near the plane's tail. It was not easy to find stock footage of a 727 that worked visually, so even shots that were planned as stock footage ended up being fully computer generated."
Moneyshots also enhanced the plane's "skylight" by making it cycle through different colors so the party plane's interior shots look like a Vegas-style nightclub. Moneyshots also digitally created the plane, starry skies, entourage exits and concluding fireworks.
For Moneyshots, the exec producer and lead CG artist was Chris Eckardt; Offer was lead Inferno artist; Flame artist was Tetuso Yoshida; CG artists were Uji Yagasaki and Brian Bell.
Moneyshots (www.moneyshotspost.com), which is based in Santa Monica, California, is a full-service vfx facility, including previs, wire removal, sky replacements, set extensions and 3D character animation.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
