Mr. X, Inc. has completed the photo-realistic visual effects, compositing and online conform for Default's first music video, "Wasting My Time." The video was directed by Noble Jones. Wasting My Time is the third collaboration for Mr. X and Director Jones, who recently completed music videos for Doyle Bramhall II and Smokestack's "Green Light Girl" and Sugar Jones' "How Much Longer." The music video starts with a young woman looking at her watch. Soon after, the viewer is propelled into her watch through the glass lens to find Default performing in the center of a massive, mechanical CG theater in the round. The band performance was shot green screen and Mr. X matched all photographed camera angles and lenses, rendering a photo-real backdrop for over 150 shots. In addition, Mr. X executed effects including digital flares, blurs and custom shot by shot color correction in flame*. "More and more, directors are relying on digital content providers to help tell their stories," said Mr. X President Dennis Berardi, who served as producer for this project. "Noble Jones is one of the few directors who has mastered the digital process. He's got the visual shorthand, the design references, is excellent at communicating his vision and comfortable enough to give us the freedom to take it to the next level. He trusted us to actually help him tell his story. These are the types of collaborations that are going to be successful." Jones said, "Dennis is a perfectionist and an invaluable collaborator. I absolutely trust him to take care of the technical elements and to maintain the aesthetic level of a project. Every member of his Mr. X team collaborated from design through delivery and I think it made a better product, and it certainly made the process more enjoyable. Dennis said we 'went to school' with this project. It was difficult to produce an entirely CG environment on a micro level that has very specific references. The dive into the watch was technically difficult and flawlessly executed. Mr. X turned the interior of a watch into an arena, a la Gladiator. I always look for an opportunity to work with Dennis and his team because I can walk away and say 'oversee it' and know that it will be perfect."
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
