Unexpected Inspiration!

I went to see Bombay Bicycle Club play at the Albert Hall last night and received some unexpected inspiration during the gig. Aside from the music and atmosphere being incredible, the group had commissioned animators and set designers to create a backdrop during the gig, which featured some beautiful animated videos. (All were created by Anna Ginsburg I think.)

The set consisted of five circular screens, on which the videos were projected, as well as further projections up the walls on either side of the stage and old organ pipes behind the band (a relic from the days when it was presumably a church). The animations themselves focussed on the movement of the human body and cycles within the world, such as the rising of the sun and moon in the transitions between day and night. Some of the animations were, I can only assume, rotoscoped images of the human body moving as they caputred the arc of dancers and athletes as they leaped through the air. The movements were captured and then repeated to create circular patterns (almost like mandalas made from the human form), which reflected the screen layout onto which they were projected. I managed to capture part of one of the many animations featured during the gig, which relates very closely to my research at the moment, as it shows a spiral made up of tiny human figures (cue Rachel jumping up and down with excitement at a fellow Fibonacci lover!).

The band have also used animators in their official music videos. For 'Carry Me' they enlisted the help of Grace Helmer, Jake Evans and Luiz Stockler, to work collaboratively on the animated music video. According to a post on www.itsnicethat.com, by James Cartwright, the video was originally created as an interactive piece that could be manipulated on screen, but after realising this would not work for the millions of Youtube users, they brought in Grace to create hand-drawn animations to compliment the shots. The project was overseen by Anna Ginsburg, who also created 'Luna' and 'How can you swallow so much sleep' by Bombay.

N.B. I think I have a new favourite person. Looking through Ginsburg's sketchbook washing line and showreel on her site is a way for me to spend hours of my life. http://www.annaginsburg.co.uk/index.html