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One of the aspects of our work that we enjoy the most is coming up with music video concepts - and we like to ensure that each of our videos are very unique.  Music videos involve collaboration between artists and new friends, as well as cohesion between the visuals and the sound. 

 

Above - Windy Canyon, Great Barrier Island.
Photo: (captured with an Aerial Vision drone) Glenn McLelland, Aerial Vision.

We met Risky through a mutual friend and began brainstorming video concept ideas for a new track Risky had produced in 2014.  He had collaborated with Mara TK (of internationally renowned band Electric Wire Hustle) who wrote the lyrics and sings on the track.  Together, we decided that to create the visuals we wanted for the track that we would need drone footage in a fairly remote NZ location, and Great Barrier Island (a four hour ferry journey from central Auckland) would be the ideal location.  We got in touch with drone videography and photography specialists AerialVision and were able to arrange for a time in November 2014 for us to all head over to the island.  

Above - Poetic.  Shakespeare Point, Great Barrier Island - one of our filming locations with the drones from Aerial Vision. 
Photo: Glenn McLelland, Aerial Vision.

The Renegade Peach Project spent the month of November on Great Barrier Island, editing for other projects and scouting locations for the shoot, as well as embracing island time, swimming, filming and fishing with our fellow film-maker friends Owen and Owain.  For "Shapes", Risky, Deb and Glenn McLelland (AerialVision) came over to the island for a weekend of perfect filming weather conditions.  We began by climbing up a clifftop near to the Medlands Beach Jaffe family batch where we were all staying.  At 5am we began our trek up the hillside, and had Risky looking out over a seemingly endless expanse of sea, unhindered by landmasses until reaching South America.

The drones from AerialVision worked perfectly, and we were able to capture far more footage in a diverse range of island locations than we had anticipated.  The alternative viewpoints that we were able to play with gave a very distinct and almost otherworldly aspect to the footage captured.  MASSIVE thanks and kudos to Glenn and Deb.

RISKY smiles for the camera on location, Medlands Beach, Great Barrier Island. Photo: Glenn McLelland, Aerial Vision.

 

The dream team, Glenn + Debs from Aerial Vision.

Aiming for the stars - the most challengingly placed goal posts in the world?
On cliff top locations - Shakespeare's Point, Great Barrier Island.
Photo:  Glenn McLelland, Aerial Vision.

We were lucky enough to be staying in Mark's family batch on GBI; backyard beach, anyone? Thanks so much for having us all to stay.
Photo:  Glenn McLelland, Aerial Vision.

 Location scouting along the cliff-edges on Great Barrier Island (l-r) Mark, Sophi, Owain, Owen.  Photo: Glenn McLelland, Aerial Vision.

The best part of any adventure is sharing it with good people.  And make sure you pack Owain and Owen.
Photo:  Glenn McLelland, Aerial Vision.

On location: the cliff-top used during the music video. 
Photo: Glenn McLelland, Aerial Vision.

 Mark setting up the tripod for an alternative shot of RISKY for the music video.

RISKY, on the cliff-tops, Great Barrier Island.  An Aerial Vision drone approaches.

Two of the Aerial Vision drones used during the RISKY filming on Great Barrier Island.

 
 

Mara TK of Electric Wire Hustle more than features in this Risky track - he wrote and sang the lyrics.  A talented musician and an extraordinary vocalist, Mara was on location in horizontal rain and stinging wind-flung sand without complaining.  You can see the effects of this extreme weather on the umbrella pictured. Video  \\  EWH "Bottom Line" 

 
 

We managed to capture some epic and very raw footage of Mara on an Auckland West-Coast beach, and had Risky on hand with his laptop with the track playing.  It was nearly impossible to hear and sing to with the relentless wind - and yet Mara performed without hesitation.

Big, massive, epic kudos to both Mara and Risky.  

 

Electric Wire Hustle www.electricwirehustle.com

 

Mark having to protect the camera from EXTREME SAND conditions - the worst enemy to such equipment.

Mara TK + RISKY after a very challenging shoot. 

Sophi, Mara + Mark on location, West Coast, Auckland.

Sleeping beauties RISKY & Mara TK on the car ride back.  Heroes. 

 

The enigmatic, talented and professional Hannah Tasker-Poland, in black-light compatable make-up applied by Yolanda Barthram of Body FX.

Back in Auckland, Hannah Taker-Poland came with very high recommendations, and then went on to exceed those expectations.  From the very first meeting with Hannah, she was a harmonious balance of professional and fun, focused and flexible - and an outrageously good dancer.  We had thrown her in to the deep end with this video.  She was to be improvising a dance piece, filmed essentially nude, painted in UV paint and had to perform with her eyes closed in a completely blacked out room.  Not only that, on the day of shooting, she also was asked to perform a subdued performance outside in the daylight.   We had all anticipated using more of the black-light dance footage, but in the end the video's overall aesthetic and the flow dictated that we used more of the outside footage. 

 Mark + Sophi testing out the blacklight paint on camera before bringing in Hannah. Photo by Tama Owens.

Hannah Tasker-Poland, behind the scenes of the outside shoot.  Pictured here is Hannah's masking tape marker for whether she was in frame.  She performed in two takes.

We loved working with Hannah, and can only sing her praises.  Her initial provocation from us was FKA Twigs, and for the outside performance it was to demonstrate a woman constrained by outside restrictive forces, not able to fully emote.  Her performance was emotional but in a manner that was delicate, captivating and highly responsive to the music.  She also managed to produce material we were completely satisfied with in only two takes.

Thanks so much Hannah! 

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