Kinga Burza directed this fun spot for Alpen featuring Amanda Holden and asked me to do some stopframe animation of various food items.
#everybitofchristmas
We Are From LA direct a musical masterpiece for Sainsbury’s christmas advert 2017. A culinary karaoke cacophony with cameos from Ricky Tomlinson and Kermit.
Jess Gorick and I directed the food animation shoot which was composited at Time Based Arts.
Client | Sainsbury’s
Campaign | #everybitofchristmas
Agency | Wieden & Kennedy London
Director | We Are From LA
Food Animation Directors | Dan Lowe + Jess Gorick
Food DoP | Simon Paul
VFX | Time Based Arts
Client | Sony
Campaign | Xperia XZ Premium
Director | Chris Cairns
Director of Photography | Dan Lowe
Technical | Is This Good? | Maz Staruch | Dave Cranmer
Editor | Dan Lowe
Friend London, the production company, approached me to build a camera rig capable of shooting timeslice GIFs to capture frozen moments for IKEA’s #wonderfuleveryday social media campaign.
The idea was inspired by a modern interpretation of a Nimslo 3D, an unusual 1980s camera, that created 3D photographs by shooting four simultaneous images. These would then be developed into a lenticular print with a 3D effect. Nowadays you can scan the negatives and create animated GIFs which are engaging and mesmerising to watch.
Instead of using a film in a Nimslo 3D I scaled up the quality by using multiple DSLR cameras to capture the images. I commissioned bespoke software that automatically created GIFs live on set for the client to view. The job was ideal for me as I have shot timeslice before on Alastair Siddon’s ‘Turn It Loose’ film and I also love a technical challenge.
My first test was to attempt to digitise the original Nimslo camera, purchased off Ebay, by capturing the image off a ground glass screen mounted to the film plane in the camera. This created some interesting results, but the resolution wasn’t high enough and there were some complicated rigging and vignetting issues that I didn’t have the time to resolve in the timeframe. Another option was to create a digital back for the Nimslo but time, money and practicality were factors that made this a route I didn’t pursue.
The option I settled on was to place four DSLR cameras side by side and rig them so that the main unit camera, an Arri Alexa Mini, could be mounted on the same rig. Testing was very successful and even though I couldn’t place the cameras as close together as I would have liked, it was clear that using professional DSLRs was the right choice. Using smaller cameras would have allowed a closer lens spacing but issues with tethering, synchronising and lens choices were critical.
For the software I asked Will Gallia to write a script to tether and control the four rigged cameras. When a series of shots was captured, the software sorted and created the images into moving GIFs and embeded the file names into the GIF. This allowed post production to recreate the animation using the full quality Raw files during the edit.
The final rig was constructed by Daniel Essex using some discreet slimline ‘L’ brackets engineered by Justin Pentecost.
Client | IKEA
Campaign | Wonderful Everyday
Director | Terry Hall
Director of Photography | Olivier Cariou
Timeslice GIF | Dan Lowe
Production Company | Friend
Shynola approached me in October 2016 to help shoot some interesting elements for their new video for Joe Goddard. The challenge was to capture 20 singers including Joe and featured artist Jess Mills from 24 cameras simultaneously which encircled the singers.
Each camera was set up identically in terms of height, focal length, capture settings, distance and then locked off for the day. It is so easy to encapsulate that in one sentence but believe me, the set up was an extremely complicated affair. Sourcing the cameras, lenses, tripods, cards, etc was a challenge that the production team at Black Dog took in their stride and I don’t know how they managed it so efficiently.
We had previously chosen an ideal focal length to shoot the talent based on CG pre-vis that Shynola had put together. This gave us a head start on the set up as we knew the expected radius of our circle and the distance between each camera. Marking the centre of the set with a vertical pole with three markers to assist with framing made the process quite straightforward, but it was still a slow and steady process to go through.
We had a regimented sequence for each take to ensure each camera was recording correctly and to try and assist with the post production clip syncing, but I don’t envy the person that had to do that.
We had time to shoot one test which the Shynola guys rendered a quick test of and then we were off.
I’m pleased with my small role in what has turned out to be a stunning visual and emotive triumph.
Artist | Joe Goddard
Track | Music Is The Answer
Director | Shynola
Live Action DoP | Dan Lowe
Production Company | Black Dog
Anthony Dickenson directs another highly precise and technical commercial. Employing camera techniques and seamless post production from Big Buoy he takes you on a stunning journey.
Anthony asked me to shoot 2nd unit hyperlapse sequences and architectural stills in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool and Newcastle. These were then woven into the commercial to fit amongst some stunning footage captured by Ben Fordesman.
Client | Transpennine Express
Campaign | Where Next?
Director | Anthony Dickenson
DoP | Ben Fordesman
Production Company | All Mighty Pictures
Agency | WCRS
Director, Charlie Robins, and production company, Forever Pictures, approached me to shoot a 360º timeslice section for the music video for Rag N Bone Man’s track Human.
Timeslice, is a technique made famous by The Matrix film where the subject is shot by multiple DSLR stills cameras in fixed positions. When the frames are combined they create the illiusion that the subject is in suspended animation. I have filmed timeslice previously for the World B Boy championship in Soweto, sponsored by Red Bull, using 70 cameras positioned around the circular dance floor.
For the Rag N Bone Man music video I shot the timeslice with only one handheld camera. This was possible because the director wanted the characters to hold their poses meaning I could step in to predefined camera positions and capture each frame that would make up the 360º animation.
For each character I captured two rotations each with a different focal length and camera height providing the editor with a choice of shots.
The end result was great for the edit, but terrible for my knees and back!
Artist | Rag N Bone Man
Track | Human
Director | Charlie Robins
Director of Photography | Dan Stafford Clark
360º timeslice photographer | Dan Lowe
Production Company | Forever Pictures
Freddie was born and bred in Paris, but now runs her business from a sunny, double-height loft space in south-east London. It’s rammed full of artefacts and furniture that she and her husband, Tom, have picked up on their travels and from around town.
The stills and interview were picked up by the Metro for a double page spread in their Property + Interiors sectionHabitat .
Client | Habitat
Campaign | Habitat Voyeur
Agency | Portas
I am quite messy. In fact, the flat is too, in the way the colours are mixed. But that reflects me. It’s how my brain reacts to things – everything white and clean makes me a bit anxious, actually.
My images alongside CGI by Visualhouse, have been used to visualise the number of tall buildings earmarked for the London skyline according to research released by NLA and property adviser GL Hearn.
The data shows that plans for 119 new towers have emerged since this time last year, increasing the total number of proposed skyscrapers in the capital to 436.
The story and images were also picked up by Dezeen, CityAM, Metro and shared across social media.
Client | New London Architecture
Images | Dan Lowe and Visualhouse
Featuring the seven candidates who appeared in the first televised debate. Balloon head size is driven by the latest polls and twitter activity, before displaying live election results.
Go and see the installation on the 4th and 5th of May at the Hoxton Gallery, 9 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch and 6th – 9th May in the window of Partizan, 40-42 Lexington Street, Soho.
Director | Chris Cairns / Is This Good?
Hardware and Physical Build | Dave Cranmer
Software | Will Gallia
Additional Physical Build | Katy Hopkins, Maz Staruch, Jamie Durand and Justin Pentecost
DP | Dan Lowe
Editor | Dan Lowe
Grade | Simone Grattarola at Time Based Arts
Sound Recording | Andy Hewitson
Audio Post | Nigel Manington at String and Tins