Mykki Blanco has one of the most unique sounds and images in hip-hop music right now. His latest music video, "The Initiation," features Mykki crawling through the streets, rapping in Latin though a face on the top of his head. Known for his amazing use of visual effects and motion tracking, director Ninian Doffs idea and skill set match perfectly with the song, creating an eerie world where dudes with second faces fight in illegal, underground bouts to the death. We talked to Ninian about the video, working with Mykki Blanco, and matching his creativity.
Doug: How did you get involved with the project? Did MOCATV help facilitate the relationship?
Ninian: Laura Tunstall, head of music videos at Pulse Films, showed my work and ideas to Charles Damga, Mykki Blanco's manager. Then the moment Mykki saw the idea I wanted to make, they both got super excited and gave it the go ahead nearly immediately! MOCA came in at the end as a way of showing the video. A bit like them asking to hang a painting in their gallery I guess.
Doug: Did you collaborate with Mykki on the concept?
Ninian: Mykki is amazing - very clear and creative ideas. Having said that, a great part of this project is the creative freedom I was given. I think because I was so clear on my ideas and visuals Mykki just put full trust into me and didn't change or alter anything. I did have a big conversation with Mykki before the shoot about styling, and all the ideas for the styling and clothing come from Mykki. There was a brilliant brief I got during that conversation from Mykki which was that she wanted to look like a "genderless Russian orphan." I just think that's such a great style brief. Also Mykki said everyone is now just at the point they have an expectation of how Mykki Blanco will look in a video, and so that's the exact point we do something completely different again. I think thinking like that is so exciting, actively trying to surprise people and keep them guessing.
Doug: Did Mykki come out to you to shoot this video?
Ninian: Mykki Blanco has been on the most epic tours this year so was passing though London anyway, and was also actually shooting another music video, so we had a day already we knew Mykki would be in town.
Doug: Were all the effects done in post, or are they in-camera at times?
Ninian: Well obviously the second face on a head isn't entirely in camera, haha! But if you mean is there any 3D CGI then no. We shot whole video then I edited it and motion tracked the head. Then we met up again and I had a big list of head angles for Mykki to match which we shot against a greenscreen, and then I comped that back onto the original shot.
Doug: The song is pretty nontraditional, did that influence the video at all?
Ninian: The track blew my mind. Honestly, who else is making hip-hop like this right now? It's from another planet! Actually the track I first heard was unmastered, and I already loved it then - which turned out to only be about 50% of the final mix. It was only during the post-production I heard Sinden's final version, which had the really crazy beats. It gave me goosebumps on first listen, I couldn't believe how good it was. The music is the video - it wouldn't work half as well as it does without that track.
Doug: Mykki's image is very defined and in-your-face. Was there an effort to have the video live up to that?
Ninian: Well yes and no I guess. The "no" part being what I mentioned above, about Mykki being open to looking totally different again in the video. So in terms of styling it's not even in the same room as the other work. But I really feel Mykki's star is rising fast right now, and so there was a definite pressure to make somethign that matches the vision and creativity that Mykki is putting into her shows and music. But to be honest I put insane effort and self pressure into every video I make! I don't really know how to do it any other way which is an exhausting state to always be in, but at least makes videos I'm really proud of!
