American Cinematographer - October 2009 - 12

Short Takes Shooting “Into Your Arms” at Ontario Airport by Douglas Bankston raveling to the Ontario International Airport in California, AC recently watched director/cinematographer Aaron Platt's rapid-fire shooting of the music video for "Into Your Arms" by The Maine. Inside a new terminal, Platt was a blur of activity, moving around numerous extras to check on lighting, camera, talent and the assembly of a motion-control rig. Platt has shot videos for artists such as Coldplay, Asher Roth, Cassie and Jet, and as a director, he has conceptualized videos for Meg/Dia and Melody Gardot. When he directs, he does his own shooting. “Hiring a cinematographer on my directing projects is tricky, not because I don’t want to stand down from the photographic throne, but rather because the speed at which I’m moving is insanely fast,” he explains. “Shooting my own projects enables me to make everything look as gorgeous as possible as fast as possible.” Platt also was doing all he could to squeeze a complex high concept out of a low budget. The storyline is basic: a girl leaves a guy behind and rushes through the terminal to make her flight, while band members positioned here and there perform the song. But the video actually presents the travelers and airport personnel moving backwards. The trick up Platt’s sleeve was to reverse the footage in post, meaning T The “Into Your Arms” music video features a girl running backwards through a crowded airport terminal. Selling the effect required three motioncontrol shots, each of which comprised four passes: one of the girl moving forward at 50 fps, one of background talent moving backward at 50 fps, one of the band members performing at 36 fps sync sound, and a final pass for window exposure. 12 that in the final video, the girl runs backward through a crowd that’s moving forward. “It’s a simple concept that I tried to complicate by reversing the cliché a little,” he says. “We discover her meeting someone by chance at the end. “Airports are unique because so many people there are moving in and out of their lives, on their own personal journeys,” Platt continues. “[Producer] Justin Cronkite and I initially thought we’d have to shoot in a studio instead of a real airport, but I aggressively pushed for a real location. I wanted the freedom to shoot in all directions, and I didn’t want to be limited to close-ups or cheated reverses.” Securing the new Ontario terminal was a real coup. Sheira Reese Davies, the video’s executive producer at Hello & Co., had connections with the airport authorities that stemmed from a previous project. “Justin was put through the wringer for location permitting,” notes Platt. “We had to deal with the highest levels of national security and had to get special insurance. We really lucked out; we were approved only days before we shot.” With a Red One (from Alternative Rentals) mounted on a dolly, Platt also served as operator. “If you’re shooting digital and you’re on a tight budget, it’s just the way to go,” he says. “Because of its latitude, Super 16mm was a close contender for this shoot. Film might have held our highlights a little better.” The terminal offered its share of challenges: floor-to-ceiling windows looking out toward the runway on one side, all-white walls on Photos by Benjamin Gallardo. Photos and frame grabs courtesy of Kelsey Street Entertainment.

American Cinematographer - October 2009

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