Director and Cinematographer Bobby Hewitt Shoots Alien Ant Farm Music Video with Blackmagic Design

Director and Cinematographer Bobby Hewitt Shoots Alien Ant Farm Music Video with Blackmagic Design

Brie Clayton August 13, 2024

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Blackmagic Design today announced that director and cinematographer Bobby Hewitt recently shot the music video for Alien Ant Farm's latest single Storms Over using the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro digital film camera, as well as finished using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, color grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.

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Hewitt, a former member of the band Orgy, has known Alien Ant Farm since his days as a musician when the two bands toured together. That sure was a long time ago, Hewitt reflected. Having transitioned into directing and cinematography, Hewitt is now known for his filmmaking work on a wide range of commercial and music video projects, but he remains friends with Alien Ant Farm.

They recently reached out to me and asked if I was interested in shooting a music video for them, and of course I said yes, continued Hewitt. The Ant Farm guys are so awesome, and I couldn't wait to collaborate with them and create something cool.

As with most music videos, budget is always a limitation, so Hewitt was challenged with creating a compelling and visually slick look with few tools. I ended up producing, directing, shooting, and editing, said Hewitt.

The rest of the crew was comprised of gaffer Mike Pedersen, an AC and projectionist for the proposed video screens in a portion of the video. We also had an assistant director/production assistant who wrangled the fans in the alley and helped throughout the production. Luckily, we ended up getting all the locations for free but having such a small crew was a challenge, Hewitt added.

Hewitt chose the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro for the project both for its form factor as well as image quality. I really don't think we would've been able to pull it off with a bigger camera package, said Hewitt. Not only due to budget but also the flexibility of such a small camera that still gave me full cinematic image quality, the Pocket 6K was just the perfect solution.

Hewitt also relied on Blackmagic RAW due to the varying conditions throughout the shoot. It was definitely critical for the shoot. We had so much contrast in the lighting, from bright lightning strikes to dark silhouette shots. We needed the dynamic range as well as a way to protect highlights, which Blackmagic RAW does so well, he noted.

The style of the video is a combination of location shoots and a large warehouse for a performance segment. My vision for this video centered on capturing the raw energy of Alien Ant Farm's live performance, said Hewitt. They're an incredible live band, and that intensity needed to shine through. In the warehouse, to complement the emotional depth of the lyrics, I opted for thunderstorm projections in the background, adding a dramatic flair. Lighting was key to setting the mood, so I chose a low light setup to create a moody atmosphere. I used a peacock gel for the top light, combined with our key light and lightning strikes for a dynamic effect.

Despite the budget, finding the right locations was critical. Settling for just okay' wasn't an option, added Hewitt. Each shot had to elevate the story. For the last desert scene, I left in the early morning hours from Los Angeles, heading out to the high desert, looking for a location. Once I found it, I told the rest of the guys, who came from Riverside right away. We just met at the location and finished out the video!

Hewitt often edits his own content, utilizing his in depth understanding of what he shot to achieve the right pace and mood. Here's my strategy for editing music videos: I start by syncing all the performance takes, then I dive into each layer, chopping it up to find the best moments and highlights. After that, I add the next setup, which, in this case, was the porch scene. Knowing that the video's climax would take place in the desert, I tackled that segment separately since we shot it a week later, he explained.

Hewitt continued, I did all the editing for this project in DaVinci Resolve Studio. One of the things I love about Resolve is its user friendliness. I've been using it for the past seven years, and it's been nothing short of incredible.

With the edit locked, Hewitt shared his project with Jorge Roman, colorista at Crayon Films in Colombia. Jorge really brings everything to life in Resolve, said Hewitt.

For Hewitt, creating a music video for Alien Ant Farm was more than a job. I think just reconnecting with the guys was so great in itself, concluded Hewitt. Everyone really did their part to make the video happen. I remember as I was shooting singles of the performance, the other guys in the band would be watching the monitor, and they were so excited and happy to see what it looked like. And when I finally finished the edit, they were just blown away by how it all came together.

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