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Whether it’s visual or audio, Inspected are always looking to collaborate with the worlds most talented artists. As soon as we have a record ready to release we’re intent to find other ways to compliment it’s creativity, and what better way than using video? Dead Skull has been working with us for quite some time now and we thought it was about time people knew a little more about the 21 year old artist. Declan shares our love for all things creative, regardless of it’s genre and we were keen to show you why:
INSP: How important is video now as a tool for creativity, we see much higher engagement when videos are used instead of stills or text so it’s obviously something the public want to see more of?
DS: I think that video as a piece of art is just as important as music, but it’s not appreciated the same. The importance of video within a music release is huge; it allows myself as an artist to visually create these worlds that no one gets to see. People who are used to just listening to music are missing out, to me that’s half of the experience. I want to be immersed into this unique atmosphere combining video and music until nothing is separate. Creating those moments where people can escape and experience something completely new is why I do what I do, and that is very important.
INSP: How did you get into video production, was it something you always wanted to do?
DS: I started making videos way back in school; I must have been about 11 at the time. I would stay behind after class and play around with those really crappy handycams that you take on holiday with you that recorded straight onto tape. But I always wanted to make music videos; I was never really interested in short films for some reason. My ideas would come to me from listening to music and I would create these concepts that I could visually interpret for people to see.
My first encounter with the music industry here in the UK was when I turned 18. I started to film at Stealth Nightclub in Nottingham and huge artists would pass through. The first ever gig I filmed was Trolley Snatcha, Loadstar, Dub Phizix, David Rodigan, and N-Type. I was there for about a year and then out of nowhere record labels would message me telling me they liked my videos. UKF, Hospital Records, Viper, Ram Records, OWSLA, pretty much every label I loved at the time.
Since then I have worked for the biggest record labels/acts in the world, traveling around the world making videos and meeting incredible people.
INSP: What does it mean to you personally to be working with Inspected, how did the conversation originally start between us?
DS: When I’m working with inspected I feel like it’s like one big family! There is no difference between who is a musician, graphic designer, filmmaker etc… We are all artists. We are here to push the boundaries of music and art. Creating our own future and making the best possible thing we can. The original conversation between Inspected and myself started maybe around three years ago actually. I was working with UKF at the time and I met the man himself Inspector Dubplate on the Eurostar over to Belgium for a gig, now we talk pretty much every other day about how we can create the next big thing for the world to see.
INSP: Typically, from start to finish, how long does a video for an artist like Sorrow take to make, what stages are involved?
DS: I’d say for a video like I did for Sorrow it was around a 2-week process. However I maybe only worked on the actually video for 1 week, this is due to the insane problem in my life that is “Rendering”.
So the stages we have would be the following:
1 – I receive the EP straight from Inspected but it would be a video mix, each of the tracks will have been mixed together and I can treat it as one track. This is accompanied by single tracks, artwork and anything else I may need. I will then sit and listen to the mix for a few days and write down any ideas that come to mind. I then send what ideas I have to Inspected and the guys will look over what I’ve came up with, then tell me to do my thing.
2 – Then I start building the scenes in my 3D software (Cinema 4D). I’d class a work day would be around 10 hours maybe even longer in some cases, 7 days a week. I just love what I do and I’m always finding new ways to create these worlds that exist within the music, knowing that thousands, maybe millions of people will see what I’m making blows my mind.
3 – Once I the first scene is ready I will then send them off to render, which is a very long process. This can take up to 30 hours just to see 20 seconds of footage depending on what is in the scene. Lighting, Materials, Physical world settings etc… it all builds up. So this process is ongoing throughout the production process.
4 – When I have one of the shots back from rendering I will then take them into compositing with After Effects. This allows me to add specific effects to my videos that would be hard to do in 3D. This process will maybe take a couple of days, but it is on going as well.
5 – The final step is to add all of the shots into my editing software (Première pro). I then align all of the shots, cut them to match the music and sync everything up on the timeline. I will then add extra effects to clips and bring my overall idea to life.
INSP: We’re looking forward to seeing what else you’ve got planned for this year, rumour has it you’re planning a live show?
DS: Yes! At the moment whilst working for Inspected, I am in the process of bringing back my live show “Invasion:Live”. It’s a live 3D projection mapping show where I DJ and trigger the visuals at the same time, whilst inside this huge custom stage rig. Its debut show had around 700 people in attendance so bringing it back is a huge thing for me. The show itself is basically my chance to show that you don’t have to produce music to be an artist. We all bring different things to the table and for me this is my way of showing that I’m not just a guy who makes videos or a guy who triggers visuals at the back of a venue. The show is on Friday 27th February at the Engine Shed in Lincoln, UK. Can’t wait for you all to see what I’ve been making for so long.
We love Dead Skull’s work, and we’re excited to continue our collaboration with him and our artists. Check out Dead Skull’s Twitter, Facebook and Vimeo profiles for all his work and news on upcoming shows. Make sure you nab a ticket for Invasion:Live here, we can’t wait to wrap our eyes and ears around what he has planned!