- Interview with Sach Baylin-Stern - NúFilms

NuFilms is the leading producer of music videos in Quebec, and one of the most active and successful music video production companies in Canada. Founded in May 2000 by President Paul Barbeau, Nufilms has produced over 600 videos for artists big and small from around the world, such as Celine Dion, Diam’s, Arcade Fire, Malajube, Corneille and many more.

NuFilms is a highly creative and competent, award winning team comprised of the most talented video directors in North America. We recently had the opportunity to speak with NuFilms’ senior producer Sach Baylin-Stern about one of their latest productions, “Mr. Hurricane,” and ask him a few questions about his vision of the business.

IT’S ART: How were you contacted by the band 'Beast' and where did the inspiration for their music video come from?

Sach Baylin-Stern: The idea of generally using bees was sort of unavoidable, in consideration of the fact that the bands album artwork is bee themed. What basically happened was that I was presented the song by the record label and the management for the group.  I immediately recognized the potential of asking my director, colleague and friend Ben Steiger Levine to work on this project. He tells me that the main idea for the video was inspired by the album art, by the music, as well as by the title of the song “Mr. Hurricane.” What he didn’t tell me, but what I can tell you, is that this video is in a sense autobiographical in that in the bee-man, there is a little bit of Ben – a self-aware, introspective, spirited and complex person, who sometimes feels the world to be an alienating place. That having been said, the band needs to be given recognition for sharing with us an exceptional piece of music, which above all else was our constant inspiration.

IA: How did you collaborate with the band and share your ideas with them?

SBS: There was an emphasis on sharing ideas with the band, such that they receive exactly as much input as they should so desire. The music video is of course is a promotional tool designed to sell CD’s and this video, Beast’s first, is instrumental to their marketing campaign. So, yes, Ben and the band were always in contact, though Beast was very kind and gave Ben the creative freedom to generally do what he wanted to do at most stages. They gave us input and approvals at various steps along the way.

IA: I’m guessing that directing such a video is a real challenge, especially in regards to the VFX. Can you give us the details about the team you worked with and the different production steps from tracking, to particle management and compositing?

SBS: This video was a highly coordinated masterpiece of VFX work by one of the most talented, creative and innovative individuals in the entire country – Joshua Sherrett. On set, we had a great physical actor wearing a black spandex suit, with tracking points attached to it, wherever the bee-man was to be on screen. Having shot 4k on the Red camera, Josh took this ultra high-def footage and with the help of only one other person, Greg Kaufman, did the effect work at his own studio. It should be mentioned; however, that there having been tracking points on our actor was in fact useless because Josh wound up changing the fx game-plan and laboriously erased the bee-man from every shot with the help of Greg. They rebuilt him in 3D from scratch, rebuilt much of the house and all of its nooks and cranny’s (to have the realistic 3D bee collisions), created a complex particle system, and painstakingly animated it – one bee at a time. Okay, many thousand bees at a time. Anyway, the lighting is a feat unto itself. Josh truly captured the essence of the space, with Ben’s direction, and created a look that is as stunning as it is creative.