ML Studio

About ML Studio

MLS — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:43:55 +0000

We work with some of the most successful acts in creating unforgettable live events for big audiences. We put music, film, light and stagecraft together to make complex, hard edged, integrated theatrical live shows. The tools of our trade are film making, animation, stage design and the latest display technologies.

But what’s far more important than techniques and technology is imagination. It’s imagination laced with a heavy dose of intuition. It’s imagination informed by an understanding of performance and narrative. Imagination inspired by the raw power of music to generate compelling imagery. It is imagination in the service of making live music an unforgettable, visceral experience for audiences.

Interested in working with us? Email your current CV with examples of your work to: jobs@mlstudio.co.uk

Deadmau5: Nokia Lumia Launch

ML Studio — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:24:55 +0000

ML Studio collaborated with Canadian producer/DJ Deadmau5 to produce an immersive experience for Nokia. PR agency Mission asked ML Studio to come up with an idea based on the theme of ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark”. We came up with the idea of a normal street, where things suddenly animate with colour, synced to music.

Having found Flatiron Square in Southwark, we worked with a team of lighting, props and sound people to allow Deadmau5 to fill the street with colour. Lights were installed in everything from fruit stands to motorbike headlights to wheelie-bins to entire facades of buildings. As Deadmau5 played, everything in the street came to life….

PR Agency and Production Company:
Mission

Concept, Creative Direction and Animation:
ML Studio

Production Manager:
Neil Keane

Siemens: The Crystal Building Launch

ML Studio — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:51:36 +0000

To mark the opening of the ”The Crystal”, the world’s largest exhibition and conference center dedicated to urban sustainability, ML Studio produced a 7 minute projection mapped film which transformed the facade to deliver a powerful message and brand impact.

Client:
Siemens

Creative Direction:
ML Studio

Animation:
ML Studio & Not To Scale

Projection Design:
Bluman Associates

Don’t Think: Screening at Village Underground

ML Studio — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 10:13:58 +0000

To celebrate the 2012 Olympic Games, Adidas asked ML Studio and director Adam Smith to produce a special screening of the feature film Don’t Think as part of a programme of events at the Village Underground in London.
The film was screened in a way it has never been seen before: as an immersive psychedelic experience. Performers from the film appeared in live cameos. Visuals used in the film were projected on other simultaneous screens, providing a panoramic version of the film. Balloons and confetti fell at the same moments as in the film. And all 600 guests were made up as the iconic scary clown figure that appeared throughout.

“A surreal night of strobes, loud music and menacing faces. A combination I wish to be part of more often.”
James Clothier for The Daily Street

Client:
Adidas

Agency:
Sparklestreet

Creative Direction
Adam Smith

Production Company
ML Studio

Metallica: The Black Album Tour

ML Studio — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:07:01 +0000

To mark the 20th anniversary of Metallica’s The Black Album, the band embarked on a European tour, where the album was played in reverse order.

ML Studio designed an intro sequence and video sequences for each song on the album, mixing live camera shots with animation and live action.

Production Design:
Dan Braun

Video Sequences and Design
ML Studio

Live Video Directors:
Marcia Kapustin
Nicholas Keiser

Lighting Design:
John Broderick
Rob Koenig

The Chemical Brothers: Don’t Think

ML Studio — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:52:46 +0000

Don’t Think is a feature film that documents The Chemical Brothers playing at Fuji Rock Festival, Japan in 2011. The live show was directed by Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall as part of a long term collaboration.
The film, directed by Adam Smith, captures the concert from the fan’s point-of-view, giving a powerful, immersive, magical-realist account of the show.
Produced by Black Dog Films in association with ML Studio, it had a worldwide cinema release in January 2012, and a subsequent DVD / Bluray release. It won ‘Best Live Coverage’ at the 2012 Music Video Awards and received 5 stars from Empire Magazine. The majority of the post-production work was carried out at ML Studio, including extensive special effects work.

“This visceral ride captures the hands-aloft essence of live dance; the euphoria building to such a crescendo the screen no longer acts as a barrier. The sensory overload would only increase if your popcorn were laced with MDMA; you literally feel the noise.”
Empire

“…it’s real effect is an on-the-field, you-are-there immediacy that pulls you in more than any concert documentary recorded in recent memory.”
Nate Patrin, Pitchfork

Director:
Adam Smith

Producers:
Lee Groombridge
Marcus Lyall

Fanfarlo: 2012 Tour

ML Studio — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:30:42 +0000

Based on the theme of the hexagon, ML Studio designed a video and light show to accompany Fanfarlo’s European and US tours.
Each song had a different accompanying film, based on the themes of mid-century experimental film-making.
The show was designed to be incredibly portable, but able to be scaled up for larger shows.

Calvin Klein: Design Museum

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:33:39 +0000

Projection installation at the former Commonwealth Institute Building in Kensington. Commissioned by Calvin Klein, through PR agency Family as the centrepiece of a fundraising event for The Design Museum.

Architect John Pawson’s scheme for redeveloping the building involves turning the walls into full-width windows. We filmed the view from one of the proposed windows, making a ultra-high resolution time-lapse film. This was projected onto the wall to create the illusion of a seamless panoramic view from inside the building.

“..transformed the space for the night to create an immersive experience for guests to provide a preview of the future site.”
Modus

Design and production:
ML Studio

Cinematography:
Dan Low

Projection Design:
John Montague

Chemical Brothers: 2011 Tour

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:33:13 +0000

A collaboration between Marcus Lyall and Adam Smith, continuing their long-running work with the band. Marcus and Adam have overseen every aspect of the 2011 touring show including show direction, film direction, production and lighting design. This included animations produced for an 8m high LED sculpture and developing interaction between lighting and video.

Show and Video Direction:
Adam Smith and ML Studio

Production Design:
Paul Normandale

Lighting Programming:
Matthew Button and Ricardo Lorenzini

Film Production:
RSA / Black Dog Films.

Yellowire: Starlife

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:32:30 +0000

An animated music video in collaboration with illustrator Jimmy Turrell. Aiming to give this performance video a warm, analogue feel, we developed the idea of hand-printing the whole video, using layers of found materials to create random juxtapositions of texture, words and images. Each frame of the video was hand-printed or laser-etched into a variety of vintage paper stocks and unusual materials. The resulting frames were then re-photographed, turning it into an animation.

Art Direction:
Jimmy Turrell

Project Manager:
Ruth Ward

Screenprinting:
Dan Holliday at The Mangle

Risograph printing:
Hato Press

The Wombats: This Modern Glitch Tour

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:31:35 +0000

A touring projection design and a series of films for the current tour, using interlocking triangular screens. We collaborated with a number of emerging film-makers to create a diverse show, that meshed with Ali Pike’s intense lighting style.

Lighting and stage design:
Ali Pike

Films by:
MOD, Jonny Stopford, Barney Steel and Marcus Lyall

Peculiar Wood

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:30:54 +0000

A projection installation based on shadow puppetry for a Christmas event in London. Working with some of the UK’s top puppeteers, we created a scenic narrative in light and shadow, creating the impression of a fantasy woodland filled with mysterious characters. To create the feature-length panoramic show, we developed a hybrid technique involving real-world puppets, digital illustration and animation.

Puppets and backgrounds:
Michael Fowkes

Bon Jovi: The Circle Tour

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:30:22 +0000

Working closely with PEDG, we directed and designed sequences for the tour’s many LED screens, which moved on robot arms and motion control systems to form different configurations.

For ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’, we oversaw the design of a User-Generated Content campaign where fans could send in videos of themselves singing and be featured on the LED screens at concerts.

We also produced animations for Bon Jovi’s performance at the 2010 Grammy Awards.

Production Design:
Spike Brant and Justin Collie at PEDG

Chemical Brothers: Further

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:28:54 +0000

An audiovisual album / DVD and live performance. A collaboration between Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall. A visual sequence to accompany every track on the album, forming a self-contained abstract film. The album was released simultaneously as a CD and DVD, with a residency at The Roundhouse, London and at Sonar Festival, Barcelona. Adam and Marcus also oversaw the design of the album packaging and advertising campaign.

Production Company:
Black Dog Films

Show Production Designer:
Tom Lesh

Graphic Design and Packaging:
Tom Hingston

D.O.P:
Richard Stewart

3D Animation:
Paul Simpson at Realise

Pitch Control

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:28:06 +0000

An interactive audiovisual installation, where a virtual choir is played from a piano keyboard. Installed at The Science Museum and Waterman’s Arts Centre. A group of 25 people, some with singing ability, some without, were invited to sing every note in the human vocal range. Their performances were edited into audiovisual samples. When a note is played on the keyboard, a voice sings it, with their face appearing on a screen. By playing the keyboard like a piano, a ghostly choir appears around the performer. The installation was covered by The Guardian, Wired Magazine and Reuters.

Programming:
Evan Raskob

Bon Jovi: Lost Highway

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:26:44 +0000

Working with PEDG, we made a series of animations and film sequences for a stage design including an LED screen that could be split into sections and expanded like a venetian blind. This was used as the main element in both arena and stadium shows.

Production Design:
Spike Brant and Justin Collie at PEDG.

Production Company:
KPX Video

Chemical Brothers: We Are The Night

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:22:03 +0000

Working with director Adam Smith, we made a number of video sequences for the live tour. This included an abstract sequence created using oscilloscopes and live electronic synthesiser software.

Using Kate Gibb’s silkscreened album cover as a starting point, we also developed an animated TV commercial, incorporating visual elements from the live show and music videos.

TV Commercial commission:
Virgin / EMI Records

Oscilloscope visuals:
Marcus Lyall and Robin Fox

Metallica: Master Of Puppets

ML Studio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:21:30 +0000

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of ‘Master Of Puppets’, Metallica toured Europe, playing the album in it’s original form. We created films and animations to accompany a number of the tracks, including Sanitarium, Battery and Leper Messiah.

Lighting Designer:
Butch Allen at Ugly American

Production Company:
KPX Video