Ian Frederick envisioned a 3D surreal undersea dreamscape that would transform along with the music, and the concept inspired him to create the music video for Mitosis. As a scuba diving enthusiast, Ian has always been fascinated by the strange and beautiful world beneath the waves, which provided him with the perfect setting for his imaginative idea. The music track starts with minimal instrumentation and gradually builds in complexity and intensity, evoking images of a single-celled organism slowly evolving into a more complex being. Ian wanted to take the already surreal and abstract world and push it further to create something vibrant and captivating.
The music video for Mitosis begins with a single-celled organism, and as the audio track gradually increases in complexity over time, the quantity, complexity, and movements of the organisms also increase. Coral reefs grow and spread, fish undulate, and abstract sea plants wiggle and sway in the current while colorful thermal vents explode. The hues and caustic light shimmer as schools of fish swarm until finally, the video culminates in one grandiose wide shot of the entire coral reef. The music swells to a grand orchestral climax, accentuating the epic and fantastical nature of Mitosis. Ian's love for the undersea world and his skill in design and animation shine through in this captivating music video that takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey of evolution and wonder.
3D making of and stills
Ian Frederick went into the project with the intention of using Houdini as much as possible to learn through experimentation. He aimed to exaggerate the undersea world, which required a lot of FX work. Despite the film being experimental, he wanted to have a loose game plan in place. To provide some structure, he drew storyboards and assembled them into a sequential narrative. Ian used the term "loose" because he knew that things would inevitably change during the design process. As is common with experimental design, he discovered some happy accidents that he didn't plan for, and some of his original ideas didn't work out as well as he had hoped. For instance, he had initially included recognizable sea creatures such as an octopus and seahorse in his storyboards, but during the design process, he decided to keep all the flora and fauna very abstract instead.
For more information make sure to check out Ian’s website or follow him on Behance and Instagram.
