Hello (and Kia Ora) from New Zealand!
I arrived in Middle-earth a few days ago and will be down here for 3 weeks. I’m here working with FestivalOne on a few creative aspects for their event, mostly involving immersive projection on trees, as well as teaching a workshop on drones. And then I’ll be running around the North Island catching up with a few friends while soaking in the beauty of the landscape, and hopefully capturing some good visuals with my drone & camera along the way!
Speaking of drones, I am thrilled to share my latest aerial-based project with you today! A few months ago, Welsh composer Julie Cooper reached out to collaborate on two music videos for her new album “Oculus”, which releases on Feb 9th. Our first collaboration is for a piece she’s composed titled “ECHO”, based on a poem by Christina Rossetti and featuring singers Grace Davidson & Anna Hale.
Please, enjoy!
How It Came Together
I have been a fan of Julie Cooper’s music for a few years now. She’s an incredibly prolific pianist & composer whose work has graced multiple mediums, such as Film, Television, Radio, Video Games, & Advertising worldwide. She has scored multiple cinematic orchestral and chamber albums for Television Drama, Wildlife and Natural History documentaries, along with numerous drama commissions for Theatre, BBC Radio Drama and the Concert platform. Some of her own personal projects, such as “Continuum” & “Symphonic Skies”, were greatly inspired by nature & landscapes, further connecting the relationship between music & land—a relationship I am most fond of these days.
After she saw some of my work with Amit Inderdeo, she reached out to collaborate, and I was beyond thrilled to say yes! But Julie just didn’t bring her music to the table; she had some great ideas that invited me to explore a new level of creativity. Something I had never tried before was blending live footage of musicians & singers with my aerial footage. Julie had videographer Alex Barnes film the recording live in the studio. Alex sent me the footage to color grade & blend in with my visuals. For me, it was a new approach to editing music videos, and one that we all ended up being very pleased with. I’m so thankful for clients who push me into new ways of creating.
And to top it off, “ECHO” features my favorite soprano singer in the world, Grace Davidson, whose angelic voice is featured on some of my most beloved modern classical projects, including those scored by composer Max Richter. It has been a dream of mine to have Grace’s voice fused with my landscape cinematography in an official manner, as her ethereal vocals have inspired much of my own work, especially visuals of cloud forests.
The Scene
One of my favorite types of landscapes to film is a cloud forest. Of all the beautiful places on Earth, they seem to be the most mystical & enchanting. There’s one particular cloud forest that I’ve fallen in love with, tucked away in a hidden river valley located in the Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest, just 45 minutes from my home in the PNW. When I first listened to “ECHO” and chatted with Julie, it was the first thing that came to mind.
So early one morning back in the fall, I drove up to this spot and launched the drone, hoping to catch a bit of magic. And I was not disappointed. The fog rose with the sun on that very chilly morning and transported me & my “third eye in the sky” to a heavenly realm. And I was once again reminded why I sold all I had in Nashville & moved my life to this gorgeous part of the country. It was for this moment… and so many more like it.
I am beyond grateful to have had the means & motivation necessary to make such a move, to leave old dreams behind, and to begin living the next part of my life out in the raw beauty of Creation. And to be able to share glimpses of this beauty with others is such an incredible privilege.
Thank you again for your continued support and encouragement as I’m on this journey. Please, be sure to check out Julie’s music; your ears will thank you! It’s a dream come true to be able to collaborate with such talented & skilled artists like her. And we can’t wait to share our next project, “MOONGLADE in Jet Black”, in just a few weeks!
Until then, peace be with you.
Stephen P.