Making a good music video is a tricky venture. When a musician conceives a song, they do it purely from the auditory and lyrical realm. A music video comes soon after. But a good music video must always complement the emotions that the song conveys and the ideas upon which the song was originally conceived. In a way, quality music video direction is much like the art of translation — translating the sonic to the visual realm.
With that in mind, today I am going to share with you a beautifully crafted surreal music video aptly complementing Tokioplaza’s electro-pop track Listen To Me featuring Anjali Sivaraman & Raghav Meattle. Directed by the talented Taufiq Khan and produced by his Mumbai-based multimedia global entertainment start-up company, Wolf Bread this recently launched 8-minute music video was shot at SOBO's Ballard estate. It is quirky, vibrant, colorful, and infuses magic into everyday scenes from urban life. My favorite parts of the music video ought to be the minimalist yet charismatic musical arrangement, the urban Mumbai aesthetics, the multicolored animated parrot and the choreography of the high-energy dance sequences.
The idea for the music video was born during the tumultuous times of the pandemic which made curating the different elements of the video a challenging yet fulfilling experience for the Wolf Bread team. It involved a dedicated team of 300 people who made singer TokioPlaza’s debut track an instant hit. The video’s narrative revolves around a love story of two characters portrayed in an unconventional fashion that is designed to make the viewers wonder. Taufiq and his team blended CGI (Computer-generated Imagery, VFX and to create this audio-visual treat, shot in 4K.
Taufiq Khan is a self-made artist and award-winning filmmaker known for his short film Lullaby which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. His vision with Wolf Bread is to create revolutionary music videos, in terms of aesthetics, visuals and filmmaking. In a candid interview with Homegrown, Taufiq Khan delved deeper into the artistry behind Listen To Me's music video:
What is the core idea behind the music video?
Our main aim was to create something truly original and unique that had never been seen before by an Indian audience. The West inspired the music video, and it's something that hasn't been done before in India. As a company, we felt that we had the resources, imagination, and storytelling skills to execute a larger-than-life video that would not only entertain but also leave people in awe. Our motivation was to come up with something that was new and fresh, and we reflected that in Wolf Bread's music video and social media.
What were your inspirations behind the conception of the music video?
Music holds a significant place in my life. Throughout 70% of my day, I listen to music whether it is during my workout or while commuting to work. As a filmmaker, the amalgamation of music and my profession is my primary source of inspiration. Wolf Bread, as a brand, draws inspiration from pop culture in the West. Artists such as Drake and Kanye West, their music and their videos, have been very influential. Their artwork and them as creative directors have been a source of inspiration.
Virgil Abloh, in particular, has been a role model for me. He was the creative director of two large brands and was also involved in the music scene. Music is the inspiration, but fashion, art, and the rap industry have also been a big influence. I have personally seen anything like this in India. This wasn't a hip-hop video but rather a pop video. I wanted to bring that energy. I wanted to conceptualize it along the lines of Western pop culture and be one of those people who connect the dots to the pop culture out there.
How does the music complement the video?
I collaborated with TokioPlaza because he had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve. The sounds he created were minimal but fresh. Even though we started working on the project in 2020, the pandemic forced us to put it on hold. However, since Tokio was my friend from school, I was excited to work on some new visuals to complement the music and give it a fresh concept.
Tokio and I shared the same vision, and we were both excited about exploring new ideas and creating something unique. As a filmmaker, I always wanted to contribute to the music industry in some way. Since I don't write music, directing and creating videos was a way for me to showcase my artwork and my imagination and style. Although the song is only two minutes long, the video is eight minutes long, which gives us enough time to develop a storyline and an idea. I wanted to take music videos to a whole new level by creating something that went beyond just showcasing the music.
Follow Wolf Bread here.
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