Lights... Camera... ACTION.
You’ve asked for more behind-the-scenes stories, so here you go! Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’re revisiting the second movement from Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 1. "The Night... The Love..." paints an evocative picture of a passionate nocturnal tryst. We absolutely adore this piece, as do our mothers: they personally requested the suite for our recent Mother album, claiming it as one of their favorite works that we perform.
During the early planning stages of video-making, we allow our imaginations to run wild, and this time was no exception; we browsed countless locations in the quest for a beautiful and unusual setting. For this video, we decided to keep it simple and selected a stark studio, the darkness only to be illuminated by glowing bulbs.
(Throughout the planning process, our minds kept wandering to our New Music • New Video composition competition; we're currently looking forward to sharing the video-making experience with the winner of our competition, Edgar Ordóñez!)
When the time came to shoot, we realized our "simple" concept involved some major challenges. Hanging the lights was super difficult despite drawing up a detailed lighting plan. We had dozens of light strings hanging from hooks and nails, taped this way and that, plugged in all over the studio. The slightest bump or breeze would send the lights swaying precariously at inopportune times and we found ourselves constantly tangled in the lights. And at one point only half of them were working! 😅
As frustrating as the lights could be, the shoot was a blast overall and the effect mirrored what we envisioned: two lovers draped in an ethereal blanket of stars. We had a fantastic experience with Cherry Soda Studios in Eagle Rock, CA, and STEINWAY & SONS Los Angeles were amazing, assisting so generously with the gorgeous pianos.
We're very happy with how the video turned out, and we hope you enjoy it, too. Let us know what you think in the comments below and on social media!
