Vol. 23
Missing the football? This volume of Cut Culture has got you covered - we’re taking you behind the scenes of our FA Cup content capture for Mitre. Plus we'll have a look at one of the intense games of rock, paper, scissors you’ll ever see (courtesy of AI). And last but not least we’ll give you an intro to one of the photographers who we’ve been loving working with lately.
Cut Culture
Simzulation Theory.
When we grow up, we want to be Little Simz. Whatever she does, she just oozes cool. Bet she even puts the bins out with an enviably irreplicable sense of self-assuredness. But the music video for her new track ‘Gorilla’ turns the dial up to 11. She linked up with legendary music video director Dave Meyers, and the result is something that has been described as “unquestionably one of the best videos of the year so far” - we’re not sure who actually said that, but someone definitely did. (Fun Fact: Meyers studied a joint honours degree in Film Production and Philosophy, the perfect combination to equip you to make a banging music video and then ask what the point of it was). Meyers brought what he always brings: engrossing visuals perfectly executed. But what he deserves perhaps the most credit for is keeping the focus firmly on Little Simz herself throughout the duration of the 4 minutes, allowing her natural charisma to shine and carry the viewer’s attention right the way through. We’ll take this over Rick Astley covering AC/DC on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury any day. Yes, that really happened. And, if we’re being fair, it was utterly glorious. That bloke really won’t let you down. And nor will Little Simz.
AI-nime.
Anime has become cool all of a sudden. Maybe it helps that Israel Adesanya, a bloke who can beat up 99.9% of the global population is such a self-proclaimed evangelical anime nerd. But it turns out it may also be easier than you think to create anime content - thanks to the magic of… AI. The ellipsis was to build in some anime-inspired suspense. Corridor Crew released this side-by-side comparison to show how they used AI and VFX to turn some pretty low-effort green screen footage into a fully-fledged cartoon. The storyline follows two brothers wagering the fate of a kingdom on the outcome of a game of rock, paper, scissors (which is far more compelling than it sounds). The video - which was created using a combination of three different AI programs (Stable Diffusion, Dreambooth, and DaVinci Resolve) - has caused quite some controversy. Mainly because the consensus is that it’s far too good and artists are about to be put out of a job. But really this demonstrates how AI can currently coexist as a supplement to the creative process rather than an outright replacement. The video still requires actors, editors and a team to review the footage when AI inevitably gets something drastically wrong (which, as impressive as it is, it still has a tendency to do). But this is one of the best examples we’ve seen of anyone experimenting with the applications of a new tool and pulling it off to create something genuinely original. And it certainly doesn’t deserve half the amount of Luddite-fuelled internet hate that it’s been given. We salute you, Corridor Crew.
BTS
No, we don’t know what he had in his briefcase. And frankly, we’re not sure we want to know.
But these are just some of the sights you’re confronted with when you’re documenting real football fan culture at the FA Cup for Mitre.
We’ve been capturing and showcasing the cup and the people who make it football’s oldest and best club competition for a whole season, and that journey culminated with this smattering of characters you see before you in and around Wembley Way for the semi-finals and finals.
Mitre’s ‘Real Football People’ proposition represents a move away from the bland homogenisation of elite performance football marketing, and a move towards what makes people fall in love with the game. And it was our job to tell that story. It might sound like a risk relying on the Great British public for content, but they haven’t let us down yet.
And if you do want to take a look at some of the other work we’ve been doing, head over to the Mitre Instagram.
Annie is a photographer with a proven track record of capturing portraits with depth. She has made her mark in the fashion industry, working with brands and publications such as Lexxola, Heat, Picante, Naked Wolfe and Gucci. And as of a few weeks ago you can add Depop to that list, as we had Annie behind the lens to shoot the brand’s summer campaign. We were looking for someone who could capture expression and energy while keeping it product focused - and Annie was the obvious choice. Plus we’d been wanting to work with her for a while. To see more of Annie’s work, we would vehemently encourage you to go check out her Instagram and website.