breaking down

Downtown Kayoto - Lite (2023)

Downtown Kayoto and Director Joe Howat give us a masterclass on visual technique in their latest music video.

No. 3 - Dec 16, 2023

Breaking Down is where we dive into the most requested films to explain every visual technique used, talking about it’s origins, and how it’s made.

Today we’re breaking down “Lite” – a look inside the eyes of Creative Directors Joe Howat and Downtown Kayoto in their latest piece. 

The work features an uncanny amount of jaw-dropping visual techniques.

Let’s dive in.

 

Dolly Shot

 

The Dollly Shot involves physically moving the camera towards or away from a subject. This is in contrast to the Camera Zoom which takes place entirely within the lens, leaving the camera body in place. 

In Lite, the Dolly Zoom is repeated multiple times creating a trippy nauseating effect. 

 
 

Double Exposure

 
 
 

Flash Cut + Trucking + Locked On 

 
 

Flash-cut involves rapidly flashing a series of images in quick succession, creating a disorienting or hypnotic effect. The flash-cut is a much faster version of the Match cut. 

In a truck shot, the camera moves laterally with the subject, creating a sense of movement and energy. This technique is often used to capture outdoor scenes, such as car chases, where a handheld camera might not be stable enough to capture the action.

Locked-On video effect is when it looks like the camera is locked onto one aspect of the clip, keeping that one point in the middle even as the subject moves.

An easy way to distinguish a Locked-On from a Fixed Camera effect, is that in the prior, you can usually see the framing ‘bounce’ to keep the image in center frame. 

 
 

Match Transition + Low Angle

 

Unlike the Match cut, the Match transition takes place over time — seamlessly transitioning from one clip to another — in this case taking us from the plane seamlessly to the low angle shot from the rim.  

A Low-angle shot is like the ultimate power move in cinematography, making everyone look like a towering giant, but no one rocks it quite like Tarantino, who uses it so much that you'd think he was trying to win a bet with Martin Scorsese.

 
 

Transition Roll

 

Transition roll uses camera movement to “roll” or “rotate” us into another shot seamlessly.

In the case of Lite, the transition roll takes us from the tunnel to the basketball court.

 
 

Wipe Transition

 

Wipe transition is a transition from one scene to the next. More creative examples of wipe transitions have been popularized by artists like A$AP Ferg and Kendrick Lamar

One thing worth nothing. A double wipe transition a seen here is much rarer. Often times a single wipe will take us from one shot to another. A double wipe transition adds to the frenetic and chaotic energy of this music video.

 
LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    
LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.    LEARN.    DON'T GATEKEEP.    ENJOY.