Hitsujibungaku records his latest video clip with Blackmagic Camera for iPhone

The music video for 'Addiction', by alternative rock trio Hitsujibungaku, was shot with ten iPhone 15 Pros with Blackmagic Camera installed in each of them.

Hitsujibungaku, formed by vocalist and guitarist Moeka Shiotsuka, bassist Yurika Kasai and drummer Hiroa Fukuda, is known for its delicate yet powerful sound. They have gained popularity in recent years, with their music serving as the opening and ending themes of popular anime titles.

His last song, Addiction, It arises from Moeka Shiotzuka's personal experience with dependence on smartphones.

The producer Takashi Sugai explains that "from the initial planning phases, Hitsujibungaku members expressed their desire to focus on smartphone dependency as a theme. We conceived the idea of ​​shooting in a space surrounded by LED screens to convey the feeling of being controlled by smartphones. To further express the theme of smartphone dependency, we decided to shoot the entire video with iPhones."

Kaishu Kamotani, director of photography on the project, highlights that “before filming this project, I had already used five iPhones and the Blackmagic Camera application to shoot an entire music video for another artist.”

“I applied the techniques learned from that experience to Addiction. iPhones are affordable to rent, which allowed us to increase the number of cameras. Additionally, other crew members who were not camera operators could easily take over filming. Additionally, using the official app from a camera manufacturer like Blackmagic Design gave us peace of mind. Having shot with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, the user interface is common between the Blackmagic cameras and the app, so I was able to understand how the app works quickly. I plan to produce two or three more projects with Blackmagic Camera by the end of the year,” he adds.

From another point of view

The director Moto Nagasawa acknowledges that "as the assignment was a music video that included only acting scenes, I proposed several ideas in line with that, and the concept of acting surrounded by LED screens was chosen. As for the filming, since we used iPhones and the Blackmagic Camera application, we looked for unconventional angles that are not usually captured. We even involved crew members who were not primarily dedicated to cinematography in the filming process. The filming lasted about eight hours, and in the editing we looked for a nostalgic atmosphere of alternative rock, emphasizing the takes of the instruments and the expressiveness of the songs.”

Sugai reflects on the use of iPhones and Blackmagic Camera for this project: "From a producer's perspective, the budget and on-set dynamics vary with each project, and there are young and veteran directors to consider. There are also many options for filming, from the combination of iPhone and the Blackmagic Camera app to professional digital cameras or even traditional filming. I realized that I needed to explore these possibilities further. Through my experience producing this project with iPhones and the Blackmagic Camera app, I hope to create works that mix youthful sensibilities with a nostalgic touch.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AteWl40-UP8