D&AD Awards

The D&AD award winners were announced last week. Among these was the music video for Bjork's song Wanderlust. It received three yellow pencils, one for the music video category, one for art direction and one special effects. Don't Panic spoke to Isaiah Saxon from Encyclopaedia Pictura, the collective that made Wanderlust.

Wanderlust from yoichi on Vimeo.

Hello Isaiah. What is Wanderlust?

Wanderlust is a stereoscopic music video in which Bjork plays an archetypal nomad, shepherding giant yaks through the Mountains. She does hydromancy to decide whether to take them down a river or not. A second self, the Painbody Backpack, sprouts from her like a growth and then engages her in an action play which displays their relationship. The force which compelled Bjork to go down river begins to manifest itself in Bjork’s head and in the physical world. This character, the Rivergod, is a transcendental attractor which pulls her into the future.

Oh I see. Sorry, what is the Painbody Backpack.

The Painbody Backpack is what we called the character on Bjork's back. She is a physical version of Bjork's muddy unconscious emotional automatic self.

How much input did she have in the making of the video?

She assumed a position of support and generosity with us rather than a position of creative oversight. She said that "too many cooks spoil the broth" and so she let us create it very independently.

Is the video purely digital or were models used?

Everything except the river is physical - models, puppets, performers with prosthetics, and paintings. The river was done using the 'hair module' in a computer graphics program. Contrary to what some people think, there is no stop motion in the video.

How long did it take to make?

The whole process was nine months with six of those being dedicated to post production. We had to build everything (puppets, 3D camera rig, sets) and shoot everything in two months.

What has winning a D&AD yellow pencil meant to Encyclopaedia Pictura?

A few more calls than usual asking us to do ad campaigns for goods and services that we aren't really interested in supporting.

Find out more about the competition with a full run down of winners at the D & AD website

Check out Wanderlust in 3D here