Working with deep fake specialist French Faker, Division director Arnaud Bresson and The Mill layer live-action, CG, Flame work, and motion design into an appropriately disturbing music video for British rapper M.I.A and her latest single “Popular”.

From the team at The Mill: “The music video provides a timely commentary on what it means to be ‘Popular’ in today’s social media culture. The video’s aesthetic references the rudimentary format of a casting tape, in which M.I.A. teaches her clone to mimic the moves and attitudes that will supposedly make her ‘Popular’.”

Watch the behind-scenes-video:
 

 

 
Artist: M.I.A.
Label: UMG (on behalf of M.I.A./Island)

Production: Division
Director: Arnaud Bresson
Executive producer: Laure Salgon

Post-production: The Mill
Executive producer: Fabrice Damolini, Claire Garraud
Production coordinators: Ghalia Chammat, Ewan Rosenstrauch
Post-producers: Benjamin Cathala, Stephanie Mollet, Marie Cécile Juglair
ECD/VFX supervisor: Franck Lambertz
Head of CG: Guillaume Parra, Guillaume Ho
Flame artists: Franck Lambertz, Valentin Gingembre, Jao M’changama, Aurélien Teurlai
Animation: Alban Lelièvre, Alexandre Sauthier
Nuke artists: Maxence Peillon, Tytouan Botte
Motion designer: Olivier Jarry, Agathe Sayegh:
SFX video shoot: Shaun Severi
Colorist: Arthur Paux

A.I. animation: French Faker

Edit: Modern Post
Editor: William Town