The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Coffee Instructional Videos
Spirinity Productions produced, directed, and edited these Instructional Videos for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
Christine Lee’s “Surrender”
Spirinity Productions produced, directed, co-wrote, cast and edited this music video for Christine Lee’s single, “Surrender”.
Christine Lee’s “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”
Shooting the Project
When Christine Lee and her team wanted to shoot a music video for the Christmas classic “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” we didn’t know who was more excited—her or us! As big fans of all things “holiday”—especially holiday parties with dearly cherished family and friends—we had an absolute blast creating an indoor winter wonderland for just such an occasion!
After over 15 hours of decorating, we had the Yuletide ambiance perfectly set for a Santa sleepover party for Christine and her friends, replete with gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies, buttery popcorn and steaming hot cocoa, shiny gift boxes and colored lights, a stocking-laden fireplace and a bedazzled Christmas tree, and of course plenty of adolescent silliness and shimmering tinsel for days!—all of the holiday fun that brings up all the warm fuzzies!
Christine and her friends did an amazing job bringing the energy at what ended up really feeling like a real life sleepover! (Fun fact: At the end of the night when the girls were “pretend” sleeping, a few actually fell asleep for real! It was a long day of fun!) And you’d never know that it was actually quite warm outside on the day of shooting. We shipped in fake snow to cover around the windows to make sure it gave us the winter wonderland feel we were going for!
Our goal
Our vision for this video was not only to emulate classic Americana Christmas merriment for all viewers of the piece but also to share some festive ideas for getting back into the holiday spirit and to highlight Christine’s genuinely sweet and celebratory personality! Truly she was a gift to work with, and we look forward to doing more with Christine the future! And any of you out there who are wanting to try out something similar, our team at Spirinity is ready to bring your festive visions to visual life!
Sam Creighton’s Music Video for “After Midnight”
Sam Creighton – After Midnight Music Video
The Appeal of the Song
Do you ever hear a song and immediately feel the need to hit “repeat” as soon as it’s over? The first time we at Spirinity heard Sam Creighton‘s dance-beat single, “After Midnight,” we had to do just that! Not only were we excited to make the video for this single, but we were all the more thrilled to be the ones to debut Sam’s first music video ever! And it wasn’t only “After Midnight’s” catchy musicality or Sam’s songbird vocals that triggered our enthusiasm, but the all-too-familiar story and ultimately empowering message of the song that struck us so compellingly—and we knew that we needed to capture both that as well as the visceral emotions of the song in actions and arc the music video!
The Lyrics
The song begins: “I did it again. My loneliness took over me…” Many of us can immediately relate to the feelings of loss and regret we feels when we open again to a person we know we just can’t trust. And when romance is involved, the stakes can be all the more high! Loneliness is a powerful thing when it haunts the human heart. So many have received that not so subtle text before: “U up?” We know it’s wrong. We know there’s no way this goes anywhere we hope it might. We know the pain it leads to? But, sometimes, right now, you just don’t care. Of course there is no REAL or lasting satisfaction or love that can be found when we use one another just to alleviate loneliness. We yearn for—we need—more meaningful connection and relationship than that. But it’s so easy to fall into cycles repeating destructive behaviors, and sometimes—for some strange reason—the risk even sounds like… fun. And sometimes anything sounds better than that aching loneliness. The heart knows it needs more, but sometimes we just don’t want it to be true.
The Video
As the video opens, Sam is awakened by a call in the middle of the night and immediately responds with glee. When she arrives at the house, a push-pull dance begins with her love interest (played by the co-writer of the song and a talented singer himself, Will Jay). We hired one of our favorite choreographers, Kedua, to help show the dynamic struggle of simply wanting to be wanted by another, while also longing something more. Reset. New night. Sam gets another late night call, and while she does answer, she’s notably less eager and excited this time around. As she heads over to the lover’s house, she plays a bit hard to get, but ultimately she gives in. Repeat. Reset. On the final night in the video, again the phone rings. Sam awakens… Will she answer? You may have an inkling, but you’ll have to watch to find out exactly how the dramatic denouement plays out!
For this project, we worked closely with Sam’s own ideas to bring the personal resonance of this story to life. She actually wrote the song after receiving one of those texts herself! With the goal of empowering viewers to reevaluate themselves, to be reminded of their real value and their real power to love themselves and view themselves as worthy of far more than the empty promises of some one night stand. We were impressed with Sam’s commitment to this message and to empowering her viewers and fans. She was willing to be shot in representations and visualizations that she’s not used to, and she even fully stripped off her makeup at one point, perhaps communicating a truth that words alone could not.
Final Thoughts…
Visually, we enjoyed playing with symmetry, color, contrast and patterns, paying some homage to a director we all hold in high esteem—Wes Anderson. With slow movements, stylized sets, eclectic wardrobes, and a dramatic color palette, we were more than happy with the final product!
Overall, we loved collaborating with Sam and can’t wait to do so again soon! To be sure, the calls between us have much more love and endurance than those in this video! Be sure to check it out!
We’re really passionate about creating music videos. If you enjoyed this video, we invite you to check out some of our other projects we’re really proud of:
Jasmine Kara’s Music Video for “Fade to Black (Official Video)
Dylan Bernard’s Music Video for “Forever for Now”
Alexa Friedman’s Music Video for “Enraptured”
If you’re curious about our process, we take a deeper dive into the process on this page.
Live Streaming Webcasting
We’re happy to announce we have added live streaming to our services.
Recently we had the pleasure of working with Tim Burd, “The King of Facebook Advertising” and live broadcasting one of his Mastermind events here in L.A.
Here are some shots of the event.
We also have been recognized as a top Video Production company on DesignRush! Excited for more to share soon!
Enjoy the pictures and let us know if you have an event you’d like to live stream!
We invite you to learn more about our live streaming and how we can help.
Big 5 Sporting Goods TV Commercial
Filming a sports ad promo underwater was no small challenge, but we were more than excited to meet the challenge! We used an ARRI Alexa camera inside of a Gates”Bulletproof” underwater cinema rig. Gates’ products are undeniably reliable, and their brand ensures the safety of their cameras, so with this premium setup we dove into the pool! We were very aware of the acute level of planning and pre-production responsibilities involved in this shoot. We stuck to our three tiered, tried and true process and pulled this off without a hitch.
Next we needed talent who could perform athletics seamlessly underwater—which is no easy task for anyone! We wanted to make sure our actors had real experience in the sporting divisions the ad was featuring: one of our actors was a baseball player, one a golfer, and one a boxer. Not only would these performers need to have top-tier athletic ability, but they also would need to hold their breath for extended times; stay grounded at the bottom of the pool; and look like professional athletes—calm, cool, and collected—the whole time. And they sure delivered! We have a discerning eye when we choose the talent we work with. We believe this attention to detail is what has earned us numerous local awards and accolades.
Have you ever tried running or walking in water, even just as an experiment? It does not come naturally, to say the least, and our talent had to work extra hard to perform athletic motions and movements that, on the ground, they would normally take for granted. This is certainly out of scope when it comes to traditionally choreography requests And even our filmmakers had to perform some challenging athletic feats to get their inspired shots, since we filmed sans snorkeling and scuba gear.
All in all, this project was a blast, and we at Spirinity look forward to shooting underwater again! Now try this: next time you’re swimming, attempt some “regular” movements to see what it felt like our for actors!
We are a full service, high touch production company. If your project calls for something outside of the norm or something a bit avante garde, we’re confident we can provide the production services you need. Whether you’re in Hollywood, La Mirada or Sherman Oaks, our offices are an easy drive from anywhere in the LA metro area. We welcome your phone call to start the conversation! We’re here where you need us.
Dylan Bernard’s “Forever For Now”
Spirinity has partnered up with singer-songwriter Dylan Bernard and his team several times over the last four years, matching the messages and emotional textures of his music with vivid and palpable visuals! Dylan is not only an adaptable music talent, but he’s also game for any novel or creative challenge the team imagines. Most recently, we had an absolute blast putting together this music video for his new single, “Forever For Now.” As you will see, its aesthetic and style is quite distinct from the first video we produced with Dylan for his single, “Flames”.
Some Thoughts on Production:
When we first began to discuss the visual concepts for this video production, Dylan and his team knew that they wanted the lyrics to match the imagery. The chorus to the song begins, “Forever for now, I need to be alone to figure it out…” This wandering lonesomeness, contrasted with a lonely hope for clarity, poignantly guides the message at the heart of the entire song. With the visuals, we sought to colorfully draw out this tension to grant emotive and visual language to the the sort of heartache that is all too familiar for all of us. This song is about learning to feel comfortable alone after a relationship has ended, to become at home with oneself again, so we knew we had to use desolate locales to image Dylan’s internal wrestling and process. We shot in the California desert, to externalize the felt isolation in the song itself. Plodding along a deserted road, stepping through a disused living-space that once served as a lively home, wandering along a cracked and dried lakebed, and returning again to his bleak desert highway, Dylan walks through expressive images of his heart’s reflection, perhaps walking all of us through our own as well.
Instagram TV (or IGTV) had just launched when we were discussing the video’s concept. Dylan and his team wanted to put the music video on IGTV, where vertical videos are desired. So we decided to film in a way where the video could be used on horizontal platforms such as YouTube, but could also be cropped into a vertical video for IGTV. That is why Dylan is kept in the middle of the frame throughout the video. This was a very intentional choreography choice
Another element that was keenly considered in the making of this video was the visual bookends. The cover art for Dylan’s single featured Dylan in a tie-dye shirt and black jacket with an empty, pale sky behind him. And we wanted the video to open and close with a similar visual—bringing that very image to life!
It was a hot day in the desert, but Dylan remained his cool, calm, and collected while filming his single (and without looking sweaty). We had a great time shooting with Dylan and his team, and, as always, we look forward to many more collaborations to come!
Call us today to get started on your next project!
If you like this video, please check out some of our other video work:
Alexa Friedman’s “Meant to Be”.
Alexa Friedman’s “Enraptured”
Kylie Spence’s “Lying Eyes”
Video Shoot With Nipsey Hussle & Zaytoven
We were the the LA production crew shooting the Call To Entry video used to kick off the Dutch Masters Craft Syndicate mentorship program featuring Nipsey Hussle & Zaytoven and Rick Ross & Ray Murray/Organized Noize.
About the Process:
Here’s a peek into the process and how this project came to fruition….
When Craft Syndicate launched its second collaboration contest—featuring an opportunity to work with hip-hop legends Rick Ro$$, Organized Noize, Nipsey Hussle and Zaytoven—Spirinity was more than enthused to meet the challenge head on! Rick Ro$$ and Organized Noize are based out of Atlanta, and their interviews had already been captured there. Here at Spirinity, we were approached to see if we could capture the interview with Nipsey Hussle and Zaytoven in a similar tone and style. We were absolutely confident that we could deliver, so of course we said yes!
We filmed this spot at Record Plant Recording Studios in Hollywood. Our team engineered the decor and lighting of the studio, as well as the camera angle, so that the interview would match the mood and vibe that was already established in the previously recorded footage as closely as possible. Additionally, we created two other sets wherein Zaytoven and Nipsey Hussle could record their individual interviews. They certainly didn’t need much coaching, but we were more than happy to accomodate them and provide a few coaching tips to help with their on camera presence.
After we finished filming, our team synced the audio and colored the footage to match the tones of the previous shoot and turned it over to our client all within 24 hours! The hope was that the end product could seamlessly intercut between the two studio interviews without a hitch. In the end, everyone was more than happy with the final product. And when our clients are happy, we’re happy!
We had an unforgettable time working with these incredibly talented hip-hop artists, and we look forward to collaborating again!
Xin Zhu’s Music Video for “Siren”
Now, we at Spirinity are no strangers to long shoot days, multiple set locations, and plenty of travel, but have you ever visited the desert, beach, an inner-city graffiti wall, and an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of a town all in one day?! Welcome to our shoot for Xin Zhu’s “Siren”! We’ve always loved novel experiences and new challenges, and for this video production we not only blended a variety visuals and locales, but also musical genres and video styles. We had always wanted to do a K-pop, hip-hop infused music video, and with Xin Zhu we were finally able to make that happen! To accomplish all this, we brought in one of our favorite choreographers, Kedua, and a crew of incredible female dancers.
When we were approached about doing video production for “Siren,” we had about three weeks to finalize the concept, cast, rehearsals, shoots and edits for the video before Xin Zhu was traveling back to China! In this particular case, time was our most precious commodity. So we got right to work! With the time crunch, we knew we would only have one day for actual shooting. Xin Zhu wanted to film in three completely different locations, so we knew it would have to be a long day, but our crew is always up for a real challenge! But we also had to be sure the additional cast dancers we hired were gifted, not only with incredible talent, but also with undaunted stamina!
We began the day at 4:00am caravanning to the sun-rise sand-wastes of the So-Cal deserts. Part of our caravan included a beautiful Mercedes-Benz G-500 and 2018 Bentley, both featured in the music video. The first half of the day we spent in the desert, dancing, setting off colored smoke bombs, and driving the cars in the cracked curvatures of a dried lakebed. Sure, we almost melted in over 100 degree weather, but it was totally worth it!
After a much-needed lunch-retreat at our favorite desert restaurant, we headed straight to the beach! The breeze and cool water were more than refreshing, after a hot summer morning and afternoon in the desert. We appreciate that about California—there’s so much diversity in locations! It’s not a surprise that this is where the film industry truly took off so many years ago. One of our favorite shots of the day was taken here on top of the cliff by our drone pilot, when he circled the girls with the sunset in the background. It was hard to leave the beach, as it always is! But, alas, it was time to head to the warehouse and graffiti wall.
For this video production we wanted each location to have a completely different vibe, so Lauren and the dancers changed outfits. We set up the G-Wagon with fog, as well as colored and Quasar lights. After more choreography and song run-throughs, we moved on to the graffiti wall location.
After the long shoot-day, we were off to the editing bay. Again, time was precious! We wanted to keep the edit fast paced to match the song. Thankfully Xin Zhu brought the heat all day, refusing to lose focus or energy through it all. And the dancers were flawlessly consistent in the choreography and energy at each location, so it made our job that much easier!
We appreciate the positive feedback for this video, including the over one million views in China! Our team enjoyed the culmination of different scenery all throughout California, with absolutely amazing dancers and choreography with a killer K-pop artist and rapper, Xin Zhu!
We hope you enjoyed learning more about the “behind the scenes” aspect of this video. If you liked it, we invite you to view our other work:
Maserati
Demi Lavato
Craft Syndicate With Nipsey Hustle and Zaytoven
Estani Frizzell’s Music Video for “Higher”
A Little Background
We had already worked with Estani Frizzell on a couple different occasions before collaborating again for her single, “Higher,” so we knew we would be in for something novel and fun when the opportunity arose! Estani is an exceptionally talented artist and songwriter who wrote the award-winning “Enraptured” and “Meant To Be” for Alexa Friedman, as well as “Cry” for Rachel Gencon. When she approached us to do video production for her own first single as an artist, we knew it needed to be more than memorable, something that would establish her as a true artistic novelty. She had lent her talents so many times to reveal the brilliance of so many other musicians, we knew it was her time to step into the spotlight!
Estani’s single “Higher” is an award-nominated song about the universal longing to express something of tangible value in one’s life, but the daunting paralysis that arises with confusion over the next steps forward. Many of us long to make a difference for the good in a world plagued with bad news cycles and troubled times, but it can all seem too overwhelmingly big, devastating, unassailable. What difference could we make? And where would we even begin?
The songs opens with the lines: “You want so bad to make a difference, but you give up before you start. You say someday you’ll go the distance, but that’s just talking without heart.” Can anyone relate? Estani knew she wanted the video to reflect the haunting anxieties of the desires for change clashing with felt powerlessness that are all too familiar in our day. With that vision, our director, Spencer Evans, went to work imagining visuals to properly mirror these palpable and timely longings. He knew immediately he wanted the video to be a sort of visceral shock for viewers, leaving them with a sense that they had not only roller-coastered Estani’s experience, but that hers had imaged their own as well. Paying homage to Tobe Hooper’s film, “Poltergeist,” the video projects a sort of ghostly battle between Estani and these dark demons of anxiety and despair. And this existential battle is lodged not only between ourselves and the tragic realities of our world, but between our own haunting fears and our willingness to face them. And just as the song longs for a redemptive arc, so the video also progresses toward a more ultimate baptism of hope and release.
The Story…
The story begins with Estani sleeping soundly in bedroom near an old TV. Suddenly, while she’s still sleeping her spirit leaves her body to go downstairs. As she glides down the stairs the lights flash and we get a glimpse of the cross on her bracelet. When she enters the living room we see her dog alerting her with a bark, but we aren’t sure why. If you look closely you see that the TV has followed her.
Estani reaches the front door and a bright light and big gust of wind brushes over her. As she turns to walk away, we see that another has entered the house. Next we see her in the theatre watching the horrors of the news on the old TV that has been following her. Overwhelmed by the weight of bad stories, Estani tries to cleans herself in the shower. The TV continues to follow. Giving up hope, Estani rips her bracelet and the cross falls to the ground. She carries the TV to the pool as the news continues to play. She approaches the edge of the pool, deciding whether to take the plunge and leave her burdens. Just as she is about to hit the water, a hand pulls her out to save her. This action initiates a reversal of her actions and her spirit arrives back in her sleeping body.
Since releasing this video, we at Spirinity have found a second joy in its creation by hearing the various take-aways from its viewers! Did Estani save herself in the end? Was it an angel? Was it her thoughts or just her imagination? Or did the story end on a more tragic note? Also, what was the thing that came into the house? Was that just her? Was it all in her head? Her dreams? Or was it something of darker origin? Whatever you took away from the video and song, we hope it inspires us all to not give up on hope for our world, our loved ones, our neighbors, or even ourselves!
Final Thoughts
Finally, here are some fun facts about the video production side of filming! First of all, the dog in this video is the Director’s named Daisy! If you watch some of our other videos, you might see her make a cameo in a few of them. Either way, she’s almost always on set with us. When it comes to the gust of wind and light at the front door, it actually took us several tries to time it just right. We had one person operating the fan, another doing the light and it wasn’t easy to get the door opened and all of it to turn on in perfect sync! It’s a miracle that Estani was able to stay in character because the crew was definitely cracking up from all the mishaps.
One final filming fact for funzies: You know that feeling when you’re wet and frigidly cold after getting out of a pool on a cooler day? Estani definitely experienced that! After shooting the shower scene, she had to stay wet for the pool scene. While it was a summer day, it still can feel cold when you’re dress, hair and whole body is wet! When we filmed Estani’s fall into the pool, she actually fell in with the TV with 3 cameras capturing from different angles – including a GoPro from under the water. (Don’t worry, our team tested it out ahead of time for safety purposes.)
Truly, we had a wonderful time collaborating with Estani on “Higher” and we can’t wait to do more!