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An interview with the director of the AC video: https://www.onepointfour.co/2023/11/14/in-the-workshop/ Interesting because he talks about how they decided which props to use, and the development of the video storyline, such as it is. 14th November 2023 In the Workshop Title of film: MIKA, Apocalypse Calypso Director: Chris Turner (Favourite Colour: Black) Production Company: Octopus Inc Combine a studio full of the weird and wonderful artwork of Studio Job with the shining beacon of performance fashion that is MIKA, and you’re bound to have something fabulous - and this is exactly what we find in the new music video from director Chris Turner, AKA Favourite Colour: Black. A playful approach to scale and a vibrant colour palette work together to give the perfect “kid in a candy store” feeling to the new track. 1.4 catches up with the director about collaborating on production design, the challenges of a one-day shoot, and the sculpture he would have liked to have nabbed All stills from MIKA, Apocalypse Calypso Did you grow up in a creative environment? Was filmmaking always on the cards for you? My family was split down the middle, half creative, half academic. But my dad was trained as a cabinet maker and later in his life returned to it, so I guess the creative genes were always there. With a background in design and art direction, you must have relished exploring the work of Studio Job, whose large-scale art is used throughout the film. How did this collaboration come about? It’s such an incredible place, packed full of the strangest artworks. Mika has worked with (and been friends with) Job Smeets for years and Job has made many stage props for Mika. So the brief was a strange one – it was basically the track and a link to Studio Job’s website, with a note to say we’re to shoot the video in the studio. There wasn’t much more to it. Pre-production was less than a week, so my main challenge was to come up with scenarios that would allow us to blend Mika’s performance with Job’s artwork, and capture it in an engaging way without complicated camera techniques. What was the process of incorporating their art – did you develop the film around the sculptures available or was the choice based on the initial video concept? At first I wrote a list of rough vignettes based on the work I’d seen from the studio, but without a clear idea as to what pieces would be available to me. Then we discussed this initial shot list with Mika, who contributed more ideas and began looking into styling options which would suit the scenes (it was at this stage I found out about Mika’s amazing mirror suit). After that I was introduced to the Studio Job team and the shot list evolved once I had a clearer idea of what I could use. Which was basically anything. Did you fall in love with a particular sculpture? Which piece of art would you most have liked to take home with you? They made a lamp called Savage – which is a solid bronze cat baring its teeth with demonic glowing eyes (much of Studio Job’s work is cast in bronze, combining traditional techniques with modern processes). I’m a dog person, but I loved that cat. The plug wire goes up its rear end. I won’t say which part of its anatomy turns the light on. Also I loved the solid bronze couch (so heavy it needed a forklift to move it) – which is a commissioned sculptural representation of the late designer Jan des Bouvrie’s iconic Cubic sofa. MIKA is known for his stunning wardrobe – and the mirrored suit in this film is completely bewitching. Tell us a bit about the discussions you had with the artist, stylist and Studio Job about the costume design for the project. Before the shoot we were having conversations on a WhatsApp group, working out how we’d combine Mika’s performance and styling ideas with artworks from the studio. I was keen to try to make Mika feel part of the artwork in a few scenes, and these ideas just gradually evolved. The mirror suit reminded me of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, and that naturally led to an idea of him being welded in one of the studio’s workshops. In another scene, he’s wearing a suit treated to Job’s trademark papier mâché process. What was the biggest challenge you encountered while shooting? So much choice! There were so many amazing pieces we could’ve used at the studio, which Job and his wife Sharkey were super generous with. But we only had a day to shoot (and many of the pieces are large and heavy, and take time to move around). So the key challenge was to work out what to use and how best to capture it without seeing everything else in the background (it’s a busy workshop and there are hundreds of artworks there). You’ve got quite the music video portfolio, with artists including Jay-Z, The Vamps, and multiple collaborations with British singer-songwriter Alice Chater. What value do you find is added through maintaining a long working relationship with a single artist? One of my most invigorating creative relationships has been with the UK artist Gazelle Twin. She’s been independent for a long time (until her latest album Black Dog on Invada Records), and although that may mean the video budgets aren’t the same as big label projects, it also means I get to work closely with her in an unfiltered way – a genuinely collaborative experience which is endlessly rewarding. The more you work with an artist, the more trust is gained, and I genuinely think that leads to more interesting work. What are you working on next? I’m pitching on a technically challenging projection job, and midway through editing a short film (which has its DNA in a recent Gazelle Twin project). Plus I’m working on a possible feature film project with writer Chelsea Kania. Interview by Becca Nichols

Well...? My package is marked "in transit", it says it's coming from Germany! I guess I have a few more days to wait...

I've heard of Google Lens, but never tried. I'll give it a go, thanks for the tip @TinyLove_CJ Hmm... what DID happen to it? I'll see if I can find anything on it... And what happened to her? I haven't seen her around for a while... EDIT: OK, I found it, but it was just for Android, and it doesn't look like it's there any more, anyway:

Here's the podcast -- it says you can actually WATCH the full episode on Spotify!

That's how I understood it -- that everyone would be seated at the table while they ate and had a conversation.

Also, looks like you can ask Mika a question by sending in a video to Purecharts France. The media blitz continues...

Looks like Mika will be the guest on a podcast called Canape Six Places -- I think it will be released later tonight? I was trying to just give the link to the podcast, but it will only let me copy the link for last week's show. But that means we should be able to embed this week's show later.

Watch them at the table? That would be weird, watching them eat. No, my French is not great, but I think the text says "What would you say about sharing a meal with Mika? Nostalgie invites you to Mika's table, for a unique and exclusive moment." And later it says "Nostalgie sets the table and invites you to share a meal in the company of this essential artist. A suspended moment that will be filled with confidences, exchanges and surprises." *sigh* If only I could be there! December 5th is my wedding anniversary. It would have been perfect, right? celebrating it with Mika!

Oh for Pete's sake! Hope you get it soon!

@Mikasister I'm going to make this its own thread in the news section. I think it's newsworthy!

Does the link work for anyone? I assume it's meant to go to the Mika shop, but it doesn't seem to work for me. (I was going to repost the story... )

At least you didn't ask me who Stevie Nicks is. I guess we need to see the suit under bright studio light, maybe it looks more golden then.

I'm so glad that Mika's name isn't being met with "ugh" and "who?" but instead with gasps and "oohs!" And glad you were able to connect with someone there who's going to see him. @Hero I've been thinking about your and Michelle's suggestions a few weeks ago, about making a QR code for the lyrics, for the French gigs, and how we might make that work. But also how could we expand that idea to include all the lyrics? Imagine this scenario, not that it would *ever* happen: You're at a gig and you're standing in front of a certain pop star and he signals to you to look up the lyrics to one of his songs on your phone because he's forgotten them -- how can you get to them quickly? I mean, I put the lyrics thread on a separate tab here, but you still need to get to MFC, then click on the Lyrics link, then scroll around to find the right song. If you had a sheet of paper with QR codes for each of the songs, or at least each album's lyrics, you could scan it and get there faster. But that still seems awkward - who wants to carry a sheet of paper around at a gig? I guess you could tape the list to the back of your phone, but that's still not a great idea... Anyhow, the idea is still rolling around in my brain, and I thought since this is the random thread this would be a good place to mention it. Maybe someone else will have a brainstorm?

I didn't mean to make it weird, but I kinda like that metaphor. Sorry! It looks like a sickly yellow/green to me. But with Mika's coloring, it works. But what is Zazie wearing? It sort of looks like a throwback to something Stevie Nicks might have worn, she just needs the top hat! (It's just a different look for her, I'm used to seeing her in pants, I guess.)

I'll be watching this later! Merci, @Lisagr

Yes, make sure you're all seated... I got the email that my t-shirt has finally shipped, too!

Apparently everyone didn't have a good time, if you read some of the posts on social media. It's not frantic, like some of these meet-ups are, and people aren't crushed against him, but people are clustered close in front of him, so if you're not near the front or tall you can't see or hear him too well. I don't like to preach, and I know it's a losing battle because fans will be fans, but speaking from experience, it's so much nicer if everyone stands back at bit and lets Mika walk over to them so they can each have a turn. How much better it is if he's able to speak to you face to face, instead of shouting over a group of chattering fans. I'm just trying to remind everyone to take a second and check that they are being as mindful of those around them as they could be. Yes, that's it exactly. If he's spoken to you, gotten your gift, or whatever, move aside. I know there's never quite enough of the "Mika pie" to go around, but if we're all a little more considerate of each other, we all might get a little taste.

I definitely see Manuela there, but I'm not sure if there were any other Italians present. As I look at all these videos, though, I have to say it's a shame that so many crowded around him -- those stuck in the back of the group didn't have a chance to speak to him at all, and I imagine they couldn't really hear over all the other talking, because I even have trouble hearing what's being said. We have this problem nearly every time, and it's a shame - I wish there was a way to organize these informal gatherings a bit better. I guess it's the control freak in me, but I think it's much better to line up and wait for him to work his way down the line, that way everyone gets the chance to have a few words with him. I hope it goes better tonight, if he even comes out after the recording.

Fanny sent me these videos of the little meeting they had with Mika after today's long day of recording for The Voice. She said that Mika was the only one of the coaches to stop for a while. And she said that he acquired some really good talents during the blind auditions. :) WhatsApp Video 2023-11-13 at 16.49.07_e2dbf403.mp4 WhatsApp Video 2023-11-13 at 16.41.43_4aa73ce4.mp4

I actually don't own a trumpet any more. I do still have my beloved clarinet though. Who knows? I don't think they knew what they wanted.

I fixed the embed code in Eriko's post above. You should be able to watch it on Daily Motion now.

Right, I don't think he'll sing again, but I thought he might be a presenter of an award. Happy viewing!

Here's the whole performance. I can't upload to YouTube because they'll take it down, obviously. I loved it, he looks simply stunning, and the flowers and the choir were just beautiful. Anna called him a human disco ball and I have to agree, both literally and figuratively, he radiates light. Mika fait danser le public avec « C’est la vie » - NRJ Music Awards 2023 — Mozilla Firefox 2023-11-10 16-56-10.mp4

Yes, as I said, it's for those whose countries aren't on the list. When I click on the link it redirects me to the French store, but when someone in the UK clicks on it, it takes them to a store that allows them to buy the signed vinyl.

Yes, and for those whose countries aren't listed in the shipping options drop-down menu, please try this link - it *should* work: https://mika.lnk.to/QTTFT?fbclid=PAAaag_x3aquQlXQwaH_HCqQ_ZU5rWEjtZ0RRKh1HWfsFpVjqn0HTISwQD4Rw_aem_AbI0RHTaZTr7sM1cnPylXFcGxez6ye12G9zfpxY5lATEvFms2I2veX0s7FIuHXA9Ep0