Project Spotlight: Nada Que Perder
There’s a lot to consider when creating a music video. What should it look like? Does it fit the songwriter’s vision? How closely will it fit the song thematically? In this article we’ll look at how Steel Magpie animator Jose Lago Amor answered these questions in the creation of the music video for “Nada Que Perder”.
“Dream come true” creative projects don’t appear everyday. When musician Garcè approached Jose with some demos to turn into a music video, this was one of those rare moments. Friends since university, combining their talents was long overdue. Jose listened to the demos and was immediately drawn to one: “Nada Que Perder”.
Jose explains, “Nada Que Perder was the one that I resonated with. I wanted to make something dynamic and fast, and knew this song could accomplish that for me”. Jose immediately started developing concepts based on the title, which translates as “nothing to lose”.
First, Jose needed to establish how the video would look and feel. A key conceptual reference for Jose was the art of Jonathan Djob Nkondo. “I like how he uses shapes. The designs of technology and structures are rigid while remaining malleable”. This informed the design of the train, a central visual element throughout. Unit 0-1 from anime Neon Genesis Evangelion also served as inspiration. Jose introduced sci-fi elements in the world design, particularly the “weird, swirly” clouds.
Character design was also established early on. Jose drew on personal experience of his home country Venezuela for the design of the main character Ivory; his mask is based on Venezuela’s national bird, the Troupial. Antagonist Mirror Guy was visually developed as a literal “reflection” to Ivory.
Once Garcè agreed with the concept, Jose spent a week creating thumbnails. “I already had a good idea of what I wanted. I didn’t write a script because I thought it easier to just draw - so that’s what I did!”. A rough animatic solidified the story. He then did cleanup work on those drawings, so they could serve as a base for the animation. “By doing that, I’m creating usable frames and getting ahead of some of the work”. Clean boards functioned as both practical tools for production and a showcase for the creative process.
While Garcè worked on the song, Jose took two months to complete the backgrounds. Half a year later, Garcè had a finalised track, and Jose re-engaged with the work. “After some procrastination, I picked it up again. I adjusted the rough animatic to fit changes in the rhythm and instrumentation. I then started animating”. Thanks to the prep work, this was straightforward. The storyboards Jose had created served as keyframes (with some clean-up work), which he then bridged with in-between animation.
While colouring, something Jose describes as a “dreadful moment” happened. “I was doing everything on my own, which got overwhelming. Though it’s only a three-minute film, you can’t always tell the scope of something until you’re already doing it. Something I saw as manageable had become so much bigger”. Jose wasn’t deterred and drew on experience from previous projects. “I got into a consistent working pace, a couple of things or an hour or two a day. Garcè also set a deadline, as he wanted to release the song alongside the video. To achieve this I dedicated eight-hour days across a week, allowing me to hit the deadline.”
Creative motivation came from the themes Jose had felt drawn to when taking on the project. Nada Que Perder’s main themes are taking chances, doing the unexpected, and being unafraid of making mistakes along the way. Why did these resonate so strongly with Jose, and how did they come through in the final video?
“When I was feeling down, I used my work as inspiration, as I was also sharing my voice. The music video shares my feelings on self-reflection and changing countries. That feeling found its way into the design and theme, and I was pleased with how it came through”.
For example, main character Ivory’s Venezuelan Troupial mask was inspired by “the feeling that you stand out a bit too much”. In two years Jose had moved from Venezuela to Spain, from Spain to Chile, and then from Chile to the UK. The mask combined elements of his home country with the emigrant experience of struggling to fit in.
The antagonist Mirror Guy was also inspired by similar themes. “He represents the idea that when facing negative self-perception, the only person we can always rely on to help us get ahead is ourselves”. The video centres around the two challenges Ivory has to overcome: perceptions of himself, and the perceptions of others.
Nightfall brings the moon to the forefront as a key visual and thematic element. “The moon represents the direction Ivory is trying to go in, as something out of reach. The moon is something we can’t always see but is always there. I wanted to represent the concept of having something on our minds that we need to achieve.”
In the video’s climactic ending, Ivory escapes by breaking his self-imposed mask. This completes the themes of self-reflection and self-direction that inspired Jose. “You don’t have to have the mask you put on yourself, and with some determination, Ivory escapes the train on his terms. He knows everything’s going to be all right, growing wings and finally being able to reach the moon. It’s about not dwelling on the bad things that could happen and just trying to do your own thing”.
Dave Cuthbertson is a writer Steel Magpie.