"Once in a while, the planets align; everything comes together in one big orgasm." Happy words by a director known simply as W.I.Z, represented by Los Angeles/London-based Oil Factory. The director is referencing the music video he shot for rock group Kasabian, entitled "Club Foot." A former musician, DJ and photographer, the director recalls the video as an "incredible shooting experience, probably a career high," with worthy results. Film & Video can’t figure out what’s more awesome: the concept of the video or the cool look W.I.Z. achieved using a rostrum camera.

The concept: The band are characters in W.I.Z.’s film – part of a nonspecific civil war in a nonspecific place occupied by rebel forces. They’re broadcasting via a pirate radio station with opposing forces closing in. When the viewer joins the story, the station only has a few minutes to live. A decision has to be made amongst the group – half leave, and the hardcore remain.

Above all, W.I.Z. wanted to convey the human story of the civilian girl (Russian actress Dinara Droukarova). "She stumbles into the middle of this hell and is completely unaware of what’s going on," he relates. "She has a rude awakening right at that moment when the group is tearing themselves apart. She leaves [the station] and is inspired to get involved." The video is dedicated to Jan Palach, a student who during the’60s found himself amidst Soviet tanks putting down a revolt in Czechoslovakia.

Now here’s (part) of the technique: "The video has a documentary, underground early-’70s look, but it’s obviously fictional." To achieve that look, W.I.Z., DP Tom Townend and crew shot on location in Hungary with two DV cameras. Budget and time issues dictated that W.I.Z. work out of his norm. "I tend to be very composed, everything is storyboarded, and there’s an elegance, but with this piece, it had to have urgency – we had two days to shoot so we didn’t have time for a more grand approach." Once they onlined the footage, W.I.Z. ran it through a television screen that was placed under a rostrum camera, filming the TV monitor in 35mm. W.I.Z. credits film grader Tareq Kubaisi of VTR with heightening the footage’s vintage feel.

"What’s rewarding about the piece is that we managed to convey some genuine emotion of what it’s like to be alive in a compelling and dramatic way; I think that’s quite an achievement these days."