KYRILL

THE MAKING OF A MUSIC VIDEO

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KYRILL — The Making Of A Music Video

While I created a whole new portfolio site in 2025:
I’m revisiting this project from 2017—after eight years!

Back then, this was a benchmark project where, as usual, I handled the entire visual creation process on my own. It started as a music video for a small band I knew, but it was never widely published. So, I thought, why not showcase a making-of here? The process demonstrates a variety of creation techniques…

Client: LucidDreaming

Tasks: Whole Production

Year: 2017-2018

…from initial sketches to final assets, including:

Hand-modeling 3D assets based on scribbles
Digital sculpting of mysterious environments
Photo-texturing, hand-painting textures, and procedural materials
Filming underwater plants in an aquarium
Building a scale-model street scene with houses, cars, and a complete environment
Photogrammetric scanning of the model city for 3D integration
Filming the flooding of the set with multiple cameras
Lighting, rendering, editing, compositing, color grading, and mastering

From idea sketches to CGI

Use the slider to compare ink sketches to the final frames.

From Ink to Previsualization:

The Beginning of the Pipeline

After initial conceptual ideas, the project began with a series of ink sketches that established the visual style and mood of the music video. These sketches formed the foundation for the creation of a previsualization video (Previs), which was used to test the planned sequence of scenes and incorporate feedback into the development process.

A total of five different Previs versions were created. Each iteration brought new insights, led to adjustments in the storyline, and influenced the final scenes. With the song’s vague lyrics serving as the only narrative guide, the project experienced several creative twists, requiring spontaneous decisions along the way.

Crafting the Narrative

Visual Storyboarding

The ink sketches were created in real-time while watching multicam streams of live footage from webcams during Hurricane Irma, which struck the United States on September 11, 2017. These sketches were later copied, cut out, and arranged to form a cohesive visual narrative. The plot was also influenced by the song’s title, Kyrill, referencing the 2007 storm in Germany. These elements heavily shaped the video’s storyline and storm-inspired themes.

The Challenge of Transitioning to CGI

The transition from ink sketches to CGI brought significant challenges. While the ink frames carried a raw, spontaneous energy, much of that original vibe is lost during the transition to 3D. Despite the extensive effort invested in CGI production, it progressively moves away from the immediacy and gritty charm of the initial sketches.

Looking back, it might have been more effective to simply animate the ink frames using a 2D parallax style instead of creating fully realized 3D environments. This approach would have better preserved the project’s artistic intent and original atmosphere.

From Concept to Final Vision

Previsualization Videos:

Kyrill Music Video Previs V1 – Early Stage Concepts

The first iteration of previsualization, laying the groundwork for the project’s visual storytelling.

Kyrill Music Video Previs V5 – Refined Animatic

Explore the evolved previsualization with updated animations and refined scene composition.

Final Preview: The Trailer

After weeks of Previs development, this teaser marks the point where the project’s vision began to take tangible shape. It encapsulates the core atmosphere, pacing, and visual storytelling of Kyrill. In hindsight, this trailer could have been the perfect endpoint for the project, capturing its essence without the need for the extensive post-production that followed. However, it served as a stepping stone to refine and finalize the full-length music video.

Watch the trailer below for a glimpse of the atmosphere we aimed to achieve: