James Marriott | Burn Down the Disco | Music Video | Director of Photography

James Marriott’s Burn Down the Disco, a large-scale music video produced by Studio Glonk and directed by Herbie Elton.

Working closely with James and his label AWAL, we transformed an abandoned commercial laundrette into a fully realised nightclub, creating a visually distinctive environment that carried forward James’s established visual identity.

The production was split across two days, with a dedicated pre-light on day one before shooting the nightclub sequence on day two. I led the camera and lighting departments, working with a 1st AC, 2nd AC and camera trainee alongside a gaffer and two sparks.

We built the lighting environment around our main lantern key lights which were rigged into lanterns within the laundrette ceiling, alongside additional fixtures to create an energetic, colour-driven palette that reflected the tone and visual style of the artist. These were all remotely controlled via Sidus.

Extensive camera and lighting tests, pre-production planning and lighting diagrams allowed us to make the most of the available budget, putting the production value where it mattered: in front of the camera.

Shot on an ARRI ALEXA Mini, Super Speeds and the Cooke Varotal 18-100mm Zoom.