Ecuadorian filmmaker Lena Báez (www.lenabaezfilms.com) worked with Izzy Outerspace on her Beautiful Blur video, which won Best Music Video at the Hollywood Art & Movie Awards, and showed at numerous festivals in March.
The video features collaborator Jeff Schroeder and shows the artists against a simple white background, with soft blue and pink lighting. At times, the space becomes weightless, with Izzy and Jeff lightly floating in place. Throughout the song, footage is intercut with imagery of Izzy outside a studio, floating in calm water. At other times, flower petals gently fall from above like confetti. The relaxed imagery complements the dreamy, slow-paced track.
According to Báez (pictured), the video was shot over two days - the first taking place on a set in Los Angeles, and the second outdoors at Malibu Creek.
A Sony FX3 was used for the shoot, in part for its versatility and compact form factor, which allowed the crew to move efficiently while still maintaining a cinematic image quality.
Báez cut the video using Adobe Premiere Pro, with Lane McFaddin also credited. Color correction was done by the shoot's cinematographer - Rigel Yaluk Mosquera - using Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve.
The director and DP conducted several camera tests prior to production to prepare for the floating effect.
"We used apple boxes covered with green fabric, which were later removed in post production and replaced with clean background plates we had filmed separately," says Báez. "The performer [laid] on top of the boxes and mimicked floating movements to sell the illusion."
While each shoot comes with its own set of challenges, Báez says a key takeaway from this project was understanding how important preparation is, especially when working with visual effects.
"Proper planning and testing can make a huge difference in how smoothly post production goes," she shares. "Doing camera tests in advance allowed me to visualize the final result more realistically and explore different possibilities before stepping onto set. When experimenting with new techniques, testing them beforehand is essential. Once you're on-set, time is limited, but with strong preparation, you’re much better equipped to overcome any challenge that comes your way."