Written by new-contact on Nov 4, 2010. Posted in Production News

Jamiroquai films new music videos in Spain’s Almeria Desert

British band Jamiroquai has filmed two new music videos back-to-back in the Almeria Desert in Spain. White Knuckle Ride shows singer Jay Kay chasing a Porsche along a winding desert road in a helicopter.

In Blue Skies he swaps the helicopter for a Harley Davidson motorcycle and takes a ride through the same environment. Belinda Lewin, of La Nina Films, said: “We had to find locations that the Director would like visually, but that were also suitable for the helicopter flying - in other words, where there were places to put the chopper down if necessary. Some of the places we had thought would have been perfect were unsuitable as they were too rugged and, although beautiful to film, were no-go zones for the flying.”

The Almeria Desert was chosen because the Director had shot there before. For the White Knuckle Ride spot Jay Kay flew his own helicopter and then a second one was used in order to film him from the air.

Blue Skies proved a challenge as the road picked out during scouting turned out to be within the regional airport’s airspace and so out of bounds for a helicopter. It was a last-minute complication so the production decided to shoot Jay Kay on the Harley from the ground, while a few aerial shots were taken on another road to get some more diverse footage.

Lewin added: “We shot all the locations within a 20-mile radius, around the town of Tabernas, including the actual base camp, which was a bit tricky as we were kicking up so much dust and we were right next to the motorway – luckily the wind was blowing the other way!”

Credits
Artist: Jamiroquai
Songs: White Knuckle Ride / Blue Skies
Commissioner: Dan Curwin
Production Company: Merge @ Crossroads
Producer: Robert Bray
Production Service Companies: Claire Baylin and Jackie Green @ Manic Butterfly Productions in conjunction with Belinda Lewin and Paco Pozo @ La Niña Films
Location Manager: Paco Pozo
Director of Photography: Cosmo Campbell
Director: Howard Greenhalgh