The Maritime Animation Success of ‘Tell Me Where To Go”

The stop-motion animation music video for the song ‘Tell Me Where To Go,’ directed by musician and independent artist Peter Beatty, and his collaborator Joseph Boyle, takes viewers on a mesmerizing odyssey through time and space.

Inspired by a boat trip from years past, Peter explains, “The song is a tribute to this small adventure, but also to the themes of self-exploration and seeking direction.” The video’s narrative centers around an astronomer who, captivated by a beguiling light in the sky, embarks on a transformative journey that spans the universe. Peter aimed to create an “animated epic” set in a dreamlike world, allowing the viewer to experience a visually abstract voyage.

“When I decided that I was going to make a video for the song, I really wanted to explore the theme of ‘the journey’ and the transformational role it plays in our lives” said Peter. “I also wanted the song and video to feel as joyous, immersive, and sensory as possible, as if you have been carried higher and higher on a wonderful intoxicating voyage.”

As a collaboration between Peter Beatty and Joseph Boyle, the production faced unique challenges that on retrospect were some of Peter’s favorite moments, notably being shot during the pandemic on Peter’s boat in central London.

“Setting up each shot always involved problem solving anyway, but the imitations of the space certainly added its own unique challenges! For every shot, most of the time was spent creating each set, the composition, the lighting and planning out the animation. We would normally keep going until we had a particular shot completed, no matter what time it was. I found the whole process deeply meditative, and hours could elapse without me noticing! What was fantastic was we were rewarded every time by being able to immediately watch back the two or three second shot we had just animated, and we would know right away if it was a success or not. It was bit like being at a screening of a mini film every time.”

Joseph Boyle, reflecting on the production, highlighted the lighting as the most challenging aspect. Working within the constraints of the boat’s limited space, they used a multi-plane camera requiring sheets of glass at different heights. Overcoming reflections while achieving a cohesive and natural tone of light proved to be a significant hurdle.

“We would usually start with lighting the ‘stars’, which were made from crumpling tissue paper over the bottom sheet of glass in the multi plane camera – all the dust and fibre particles would fall onto the surface of the glass, and then these were side lit so they would catch the light and show up as ‘stars’” saif Joseph. “We would then build each scene layer by layer, lighting each with small clip on reading lights and using black matt cinefoil to control exactly where we wanted light.”

When asked if they would do anything differently, Joseph expressed satisfaction with embracing the limitations, but he acknowledged that having a larger array of lighting could have emphasized more elements of the scene. The duo encouraged aspiring filmmakers to dive into the shooting process and find their own voice, emphasizing the importance of experimentation and not overthinking.

“Tell Me Where to Go” is  a visual and auditory spectacle. The music video is an official selection of the Utah International Film Festival, adding another accolade to its artistic journey. To stay updated on future projects, interested audiences can subscribe to Peter Beatty’s mailing list or follow Peter and Joseph on Instagram at @mrptbt or @boyle.joseph .

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