twoshadegrey - X-MEN Music Video

Eric Peters
Feb 20
2 min read

Updated: Mar 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1n3dY6slwI

Music Video · Production Breakdown

X-MEN

TWOSHADEGREY

Not built around heavy narratives or flashy effects. This project focuses on presence, mood, and controlled intensity — gritty performance energy meets stylized studio and moody architectural interiors.

DIRXECP Director's Notes Cinematic · Performance · Studio

The creative direction was simple from the start: keep the focus on the artist, let lighting and framing do the heavy lifting, and avoid overcomplicating the concept. twoshadegrey carries the frame. The camera simply supports that presence.

01 — The Vision

The foundation of this project was grounded but elevated — intimate but bold. Four principles shaped every decision made on and off set:

Four creative principles behind the X-MEN music video by DIRXECP: keep the focus on the artist, let lighting and framing do the heavy lifting, balance lo-fi texture with polished cinematic visuals, and avoid overcomplicating the concept.

"twoshadegrey carries the frame. The camera simply supports that presence."

02 — Visual Style & Mood

The result feels urban, late-night, and introspective — but still confident. Rather than chaotic movement, we focused on slow push-ins, composed frames, and minimal handheld motion. Every shot feels intentional.

Two-panel visual direction breakdown for the X-MEN music video. Lighting approach: low-light high-contrast environments with coloured lighting in reds, blues, and greens using practical sources. Texture and motion approach: VHS-inspired textures layered with cinematic imagery, subtle lens distortion, film grain, bloom, and slow composed camera movement.

03 — Location Strategy

To create visual depth without losing control, production was structured around one primary studio space with full lighting control, and two to three architectural interiors for texture and scale.

Location Approach

Modern galleries, dramatic public interiors, structured stairwells, and controlled indoor environments provided strong geometry, contrast, and silhouette opportunities. The studio acted as the visual anchor — allowing us to experiment with textures, projections, and controlled coloured lighting.

04 — Performance Direction

Performance was everything. The energy is controlled. Focused. Commanding without being exaggerated. This restraint creates tension — and tension creates impact.

Five performance direction notes for twoshadegrey on the X-MEN music video set: direct-to-camera presence, confident but restrained body language, natural movement with no over-choreography, moments of stillness contrasted with subtle gestures, and occasional off-camera looks for realism.

05 — Editing & Post

Nothing flashy. Nothing unnecessary. Just atmosphere and performance working together. In post, we leaned into rhythm — tight pacing cut to the beat, moody colour grade with controlled highlights, and a restrained effects stack.