Relighting Sounds of a Sphere with Jonathan Hislop

Fully relighted with Beeble to bring the world of Sounds of a Sphere to life.

Sounds of a Sphere invites viewers to relax, using a blend of native music and stunning backdrops. But creating such videos requires extensive planning, shooting, and post-production work. That's where Beeble steps in, taking care of the heavy lifting when it comes to video relighting.

VFX artist Jonathan Hislop discovered his passion for CG visuals when working on 'drum and bass' flyers twenty years ago. Since then, he has mastered Photoshop, matte painting, and 3D, and worked with notable clients such as Atlantic Records UK, Warner Music Australia, and Flux Pavilion. Jonathan's latest project aims to defuse the fast-paced nature of the internet, with video relighting powered by Beeble. 

Q_How did the idea originate?

I wanted to make something slower, more intentional, and meditative – almost like an online sanctuary – where people can come to relax while discovering new music from around the world. Where I'm based in New Zealand, the culture is quite segregated, so I also thought this would be a good way to spotlight native artists in a unique way. 

One of my upcoming projects is a perfect example of this. I collaborated with Balinese musician Gus Teja and ensured the backdrop matched the country's artistic history. I turned the Legong dancer into a ghost, reflecting Balinese spiritual beliefs, and added a deer, an animal that commonly represents a connection to the spirit world.

Q_ What is the workflow, from planning to post?

I start by listening to cultural music from around the world and seeing what would fit Sounds of a Sphere best – relaxing and heartfelt melodies are best. Then I'll reach out to the musician and organize travel. Once I'm there, I'll rent some lights, a green screen backdrop, and a place to record. Sometimes, that involves traveling cross-country to find the most budget-friendly options. Then, I record the artist's performance in front of the green screen. 

Artist's performance is recorded in front of the green screen

Once I'm back home, I master the music, edit the video, and start building the artist's environment – extracting the green screen in After Effects, creating the world in Unreal Engine, and sculpting in Zbrush. Sometimes, I use photogrammetry to scan statues or other assets into the background. 

3D scene is built with Unreal Engine

The next stage is lighting. It's always dynamic, mystical, and cements the artist in realism. Each new piece demands hours of intricate light adjustments to get that otherworldly look I need. That's when I discovered Beeble, a tool that lets me relight video efficiently without losing creative control.

Every shot is fully relit with Beeble

Q_What drew you to explore Beeble for video relighting?

A friend recommended it to me after I shared some underwhelming experiences with AI tools in the past. When I downloaded Beeble, I instantly had more control over the output than other tools on the market. 

I only needed a couple of minutes to get used to Beeble. The point light system worked instantly – it's an out-of-the-box solution. I could also add controls to the normal maps to make the lighting look more or less pronounced. The video relighting methods I used previously took hours, sometimes even days. This was much, much faster. 

Q_Are you using Beeble in future projects?

Yes, it's cemented into the workflow now. In the past, relighting was a frustrating experience, but now it’s so simple and I actually look forward to it! SwitchLight 3.0 has also made a huge difference to the video relighting quality. 

Q_What has the reception been like so far?

It's been great, and Sounds of a Sphere has since traveled outside of YouTube. I've helped create a 'chill out lounge' for two Diwali festivals here in New Zealand, where my videos are projected on a ten-meter-wide screen, and I'm planning to showcase my work at other festivals soon. The Māori living painting played as the opening for the Māoriland Film Festival and was shared with 60 embassies worldwide. It's great to have a project so close to home that's appreciated by so many.

Looking for full control over lighting in post? Find out more about Beeble.