Luigi Calabrese Captures the Thrill of Live Music with dóttir.x

​The Corner Shop director Luigi Calabrese teamed up with Fil Thorpe and musical artist dóttir.x for an intimate and absorbing live session performance of [whisper / introvert]. There is now a real appetite, particularly with gen z audiences, for performances that feel genuine, immediate and actually captured in the moment rather than overly manufactured.

Luigi wanted to capture that spontaneous and free-flowing energy that comes with live music crafting a kinetic and intimate film that showcased dóttir.x in all their creative glory.

“The magic of shooting live music is also what makes it such a challenge. You’re capturing something that is genuinely happening in the moment, and there’s no hiding from that. For this film, we wanted to lean into that feeling completely and shoot the entire six minute performance as a single uninterrupted take. Working closely with the artist’s creative director and producer, Fil Thorp, was key to shaping the visual language of the film and making sure every creative choice felt true to the artist and the performance,” said Luigi Calabrese.

This decision brought up its own challenges especially with such a small crew size. Every camera move, lighting change and shift in framing had to happen live and on cue, while still allowing the performance to feel instinctive and unforced.

Luigi and his crew were constantly moving with the music, creating lighting effects in real time and finding the right frame for each moment without ever breaking the take. This way of filming comes with a risk-reward approach where everything needs to feel right and one mistake can derail the momentum.

Luigi added, “There’s an element of risk to working that way, but that’s also where the energy comes from. Nothing can be manufactured later or hidden in the edit. What you’re watching is a performance unfolding in real time, with the camera, lighting and artist all moving together as one.”

dóttir.x was recently featured as part of Spotify’s Women at Full Volume with the music video racking up the views. It's safe to say Luigi and his talented crew created something that captures the spirit of live performance.