The brief was clear and ambitious: create an engaging 14-minute narrative with minimal performance from Imogen. The challenges:

• The extended duration of the song (an attention span challenge).

• Limited live-action coverage (required significant transformation in post).

• Integrating live-action, CGI, VFX and AI into one cohesive visual language.

• Navigating a format that is neither a traditional music video nor a short film.

The concept evolved significantly throughout pre-production. It began as an exploration of personal domination, then shifted toward human-machine power dynamics. It ultimately became a study of balance amid technological acceleration and global chaos.

Deadbeat Films with their Boris Thompson-Roylance joined the project for concept development and live-action.

The film is structured around three distinct chapters aligned with the song's sections: What Have You Done To Me, Noise and Aftercare. Rather than separating these chapters, we came up with solutions that allowed each world to flow continuously into one another.

The narrative moves from micro to infinite and mirrors growing pressure, collapse and reconstruction.

The core approach was shifting between human and AI viewpoints through morphing, seamless transitions and deliberate ambiguity. 

After the live-action shoot, Imogen and I went on the ultimate after-hours post-production journey that lasted nearly two years.

Microchip/Maze

Through weeks of concept development, CGI artist Ryan Vautier elevated the initial microchip-to-maze idea. He introduced a dynamic fly-through of the tunnel, a surreal world of monolith-creatures, and maze corridors that light up with Imogen as the power source. The core technical challenge was maintaining a seamless one-shot while navigating a complex 3D environment.

/mogen

After locking the edit, we worked with Tim Mellem and Jonny Tully on skin retouching and pre-vfx colour grading to achieve a robotic, otherworldly look. The set needed heavy darkening in post while keeping Imogen's character well-lit. This required extensive rotoscoping throughout. I performed initial manual rotoscoping before delegating it to Eunsoo Kwon, who finalised background removal, keyed out costume elements, and composited in glowing organic costume details.

Humans

Imogen and I had lots of fun cutting Jacob Jonas's brilliant choreography, beautifully captured on set by Boris Thompson-Roylance and Jack Thompson-Roylance. I then developed a bespoke thermal-infrared effect in collaboration with brand partner Feeld, referencing their "human bodies as auras" aesthetic.

Annihilation

Built around 3D scans of Imogen and Joseph (male dancer), Ryan and I developed compositions that explored shifting power dynamics between the characters. Ryan used flat archival videos from Imogen's phone to create textures for some shots. The most time-intensive work was perfecting the Imogen and Joseph explosions. The goal was to visualise obliteration without being too literal.

Dissolution

This sequence marked the transition from the micro-scale world of circuitry and interpersonal dynamics to the macro scale of cosmic forces. Boris proposed using macro-liquid live action rather than CGI to achieve a mesmerising organic look. We created colour schemes and references for artist Roman De Giuli, who performed a remote shoot in Germany. From hours of footage across multiple shooting days, we selected ten shots that best served the film's universe.

Noise

In this section we imagined how AI could perceive human memories, feelings and requests. I sent personal footage from Imogen's phone to Berlin-based artist Robert Seidel, who processed the material through AI. (Audio from these videos appears throughout the Noise section of the song.) Robert delivered multiple visual layers: a colour edit combining archival and abstract shots, an amended mixed-colour version, and a black-and-white abstract layer. The final segment featured Robert's AI outputs processed through particle systems developed by Falk Müller. Camera movement was tied to the song's textures. I then re-edited all layers, frame by frame, to snap to every texture of the noise.

Inside The Eye

This scene journeyed through the human brain into the eye from the interior perspective. Initial live-action attempts didn't work technically, so we pivoted to full CGI with Ryan Vautier. Ryan delivered shots naturalistic enough to show veins and blood movement while remaining abstract enough to fit the film's visual universe. Transitions were designed to create intentional ambiguity – making it unclear whether the camera was entering or exiting the eye.

Here And Now

Emerging from the eye, the shot moved into Imogen's POV looking at the clear sky after the 'storm'. We visualised the harmonic integration of /mogen into Imogen's consciousness through organic text reading: "Hello Imogen, happy to be here with you. Shall we begin?" The text was based on Imogen's bespoke handwriting font and animated as particles by Ryan Vautier and Nikita Melikhov. The planned headcam-to-drone transition required heavy reworking in post. Lens contamination in the FPV drone footage meant using alternative drone shots where Imogen appeared much further away. Jimmy Zhu and I extended the sky through compositing, faked dynamic camera movement, upscaled the significantly zoomed footage, and stabilised the shot. I developed the 'shifting AI-human perspective' look by creating depth and pixel movement maps, blending them as layers, and finishing with stylised post-processing. During post-production, it became clear that both Imogen, rotating on a lazy susan, and the LED visuals created by Dobermann were spinning in the same direction. This made the intended seamless 360-degree spin impossible. LED screen dropouts during filming also required greenscreen backup plates. Tim Mellem performed greenscreen keying and Eunsoo Kwon composited the backplate into the footage. I then intercut these in a non-seamless, sped-up, intentionally erratic manner. These technical limitations became narratively productive. The scene evolved into a space for Imogen's memories (flashbacks from earlier) and her harmonic perception of them, contrasting with the chaos of the Noise section (AI memories). The final drone shot was stabilised and upscaled by Jimmy Zhu. Ryan Vautier created a depth map of the top-shot field to highlight the natural landscape lines. I composited the lines and developed the final VFX treatment, including a transition back to the very first monolith featured in the Microchip section. This completed the film's circular narrative.

Finishing

After colour grading with Thomas Kumeling and weeks of online and VFX editing handled by myself, the project was finally delivered.

I AM ___ demonstrates that long-form experimental storytelling can sustain engagement without traditional performance. Visual transformation and rhythm became the narrative driver.

The project also stands as a proof of concept for hybrid production leadership across live action, CGI, VFX and AI-driven workflows. Creative continuity was maintained across disciplines through a strong central visual language and iterative post-production.

The process revealed something crucial: technical constraints often unlock amazing creative opportunities.

Most significantly, the project showed how AI can be integrated ethically as a creative instrument that supports rather than replaces human artistry. Our artists maintained full control, used responsibly-sourced models, and treated AI outputs as raw material rather than finished work.

• Imogen Heap’s New 13-Minute Video for I AM ___ | Pitchfork

• Imogen Heap 'I AM ___' by Daria Korsak | Promonews Pick Of The Day

Creative Director: Imogen Heap
Director: Daria Korsak
Executive Producers: Imogen Heap, Daria Korsak
Writers: Boris Thompson-Roylance, Daria Korsak, Imogen Heap
Producer: Daria Korsak

Live-Action Producers: Anthony Toma, Boris Thompson-Roylance
Co-Production: Deadbeat Films, Megaphonic Records, Daria Korsak

CG Artist: Ryan Vautier
AI Artist: Robert Seidel
Liquid Artist: Roman De Giuli
AI Particles FX: Falk Müller
Lead VFX Artist: Daria Korsak

Live-Action Director: Boris Thompson-Roylance
Director of Photography: Jack Thompson-Roylance

Editor: Daria Korsak

Choreographer: Jacob Jonas
Dancers: Joseph Kudra, Evie Hart

Post Producer: Daria Korsak
VFX Compositor: Eunsoo Kwon
VFX Artist: Jimmy Zhu
Text Particles FX: Ryan Vautier, Nikita Melikhov
LED Studio Visuals: Dobermann
Colourist: Thomas Kumeling
Colour Producer at DOMA: Jake Evans
Pre-VFX Colourist: Jonny Tully
Colour Producer at Harbor: Sarah Banks
Retouching & Greenscreen Keying: Tim Mellem

Live-Action Production Manager: Denisa Cantor
Live-Action First Assistant Director: Laura Prast

Costume Concept: Justyn Butler, Imogen Heap
Costume Design: Rachel Freire, Imogen Heap
Costume Assistants: Izzi Valentine, Ben Garden, Karen Carne, Jason Wapling
Costume Prototype Printing: Francesco NapolitanoHair & Makeup: Francesca Ingram, Tom Berry

First Assistant Camera: James Wicks Second Assistant Camera: Joe Medlock
Steadicam Operator: Gary Kent
Gaffer: Alex Rice
Pickup Gaffer: Marcus Kartal
Drone Operators: Tom Wadsworth, Matt Cranfield
Grips: Nick Teulon, Ian Jones, Keith Smith
Sparks: Tsvetina Rassovka, Oscar Whaley, Marcus Kartal
Lighting Desk Operator: Alex Magill
Riggers: Harry Elvidge, George Berry
Set Designer: Alice Colfox
Set Dresser: Esme Rotella
Lead Set Builder: Henry Hawksworth
Carpenter & Plant Dresser: Ed Winter
Hideaway Studio Location Manager: Jason Wapling
Hideaway Studio Location Assistant: John Khamies
Production Assistant: Johnny Woodman
Runners: Sarah Frasson Antunes, Catherina Frasson Antunes, Sophie Fisher
Catering: The Red Hot Box
Props Transport: Bee Moving

Target 3D Head of Studio: Ashley Keeler
Target 3D Executive Producer: Dan Munslow
Target 3D Screen Engineers: Ashley Keeler, Gary Roberson

Imogen Heap Personal Assistant: Karen Carne
Imogen Heap Assistant: Wiktor Zawodniak
Megaphonic Records Label Manager: Alexis Michallek
Megaphonic Records Finance Manager: Jane Glover
Megaphonic Records Legal Advisors: Sheridans

Brand Partnerships: Luke Anderson, Imogen Heap, Alexis Michallek, Daria Korsak
Brand Partners: Feeld, CALM