Creating the 3I/ATLAS Music Video
Welcome to Tomorrow Podcast! I'm your host, and today we're diving intosomething absolutely cosmic. We're going behind the scenes of "TheMessenger from Beyond" - the epic music video inspired by 3I/ATLAS, thatinterstellar comet currently making headlines as it passes through our solarsystem.
HOST: So, let's talk concept first. This isn't your typical music video. Wewanted to capture the scale of a seven-billion-year journey meeting humanity'scritical moment. Our director pitched this idea: what if we showed Earth fromthe comet's perspective? What would it see? What would it want us to know?
LOCATION SCOUTING
Location-wise, we went big. Three main shooting locations over two weeks:
First, Iceland's black sand beaches and glaciers. We needed otherworldlyterrain that felt ancient and fragile at the same time. Those glacier caves?Absolutely haunting on camera. Cost for the Iceland shoot: roughly $85,000including permits, local crew, and helicopter aerials.
Second, the Atacama Desert in Chile - home to some of the world's most powerfultelescopes. We shot our artist against those massive observatory domes atnight. The symbolism writes itself - humanity looking up, searching foranswers. Chile location budget: $45,000.
Third, and this was crucial - underwater sequences in the Maldives. Crystalclear water, coral reefs, representing what we stand to lose. Those shots ofour vocalist singing underwater in a flowing white dress? Pure magic. Maldivesshoot: $95,000.
PRODUCTION BREAKDOWN
Now, the production costs. Let's be real about the numbers:
CGI and VFX: This is where the budget climbs. We needed to create 3I/ATLAS itself -that blue glowing comet racing through space. NASA gave us reference imagery,but our VFX team spent six weeks rendering photorealistic space sequences. VFXbudget: $180,000.
Performance and Studio: Our lead vocalist recorded againstgreen screen for the composite space sequences, plus live performance shotswith a 40-piece orchestra. Studio and talent: $120,000.
Cinematography: We shot on RED cameras in 8K to future-proof the footage. Camerapackage, drone operators, underwater housing - another $65,000.
Total production budget before post-production: around $590,000.
POST-PRODUCTION & COLOR
Post-production took five weeks. Color grading was essential - we wantedthis cool, cosmic blue palette that shifts to warmer earth tones as the songbuilds. Our colorist referenced actual Hubble images of 3I/ATLAS.
Editing, sound design, final mix: $75,000.
Total music video production cost: $665,000.
GETTING ON VEVO
Now, VEVO. Here's what people don't realize - VEVO isn't just an uploadplatform. You need:
One: A distribution deal with a major label or a VEVO-approved distributor.Companies like The Orchard, AWAL, or Believe Digital can get you there. Theirfees typically run 15-20% of revenue, plus upfront costs around $2,000-5,000for setup.
Two: Professional metadata, closed captions, and proper rights clearances.Budget another $3,000.
Three: VEVO's content guidelines are strict. Your video needs broadcast-qualityspecs: minimum 1080p, proper color space, stereo or 5.1 audio mix.
Four: Marketing commitment. VEVO wants to see you're serious - that meanscoordinated release strategy, PR budget, and social media push. Budget minimum$50,000 for a proper campaign.
Total VEVO deployment and marketing: roughly $60,000.
