Recently, legendary musician and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sting joined up with twice Grammy-nominated DJ/Producer Steve Aoki and platinum-selling trio SHAED to collaborate on the energetic dance track “2 in a Million.” The song, a harmonious blend of vocals from the former and the latter, accented by Aoki’s cacophonous beat, is an amalgam of everything that makes all of these artists so popular. However, J.A. Moreno has now released a supplementary director’s cut that takes a deeper look at the meaning behind the music.
At just 26 years old, J.A. Moreno has worked with some huge names: Paris Hilton, will.i.am, Afrojack and Andrés Calamaro—to name just a few. Over the past few months, the Barcelona-bred, Los Angeles-based filmmaker has continued to leave an indelible mark on the industry, and after his latest release, it’s easy to see why. The music video for “2 in a Million” signifies an even bolder leap forward, but the new director’s cut takes things to another level entirely.
In the four-minute-long companion piece, apparently captured in just under thirty minutes right after filming the main event, Moreno quite literally picks up where the official video left off. In it, he trains the camera on two dancers (who appear only in silhouette in the official version), following along with them in one long, continuous shot as the couple wordlessly communicates the feeling of falling in love using movement to highlight their chemistry. It’s a spontaneous and engaging performance of raw symmetry and emotion.
Speaking in an official statement upon the video’s release, Moreno says:
“I was so inspired both by the energy of the dancers as well as the location – the United Palace Theater in New York. It was challenging, as we had to do everything in just thirty minutes (hence why the long shot), but it’s rare to have time to spare at the end of a shoot. I just had to do it.”
Credits
Production company: Mondays
Director: J. A. Moreno
Dancers: Emma Sofia Caymares, Tyler Schnese
Video commissioner: Eddie Sears, Jori Teplitzky
Executive producer: Maria B. Fernández
Label Creative Manager: Margaryta Bushkin
DP: Isaac Berner
Steadicam: Calvin Falk
Gaffer: Seth Margolies
Key grip: Matt Fondoulis
G&E: Marine Brion
G&E: Konstantin Lyubimov
1AC: Philey Sanneh
PA: Jean Fernandez
PA: Vinny the Pinto
Still Photography: RAMSES
Edit: J. A. Moreno
Color: Maria Nualart at Moonlight Barcelona
Filmed at United Palace
For Ultra Music