How a Sam Smith music video was made entirely on iPad

Lyric videos were once an entirely unofficial affair, with fans taking it upon themselves to upload the text of their favourite songs to YouTube. As these fan-made efforts have grown in creativity and artistry, musicians and record labels appeared to have taken notice – and are now tapping illustrators to create official music videos.

That's exactly the case with the lyric video for Sam Smith's 'Lose You'. Made in collaboration as part of Apple's 'Made on iPad' campaign, the entire video was made – you guessed it – entirely on iPad. Romanian illustrator Loreta Isac took to Procreate to interpret Smith's tale of heartbreak in the single from their new album 'Gloria'. We talked to Isac about the process of creating the video entirely using iPad and Procreate. (Inspired to create an animation of your own? Check out the best iPad Pro deals available now.)

Isac's everyday workflow starts with a sketch that she usually takes a photo with on iPad and then brings into Procreate — where she adds colours and explores animation. "I also tested other apps for animation on iPad," Isac says, "but the reason I stayed in Procreate is because sometimes I feel like drawing in simple lines, sometimes I am in love with colours and textures and want to play with them a lot. And I’m not a texture creator like other illustrators, and the straight and round lines in Procreate are really easy to do. I think every app has some pros and cons. Having a lot of brushes with different textures is really important for me."

But it's also important for Isac to start with that simple, 'analogue' step of sketching before picking up the iPad. "I work a lot on iPad, starting with taking pictures, creating a moodboard, animating and editing. But at the same time breathing and taking a step back or resting from intense work, doodling in a notebook, is a healthy way to come up with different perspectives of ideas. I feel like each has their value in the creative process."

Along with Procreate itself, the new iPad Pro and Apple Pencil are essential tools for Isac. We were blown away by the new M2 chip in our 2022 iPad Pro review, and it seems we're not alone. "The new iPad Pro is so much smoother and faster," Isac says. "I had my previous iPad Pro since 2017, so the new version is a major improvement. And i just the fact that I can have the Apple Pencil attached to the iPad."

And it turns out Apple itself was involved in the process of creating the 'Lose You' video. "The Apple team played an important role in this creative discussion," Isac says. "We all had a dance around how we feel with the visuals and ideas. It was interesting to resonate with each single feedback and without having these discussions it is hard to know if you are moving in the right direction."

If you're inspired to get creating with Procreate, take a look at our latest Procreate review.

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