There has been a lot of speculation about how Kendrick Lamar created the extremely cool-looking “tiny planet” effect for his music video for the song “Humble.”
The effect is popular with YouTubers, who are able to do it with $20 software and an affordable 360-degree camera like the $300 Ricoh Theta.
Lamar could have easily used a $200,000 camera setup to create this effect, however, and one YouTuber posted an in-depth speculative video guessing that the video was made with a higher end rig.
We now know the answer, and it's basically in the middle: neither super low-budget, nor ultra-expensive. The video's director of photography has revealed that the shot was done on a GoPro Omni, which costs $4,999.99. Matt Workman of Cinematography Database interviewed the DP, Scott Cunningham, and got the full rundown on how the video was shot.
Investing $5,000 in a 360-degree camera is a big hit for an indie filmmaker, especially when there are much cheaper alternatives that look almost as good, like the Samsung Gear 360. In other words, if you and your band want to create your own tiny planet, you don't need Kendrick Lamar money to do so.
