Primary Filming Location for Bad Habits
The Bad Habits music video was filmed primarily at a controlled indoor studio set designed to look like a stylized urban environment. The production used a large soundstage with custom-built structures, LED panels, and practical set pieces to create the neon-lit, looping world seen in the video. The visual effects team extended the practical sets digitally to add depth, reflections, and the repeated hallway sequences that define the clip according to industry analysis on modern VFX workflows.
Ed Sheeran and his performance doubles shot the choreography across multiple takes on the main stage, with cameras mounted on rails and a Technocrane for sweeping movements. The lighting setup relied heavily on programmable LED arrays and haze machines to achieve the hazy, high-contrast look. The director chose a single continuous-take aesthetic for many sequences, which required precise coordination between the lighting, camera, and choreography teams on set.
Studio and Post-Production Details
Soundstage and Set Design
The interior sets were built on a large soundstage, with modular walls, reflective floors, and suspended lighting rigs that could be reconfigured quickly between shots. The production design team used a limited color palette of deep blues, purples, and warm neon accents to maintain visual consistency across the video as noted in recent coverage of music video production budgets. Practical mirrors and angled glass were used extensively to create the illusion of infinite corridors without relying solely on digital extensions.
Visual Effects and Digital Extensions
Post-production added digital extensions to the practical sets, including the glowing grid lines on the floor and the distorted reflections in the hallway scenes. The VFX house composited multiple layers of CGI environments behind the live-action plates, ensuring the lighting and camera movement matched perfectly. The team used lidar scans of the physical set to build accurate digital doubles, which allowed the effects artists to place virtual cameras in positions that were impossible to achieve practically as explained in a Forbes breakdown of current VFX techniques.
Production Company and Release Context
The video was produced under Ed Sheeran's long-term creative team, with direction and editing handled by a core group that has worked on multiple singles from the = album cycle. The release strategy included a simultaneous premiere on YouTube and streaming platforms, where the video quickly accumulated millions of views within the first 24 hours. The production timeline from initial concept to final delivery was compressed to meet the promotional schedule for the single, a common approach in the current music industry as reflected in public filings and industry reports on major label release timelines.
Filming Logistics and Crew Size
The production ran over several days, with a crew that included directors of photography, gaffers, set decorators, and a dedicated VFX supervisor on set at all times. The logistics team managed equipment transport, catering, and security for the studio facility, which was selected for its soundproofing and ceiling height to accommodate the crane shots. The final cut was color-graded to enhance the neon tones and contrast, giving the video its signature high-contrast, cinematic look that aligns with current trends in pop music visuals.