Music Video direction for Frog Maintenance Division 'Don't Send Me Down'.
This project began during the heatwave of July 2018 where myself and the band drafted actors to star in the music video for 'Don't Send Me Down', a barnstorming piece, intended to coincide with the release of the EP.
I worked closely with the bassist and band creator Jake Hatcher-Steele on the story of the video. The lyrics of the video addressed themes of alienation, toxic masculinity and retribution. The idea was of a malevolent force stalking it's prey as a metaphor for the consequences of a character's actions. We already had conceived the idea of people with animal heads through an earlier photoshoot where we combined occult imagery with the standard 'band' photoshoot for a press shot. We used the fantastic Wintercroft mask templates for these projects.
Jake and I storyboarded for a storyline involving the stag and we created the character of John. John is the type of aggressive, shallow young man that is often portrayed semi-sympathetically in the media, a personification of the machismo and entitlement that belies the 'boys will be boys' mantra. We didn't want to paint a picture of villainy around John, however we didn't want to soften his unpleasant tendencies. We were interested in the life and experience of those who commit acts of destruction to themselves and others, using his pursuit by the demonic stag man as a metaphor for the retribution that is starting to catch up with such behaviours.
We did, however, desire a nuanced portrayal of such a character. This is why we were lucky that Ryan Brown came on board to star in the video. He uses facial expression and body language to convey a man on the edge, chasing his impluses while starting to break down, and alienating other characters. The plot unfolded as a character-driven story focused on John's behaviour harrassing women, fighting with his friends and mistreating his girlfriend. This all culminates when the demon makes him aware of his presence, ending in a chase and confrontation in the woods.
With other performer's all set for the video, including Jake as the stalking stag-man, myself, Sam Pye and Verity Cox, we set to work.
One of the most challenging aspects of this role was working with non-actors. Ryan had much acting experience through various projects and his Drama degree, however the others had never acted before and in some cases hadn't performed in any capacity. It was important for me to direct in a manner that accurately convey what I needed them to do, to help build their confidence and to use their personalities to capture the characters, as opposed to forcing them into rigid roles.
Filming took place across our home of South East London, and we wanted to fit as many locales into the video as possible. We used our own flats, our local music venue and local green space, particularly Sydenham Hill Wood. The Woods provided creative inspirational as well as a practical space for a location. At the climax of the film, John is confronted on a bridge by these creatures, and the bridge itself is symbolic of a change to be made. Seeing the bridge in the wilds of the Wood inspired this passage. During the process, I became fascinated by the aesthetics of green spaces in London and how they inspire us.
The music video was released in 2019 to a great reception. The process was a deep learning curve for the entire team, particularly the public elements of the filming. It was my first time directing for film and the process was entirely different to theatre direction; the camera is almost a member of the team within itself and it's constant presence informed my directing and producing in a way that theatre had not. Shooting with Frog Maintenance Division was a fantastic experience where I learned so much.
