2011 is just a couple of days old, so it’s probably to early to tell what the coming year holds. In the spirit of uncertainty, today we’ve got a music video about the joys of Russian Roulette from director John Kenney. The promo for band That Noise has already garnered a whole host of awards, from the LA Movie Awards to the Sacramento Horror Festival’s Best of Fest. Enjoy!
The first time I shot anything was in a film class I had my freshman year. My major was graphic design but I took the class as an elective. I made a short film about a private investigator/ninja. I left school the next year but the positive experience always stuck with me. I really enjoyed every part of the process. (writing, shooting, editing)
How would you characterise your filmmaking style?
I’m not sure I’ve done enough to officially say I have a style yet. Im a big fan and drawn to projects that play with stereotypes and false assumptions.
How did you first come up with the idea for the ‘The Way We Are’ promo?
I was having lunch with the lead singer of the band (a good friend) and he mentioned he wanted to shoot a video involving russian roulette. I really liked the idea, went straight home and looked up online how to write a proper treatment. I then wrote the treatment and emailed him asking if I could make the video. He said yes and then I started casting.
I’m impressed at the acting you coaxed from the band – they look like they were really entering into the spirit of things! how did you encourage the great performances?
My good friend that is also a director was on set and he referred to my style as,” being a cheerleader for the actors”. I was so excited with how well the video was going I think it helped everyone else feel at ease. I’m a big believer that a confident actor is a good actor. I tried to pull the actors aside and explain to them individually their goals in the scene and where their actions were coming from. Running around the set and pumping everyone up was a lot of fun.
I thought in terms of editing and stroytelling the film really worked well with the music, getting more and more intense and pace-y as the musical intesity increased – how did you achieve this?
My editor is my cousin that lives up in seattle. I have always been a fan of his work and was looking for a project that we could collaborate on. It was always intended that the pace of the editing would rise as the pace of the song does. After I saw the first edit I was so excited. I flew up there the next week and we buckled down and ironed everything out. He really did an amazing job.
What was your favourite part of shooting the video?
My favorite part about shooting the video was the interactions with the actors on set. Saying action and seeing everything play out was one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever been a part of.
Apart from The Way We Are, which piece of your work are you proudest of and why?
Lately I’ve been shooting a lot of spec commercials for contests. The latest thing I shot was an idea my fiance had for a Doritos commercial. The way everything came together and the belly laughs from my friends really make me proud of that little project.
