I understand this was shot for a production company you are both involved with named Thunderball Productions. Who else is involved with this company and what inspired its creation?
I would describe Thunderball as more of a collective. It is basically the group banner that my friend Cameron Beyl and I have been creating film work under since 1997. I think we hold onto it today to feel unified despite working on opposite ends of the country now, and to continue the idea of building this thing that we’ve had literally since childhood. Now, our growing network of artistic collaborators loosely make up what we see as Thunderball Productions.
Why did you decide to shoot a film for Jennie Wayne and why did you select the song My Own Home?
I’ve moved around a lot, and I’m very sentimental when it comes to cities I’ve lived in and places I once called home. I felt like I really understood the sentiment of Jennie’s song. And in film, I’m possessed by environment. So, My Own Home seemed perfect.
(At Kamp Grizzly) Left: Johnny Le color correcting in the finishing studio. Right: Matt Jay reviewing the editorial.
Why this house, all the way out in Dundee, Oregon?
Because it is Jennie’s real home. She grew up there. The authenticity is the main thing that we cared about. We had no idea it was going to be that beautiful though. Visually the house was exactly what you picture when you listen to Jennie’s music.
Your description of the film says that it magnifies the artifacts and textures that make a space your home. How did you come to the conclusion that the single-take approach would be the best way to express this concept?
I’m always interested in making things as simple as possible. Long duration takes are something I do in longer films as well because I like the idea of someone watching a shot and investigating it; letting it hang so you can glean for things. For My Own Home, it is about the artifacts and textures, but it’s also about the space as a whole. The single-take approach lets you see these trinkets in detail as well as get a sense for the space around them.
Thunderball Productions says it strives to create authentic film work to share with the masses, utilizing the versatility of new media. Do you believe that you achieved this with this particular music video and how?
The new SLR cameras seem to be all the rage. This was the first time I was going to use one, but I had seen all the beautiful stuff Johnny had been shooting with them. I think My Own Home lives up to the Thunderball mantra because basically: we’re open to the evolving technology, but what we truly care about is producing work authentic to human experiences.
Johnny Le framing up for the take at Jennie Wayne
Johnny: I’m very happy to have collaborated with Matt on My Own Home. Upon working together, we’ve always had the same interests and tastes on what we appreciate in film. I feel he and I have similar sensibilities in how we perceive a viewer to react to long takes and moments that hang. Originally, Jennie wanted to shoot with film, but I felt it would be more fit to shoot with a Canon EOS 5D. The simplicity of Matt’s idea and the Canon camera went hand and hand. If we chose a prosumer camera or film camera, it would require a budget, additional crew members and lights. It would have taken away from the moments we wanted to capture in this video.
Since this was a single-take film that was primarily based on visuals, how did you fit in as a director?
Hopefully the video looks effortless and therefore seems like I did nothing. But each camera movement and change in angle is coordinated, Jennie moving through the space is blocked out, the timing and pace was rehearsed, and the artifacts are all from Jennie’s life, but are laid out in a planned way.
Johnny: I felt the 5D gave us the opportunity to open conversation for feedback. Matt, Jennie and I were the only ones at the house. It definitely took a little bit of time to figure out the blocking, camera movement and lighting to fit the timing of the song. As we moved along take through take, our conversations, feedback and suggestions allowed us to really get the moments right. It was one of the those type of collaborations that you don’t need to plan too far ahead for, which I love for it’s spontaneity. Happy accidents and things unexpected occur in these types of collaborations which brings a unique quality to the video. The spontaneous of it makes it authentic and real which Matt envisioned for the video.
Why did you decide to use the 7D for this film? Did it pose any unforeseen problems or even surprise you with unexpected versatility?
At the time of the project, the 5D only shot at 30fps. I heard some conversations going around about the 7D as the firmware on it allowed you to shoot at 24fps and 60fps. The functionality of the 7D is not quite like the design of a video camera so handling it was a bit challenging to get used to. The way you have to position the camera is awkward. The lens on it aren’t cine lens so it posed a problem when I initially shot with it, but eventually I got used to it.
I love the series of images at the end with the hanging note, they seem to fit perfectly with the sound. How did you go about selecting these?
Initially, I wrote the treatment for another song, but the timing of it was too long and it was more of a fictional piece. Bell Plaines was actually moving back up to Oregon, so I decided to jump alongside him and make something out of it. What I originally conceptualize is not even close to the final product you see. The video was so loosely fit that it felt more like a travelogue montage of sorts. The undertones carry a thin storyline that fits well with the instrumental track.
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