Behind the Video: Trusting Instinct and Pushing Beyond the Human Form
What happens when a director enters a shoot with little preparation, a strong visual instinct and a crew willing to follow wherever the idea leads? Mavi – SSS was brought to life in just four to five hours, with a small team, limited resources and a creative process built around spontaneity.
Rather than relying on an extensive pre-production process, the director approached the project as an opportunity to translate an internal world into physical form. Body paint, unusual character designs and surreal interpretations of human anatomy became part of a visual language that prioritises expression over conventional boundaries.
Below, director Burak Kılıçkaya shares insight into the production of “Mavi – SSS”.
A Small Crew, One Shared Vision
How many people worked on your selected video? Who played a key role in it?
We were a small crew of 11 people on set, with three additional artists contributing during post-production. Everyone had their own role, but what mattered most was that we were all moving toward the same vision. I wanted to keep the process instinctive, spontaneous, and free from unnecessary boundaries.
Four to Five Hours, No Traditional Pre-Production
How long did it take to make it? What was the process (in short)?
This project was created under extremely limited conditions, without a traditional pre-production process. The night before the shoot, I had already envisioned the characters’ body paint, physical forms, and behavior. When I arrived on set, I told my crew, “I’m going to go a little crazy today. Don’t question me, just trust where I’m taking this.” We shot the entire video in just four to five hours, because for me, filmmaking has never been defined by the scale of a production, but by the strength of the vision behind it.
When Creativity Becomes Instinctive
What challenges did you face while working on the video?
Honestly, I didn’t face any real difficulties. I had an incredible piece of music created by the artist, a piece with a soul of its own. When the spirit of that music connected with my own inner world, creativity began to flow naturally. When you experience that kind of connection, creation stops being a struggle and becomes something almost instinctive.
Reimagining the Human Form
What part of the video is your favorite?
I wouldn’t want to choose just one part of this video; I see it as a puzzle, where removing a single piece might change the meaning of the whole. However, I particularly enjoyed the scene where I distorted and reimagined the familiar form of the human body. Creating a human figure with seven arms allowed me to visually explore the idea of pushing beyond the boundaries of human anatomy. Imagining the characters we carry within us, not yet given physical form, as visually present but still undefined on the inside was also part of this approach.
An Invitation to Look Inward
Is there any message that the video is sending that you don’t want the viewer to miss?
There isn’t a specific message I want the audience to take away. The world I created is less about trying to communicate something and more about expressing what already exists within me. I wasn’t creating an unfamiliar world; I was making parts of myself visible. I’m more curious about what people discover within themselves when they watch it than what they actually see on screen.
Watch the music video below.
CREDITS
Director
Burak Kılıçkaya
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burakkilickayaa/
Director of Photography
Bedirhan Kurt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beedirhank/
Director’s Assistant
Neslihan Urhan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neslihanurhaan_/
Camera Assistant
Furkan Kahraman
Gaffer
Onur Karaca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onur.karaca.10/
Best Boy
Samet Çayır
Lighting Assistant
Ayhan Berberoğlu
Makeup Artist
Seben Ersoy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebenersoy/
Makeup Assistant
Yağmur Kırcı
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yagmrkrc/
Artist Assistant
Emir Ekici
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eaekicii/
Backstage Photographer
Talha Bayır
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilyumfilm/
POST-PRODUCTION
Edit
Berke Küçük
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berkekucukk/
Color
Ufuk Aktaş
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aktasufukk/
CGI & VFX
Emre Tülegen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emreffects/
Neslihan Urhan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neslihanurhaan_/
