Behind the Video: Digging Through the Archives
Some music videos are built around a single shoot. Others emerge through months of searching, layering and recontextualizing existing material.
This project brought together a four-person core team, live-action performances, original artwork, stop-motion animation and archival footage spanning several decades. Across seven months, the team worked through material dating from the 1930s to the early 1970s, looking for visual connections that could bring the track and its historical context into the same frame.
The result plays with the language of comics, flip books and archival film, using juxtaposition to create new connections between images that were never originally meant to sit together.
Four People, One Collaborative Process
How many people worked on your selected video? Who played a key role in it?
We had a very tight knit team of four people who helmed this project. Rex Costello, from “ISTA”, Chris Mulligan who provided original artwork and animations; Trevor Brendan co-directed, led stop-motion animation and additional camera operating and Connor Lawson who served as the director, editor and cinematographer.
Seven Months in the Making
How long did it take to make it? What was the process (in short)?
From prep to post production, it was 7 months. We spent 2 days filming live-action performances, ~12 days printing, scanning, animating and several months in the edit sifting through archival footage teasing out ideas.
An Anthropological Dig Through Archive
What challenges did you face while working on the video?
This video was an anthropological dig that required us to find conceptual threads and pull them out of the archival material. We went through dozens of hours of archival material from as far back as the 1930’s to early 70’s searching for visual concepts to synthesize the vision, the track and the experiences of the era.
Turning Fragments Into a New Visual Language
What part of the video is your favorite?
I really love the layering, masking and juxtaposition of the performances and the archival footage. It feels like you’re alive in a pulpy comic or flip book. The recontextualizing of the material gives you the opportunity to find new connections, comedic elements and develop a new visual language.
Looking Back at the Space Age
Is there any message that the video is sending that you don’t want the viewer to miss?
I think it’s interesting to compare 2020’s American life with that of the Space Age/Cold War era. Not in a romanticized nostalgic way but by comparing ourselves to a generation who were promised better lives through technological innovation but experienced political corruption, catastrophic wars, police brutality and commodification of society . Who responded with activism, political pressure and creative outpouring to turn the cultural and political tides.
Watch the music video below.
CREDITS
“Gods In Heat”
Artist: ISTA @istasounds
Visual Concepts by: Trevor Brendan @trevorbrenden & Connor Lawson
@analog_catalog_
Director/DP/Editor: Connor Lawson @analog_catalog_
Original Artwork/Animations: Chris Mulligan @CCmulligan
Performed by:
Rex Costello
Evan Eubanks @e_eubanks
Sam Cohen
Oliver Hart @urthwizard
Diona West @diona_west
Chloe Golding @theogseltzer
Theadora Curtis @theaaaforbes
Written by Rex Costello @rextraterrestrial
Produced by Sam Cohen @samcohenmanimal
Mastered by Daniel James Goodwin @djamesgoodwin
Work Cited:
“200” – U.S. Information Agency – 1976
90 Day Wondering – Warner Brothers – 1956
A Discovering Dark and Light – Paul Burnford Film Productions
A is for Atom – General Electric Company – 1952
Allures Jordan Belson – Janus Films – 1961
American Harvest Chevrolet – 1951
American Maker – Chevrolet – 1960
American Style – 1958
Art People Feelings – Pyramid Films – 1971
Assignment 4 – KRON TV
Atomic Alert Elementary Version – Encyclopedia Britannica Films -1950
Atomic Stay Safe – U.S. Air Force – 1960
Band Aid Commercials – Johnson and Johnson – 1948
Bluebeard’s Brother – Terrytoons (1932)
Bottle and The Throttle – Sid David Production
Cartoon Explosions Reel
Casseroles & Curries – Good House Keeping – 1957
Civil Rights March
Cocktails & Savories (1955)
Design for Dreaming – General Motors – 1956
Destination Earth – American Petroleum Institute – 1956
Discovering Harmony In Art – Paul Burnford Film Productions
Dream Of Kings – 1963
Drug Abuse The Chemical Tomb
Drugs in Our Culture – University of California
Duck and Cover – Federal Civil Defense Administration PSA
Dynamics Of a Crash – US Department Of Transportation
Facts About Fallout – U.S. Federal Civil Defense Administration
Facts About Fallout II – U.S. Federal Civil Defense Administration
Family Life – Coronet Instructional Films – 1949
Fly Me To The Moon – N.A.S.A.
From Dawn To Sunset – Chevrolet Motor Division – 1937
Gateways To The Mind – Bell System – 1958
Going Places – John Sutherland Production – 1948
Horizons In Science – Hearst News – 1966
It’s Everybody’s Business – U.S. Chamber Of Commerce – 1954
Its All in Knowing How – American Dairy Council – 1954
LEN LYE THE BIRTH OF THE ROBOT – Shell Oil – 1936
Man Alive – American Cancer Society – 1952
Man And Space Us – U.S.A. Air Force
Marijuana with Sony Bono – Bailey Films
Mission Mind Control – ABC
Motorcycle Fashion Scene
“Musical Poster No. 1” – Len Lye
New Moon – Universal International News – 1957
Now Explosion Promo
Operation CHAOS – CIA – Declassified 1975
Out of this world Frigidaire – 1961
Peace March – Universal International News – 1967
Physical Limits Animated – U.S. Air Force – 1963
Physiological Limits Animated – Defense AudioVisual Agency
Private Snafu – USA War Office
Reflections In Space – Public Library of Charlotte
Road Runners – 1952
San Francisco On Strike Pt1
Secret Of Flight 02 – The Laws Of Fluid Motion – National Education Television
Secret Of Flight 04 – The Discovery Of Dynamic Lift – National Education Television
Secret Of Flight 12 – Flight In Nature – National Education Television
Shotgun or Side Arm – Sid and Davis Production Pasadena Police Department
Shots Photographs from Underground Press D.D. Teoli Jr. A.C.
Skateboard Sense – Sid Davis Production
Solar Radiation 2 “The Earth’s Atmosphere” – American Meteorological Society – 1968
Space Age Railroad – Air Force
Strange Adventures 010 – Comic Book – 1950
Survival Under Atomic Attack – Federal Civil Defense Admin – 1951
Terrible Truth – 1951
The Color Of Justice – New York Times
The Communications Explosion – CBS News
The Far Sound – AT&T – 1973
The Incredible Machine – Bell Labs
The Weird World of LSD – 1967
Touch of Magic – General Motors – 1961
WeLearn About the Telephone – Bell Systems – 1965
Why Play Leap Frog – Harding College – 1949
Within This Decade: America in Space – NASA – 1969
Wonderful New World Of Fords – 1960
Young Man – 1952
