Regard, Kwabs 'Signals' by Stephen Agnew
Rob Ulitski - 19th Nov 2021
Stephen Agnew directs an exploration of the anxiety that comes with living a glamorous lifestyle, in his promo for Regard & Kwabs.
The conceptual visuals for Signals make use of drawn-out, hypnotic camera moves, which traverse the rooms like a disembodied consciousness.
The maze-like location and use of vivid lighting leans into the haunting vibe of the track, feeling very much bittersweet in its presentation.
STEPHEN AGNEW:
The story is simple: dead-eyed gorgeous people keep the protagonist from ever leaving a party.
"Fundamentally the idea is crashing an inward-looking indie concept into the side of a massive dance video - balancing the two worlds, without leaning too hard on either. I wanted to give both artists equal rule over the world; the glamorous world that Regard evokes with Kwabs' haunting and soul-searching vocals.
"Kwabs is such an engaging performer the creative naturally leant into that. I wanted to contrive a scenario that justified long, almost remorseful performance sections. Something that could allow me not to cut, but to keep the piece alive, keep it moving.
"I landed on a visual representation of the anxiety and repetition inherent in a what, from the outside, could be read as a very glamorous lifestyle.
"The story is simple: dead-eyed gorgeous people keep the protagonist from ever leaving a party. The long takes, opulent lighting and protracted movement counterpointing the grimness of his predicament.
"This one was tricky. Two units, three days, dropped feature, remixes but it's all part of the game. Looking forward to the next one and super grateful to be back directing!"
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Rob Ulitski - 19th Nov 2021
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Credits
Production/Creative
- Director
- Stephen Agnew
- Producer
- Ersan Beskardes
- Production Manager
- Kevin Cheung
- 1st AD
- Elle Lotherington
Camera
- Director of Photography
- Jack WiIkinson
- Focus Puller
- Jim Mclean
- 2nd AC
- Alex Agopian
Lighting/Grip
- Gaffer
- Krunal Saadranik
Art
- Art Director
- Joe Munro
Wardrobe
- Make-up
- Deemy
- Wardrobe
- Mollie Ashman
Casting
- Casting director
- Ola Christian at LEVILE
Editorial
- Editor
- Stephen Agnew
Grading
- Colourist
- Ruth Wardell
- Colour grade company
- Okay Studios
Agent
- Director's Representation
- CS
Commission
- Commissioner
- Kat Cattaneo
- Label
- Sony Music
Other credits
PA
Oli Hill, Lily Ashton
2nd AD
Rose Lucas
Runner
Emily Chaplin
Medic
Oliver Temple
Grips
Jim Philpott, Vis Sopjani
Crane Tech
Eddie Pells
Camera Op/Head Tech
Dan Lobo-Pires
Rigger
Mark Swing
Effects Visualiser
Ralph Fuller
Photographer
Meghan Doherty
Sparks
Anna Brooks, Ed Irvin, Dale Healy
Desk Op.
Ben Hinton
Art Assistants
Sam Dacosta, Edie Morris, Callum Rob
Carpentry
Damian Pajak, Rohan Wadham, Matthew
Scenic
Seda Sokmen Altindag, Anita Gander
Medic
Oliver Temple
2nd Unit 1st AD
Kitty Rajakulasingam
2nd Unit 1st AC
Ernest Tsu
2nd Unit 2nd AC
Kosta Volkov
2nd Unit Gaffer
Amarjeet Singh
2nd Unit Assistant Art Dir
Ahmet Buyukcinara
Rob Ulitski - 19th Nov 2021