Get the Promonews daily round up

User Accounts

Get the Promonews daily round up

Friendly Fires 'Why Don't You Answer' by Fred Rowson

Sam Hill - 28th Nov 2012

Fred Rowson - who has previously directed videos for Police Dog Hogan - brings some night-time mystery to Friendly Fires' cover of the Eberhard Schoener (featuring Sting) track 'Why Don't You Answer'.

Whilst Friendly Fires' have looked in modernise Schoener's classic electronic song, Fred has taken his cues from classic and retro nocturnal films, turning the song into a steamy, late-night dream sequence where our protagonist is haunted by a pretty figure, who is always just out of sight, but never out of mind. It's got an eerie feel that's perfect for it's central urban setting.

 

Fred Rowson: "I thought the track was really striking: its production has a sound that wouldn't be out of place on the soundtrack to some big nocturnal L.A. crime drama, like Drive or Heat, but the song's central question - 'why don't you answer' - sounded to me like the kind of question you'd find in an early 20th Century British ghost story. So the synthesis seemed like a natural one: both forms share a kind of male ennui. It's M.R. James meets Michael Mann.

"When shooting, I tried to use some slightly retro effects - slow optical zooms and cross-fades - which seemed to complement both of these genres. All of our trick shots (notably, for me, where we see him from under water, and the shot in which the woman disappears) were achieved in camera."

Sam Hill - 28th Nov 2012

Tags

  • New Promos
  • Promos

Popular content

Feedback

Problem with this page? Let us know

Credits

Production/Creative

Director
Fred Rowson
Producer
Simon Elborne
Production Company
Colonel Blimp
Executive Producer
Tamsin Glasson

Camera

Director of Photography
Charlie Herranz
Focus Puller
Stefan Yap

Lighting/Grip

Gaffer
Ben Manwaring

Art

Production designer
Dave Paul

Editorial

Editor
Ryan Beck
Editing company
Final Cut

Grading

Colourist
Houmam Abdallah
Colour grade company
The Mill

Misc

DIT
Chris Belcher
Production Assistant
Deepa Keshvala

Sam Hill - 28th Nov 2012

Related Content

Industry News

Promonews logo

Music video creativity everyday.

promonewspromonewstvpromonews.tv
Submit your video