Joji ‘Gimme Love’ by George Miller and Andrew Donoho
Cristina Conde Tkatchenko - 26th May 2020
Joji negotiates a surreal fantasy of escape in his remarkable video for Gimme Love - the third single from forthcoming album Nectar - that's comprised of two distinct parts: the first directed by George Miller (that's Joji himself); the second part by Andrew Donoho.
Part one immediately sets a frenetic pace with a rapid-fire montage of a homemade-style video, creating the semblance of a VHS tape recording. It tells the story of a scientist - played by Joji - working his way up the ranks. The location and set design instil an immediate realism, almost producing a mockumentary voyeurism that offers a glimpse into the career progression of this man.
And as he climbs the ladder, his character changes. Brief moments of bonding with co-workers are overshadowed by the anxieties and frustrations that weigh him down. As he receives greater recognition for his professional accomplishments, he becomes unhappier. By the time he reaches the high point of his career, promoted to government-level, he is ordering others around and flying into fits of rage - of while also having suffered numerous tragedies and setbacks.
This breathless montage of fast-paced cuts is counterpointed by the upbeat pop production of the track, Gimme Love. As the beat transitions into an emotive ballad, an ethereal melody initiates the cut into Part Two - and the immediate change in production values as Donoho's direction takes over.
With Joji’s decision to produce a song that shifts in tone through the mid-way, the music video manages to naturally replicate the sudden deviation, and Andrew Donoho’s stylised approach in the second segment is the perfect complement to the rawness of the first.
The themes of this video mirror Sanctuary, the first previous single from Nectar, establishing a clear narrative progression through the new album, and presenting a dramatic end to what seems to be the beginning of a 'Joji-verse'.
Cristina Conde Tkatchenko - 26th May 2020
Credits
Featured here in the credits?
Production/Creative
- Director
- George Miller
- Director
- Andrew Donoho
- Producer
- Christopher Heinrich
- Producer
- Jesse Chorng
- Producer
- Ian Blair
- Production Company
- 88rising
- Production Company
- Invisible Inc
- Production Manager
- Valerie Bush
- 1st AD
- Jeff Cobb
Camera
- Director of Photography
- Jason Ano
- Director of Photography
- Nicholas Wiesnet
Art
- Art Director
- Eldad Sharon
- Production designer
- Racheal Stephens
- Production designer
- Arae Webner
Wardrobe
- Stylist
- Ken Law
- Wardrobe
- Kaitlyn Vitug
Editorial
- Editor
- George Miller
- Editor
- Miles Trahan
Grading
- Colourist
- Kaitlyn Battistelli
- Colour Producer
- Britt Carson
- Colour grade company
- ES
Misc
- Set Dresser
- Sami DeMars
Cristina Conde Tkatchenko - 26th May 2020