Arborist 'Matisse' by Stephen Agnew
Rob Ulitski - 1st Mar 2023
Stephen Agnew directs a curiously offbeat promo for Arborist.
The video for Matisse sees the artist perform in an industrial location, whilst the making-of the video is referenced and interpolated right back onto screen. It takes a bit of wrapping your head round the concept to understand it, but in some ways, that's the beauty of the video.
Confused yet? Let director Stephen Agnew explain...
"Interpolating an interpolation before interpolating that interpolation," says Agnew. "My jumping-off point for this video is Lars von Trier's film The 5 Obstructions, itself a film that interpolates Jørgen Leth’s Perfect Human.
"I thought it would be fun to use this as a device to literally frame and interpolate the works of art and artists Mark mentions in the song, including but not limited to an inordinate amount of screen time dedicated to a urinal.
"After we set this premise we extrapolated it, inverting and slowing the footage while referencing ourselves making the video, via a Gondry-inspired camera setup before FINALLY revealing the artifice of the whole project.
"A sort of snake eating its own tail. But a fun snake made of cheap wood, cardboard modern art, cellophane and a LOT of favours."
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Rob Ulitski - 1st Mar 2023
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Credits
Production/Creative
- Director
- Stephen Agnew
- Producer
- Meghan Mc Ardle
- Executive Producer
- Ross Morrison
- Executive Producer
- D
- 1st AD
- Sheena Kelly
- Conor Toner
- 3rd AD, Jack Murphy
Camera
- Director of Photography
- Martin Senyszak
- Focus Puller
- Trevor Wilson
- 2nd AC
- Matt Smith
Art
- Art Director
- Lucy Reid
- Joanna McClurg
- Art Department, Brian Magee
Grading
- Colour Producer
- Sam Phinikas
- Colourist
- Nick Dalby
- Colour grade company
- Bubble
Rob Ulitski - 1st Mar 2023