Cole is one of our favorite artists to collaborate with – each time they come back, the idea is big, bold, and totally unexpected!
For this video, the lead track on their EP with Chess Club Records, the action was set between two parallel motel rooms, with the protagonist and their partner sitting back-to-back.
Our initial pitch was how we’re normally asked to do these things: build one room, dress it for the left side, and after all that’s shot we re-dress for the right side of the room – with the pan between the two rooms done in post.
But Cole, and Junkmail Worldwide director Tyler, love to do everything practically – and we relished the opportunity to actually build the two rooms back-to-back!
They wanted a grungy, gross feeling to it all – a sepia patina to the whole thing, cheap wallpaper, ceiling falling apart, curtains that look like they haven’t been washed in a decade, and so on. Griming a place up is one of the most fun things to do – and once the walls and ceiling were up and papered, we got stuck in making it look disgusting.
After the motel was shot, there was one last scene – a large bare-walled room, with plaster flaking, rain pouring down a window, a mattress sitting on the bare, mouldy carpet.
Because we have so much space to play with at Vessel Studios, we had the walls for this pre-built behind the motel, so it was a super-swift changeover.
Of course, that doesn’t mean we didn’t have to plan in advance… The carpet was bought about a week ahead of time, because we needed a little while to paint it, muss it up, and make it look absolutely awful. It actually functioned as the motel carpet too, and was still a little sticky to the touch – which gave everyone a little bit of method ick to work with for their performances!