"Fill" is a song written and produced by Clyde Crooks. For this music video, the director wanted to focus on the literal concept of “fill” in an abstracted way. He focused on creating graphic images of different orifices and tunnels to mirror the music and ‘reflect our unfiltered, corporeal selves'. At the same time, it was important to the artist that the film also challenge conventional ideas of heteronormative and masculine culture. The final result became a clash of juxtaposing and thought provoking images.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The approach to this project was unique in that it was free form and on spot, knowing our only goal was to create texture, gesture, and shape around the artist. The director and I have collaborated in the past so we truly wanted to trust in each other and work off each other’s instincts. In an unfinished basement we found a broken mantel piece which we decided to paint and strip. We then worked to use found materials including scraps of wood, metal, pvc piping, glue, and newspapers to create a sculpture. As we began to work, it began to take the shape of an egg, almost like a womb to encapsulate the artist. We then went back and defined areas of the sculpture with spray paint and texture.
SPECIAL EFFECTS
For this specific set, the director also wanted the graphic image of hair wrapping the artist up like a cocoon perhaps as a butterfly or even like the prey of a spider. This hair would then creep up the artist and reach into his ears, nose, and mouth to transition to other scenes.
To execute this we matted and glued several wigs to our sculpture which the artist could then place himself under. We then took strips of hair and covered them in heaps of glycerin to create a slimy, alien texture playing off the other textures in the sculpture. This was also to help the hair stick to the Clyde and allow it to move and slide in a controlled manner- important for our special effect. We tied strings to the hair, placed the hair on the artists face, and slowly pulled the hair away off camera. When played the footage in reverse and the hair appeared to be crawling up the artist’s skin.
