St Kilda 2013 Preview: Why the Annual Music Video Program Rocks

Last year two things completely changed my perspective on watching music videos.

First, Natasha Pincus' phenomenally successful video for Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know was selected to play in SXSW and I helped Natasha with a little freelance marketing ahead of her trip overseas to attend the festival. During our talks, I was impressed by Natasha's articulation about the importance of music videos not just as part of film festival programming but as works of art in their own right. I was especially struck by her emphatic assertion that filmmakers who make music videos with the intention of creating art should be embraced and celebrated alongside the very best short filmmakers, and where better for this to happen than at a film festival with their works screened in pristine presentation on the big screen.

But it wasn't until the second event, when I was able to attend the 2012 St Kilda Film Festival's SoundKILDA music video program, that I was able to understand exactly what Natasha meant. Sitting in the darkened auditorium of the Astor Theatre, watching a brilliant selection of Australian music videos on the massive screen as part of a carefully curated program, I found myself enthralled. Here were videos, some which I'd watched countless times on YouTube, playing completely free of context with only their fellow works as company. Enhanced by the audio soundtrack turned right up to 11, the experience was incredible, as I was able to experience each video as if for the first time - in a completely immersive way. 

And so we come to 2013, and the SoundKILDA program is my most anticipated event of the whole 10 day festival.

There seems to be a heavy Melbourne focus this year, and there's also a little domination of the event by regular attendees. We have three clips from Oh Yeah Wow and two from Natasha Pincus (including Missy Higgins' Unashamed Desire pictured above), and last year's SoundKILDA winner Michael Shanks is back again with his brand new video, Towards the Sun. Indeed the description for Shanks' video is just about my favourite in the entire festival program and only begs the question why he isn't the most sought after talent in Australia yet. I'm also hugely looking forward to watching the insane clip for King Parrot's Shit On the Liver full blast on the big screen! 

Here's the full program: 

BOB EVANS 

Featuring whipped cream, porn and the elderly.                                                       

Producer: Nicky Pastore

Director: Darcy Prendergast, Mike Greaney

DOP: Shelly Farthing-Dawe

 

MISSY HIGGINS

A contemporary dance piece designed to express Missy's transformation from personal repression to liberation, featuring custom hand-cut 'confetti' made to properly match the colour palette of the album artwork.

Producer: Natasha Pincus

Director: Natasha Pincus

DOP: Warwick Field

 

ARCHIE ROACH

A 1960s gospel-inspired clip shot during a momentous weekend in which Archie gathered a 10-part Indigenous choir 4-piece band and 40 community members in a small community hall in Killarney Victoria to record his new album, 'Into The Bloodstream'.

Producer: Natasha Gadd, David Vadiveloo

Director: Natasha Gadd, David Vadiveloo

DOP: Bonnie Elliott

 

GOTYE

Easy Way Out aims to push the boundaries of both stop-motion and live-action seamlessly amalgamating various camera techniques to create a soviet-inspired hyper-real dystopia - Our protagonist unable to break free of his own routine.

Producer: Nicky Pastore

Director: Darcy Prendergast

DOP: Andrew Goldsmith & Jeremy Blode

 

CANTALOUPE

With paper string gloves and silhouettes Clem Stamation matches the bright and bubbly infectious instrumental pop of our synth-toting heroes Cantaloupe.

Producer: Clem Stamation

Director: Clem Stamation

 

THE PRESETS

Ghosts defines the sad truth that when we're younger we aren't aware enough to understand what we can do with our lives - it isn't until we grow older that we realise what we could have become.

Producer: Julie-Anne Baylis

Director: Abteen Bagheri

DOP: Isaac Bauman

 

SAN CISCO

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Scarlett and Jordie are captured by wild things. With incessant rain, a foot of mud, animals, children, and dangerous pyro technics, the Wild Things shoot was like going to war.

Producer: Rita Walsh

Director: Kasimir Burgess

DOP: Ellery Ryan

 

BARBARION

Behold the supreme power of Barbarion! Starring Roz Hammond and Geoff Paine as the disgruntled parents. No green screen or 3D were used, just miniature 2D compositing and good times. 

Producer: Carolyn Masel

Director: Dave Budge

DOP: Joel Betts

 

STEREOLOVE

An evil Dictatress conducts over an oppressed populace in her fascist regime but one man will bring the fight and the dance party upon her.

Producer: Darcy Prendergast

Director: Jayden Dowler

DOP: Jayden Dowler

 

MISSY HIGGINS

In a dysfunctional relationship with her Koala-headed boyfriend, a young woman plans her escape. Director Kasimir Burgess has won 25 awards, including the Crystal Bear at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival.

Producer: Matt Downey

Director: Kasimir Burgess

DOP: Ellery Ryan

 

BOB DYLAN

A scruffy young man repeatedly vies for the attention of a beautiful woman walking in the street. Along the way he encounters several obstacles putting his persistence to the test.

Producer: Jonathan Wang

Director: Nash Edgerton

DOP: Morgan Susser

 

RAIN PARTY

A suburban foot chase takes an interesting turn when one of the characters jumps through a brick wall, becoming a 2D version of himself. 

Producer: Sarah Hickey

Director: Ryan Bird, Matt Trubiani

DOP: Josh Mitchell-Frey

 

KING PARROT

It's been a good day, chasing piglets and making plans to whip up a batch of fresh bonox... until an inspector comes along to ruin everything. 

Producer: Amelia Smith, Matthew Young

Director: Dan Farmer

DOP: Dan Farmer

 

AMANDA PALMER

A madcap stop-motion animated music video that captures the chaotic energy and vibrant joy of Amanda Palmer's song in a whirlwind of calligraphy bedsheets, naked bodies and graffiti. 

Producer: Jim Batt

Director: Jim Batt

 

THE LAZY CALM

Deli and Boyd from the Goldfields region of WA take The Lazy Calm and Jae Laffer on a roadtrip home. A unique collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Western Australian musicians.

Producer: Ella Wright, Aidan O'Bryan

Director: Ben Young

 

MISSY HIGGINS

Missy takes on the ocean and succumbs to its power danger its glorious beauty. Winner ARIA Best Music Video 2012.

Producer: Natasha Pincus

Director: Natasha Pincus

DOP: Warwick Field

 

ROADGEEK

Growing sharply aware of Human tyranny, one domesticated pet sets out on a mission with one goal: Revolution. Michael Shanks directed, edited and performed visual effects on the video as well as writing, producing, singing and performing all instruments on the track.

Producer: Michael Shanks

Director: Michael Shanks

DOP: Sam McCabe

 

QUARRY MOUNTAIN DEAD RATS 

Five sweaty men, one bar and some down and dirty bluegrass.

Producer: Summer DeRoche

Director: Summer DeRoche, Ben Capp

DOP: Ben Capp

 

THE BAMBOOS FEAT. TIM ROGERS

He who makes his bed ill lies there. Shot in a haunted house on the edge of Melbourne in one take at magic hour. 

Producer: Kess Brockman-Dattner, Emma Thornell

Director: Kess Brockman-Dattner

DOP: Jody Muston