Recently we got together with Mira, Chuck, Steve, and Cara; the talented individuals who make up The Sea The Sea. The lot of us packed into Zach’s garage to shoot a proper music video for “Ricochet” off their new album From The Light, coming June 1st. This was a really interesting video to produce, in that the entire thing worked out to be one big collaborative experiment.

Months earlier, we met with Chuck and Mira to discuss some ideas and begin formulating a concept for the video. It was important to them that there be some abstract element tying the video with the nature and subject matter of the song; the sensation of rationalizing or coping with distressful and confusing events, seemingly out of one’s control, and the ricocheting thoughts or feelings that one might experience. With that, we got to work on some interesting contraptions. 

Some of the ideas Chuck and Mira brought to the table centered around the concept of a zoetrope; a 19th-century optical toy consisting of a cylinder with a series of pictures on the inner surface that, when viewed through slits while the cylinder rotates, gives an impression of continuous motion. The original intent was to set the band members amidst a black space and use visual effects in post production to mimic a true zoetrope. After some experimentation in the editing room beforehand, we found the visual effects quite complex to accomplish given the resources and time constraints we had to work with. Luckily, our own Zach Durocher remembered a project from years past when he built an improvised zoetrope in grade school. In true Durocher fashion, Zach’s mother had kept the thing all these years later, stashed away in the closet. We affixed the crafty gadget to a power drill and thus created our own zoetrope effect on the spot. 

The second element of abstract improvisation involved shooting portions of the video with our two Black Magic Cinema Camera’s, synced and measured to exact specifications, then bolted to a slab of wood. This particular rig was created to illustrate a 3D effect in post by interweaving the footage from both cameras throughout certain areas of the song. The concept took a lot of trial, error, and some more on-set tweaking. Although it was a bit complex to create the effect, we expect the final product will be well worth the effort.  

It’s always a pleasure working with these guys. In addition to their seemingly endless talent and creativity, they’re also some of the most hard working and determined artists we’ve ever met. From Cara providing custom jewelry for costume and illustrations for previous shoots, or Steve offering his own talents in graphic design, to Chuck and Mira masterminding compelling concepts, they are always willing to do a little extra to make the vision work. Not only that, but they are exceedingly kind and humble while they do it.

Currently the band is deep in a pledge music campaign to support the release and promotion of their latest album. Do us a favor, check it out and buy their album and some cool merch. Make sure you keep an eye out for the album release next month, and keep track of The Sea The Sea. If anyone is going places, it’s them. Don’t miss out.

Photos by Bryan Lasky