Synopsis

“Ignis Fatuus” was a chance to reunite with talented musician Rich Pineda and his band, Autumn Tragedy, for a second video together. We had previously collaborated on “Walk Alone,” the first professional project I ever directed. The basic concept or plot of the video is a resistance group in a totalitarian world that gathers in secret to hold meetings, celebrate, and oppose the fascist society around them. Rich and his group created the props and costumes for the video, which kept costs fairly low, and he recruited extras for the shoot. Unfortunately, half as many extras showed up as planned, so we had to shoot creatively and move people around, swapping first row for second row when the camera changed directions, to make the warehouse look fuller. Compared to most of my work like “Winded,” we went with a very desaturated look to the video, adding to the depressed feeling of the dystopian society the group is opposing.

One of the lessons I learned from the project is the importance of persistence. After submitting to 9 festivals, we were 1/9, so I stopped sending it anywhere. It got into 7 of the next 8 festivals and won 1st Place Rock Music Video at The Indie Gathering, making me regret not sending it off to another 10-20 festivals like I had done with “Winded.”