Director Luke Gilford knows about directing videos that feature supernatural situations in real life settings. Both his videos for “The Silicone Veil” by Susanne Sundfør and “& It Was U“ by How To Dress Well deal with these ideas. We talked to Luke about how “& It Was U“ was inspired by “The Silicone Veil,” getting funding from Urban Outfitters, and whether or not using a Segway is considered an on set liability.  

Doug: You mentioned that Tom Krell first approached you about this video based on your “The Silicone Veil” music video. Do you know what was in that previous video that drew him to it?

Luke: Well aside from a naked sex-worker reptile lady in the desert, I think Tom was interested in the emotional side of it. We didn't talk too much about the supernatural or magical realism elements. Tom has a background in philosophy, so we talked a lot about ideas. I remember him emphasizing sincerity and emotional intelligence as artistic approaches. I think that's something he responded to in my past work.

Doug: Is it typical for an artist to approach you like that?

Luke: It is actually. I think I really put myself out there with some of my ideas, so other artists usually respond to that. They often want to connect with me directly, instead of having their management do it or something. I like that though. My background is in photography, but I initially started making videos because I wanted to be more collaborative.

A scene from “The Silicone Veil”

Doug: Both “& It Was You” and “The Silicone Veil” seem to introduce supernatural situations into otherwise everyday worlds. And I think Tom was even quoted saying something similar to that. Was this something you set out trying to explore with each video?

Luke: Definitely. I've always had a weird imagination and been a fan of science fiction, but sometimes it's too abstract for me to connect with emotionally. Growing up I was obsessed with Terminator 2 and E.T. - both are incredible examples of futuristic or fantastical ideas rooted in a "real" world. And both still continue to influence and inspire me. Neither Tom nor Susanne specifically asked for supernatural videos, it's just what I imagined when I heard their songs. So I kinda went out on a limb when I wrote them. And they both said yes.

Doug: How did the writing process in general of “& It Was You” compare to “The Silicone Veil”?

Luke: Well "Silicone Veil" was inspired by a specific person and our experiences together. The star of the video is a very close friend of mine, so I basically wrote the character for her. She was the only person I knew who could pull it off. I was upfront about that in the pitch. I attached all these pictures I've taken of her over the years, and made it clear that she was the lead while Susanne was the supporting actress. The story kind of wrote itself once I knew who the star was. "& It Was U" was a bit more difficult. I knew the feeling or "vibe" I wanted to convey immediately, but I had to work backwards from that. I didn't have a character in mind. Just a feeling.

On set of "& It Was You"

Doug: I read that “& It Was You” draws inspiration from the 1995 drama Safe, starring Julianne Moore. In what ways did you guys draw inspiration from that film?

Luke: I hadn't heard of How To Dress Well when Tom approached me, but I loved the song. So I listened to the rest of the album, and then his previous record. I noticed that he sampled one of Julianne Moore's lines from Safe on his first album. This kind of floored me because Safe is one of my favorite movies and a huge inspiration. So that became our first creative intersection. Some of Safe's themes deal with our ability to believe something until it becomes true. The power of our mind to not just rule our spiritual life, but our bodies too. Self-help groups and "group think" are part of Safe as well. All of these ideas were part of our initial conversations.

Doug: What were you looking for in terms of casting for the video, particularly the lead? Was the ability to ride a Segway part of your requirements?

Luke: It was completely aesthetic. I wanted a mixed-race boy in his early teens with blonde micro braids. I figured pretty much anyone could ride a Segway.

Doug: Had you used a Segway before? Are there any liabilities involved with them?

Luke: No I hadn't used one before. We made the whole video pretty guerilla style, so if there are any liability issues, I'm definitely not aware of them.

On set of "& It Was You"

Doug: In what capacity was Urban Outfitters involved in the project? Were they more or less just the place the video premiered, or was their involvement more significant?

Luke: When Tom's label first approached me, I loved the song, but I knew their budget was too small for me to work with. At least to make something of the caliber they wanted. But I felt like the song was so good that maybe a brand would want to get involved. So they approached Urban right when the song got "Best New Track" on Pitchfork. Urban asked to see my treatment, and they approved it right away. They weren't involved at all after that, until they released it. Honestly I appreciate that a lot. It's very difficult to get money for music videos now, so it's awesome that a few brands are helping make them happen, without destroying the creative process.

Doug Klinger is the co-founder/content director of IMVDb and watches more music videos than anyone on earth. You can find him on twitter at @doug_klinger.