In the age of downloading iTunes singles, where albums are frequently broken up into Spotify playlists and Pandora stations, listening to music in the order the artist intended it to play on an album still has its place. This is especially true for director Isaac Ravishankara, who while was listening to the Poliça song I Need $ the night before shooting its video, was inspired to extend the narrative by the song, So Leave. The result is a beautiful and dreamy video for both songs that would have been much different if it werent for the natural progression that the album took. We talked to Isaac about making the video and conceptualizing it with Poliça front woman Channy Leaneagh.
Doug: What was the collaboration process like between you and Channy Leaneagh when coming up with the concept for this video?
Isaac: I was put in touch with Poliça by Nabil, who had done their first video for "Tiff" off of this new album and several months later, they reached out about possibly collaborating on a video for an entirely different song. After Channy and I had begun discussing that project, it was decided on the label side of things that they were going to release a different song, first - "I Need $." Channy actually reached out with the beginnings of the concept, and we grew it from there. It's always so amazing to collaborate with the artist on a concept - and Channy is no exception. We were both adding and changing the concept all the way through being on set and into the edit.
Doug: "I Need $" and "So Leave" are back to back at the end of the Poliça album. Was it always the plan to use both songs in this video, or was the brief originally for just one of them?
Isaac: It's interesting. Initially we were going to do the video for only "I Need $," and there is a version we provided the label for TV that exists that way. But I always knew the end was going to extend past the song. With her standing out in front of the motel, waiting, in silence. The night before the shoot, I was just running through the narrative while listening to the song. I guess I got lost in thought, and the record naturally progressed to "So Leave" - the next song, and last song on the album. I didn't even notice it had happened, until Channy had already started walking away from the motel in my mind's eye - and from there it kind of HAD to happen. I think I only told Kevin Hayden (our DP) and Jesse Fleece (our AD) that night, and presented the idea to Channy at lunch during the shoot. It was the last shot of the day, in the fading light, and I asked everyone to just give me ONE TAKE.
And luckily, that take was amazing, and everyone on the business side allowed us to release what I thought was just going to be a directors-cut.
Doug: Did you guys know Bethany Toews going into this project, or did you have a casting for a Channy look alike? Did you ever consider using Channy for both parts?
Isaac: The initial germ of the idea was that Channy would find herself in a motel room (an echo to Nabil's brutal video for "Tiff"). However, as the rest of narrative came together, it felt more and more limiting - both in how we could shoot, but also, purely emotionally. I didn't want the video to have any gimmicks. We started asking around if anyone knew anyone who looked like Channy - and my friend Taylor Cohen put me in touch with Bethany.
Doug: Most of what we know about Channy's character we learn by observing her everyday routine.Was there something specific you were looking for from her performance as she goes around and cleans each room?
Isaac: Definitely. The concept, to me, was always about the progression of emotion as she goes through a unique, and what would end up being her last, day at this otherwise unchanging life. From the moment she walks out of the bathroom, looking first at the pregnancy test, and then at the calendar, we know she is having to make decisions. We imagined that there would certainly be a comfort in the familiar of being alone in her routine in each room. However, when she stumbles upon this other woman, whom she could see as a different possibility, she starts to develop the freedom of having a choice. The next room represents the contemplation of that choice. And when she goes back into the woman's room, she is able to find the levity in allowing herself to let go and move on.
Doug: All of the elements in this video, from the hotel, to the cleaning appliances, to the headphones that Channy wears, all feel very dated. Is there something behind that? Were you trying to establish a dated vibe to the video?
Isaac: I knew from the beginning that we wanted the video to have a very specific look. It's about change and coming to make decisions, but those decisions involve breaking out of what has become a constant. So the intention wasn't to feel dated exactly, but more just about feeling unchanged. We actually only used one motel room, intentionally, for that purpose. That sheets, lamps, art, etc may change slightly - but the setting is constant. What was important about the story is the progression of Channy's characters emotions throughout the day as she comes to make this decision. Kevin and I also discussed how this basic consistency also would give us a palate to reflect her progress in the shifting of light from morning to day to sunset to (for "So Leave") night, as well as in the freedom of moving from static and dolly shots to a very loose handheld feel.
