METZ 'The Swimmer' by LeBlanc + Cudmore
Cat Velez - 7th May 2015
Michael LeBlanc and Scott Cudmore continue on their fine run of music video work with this compellingly lurid affair for METZ's The Swimmer – a bleak, very dark comedy, with an effective punk aesthetic, and a gif-style visual conceit.
Following an anxiety-ridden man caught in the midst of a mysterious and dire situation, the video's non-linear narrative lets the viewer piece together the connections between some rather unsettling scenes - including a baptism that takes place in his bathroom, and a mafia-style beating at the behest of his erstwhile nearest and dearest. Nasty - but also very good.
LEBLANC + CUDMORE:
"This technique of moving the footage forwards and backwards on small loops I saw in some rap videos and I thought it would be great to do an entire video like that. It matched the sound of The Swimmer really well I thought, and also, thematically, it reflected the idea in the song of trying to swim against the current but being stuck and never moving forward.
"The basic concept for the video, beyond that, was to have everybody at the height of emotion at all times. Everything at 10. This guy is obviously having a pretty bad day, but he’s trying."
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Cat Velez - 7th May 2015
Credits
Featured here in the credits?
Production/Creative
- Director
- Leblanc + Cudmore
- Producer
- Carlos Bustamante
- Production Company
- Revolver Films
- Production Manager
- Giselle Garcia Castro
Camera
- Director of Photography
- Michael Leblanc
Art
- Art Director
- Erika Lobko
Wardrobe
- Stylist
- Jocie Gammage
Editorial
- Editor
- Scott Cudmore
Grading
- Colourist
- Clinton Homuth
VFX
- VFX
- Jake Owens
Agent
- Director's Representation
- Lock It In
Commission
- Label
- Sub Pop
Cat Velez - 7th May 2015