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Where are you, the A list? The A-minus list—on a scale from wedding videos on up...
ADAM: Hmm... I think we’re “A list” at this point... I dunno, hopefully we’re offering something new and solid and good. This “A list” stuff seems to be a little fleeting. We’re just enjoying the fact that we get to do what we enjoy for a living and be able to pay rent and possibly open a “Savings Account” one day. It’s nice now that we’re not completely suffering and that the budgets have grown and we’re able to buy new computers and shoot for 2 days and buy cameras and take occasional vacations. And interact with some of our heroes... that’s a good time.

JUSTIN: I don’t want to speak for the group but I think it’s safe to say that we idolize certain directors–Cunningham, Gondry, etc. I don’t think we are in the same “league” as them, but we do offer something no one else in music videos is doing today. It’s a combination of narrative and technique that make those directors great. We strive to carry on that tradition, and give artists a real alternative to conventional music video format/expectations.

JAKE: B-list maybe. When the Eminem video came out I heard a MTV VJ remarked that it was by the same directors that did the Roots video for “Don’t Say Nothin.” I guess when they start noticing your work like that, you’re at least B-list.

JESSE: More like Bob Ross.

So now you don’t link to your Towers piece anymore on your site, why not?
ADAM: OK, we’ll put it back on. Sometimes I feel like people get bummed watching that—and it’s odd putting it on the same page as our ridiculous holiday spots.

JAKE: I think it’s a really emotional piece, and people still get upset watching it. A friend of mine started crying when she first saw it. To put it next to a goofy Xmas video might seem a little disrespectful. It’s still one of my favorites that we’ve done.

JESSE: We don’t want anybody but us to see it.

On restraint: “We usually know we’re okay when a freelance designer gets upset that we messed up his work.” -Brent Chesanek

Who’d be the perfect band to do a video for? Any aspirations to work with someone you haven’t gotten to work with?
JUSTIN: Amongst the group, there’s a huge variety of music we’re into. But we like everything from Johnny Cash to Peaches, from Jackie Mittoo to Van Halen.
ADAM: Radiohead, Bjork, Missy Elliot... ...I’m brain dead.
JAKE: Radiohead would be awesome. Björk or Beck would be cool too. Anyone who likes to do an interesting video that’s different from the usual MTV fare.
JESSE: I always thought Radiohead would be great.
BRENT: The Hives.

The Cure bit has a little early Gondry for Human Behavior, a little Harry Potter, a little Ed Gorey—all of these are things most people would dream of getting to ONCE in a piece, and you packed them all in. Did I miss any?
ADAM: I love that Gondry video, I love the Harry Potter books (so good­—I’ll admit it), Ed Gorey, etc. I think a lot our inspiration when making heavily stylized work like this is having an idea of something that seems like it should have been done and should be out there but isn’t. Dreams are definitely a big influence, and a lot of our most vivid and surreal ones are in this video, but as artists, I think one of the most important things is to know your influences and study the work that is out there and then attempt to build something that is true to your voice and unique vision. We’ve been slowly developing a body of work that is growing and transforming and I think is new and unique. Gondry rules, but that’s not news to anyone. I most respect the directors out there who are brave enough to try new things and who are consistently creative. I don’t love all Gondry’s work, but everything he does is creative, fresh, and strong. You never look at anything he’s done and say, “I’ve seen that a thousand times”. That, I have so much respect for, because in the midst of all this, every director is dealing with budgets, artists, politics, naysayers, etc., and simply trying to make a living while making art. It’s not easy at all, and I hope we can offer new and creative work consistently while being happy and making a little money.

JAKE: Adam told us the concept was Robert Smith walking around the forest at night and seeing other people’s dreams. He wanted ideas for dreams so we all just wrote ideas on slip of paper and threw them into a box.

JUSTIN: This one is really Adam’s baby, so he’ll probably have the most to say here. But a lot of the references for this video came from earlier thoughts and collaborations–Adam’s collage history, our collaboration on an NYU student project, some elements from our work on Requiem For A Dream, etc. We’ve always been attracted to the surreal, and this song and artist fit something that Adam had been experimenting with for years.

JESSE: NO.

next

The Saline just-off-kilter style sneaks
into recent work for Eminem.
Eminem has a change of heart about blood vengeance, 2004’s ‘Toy Soldiers.’

Justin Francis, who met Adam while working
on the set of the film ‘New Detroit.’

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