Sondock via Riff Raff Films directed this mysterious music video for Nick Lengโs new song โBeetlebugs.โ The story follows a young beetle who seeks the help of Leng himself, playing a private investigator for creatures, to find her missing partner Blu Bug. As they delve into the investigation, they exhaust all leads, navigating a world of shadows and secrets. The tension builds with each clue, leading them to a shocking revelation.
โFilming this video was like going to summer camp for a week,โ shared Sondock. โNick and I had already made a video that was a great success (for his song โMorning / Midnightโ) and this project was an opportunity to really go in a totally different direction. While โMorning / Midnightโ was an ethereal, highly technical one-shot performance video, โBeetlebugsโ was exactly the opposite–it was a super narrative, world-building goofy/psychedelic adventure video. It ended up being a five-day shoot with multiple locations a day and a cast of Zebras, Emus, Hamsters, way too many beetles and even an ex-congresswomen (one of our impromptu extras, incidentally). I owe the world to the entire cast and crew, especially producers Alex and Amy, DP, Gus Bendinelli, and 1st AD/beetle wrangler Josh Montes. Everyone was deeply invested in the project and process, and endured creaky twin beds and long rambling road trip rants as we made our way around Northern and Central California.
โPost on this video, quite literally took a year,โ continued Sondock. โDid it need to? Probably not. But damn, Iโm so proud of what we made. Gwen Ghelid brought an incredible eye to the edit, taking it from a maybe 3/10 to a full A++, not to mention dealing with all my tiny tweaks for months on end. And HOLY SHIT–Kohana Wilson, our animator, is genuinely such a treasure. They hand-drew what is probably my favorite part of the video: the Freaky-Friday narrative climax (the inspiration for which I owe a lot to fellow Riff Raff director David Wilson).
โDuring the post process, I even got to spend time turning thousands of black drinking straws into a โpractical bugs-eye effect for some of our endoscopy camera footageโ (yes you read that sentence correctly). All in all, this was one of those special projects you get to the end of and think: โwow, even if nothing comes of this, Iโm so glad this project happened the way that it did.โ But lucky us, we also made a really fun video–and I think you will agree.โ
Client/Artist Nick Leng Production Riff Raff Films Sondock, director; Amy Teboul, Alex Advocaat, producers; Matthew Clyde, Romy Jo Waller, Precious Mahaga, exec producers; Matthew Fone, company owner. Production Service Company 2x2=5 Gus Bendinelli, DP; Josh Montes, 1st AD/beetle wrangler; Steve Fitzpatrick, 1st AC; Lindsey Hartman, costume designer; Steven Lewer, drone DP; Ava Jones, production designer. Editorial Gwennael Ghelid, editor. Animation Kohana Wilson, animator. Color Ethos Studios Dante Pasquinelli, colorist; Nat Tereshchenko, color producer. Animal Wrangler Joeie & American-Made Miniatures. Sound Design Nikolay Antonov. VFX & Retouch Black Kite Studios Brendan Regan, Jonny Freeman Special Thanks To: The Leng Family, Kode Media, Motion Picture Film Stock, Aube Perrie, David Wilson, Jason Sondock, Robert Cardwell.
Director Jake Scott Puts “Jeans On” To Start The Morning For Wrangler
Jake Scott of RSA Films directed this โGood Mornings Make for Better Daysโ spot, marking denim brand Wranglerโs first new global advertising campaign since 2021.
โGood Morningsโ is the first campaign created and produced in-house by Wranglerโs marketing and creative teams. Building on the themes of the brandโs โFor the Ride of Lifeโ ad series, the new campaign is a call to live life to the fullest, celebrating the early risers who pull on their Wrangler Jeans and are ready to take on the morning, no matter what the day may bring.
For Wrangler, which has a decades-long connection with music, the campaignโs soundtrack was the starting point, reviving the 1970s hit โJeans Onโ by David Dundas. The featured cast is outfitted in timeless vintage pieces from Wranglerโs archives together with classic Western styles and new seasonal looks from the brandโs 2024 Fall and Holiday collections.
โThis is a heartfelt homage to the American West, a love letter to its people, and a celebration of the iconic denim it has inspired,โ said Scott, who has directed feature films, commercials, and music videos for artists including REM, Radiohead and Tori Amos. โWrangler has been a constant staple of my wardrobe over the years. Itโs a part of that spirit of confidence and independence for me, so I see these characters in myself.โ
For the commercial, the traditional American diner proved the ideal setting--the down-home heart of the community, where people from all walks of life start the day the same way. Whether rancher or teacher, retiree or young family, the early riser club is open to everybody. For some, it may be what they do every day to provide for their families and communities; for others, an early start might... Read More