Benjamin Howdeshell partners with film icon Milla Jovovich in directing a horror short film-slash-music video for the Berlin-based band Parcels. The all-too-real fears of home invasion create an unexpected and genius backdrop for the track “Withorwithout,” as Howdeshell crafts a film fraught with palpable tension.
The video stars Milla, a fan of Parcels in real-life and in the film, drifting aimlessly through an evening in a mid-century LA home that matches the retro feel of the band. Her husband (played by Carsten Norgaard) is similarly disconnected until the reality of the couples’ glitter-masked intruders sets in.
Howdeshell composes each shot with an eye toward maximizing the nail-biting vibe of the material, shooting at times through Milla’s point of view to give an intimate sense of the experience. The white-knuckle tension of the garage scene and sudden squall of violence in the home is amplified against the highly contrasting music (with such a lovely song playing, what could possibly go wrong?) The melancholic disco-inflected tones are set against the unnerving intensity of the visuals, then the sinister one-two punch of a twist comes out of nowhere and ties up the piece with a creepy bow.
SPW Credits
Production Company: Howdeshell Films, Inc. Director: Benjamin Howdeshell Screenplay by: Mike Doyle Produced by: Shawn Wallace Executive Producer: Milla Jovovich Director of Photography: Eric Leach Editor: Jake Shaver Sound Design: Brandon Kim Creative Director: Carmen Crommelin
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Carsten Norgaard, Jules Crommelin, Patrick Hetherington, Noah Hill, Anatole Serret, Louie Swain
Lyrics and Music by: Jules Crommelin, Patrick Hetherington, Noah Hill, Anatole Serret, Louie Swain
Performed by: Parcels
Label: Kitsuné / Because Music
First Assistant Director: Jeffrey Fuller 911 Operator: Heather Foster Line Producer: Bret Rea Production Coordinator: Nathan Zasada Action Designer: Anthony Nanakornpanom B-Camera Operator: Adam Leene 1st AC A Camera: Ken Tanaka 1st AC B Camera: Daniel Cooper 2nd AC / Data Manager: Brendan Devaine Art Director: Eric Palmer Set Dresser: Grant Hyde Department Head Makeup: Christina Smith Makeup: Marina Procter and Shelby Smith Wardrobe Stylist: Candice Brittain Wardrobe Assistants: Meredith Ambruso and Marcella Deluna Department Head Hair: Candice Birns Hair: Erica Beatty Gaffer: Gordon Hale Best Boy Electric: Kate Eleneke Key Grip: Micah Minor Sound Mixer: Fletcher Allison and Josh Haycraft Production Assistants: Eric Gilbert, Kenneth Prieto, and Derek Siegel Colorist: Omar Inguanzo Assistant Editor: Shannon Albrink Color Assistant: Faby Zumaran Audio Assistant: Dillon Cahill
BERLIN UNIT
Director of Photography: Frederick Gomoll Assistant: Yannik Sommer
Visual Effects: Green Light VFX Supervisors: Dmitry Tokoyakov and Lyudmila Ivanova Producer: Valentina Zhukova Artists: Yuliya Pavlova, Danila Godya, Alexandra Drozd, Irina Spirina, Alexander Bocharov Media Coordinator: Andrey Fenochka Coordinator: Nelli Mukhametshina Art Director: Evgenia Strukova Administrative Support: Alexandra Ershova
Post Production Facility: Therapy Studios Visual Effects: Therapy Studios Flame Artists: Wren Waters and Geoff Stephenson Flame Assistant: Phil Apostol Colorist: Omar Inguanzo Editor: Jake Shaver Assistant Editor: Shannon Albrink DI Artist: Faby Zumaran
Camera: Panavision
Special Thanks To: Paul W.S. Anderson, Renee Howdeshell, Doobie White, Chloe Corbelin, Birger Luedemann, John Ramsay, Columbia Theater Berlin, Alexander Francois Oppenheimer,
Creative Growth, the first organization dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities, has teamed up with creative marketing company, John McNeil Studio to unveil its new brand. Representing 50 years of elevating the work of artists with disabilities within the arts community, Creative Growth’s new brand campaign includes a new identity and logo, new positioning, brand film and a redefined strategy centering on the ‘undeniable voice of art.’
Creative Growth’s evolved brand is at the forefront of a shift towards art that stands for the inherent reveal — the power of artistic expression to bring understanding and connection to us all. The brand’s new expression includes unobtrusive color and design choices that purposely don’t compete with the voice of the artist and instead, serve as a container for the art to have a voice of its own.
Executive Creative Director, Gerald Lewis of John McNeil Studio explains “We needed to create a powerful, distinctive voice for the brand. But, it couldn’t compete with the voice of the artists because in the end, the art has to speak. It had to be simple, honest and genuine, in line with the mission of Creative Growth. Artists will spend 30 years making work, honing their craft and following their voice inside this space. We wanted to celebrate that. So, while the mark, the brand, is simple and honest, it’s also expansive and energetic.”
Kicking off the new brand campaign is a short film capturing the voice of artist William Scott as he walks through downtown Oakland and enters... Read More
