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Quarry 'Wake Me Up' by Sophia Katyea & The Trash Factory

Rob Ulitski - 10th Mar 2021

Sophia Katyea and James Arden - aka The Trash Factory - team up to direct this breezy beachcombing romp for alt-pop singer-songwriter Quarry. 

Exploring themes of humanity, reality and what it means to be alive, the promo for Wake Me Up was shot on 16mm with Cinemascope lenses. It boasts an exuberant performance by Quarry, with vintage styling, slick movement and an exaggerated sense nostalgia, joining together to form a powerful whole. 

THE TRASH FACTORY:

It felt like the right time and song to place [Quarry] where he couldn’t be missed. 

"Quarry has only featured in small roles in his music videos so far; more of a mysterious and ethereal observer rather than the star. It felt like the right time and the right song to place him where he couldn’t be missed - front and centre, hurling his androgynous alt-pop style right at the audience.

"It was a really fun process developing this concept with Sophia Kateya, Quarry's creative director. Drawing on pop promo influences through the ages, from Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights to the effortless movement of Jamiroquai, we wanted to capture a timeless feeling of joy and reckless abandonment at the edge of the world, all stylishly shot in 16mm Cinemascope by our excellent DoP, Joseph Gainsborough, on the English coast.

"We also had a lot of cinematic references in mind; moments that visually reaffirm what it feels like to be truly present in your own body and feel alive: running barefoot on a beach, riding fast in the back of a car at night. Quarry did an incredible job basically dancing in cold water for nearly 12 hours, with expert guidance and support from our movement director, Natalia Bui.

"Ultimately this video is about overcoming numbness and finding a sense of self again, which I think we're all doing as we slowly come out of lockdown! I hope it aids the process and makes everyone want to boogie a bit."

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Rob Ulitski - 10th Mar 2021

Tags

  • Director's notes
  • New Director
  • Pop
  • Beach
  • Seaside
  • Coast

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Credits

Production/Creative

Director
Sophia Katyea
Director
The Trash Factory
Producer
Connor O'Hara
Production Company
Production Manager
Micheal Newton

Camera

Director of Photography
Joe Gainsbourough
Focus Puller
Sam Johnson
Steadicam
Akhilesh Patel
Film Lab

Lighting/Grip

Gaffer
Simon Battensby

Wardrobe

Wardrobe
Sophia Kateya
Hair & Make-up
Bryanna Angel

Choreography

Movement Director
Natalia Bui

Editorial

Editor
The Trash Factory

Grading

Colourist
Michael Pearce

Agent

Director's Representation
OB Management

Commission

Label
Sony Germany

Other credits

Production Assistant

Jamila Melbourne

Action Vehicle

Tom Dream

Rob Ulitski - 10th Mar 2021

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