Get the Promonews daily round up

User Accounts

Get the Promonews daily round up

Billie Marten 'Human Replacement' by Joe Wheatley

Rob Ulitski - 24th May 2021

Billie Marten heads out onto the streets of London in Joe Wheatley's video for Human Replacement - in a tank.

Decked out in combat gear, Marten sits upon the top of the huge armoured vehicle, as it cuts through nighttime streets in the West End. But the extraordinary sight is also delivered in an understated fashion. And what initially seems enjoyably absurd is armed with a message.

Wheatley and Marten's second collaboration together following Creature Of Mine, makes a jaw-dropping scenario seem routinely commonplace in order to make its underlying point more effectively: this is what women have to do to feel safe at night.

Having passed other women, all similarly dressed, the moment that Billie steps off the tank to enter a shop and buy a pint of milk, and then gets back in her tank, really hits home.

Marten and Wheatley have made a thought-provoking work that gives a memorable image a proper political meaning and significance. The message should be taken seriously.

JOE WHEATLEY: 

It was an exercise in listening and learning to create something empowering for Billie.

"For Billie this track is about being alone as a woman in a city at night. Recent events have brought this issue to the fore but it’s not ‘current’ or temporary. It’s a chronic problem that shouldn’t exist. All men have a responsibility to be aware of it, change our behaviour and work toward a better future.

"I was very self-conscious during the process that I should not be the lead voice in this conversation. With help from Billie, the brilliant EPs I work with, and a fantastic producer it was an exercise in listening and learning to create something empowering for Billie.

"We bounced around a few ideas and this one stuck. We were asking the question of what women do have to do to feel safe. It’s absurd that we have to ask the question so I answered it with an absurd response; use a tank to get around. A validation of this question became apparent just as we were setting up our tracking vehicle on the street in the early hours and someone was arrested for attempted murder right in front of us.

"I’d like to thank my producer Amara Rossell for going through administrative hell in order to put a tank in central London but hopefully it’s worth it. I think his video is quite unexpected for Billie’s fanbase, taking into account her previous output - not to mention the video I recently worked on with her - which is really exciting. I’m just about to enter production on our third and final video together. Billie has been really trusting and is a real joy to collaborate with." 

Featured sponsors

Rob Ulitski - 24th May 2021

Tags

  • Performance
  • Alternative
  • Indie
  • Safety
  • women
  • Warzone
  • Combat Gear
  • Tank
  • Feminism

Popular content

Feedback

Problem with this page? Let us know

Credits

Production/Creative

Director
Producer
Amara Rossell
Production Company
Executive Producer
Precious Mahaga

Camera

Director of Photography
Tom Elliott
Focus Puller
Oliver Bingham
2nd AC
James Tilyard

Lighting/Grip

Gaffer
Harry Buck

Wardrobe

Wardrobe
Colleen Finnerty
Make-up
Emma Regan

Editorial

Editor
Beth Roberts

Grading

Colourist
Jason Wallis
Colour grade company

VFX

Post Producer
Oliver Whitworth

Agent

Director's Representation
OB Management

Commission

Label
Fiction Records

Other credits

Vehicles

Tanks A Lot

Special Thanks

Charlie Drinkwater, Femi Anderson, Aidan Brooks

Agile Rep

Sana Khan

Tracking Vehicle

Ascension Films

Rob Ulitski - 24th May 2021

Related Content

Industry News

Promonews logo

Music video creativity everyday.

promonewspromonewstvpromonews.tv
Submit your video