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alt-J 'Hard Drive Gold' by Newman-Wallace

David Knight - 7th Jan 2022

A young woman pours the ashes of her beloved late mother into her running shoes and leaves her suburban home - wielding a pole vaulter's pole - in a race against time...

Hard Drive Gold, the latest release ahead of alt-J's fourth album The Dream (out on Feb 11th) has a video that follows in the tradition of the band's consistently excellent track record in visuals - particularly those that put a different spin on dramatic suspense. In this case, it comes from a new directing duo, consisting of an alt-J bandmember and his partner: Newman-Wallace are the band's singer and guitarist Joe Newman, and choreographer Darcy Wallace.   

We follow the young woman - played by Ellie McCartney - as she drags the pole from her garage, and then pounds through nearly empty suburban streets with it, as if she is on the longest-ever pole vaulter's run-up. This striking image is made even more mysterious by the context - the imminence of a nuclear attack and, as a result, the mostly panic-stricken behaviour of her neighbours.

Finally she reaches her destination - but can she complete her leap before the missiles strike?

Newman-Wallace's highly cinematic directing debut was shot by Krzysztof Trojnar, and executive produced by Andrew Law, longtime commissioner of alt-J's videos, now head of music and special projects at Biscuit Filmworks.

"It was a great privilege to work with Joe and Darcy on their debut piece of filmmaking,which I think is a brilliant music video that stands tall next to the rest of the band's enviable canon of work," says Law. "Biscuit and alt-J have worked very successfully together in the past, and we were thrilled to build on that relationship with Hard Drive Gold. Newman-Wallace has a very bright filmmaking future, and we’re all very excited about what happens next.”

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David Knight - 7th Jan 2022

Tags

  • New Directors
  • Narrative
  • Pick of the Day
  • Alternative
  • Pole vault
  • Nuclear strike

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Credits

Production/Creative

Director
Newman-Wallace
Producer
Adam Farley
Production Company
Executive Producer
Andrew Law
Production Manager
Roma Nesi Pio
1st AD
George Nelson

Camera

Director of Photography
Krzysztof Trojnar
Focus Puller
Ian Coffey
2nd AC
William Crafts

Lighting/Grip

Gaffer
Lee Parfait
Key Grip
Alex Hudson

Art

Production designer
Shaun Fenn

Wardrobe

Stylist
Natalie Roar
Hair & Make-up
Maya Man

Editorial

Editor
Lucy Berry
Editing company
Final Cut

VFX

Post production company
Rascal Post

Misc

Head Of Production
Samantha Chitty
Location Manager
Titus Penate
2nd AD
Sam Barnham

Other credits

PA

Dalia Saeed

Runners

Bertie Newman, Finlay McCoy

Work experience

Jessie Griffiths

Grip

Michael Farrell

Tech operator

Dan Lobos-Pires

Remote head/jib assist

Drew Tate

Crane tech

Marcus Pavett

Tracking driver

Charlie Roberton

DIT

Arthur Graham-Maw

Playback

Louis Vella, Chaz Northam

Video playback work experience

Raphael Balogun

Sparks

Joshua Loudon, Kevin Roberts, Grant Campbell, Sen Flude

Assistant Art Director

Samuel Moriarty

Buyer/stylist

Edward Kay

Props assistant

Jake Parker

Props assistant work experience

Doug Keyes

Wardrobe assistant

Emmanouela Megkistou

HAIR & MAKE-UP ASSISTANT

Carly Roberts

MEDIC

Charlie Harrison

VFX SUPERVISOR

Markus Lundqvist

MINIBUS

John Tyler

CAMERA CAR DRIVER

Max Corjemiuk

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Billy Stanley

HEAD OF SECURITY

Darren

CATERING

Honey & Thyme

CONTACT

Skye

HIRED EQUIPMENT COMPANIES

Get Set Hire, Lee Lighting Services, Optical Support, DLP Media, Chapman UK, Gear Factor, Panavision

EDITOR ASSISTANT

Pete Kovacs

PRODUCER

Maggie McDermott

POST PRODUCTION

Rascal Post

POST PRODUCER

James Severn

David Knight - 7th Jan 2022

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