The Brother Fox – “Man of Steel”

The boys of Guy Manly Movies are at it again!  The group of Emerson and Suffolk graduates, known for their work with Jukebox the Ghost, Lannen Fall and Secret Destroyer is releasing a new music video for one-man sensation Brother Fox’s first single, “Man of Steel”!

Matt Thompson, director of the clip, first met Dan Kennedy (aka The Brother Fox) via a confounding series of mutual friends who hooked Kennedy up with Thompson’s business card.  Thompson was in need of a DP, and Dan happened to be a talented one, so they wound up working together on a music video project for Massachusetts band AMTransit.  The two filmmakers hit it off, and eventually Kennedy let it slip that he was a musician and maybe looking to make a music video of his own.  After hearing the two songs that Kennedy sent him as possible video candidates, Thompson was immediately excited about “Man of Steel”.  The song is dark and dynamic, dealing with a robot who longs to be a man.  Thompson saw endless thematic possibilities in the nuances of the lyrics before him, and asked Kennedy what he thought about the layered meanings of the song.  Kennedy was bewildered.  “I don’t know, dude,” he laughed, “It’s just about a robot.”

I’m glad Thompson saw what he did in the song.  The video is simple but crushing.  It is the story of a man struggling with an idea, then a plan, then a project and finally a creation, all told in one extended tracking shot.  Thompson got lucky finding the location, a building awaiting renovations whose owners were kind enough to lend it to the film crew for free for a day.  However, that luck was hobbled by some unfortunate timing.  The morning of the shoot, after the crew had spent all night finessing the set dressings, Thompson received a call from Kennedy.  He had thrown out his back, could not move and was going to the ER.  Desperate to make the most of such a fortuitous location and willing crew, Thompson begged Kennedy to power through the shoot.  “I’m pretty sure he hated me,” chuckles Thompson, “He still might.”  Still, Kennedy showed up, woozy and disoriented from the painkillers he was relying on to get through the shoot.

Such a leading actor made for an interesting shoot, but Thompson is convinced the injury worked out as an advantage in the end. Kennedy goes through the shoot with the intensity of a man trying his hardest to work through some serious pain, a grimace that makes the emotion of the song even more real.  I have to say, knowing the story, I can’t imagine it was a pleasant experience for Kennedy, but with results like this video, it’s clear to see that the perseverance paid off.

Or see it here in HD!

Matthew Thompson | Director

Fabian Perez | DP

Guy Manly Movies | Production Co

The Brother Fox’s album, Eventual Exit is also available on iTunes!

ANY CHARACTER HERE

BONUS VIDEO
Guy Manly Movies is also excited to share with fans and readers a behind-the-scenes video for the making of “Man of Steel”!  It’s an awesome glimpse into the kind of chaos that a film set is, and all the hard work it takes leading up to the shoot.  It’s password-protected for friends-only viewing, so enter the password “friends” to view!

Updates – A Partner in Crime, and Mucho Director Profiles Coming Up

It’s been a busy week and I haven’t been able to update at all. My apologies to my handful of readers out there, and updates on what’s been going on:

First, a quick shout out. In my trips to scour the internet for info on what’s doing in Boston music video-wise, I’ve come across few sites that have been as helpful to me and just plain interesting in general than Boston Band Crush. Co-founder and current publisher Ashley Willard and her fearless band of contributors continue to provide the Boston scene with a great spot to check in for music news, and every now and then they cover music video shoots and releases, which has been great for me. They definitely deserve a click over, and if you are make music, this site is essential for getting the word out about your albums or shows.

Secondly, this week has been wild for me. I have been privileged enough to have met with two of Boston’s great independent music video directors, Michael Gill of Circumvision and Matthew Thompson of Guy Manly Movies. They both have done a lot of work in Boston and have been big contributors to our local video scene, so it’s a lot of info to process and structure into readable articles. I promise promise promise that I will have those profiles up as soon as they’re up to snuff. In the meantime, peruse their sites and check out their awesome work!

Thanks for your continued readership, all, and don’t forget, I want to hear from you!