Gettin’ ‘WITCHY’ With Bethany Vargas, Kaytranada and Childish Gambino
You’ll be hard pressed to find a more exciting electronic artist than Kaytranada. Currently touring North America, the Canadian music producer and DJ is an undisputed party starter famous for crafting bass-heavy beats and melodies that melt in the mouth.
Expertly blending hip hop, R&B, dance, and house with finesse, Kaytranada rose to prominence for consistently delivering unique and eclectic soundscapes. His latest creative venture TIMELESS is his third studio album, and was released earlier this summer. With features from Tinashe, PinkPantheress, Channel Tres, and Thundercat, the 21-track album encapsulates his wide-ranging talents, playing through perfectly from start to finish.
The most popular collaboration from the new record is ‘WITCHY' - which has racked up nearly 23 million plays at the time of writing - featuring bonafide polymath Donald Glover a.k.a. Childish Gambino. The coming together of these two powerhouse performers marks one of the most iconic cultural collabs of the year, and Bethany Vargas was thrilled to have the opportunity to craft a show-stopping visual representation of this seminal partnership. LBB's April Summers got in touch with the filmmaker to find out all about the creative inspiration behind this captivating visual project.
LBB> You shot all the visualisers for Kaytranada’s TIMELESS project which must have been super creatively stimulating. So tell me, had you worked with Kaytranada before? And what was the initial brief for the visual element of the album?
Bethany> TIMELESS was the first project I did with Kaytranada, and they were really open to ideas. I wanted to play off the album’s name, so I explored the idea of a time loop in the same space. That’s why we used two identical doors, spinning clock hands, and mirrored moments – to reflect that motif. We had a lot of fun with all the diverse actions and guest talent that came to set to shoot the visualisers!
LBB> 'Kaytrabino' is an iconic pairing as both artists being hugely influential in their own ways. How did you incorporate each of their unique visual, musical and cultural identities in this project? And what were your initial ideas upon first hearing the track?
Bethany> Absolutely, it’s an iconic collaboration! When I first heard the song, I loved it! Kay's music always makes you want to move, so I knew we had to include some dance elements. Donald Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino) is a fantastic dancer, and I have always been a fan of his iconic dance projects, so I wanted to weave that into the project, creating special moments with Kay along the way. I was so excited when I found out they were down to learn choreography! Kay and his team gave me free rein in the creative process and I was super grateful to be able to play around and build this world from scratch.
LBB> The choreography in this video lends itself to the overall narrative in a really effective way. How much of it was choreographed and rehearsed, and how much of it is Childish Gambino just being Childish Gambino?
Bethany> We had the pleasure of working with the incredible choreographer Shay Latukolan, who shared some ideas based on the treatment. Donald and Kay picked up the choreography the day of – true performers! They definitely added their own groove to it.
LBB> The outfits in the video are giving! In what ways did the story behind the music video influence the styling?
Bethany> The concept was set in a slightly worn-down interrogation room, giving it a gritty feel. Kay’s stylist, Von, absolutely nailed it by choosing classic, timeless pieces for the guys, making them look like chic FBI agents. It was the perfect match for the vibe. For the rest of the talent, I wanted a sleek, editorial look with glam and styling.
LBB> Do you have a favourite moment from the video?
Bethany> Ooo I have a few favourite moments! I think the ending might be my favourite, as well as the choreography between Donald and our ‘WITCHY’ girl! Watching them perform that choreography was so captivating and exciting. I’m also obsessed with Jazelle’s character: the girl with the feathered hair and fire nail. Her movements are so creature-like, and her whole look is so striking to me!
LBB> The final shot is definitely striking, as it seamlessly weaves together the video's imagery and leaves the viewer with an eerie sense of intrigue. Could you share your approach to executing this final shot and the lasting impression you aimed to create?
Bethany> It’s so cool to see this final shot come together! It was a last-minute idea I came up with, and I quickly mocked it up in Photoshop. At the time, I had no idea how we were going to pull it off, but the whole team was on board and ready to make it happen! It was a time consuming shot but so worth it. My DP, Andrea Gavazzi, and VFX supervisor, Yuriy Karikh, pulled that shot together. Conceptually, it tied in with the themes of timelessness, the shifts in space and time, and the feeling of duplication. That’s why the rooms feel so infinite.
LBB> And finally, what did you set out to achieve at the beginning of this project and do you feel you pulled it off?
Bethany> The entire team was incredibly open and supportive of the concept and ideas, which made the creative process feel so rewarding. There was a feeling on set that we were creating something special and I think that really comes across in the final film.
