LBB Film Club: Leaning into Your Palms
Representing his first endeavour into the music video sphere, Canadian director David Findlay recently released the film for ‘Leaning into Your Palms’, a song by professional skateboarder Austyn Gillette (who moonlights as a musician).
A visually-striking affair, the six-minute film tells the story of a sibling relationship (depicted by Austyn and Agathe Rousselle of the Cannes Palme d'Or winning 'Titane'), which snapshots key moments in their relationship throughout the years. From childhood misbehaviours and annoyances in the car to stolen hugs from behind, it’s beautiful, sentimental, and culminates in a gorgeous tracking shot which highlights silhouettes of the very best moments, juxtaposed with the backdrop of a warehouse docking area.
To learn more about how this came to life, and what it took to write and direct this project, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with David for a chat.
LBB> Starting from the top, how did you get involved in this project and working with Austyn Gillette, and what immediate ideas came to mind?
David> I knew of Austyn as a successful pro skateboarder for a long time, but a few years ago, I discovered his music and really connected with it. So, about one year ago, I emailed him and we began a correspondence, looking for a way of collaborating. After some back and forth, he sent me the demo to 'Leaning into Your Palms'. That was very exciting! I knew instantly there was something special to be done. The first images that came to my mind were of fragments of memories messily scattered in an industrial environment… That was the very start.
LBB> How did you approach writing around music? And what made the story of siblings the story you wanted to tell?
David> After receiving the song, we hopped on a few long phone calls and discussed where the song came from for him, as well as how I felt listening to it. These were very rich conversations I look back on fondly. Austyn had an openness about him and I could just tell our sensibilities were congruent. Interestingly, that's almost always been my experience meeting or working with people whose music I deeply connect with. In a strange way, it's as if I know them already.
Anyway, I went away for a few weeks and wrote a treatment, with pretty much full carte blanche from Austyn. I knew the song should be about a relationship, and I wanted to depict it from a perfectly equal and balanced perspective, in every way, shape and form. That's where the idea for the mirror shot emerged. But, I felt romantic relationships are so difficult to depict successfully in such a short amount of time. Somewhere along the way, it all came together when I figured these two should be siblings. There is a sweetness there that I thought worked well and supported the song's more sombre notes. Certainly, somehow, that is drawn from my own life, but then at the same time, it’s very far removed from my own experience - just something that I, as the characters in the video, could imagine and feel very vividly. Austyn told me he loved it. I was actually quite shocked (and happy of course) when he told me he had no notes and was all in.
LBB> In many ways, this film captures a series of moments, juxtaposing them with views from each sibling. What does this represent to you? And why was exploring moments in time so important to both the song, and the story?
David> This being my first music video, I felt a great sense of freedom in not having to telegraph the narrative to the viewer; the song and the emotions could carry much of weight. I wanted to remain within a certain aesthetic I had been developing, while pushing it into a more surreal space. I was also hyper aware of the context in which the piece would be viewed: on laptops, and on phones, which meant if a viewer felt compelled to re-watch to further glean narrative elements from the tale, they easily could rewatch right away if desired.
As far as the juxtaposition, I was simply compelled to frame these moments of dropping into one another's lives - past, present and (possible) future - perhaps because that is a wish of mine.
LBB> And how did you approach developing the characters, using minimal dialogue and focusing only on visual depictions of them and their actions?
David> I wrote this over about one week, going to one café every morning (without my phone!) and just listening to the song and similar music - letting my imagination and emotions guide me. For the first time, I was really timing out scenes to a piece of music which was challenging but in all the right ways. I'm always interested in magnifying small moments and getting to the core of what they represent. Once juxtaposed, they can speak such volumes in how a character or a relationship is depicted, and how meaningful it is to the characters involved. I guess I've never articulated this in this way, but that's how I approach most things!
LBB> From there, what was the casting process like? What were you looking for, and what made your cast the right people for the task?
David> Casting, to me, is everything. I knew Austyn would play Austyn, but I didn't know who would play his sister. While Austyn had never acted, I just had a strong sense that he could do it, and I think I was right. But, I knew I should cast someone with great charisma who commands your whole attention for his sister.
Like everyone, I saw Agathe Rousselle in ‘Titane’, and knew she was special. We had a nice Zoom call where we talked a lot about music and found our sensibilities and tastes were closely aligned. Then she mentioned the music video for Alex Cameron's ‘Stranger's Kiss’, directed by Jemima Kirke, as one of her favourites. And that's when I knew our minds were in the same place. She was game, ready to jump on a plane to Vancouver from Paris, and it was on!
LBB> How was the shoot itself? Where did you film, how long did it take, and do you have any anecdotes from on set?
David> This was a ‘friend and favours’ endeavour, no doubt about it. And when that's the case, that means that in lieu of resources, you need time. So, I flew to Vancouver on April 15th, a bit more than a month before our targeted shoot dates. The DP, Jeremy Cox, and I spent so much time scouting and meticulously planning. That was a lot of fun!
Besides that, a lot of energy, of course, had to go toward convincing people - convincing crew to jump on, convincing people of locations, convincing cast, etc. It's all a bit exhausting, but also, is in fact a part of it I like. I enjoy assembling and cherry picking a perfect, compatible crew and cast!
We had to push the shoot a little bit once or twice. So, all in all, it was six-weeks of full on prep time and a three-day shoot, plus what I have now infamously dubbed a cheeky ‘Day zero’ and stealing the airport shot early on the morning of equipment returns.
LBB> Speaking of equipment, what gear did you shoot with, and why? Also, what inspired you to use the final aspect ratio you chose?
David> We shot on an Arri 435 with Zeiss Master Prime anamorphic lenses on 35mm (250d and 500t).
As far as aspect ratio, those first few images I mentioned that initially came to my mind were anamorphic, wide screen. However, what you see is a format I had never actually shot in, and was curious to try it out. Like with everything I do, I try to capture naturalistic performances through a very filmic lens, and this was a bit of an experiment for me. And I'm thrilled with the result!
LBB> Perhaps the best shot of the film is the beautiful tracking sequence showcasing all these moments of the siblings together. How did this come together?
David> That took a lot of preparation. We sent out casting notices all over Vancouver for a long time and reached out to close friends as well to see if they were keen to come out and participate in this thing. Very generously, a lot of people showed up!
We had to be meticulous with the speed of it, how long it lasted, and so on, so that it would perfectly fit in the song's finale. So again, it was a matter of finding the perfect location, and once we had it, a question of rehearsing as best we could in advance. It was indeed all done in camera, with a stabilised head mounted to the front of a pickup truck.
On the day, I think we shot six or so takes. With the help of my 1st AD, Brock Newman, and the entire team, we would review takes on the monitor and jot down precise notes to give to each performer, as well as how to choreograph and time the whole thing. It was a real team effort, but the hero here is Jeremy Cox, who, on top of framing and coordinating, mounted all these lights, assisted by his team, to create the beautiful silhouette effect.
LBB> Tell us about the ending of the film! Why did you choose to leave it there, and what does it represent, in your eyes?
David> To me, the shot of Austyn waiting at the airport is the counterpart ot Agathe's in the train - both sort of acting as bookends. Both are in transit, which to me is always such a contemplative time. In a way, it's an invitation, I suppose, for the viewer to sort of wind down and add the pieces together before the credits roll.
LBB> What was the editing process like? How did you create such strong visual juxtaposition, combining music, sound and colour to create a final product?
David> In my past few films, quite a lot happens in the edit. I make discoveries while editing, but also usually shoot a bit more than I need to because in a way, I know that, for example, out of eight scenes I shoot not all of them will be home runs - that's just the truth. So, I'll write more and shoot more than what I need, never quite knowing which are the scenes that will turn out amazing and which ones less so.
With this one, it was a very different approach for me. I had very precisely pre-edited the scenes to the timing of the music, which made me a little nervous, to be honest. Most of it worked very well, but like with everything, some re-thinking of the order of certain scenes needed to happen once in the editing room. That's where editor Emma Backman came in and did such amazing work. But in terms of story, I'd say we stayed quite true to the original intent.
LBB> Finally, what is your favourite shot from the film, and why?
David> The two most complex shots to get were the shot through the mirror and the long dolly. I love both equally, actually!
