The Band Explains: Set For The Sky - 'Left Behind' (Video)
Where was the video filmed?
The video was filmed at a few different locations around Stellenbosch and Strand, a few kilometres outside of Cape Town, at an old working woodmill and a forest next to Strand beach next to an old explosives factory which is now out of commission.
How does the video compliment the song?
The video compliments the song quite well by its setting being in the fictional world of 'The Machine', a world in which freedom is not easily something one would come by unless you can escape the reach of The Machine, which is exactly what the video depicts a young woman trying to do. Each song in the album is part of a narrative story about this world.
Any behind the scenes stories?
Plenty of unexpected things happened and went wrong during this shoot that took 36 hours straight with no sleep! Of these the biggest obstacles we had to overcome were finding new shooting locations on the day as the original sites had either been double booked by large film studios or rained out by the weather, making it impossible to reach the site due to mud. We also had to find a replacement actor on the day due to an emergency!
Tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
We went for a cold feel in this video as well as contrasting dark against light in a way that draws you in on focal points. So many South African made music videos look terribly budget and seem to focus on the wrong things (like the lead guitarist’s ear for example). We did all we could to make it look top quality and I believe we succeeded with our tiny budget. Other imagery and ideas we experimented with were slow super motion in a way that attracts you but not boldly enough that it distracts. Brett Rayner did a very good job in achieving this.
What is the message the video is trying to convey?
There are many ideas and messages in the video ranging from betrayal and drug abuse to the sometimes seemingly hopeless pursuit of happiness, but most of all it is a story with good looking people, awesome home-made masks and a story with some twists finishing with a cliff-hanger.
Interview Feature by Karla Harris