The Martin Agency created a music video for J. Roddy Walston and the Business’ song “Same Days,” directing, producing, editing and even building the set all in-house. The clip was directed by The Martin Agency creative directors, Brig White and Evan Parsons, and was produced and edited in the shop’s in-house facilities HUE&CRY and Running with Scissors. It features an endless loop of intertwined characters whose actions seem mundane at first, but quickly become stranger as the song goes on.

The song “Same Days” explores human experience in all it’s weirdness.  The film shows an intertwined group of characters and their seemingly monotonous lives. As the characters and scenes connect in unexpected ways, we realize that there is no such thing as a mundane life. There are no same days.

White related, “We believe the line between agencies and production companies is blurring–that the modern agency has to be as good at making as it is at concepting. So we’re experimenting.”

The first experiment was to take two creative directors without any directing experience–White and Parsons–and have them direct. “The budget was tight so it wasn’t a typical directing role,” shared White. Sets were built in his living room, friends and family were in the cast.

One of The Martin Agency’s producers, Heather Tanton, had been wanting to make a music video for a while and is also friends with Rod, the main singer of J. Roddy Walston and the Business. The band recently released their album Essential Tremors so the timing was perfect. Tanton brought the idea to White and Parsons who fleshed out an idea.

The video was done from start to finish in house at The Martin Agency. The project entailed a 17-person crew, and four days of shooting in and around Richmond, Va.  There were 15 actors, two sets built from scratch, and assorted wardrobe and art department development and changes.

Credits

Client J. Roddy Walston and the Business/ATO Records Agency The Martin Agency Joe Alexander, chief creative officer; Steve Humble, head of production. Production HUE&CRY Brig White, Evan Parsons, directors; Harris Mendheim, DP; Scott Friske, executive producer; Heather Tanton, producer; Maggie Shifflett, production coordinator; Andrew Campbell, 1st AD; Eric Goebel, 1st AC; Chris Thompson, gaffer; Gordon Gregory, set photography. Editorial/VFX Running With Scissors Mark Myers, editor; Scott Friske, exec producer. Ashby Wratchford, Chris Hagen, Flame. Animation HUE&CRY Magnus Hierta, managing creative director; Evan Parsons, associate creative director/VFX supervisor; Matt Deans, Jason Quarles, animators; Scott Friske, exec producer; Brian Creech, head of production. Post Company 3 Tim Masick, colorist; Rochelle Brown, producer.

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