Adolescents - 2011
by Incubus (Watch it now)

Directed by: Andrew Deerin
Photography by: Brantley Gutierrez



The song is about this interesting
paradox of knowing the truth
and yet not grasping it in
a practical sense,
and as the chorus states, things we
don´t see often are things
we don´t think of often…

The idea of developing this concept into a ‘shadow-play’ type of visual effect fits perfectly the depth of the statements of the lyrics but also illustrates quite well the feelings intrinsic in the song.

It was recorded in a huge studio having a massive edgeless* white background whereon to project the shadows of the band members, produced by a moving, and quite big, spot light.

Due to the position of the musicians in the studio (a bit far from the walls and closer to the source of light) the resulting shadows possessed about twice their original size adding that impressive distorted look to it.

The camera then enhanced those motions by being moved at the same time as the spot light but in the opposite direction, capturing the ‘shadow play’ on the wall through unique angles and still adding some other functions to the hard light other than it could otherwise have if it where only being captured from one steady spot.

A shadow is overall a projection of what is being seen clearly. And just as the song states, perhaps ‘knowing’ isn´t enough; perhaps for every ‘daylight’ understanding, there´s always a bigger moving shadow attached to it, without us being aware of it at first.

(Watch it now)

Zabriskie Point -1970 by Michelangelo Antonioni. For us it all began with the exposition, as one following Colombo closely in his first beholding of the Indians... Who´s their leader? What god do they serve? The camera forgets it´s nature and purpose, it is at first a magnifying glass, feeding the curiosity of an inquirer. Perhaps because Antonioni isn´t a part of the context, geographically speaking, he assumes this perspective of a scientist examining patterns at first, dividing the characters into smaller and smaller units to finally figure out who and what they are. The discourse is so fantastic and carefully developed that evidentiates contradictions of calling upon the revolutionary leaders from the past [and/or their philosophies] to guide a widely dissonant cause. The racial issue of late 60´s could indeed inspire a revolution but why would the whites fight for? What flag would they hold? Zabriskie point is in deed a document of the bursting desire for change of a generation that at first had no common ideals, no real bounds other than the sudden awareness of the whole, cemented by the the debut in adulthood, as shocking and crude as being awakened by a glass of could water. The picture is then suffocated by the crude exposition of brands, carved and tagged in every free space of civilization. It´s all owned, all dictated and maybe our heroes sensed that since they, during the whole picture, exemplify the antithesis of such notions... It´s clear that Antonioni wanted to single out the two main characters, and then, not as a scientist would do but as a poet. Mark is an ordinary guy living under the effects of the great mental/economic/emo- tional changes of the time. No one really understood those days, the only clear thing about it all is that for the first time in modern history 'fathers' weren´t taken seriously by their kids, they no longer gave the cards. Love is what matters, 'society is something for our parents', our place is in the wild, there where we are free, there where we are connected again to the real meaning of things: the complete lack of meaning [as in predetermined purpose] the enjoyment of the moment, freedom from thought and rules of society as our parents sustained it. Such is the power of Antonioni´s film, for it captures in his unique, well known sensitivity the essence of the contra cultural movements of that foreign (to him at least) youth. The Zabriskie point: The state of California evolved as it is, also houses part of the prettiest landscapes in the world. It´s wild life [or wild death (to play with the dialogue of the film)] is as impressive as it is abundant. It´s not by chance that the picture was named the way it is. At the top of the funeral mountains in death Valley California lies the best spot for glimpsing the whole valley, whereon an elevated overlook has being built for this very purpose, and bears the name of|Zabriskie Point. It´s there that we find reason. There where death rests, the characters discovered their own lives, and more: they´ve again subverted another previously determined concept, for where death commonly acceptably rested they´ve forged life. This subversion is (over the whole film) discussed, first in the 'hello/good bye' telephone scene, and ending with the repainting of the plane. Antonioni´s timing is peculiar, his placing of the characters in the space is to say the least: impressive. Possessing such skills the picture invites us from it´s very title to observe from different stand points, the roots and reasons of the accomplishments of that particular generation. So the film ends with the complete break with society as we knew it. We are shown the crudeness society offers, it seems us like it can´t handle spontaneity any more, and what was a youthful joke ends up in tragedy... The whole plot is then formed, there´s only one thing to be done now, the only solution is the complete bursting of all previous forms of thinking all previous manners and philosophies, and in deed they explode, steadily and harmonically. Breaking free from every form of restrainment, a violent and yet necessary reset of thoughts that not by chance happens in the mind of a woman.