STRESS FREE / music video
The artist (Baraka the Kid) finds himself at a lavish party surrounded by glamorous guests. They hardly move; every action is precise. However, their seeming perfection begins to unravel as we look closer. As the party progresses, their facade of perfection begins to crumble, and their greed and lust begin to overwhelm them. Baraka watches them unravel before his eyes, eventually choosing to walk away from it all. Trying to fit in with these people is not being true to his values. A song about trying to navigate a complex world of fame and ambition while trying to stay true to oneself and showing gratitude and humility for where you came from.
CREDITS
Artist: Baraka the Kid
Featured Artist: Kap Size
Director: Louise Birgan
Production and Costume Designer: Mia MacComick
Producer: Ali Peck
Director of Photography: Matt Bedford
Editor: Joel Loxton, Sarah Hadley
1st Assistant Director: Dion Carrothers
1st Camera Assistant: Rebekha Hawkley
Hair & Makeup Artist: Ebony Smith
Colour Grading: Antonio Centonze
Lighting Theatre: Harry Smyth
2nd assistant: Will Besley
Gaffer: Dominic Taffa
Stedicam: Dan Meldrum
Costume Store: Robin Monkhouse
Playback: Nathan Taylor
Art dept Assistant: Amelie Araya
Art dept Assistant: Ella Wilkinson
Catering unit: Liza Zhou
Assistant Makeup: Jemima Dredge, Anna Wearden and Arielle Robinson
Runner: Guiliana Boyiokas
Produced by the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and Triple J
CAST
Will Thomas
Sage Kikuri
Lily MacNevin
Grace Manta
Aaman Warraich
Naomi Gomez
James Nicholls
Laila Chesterman
One of the earlier concepts that Louise and I landed on was the idea of an underwater party. Baraka can't swim, so something was interesting about him being at a party, surrounded by people who are so vile in all their excess and debauchery that he would rather jump in a pool than spend a minute longer with them.
The idea was partially inspired by this art installation of a fake pool by Leandro Erlich. We were both excited by the shot opportunities it would offer and the strange, warped perspectives it could give. We would have loved to have shot it; however, due to time and budget constraint,s it didn't end up happening. Were we landed with the dinner party, was the safer option, however, it allowed for a high-quality production design.
The pool party rhino work and the story board are both from the pool phase, not the final idea.
