When he was working on his short film The Arachnafist, senior MFA film student Matt Brunson didn’t expect to spark a business relationship with one of the bands featured on the soundtrack.
While he and the other filmmakers were licensing songs for the film, they got in contact with the band Akron/Family to secure rights to one of its older songs, “There’s So Many Colors.”
In order for Brunson to get the rights to the song, the band had to watch the clip of the film with the song included and approve it. After it saw the clip, Akron/Family suggested that it would waive its fee if Brunson and his fellow filmmakers made a music video for the band.
“And, you know, hell yeah. A job,” Brunson said. “Of course we’d make a music video.”
They made a spec video for the band, and while the musicians “dug the idea,” Brunson didn’t hear back from them for some time.
Although Brunson assumed their working relationship was done, it turned out that the band had gone to live on the side of an active volcano in Japan to write its newest album.
Then, while editing his short film Swim, Brunson received an email from Seth Olinsky, a member of the band, about the new album, Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT. Olinskey explained that the band was reaching out to have people make some low-budget music videos for the album.
The band specifically wanted the filmmakers to make a music video for its first single on the album, “Silly Bears,” and wanted them to “pack it with just general awesomeness and fantastical wonder,” Brunson said.
The video went on to become a finalist for the Sprockets Music Video Competition, won Best Video at the Hell’s Kitchen Film Festival and was featured Feb. 3 on the show 120 Minutes on MTV.
“It certainly has helped me realize the music video form is a huge part of how I approach making a movie,” Brunson said. “And it’s one of the few places you can regularly see exciting visual techniques. I plan to make as many music videos as I can.”
Along with the success of the video for “Silly Bears,” Swim has also gained strong praise. It has been showcased at the Anchorage International Film Festival, Ohio Independent Film Festival, Athens Film and Video Festival, Illinois Independent Film Festival, Long Island Film Expo, and the Columbus International Film and Video Fest.
Because of the music video’s popularity, Brunson was able to work with the Nelsonville Music Festival last year to create promotional materials. On Feb. 15, a promo he created announcing this year’s band will be released.
Additionally, Brunson and the other filmmakers made a documentary about the festival, which will be screened later this year.
“I very much want to continue making cool weird little short pieces — advertisements, films and especially music videos,” Brunson said. “I know there are lots of bands out there in Athens and beyond.”
wa054010@ohiou.edu
