There's more to Matt Aveiro than meets the ear. Besides drumming for Long Beach band Cold War Kids, he's also an auteur. He debuted his independent short film Jen In The Painting last year, and is now trying his hand at music video direction. Fellow LBC rockers, We Barbarians asked him to helm the video for their song, “There's This There's That.” He responded with an artful effort that fits the song's vibe to coincide with We Barbarians' residency at Spaceland this June.
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We Barbarians / There's This There's That from Vern Moen on Vimeo.
Matt Aveiro: I met Dave, Nate and Derek through the guys in my band. They knew them for some time before Cold War Kids began. Apart from doing a few tours with us (which they both worked and played), I didn't know much about them. Since they live around the corner, I think it was mainly a relationship of convenience.
What inspired you to help with this project? Aren't you busy enough with your own band?
Nate mentioned the idea of me writing a treatment for, “There's This There's That,” over a few beers one night. I proposed one to him by the end of the week. We were all really excited about it. The video came together relatively quickly and painlessly. I had both the time and the enthusiasm to make it without it interfering with prior obligations.
What was your process of making the video?
The process began with the search for ideas. I think about what feelings the song should evoke and how to communicate those feelings in the video. Once I had an idea of what the video should look like, I wrangled a few talented friends to make it happen. Obviously, I couldn't do it on my own.
Where did the concept originate and how does it tie in with their song?
We Barbarians had a very clear aesthetic, which made the brainstorming process focused and the presentation of ideas a bit intimidating. In my search for what felt like their band, I came across a scene from Tarkovsky's, “The Mirror,” and was inspired by what I saw. Then, I constructed a scene that incorporated a few shots that I thought would work perfectly with their song. The day of the shoot, the idea for the live footage was collaborated with the cinematographer John Raines. We experimented with the lights and camera movement. The connection between the video and the lyrics were loose. I was more concerned about the relationship between the feel and emotions of the video and the song together.
Are you planning on filming another video with We Barbarians or any other band?
I will humbly consider offers.
In the video, the band shots are in color, but everything with the female lead in the house is in black and white. What was behind this artistic decision?
Nearly all the set pieces that are focused on in the video are white: the vanity, bed, clothing and falling debris. Black and white captures their striking appearance while creating the decrepit and squalid feel I was aiming to convey.
How long did it take to make this video? Did you edit at all?
The set took a couple of nights to film. We constructed the area the morning of the shoot. After it was completed, we shot for about twelve hours. John spent a long time editing, but he couldn't really go into too much detail because I was vacationing in New York. We went back and forth with notes for a little less than a week.
Have you/will you direct any videos for Cold War Kids?
It was somewhat a “Dune” situation last time I tried.
Check out Aviero's trailer for Jen In The Painting.
Jen in the Painting Trailer from Vern Moen on Vimeo.
