Erik Brunetti: Behind The Doctrine | Hypebeast

There’s no doubt that there has been a fundamental change in how content is perceived and consumed with sites like our own incorporated into the equation. It does seem as though many rest on their laurels and simply coast by without much in the form of innovation as any conceptual changes occur only in small baby steps to minimize risk… When you speak of film’s importance in your life, what aspect of it do you find so fascinating? I know for me personally, the multi-dimensional aspect is something very interesting. Film and its multiple elements like sound, filming technique, lighting and motion make for something quite difficult to master.

That’s exactly it. The multiple dimensions that can be explored. As an artist, directing is the ultimate challenge, because you are dealing with so many facets at once. I also believe 50% of making the film great is the sound design.

How did you approach the planning and execution process of this first film project? Does it mirror your usual work-flow or was the inevitable learning curve something that sometimes altered your original plans?

I imagine and see the entire shot in my head, literally. The colors, movement, type of room, sound, everything. A week prior to filming, I photograph the room or location(s) and go over it with my DP. In this particular clip, I wanted to capture the light at a magic hour. I try to photograph it exactly how I see it it in my head, sometimes that means waiting for the light to appear properly. I wanted very yellow hues, to create a presence of very warm temperatures. The sound of the beer being cracked open supplies the viewer with more feeling and a relief pertaining to the temperature of the environment.

I wanted the viewer to immediately know the city was Los Angeles the moment the clip begins. Los Angeles has a very particular look. The apartment I shot it in was an older L.A. apartment building with the cream stucco type walls, iron-gated patio entrances. When I first arrived in Los Angeles in 1988, the first thing I noticed were all the homes and apartments with iron bars over the windows and doors. Seeing those details in the clip creates a presence of danger, it also subliminally insinuates a feeling of being trapped.