Rainy
Haunted by our digital personas
Directed by Erin Murray
Film director Erin Murray shares her insights into the exploration of the NPC internet trend and how it influenced the narrative of her latest music video for Dillon Francis ft. Rei Ami, Rainy. Hilarious, surreal and technically impressive, Murray integrates dance, animation and the energy and good vibes of American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster Bobby Lee.
We can all agree that there's something rather dystopian about the NPC internet trend. Is this a darkness you wanted to explore with Rainy? Can you share some insights into your creative approach and how you crafted a narrative addressing this aspect of internet culture?
I thought of this concept as Night of the Living Dead, but instead of being haunted by zombies, the characters are haunted by their digital personas. The NPC trend felt like a fun, of-the-moment doorway into this theme. I find the NPC trend more fascinating and bizarre than uniquely dystopian. It’s no different from any other internet performance except for one thing: NPC performers aren’t pretending to be authentic. That’s what I think makes people uncomfortable. The NPC trend is a blatant for-profit call and response without a mirage of authenticity.
How did you start collaborating with music artists Dillon Francis and Rei Ami? Tell us about the pitching process and how you directed them - there must have been some hilarious moments!
Dillon’s creative director, Clare Gillen, reached out to me. Right away, I was excited to play in Dillon and Rei’s world. The song’s lyrics sent my imagination in a cam-girl, live stream, NPC direction from the beginning. When we talked through my initial pitch, everyone was enthusiastic about NPCs, so I went deeper towards NPCs specifically.
In terms of directing performances, I tried to paint a clear picture in my pitch so that everyone understood the vision before even showing up to set. Obviously, Dillon, Bobby, and Rei are great performers who understood the assignment, so on the day, it was my job to be a good party host and let their magic unfold.
One of the most fun scenes to shoot was the live-action dance. We did long-ish takes of that scene that started choreographed before morphing into guided improv. The longer we let the situation play out, the more delicious and funny things got. It began with the three dancing in unison and evolved into Bobby and Dillon scissoring on the floor and Rei using Dillon’s foot as a microphone. The scissoring wasn’t in my treatment, but it was a beautiful surprise.
“The NPC trend is a blatant for-profit call and response without a mirage of authenticity”
The music video features American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster Bobby Lee. At what point did he get involved and was he immediately on board? What it was like working with him?
Clare mentioned working with Bobby from the beginning, so I wrote with him in mind. He officially came on board shortly after we sent him the concept, and I definitely did a little happy dance when I found out! Bobby Lee is a legend, and working with him is everything you can imagine and more. He had everyone laughing all day, he’s incredibly kind, and he doesn’t hold anything back in the best possible way. I’m eternally grateful that he agreed to run around LA with us.
As an ex-ballerina turned Director/Choreographer, your background in dance is evident in your work. Can you tell us about how you integrated choreography and movement into "Rainy"?
The NPC copy choreography was a collaboration between mocap performer Liv Mai, me, and animator/VFX artist Pete Puskas. I planned most of the formations in pre-pro since I wanted the shots to feel composed even though most of the choreography would be created in post. When it came to the actual movement of the copies, we used Move.ai to capture mocap data. Liv Mai, Pete, and I spent a day capturing tons of movements: strange walks, sensual dancing, Glizzy stuff, DJ movement, and general silly activities. The list goes on. Then Pete put his unique physics on some movements, leading to what you see in the video.
“It began with the three dancing in unison and evolved into Bobby and Dillon scissoring on the floor and Rei using Dillon’s foot as a microphone”
The narrative takes a surreal turn with 3D scans of the characters intruding into the real world. For these animations, you worked with Pete Puskas. What are some valuable learnings for the next time you want to work with animation?
My collaborations with Pete have been so smooth sailing that it’s difficult to pinpoint a big lesson. With animation, the possibilities feel endless, but it takes time. I advise anyone working with an animator for the first time to collaborate with people you respect who are passionate about what you’re creating together. Be prepared, communicate from pre-pro, and don’t be stingy with the post-timeline.
What are you working on next?
I’m directing a commercial in January, and I have a narrative short film on the way.
Starring - Bobby Lee, Dillon Francis, Rei Ami
Writer/Director - Erin Murray
Creative Director - Clare Gillen
Production Co. - Florence
Producer - Brittany Chiodo
Animator - Pete Puskas
Cinematographer - Sean Conaty
Mocap Performer - Liv Mai
1st AC - Joseph Canon
Gaffer - Gabe Sandoval
Sound Recordist - Tyler Lydell
Editors - Dan Carr & Erin Murray
Colorist - David Torcivia
Sound Design - Matthew Dunaway
Set PA - Hayden Grissom