We Know Who You Are
When rising success uncovers haunting secrets
Directed by Ryan Renshaw
In the electrifying short fashion film We Know Who You Are, directed by Ryan Renshaw, four talented female quadruplets form a rock band, but as their success skyrockets, they uncover shocking secrets that threaten to unravel their sisterhood. Inspired by a true story, this film delves into the power of stage body language, with Josie Weise brilliantly performing as each band member, crafting unique characters through her dynamic movements. Renshaw, aiming to redefine the Screendance genre, collaborates with his creative team at KIOSK to weave a captivating narrative that challenges viewers’ expectations, emphasising artistic freedom and innovation throughout the filmmaking process.
Over the past five years you have directed much of your attention to Screendance. Can you elaborate on some of the challenges and considerations involved in directing Screendance, particularly in a videos like We Know Who You Are? How did you approach blending the choreography with story-telling elements so effectively?
During the years that I made music clips, I’d long had the thought that it would be fun to try and shoot a traditional studio-based band video using the same person playing every instrument. I had also had thoughts about how, at a gig or festival, even if you are positioned right at the back, you can still clearly read the body language of the musician in the band on stage and manage to form a firm judgement about what they might be ‘like’. So this concept of stage body language became the brief to Josie Weise who performs in the film - to create unique characters for each instrumentalist that could be read through her body. And that choreography is what makes up the first, obviously much more minimal part of the film and dance performance.
Ultimately I am filmmaker - not a dancer or choreographer and I don’t pretend for a moment to know anything about dance with any authority! My interest is in making films that subvert the genre of Screendance in some way - that hopefully make us re-think what dancing on film might look and feel like - and hopefully make watching somebody dance on screen something we can do for longer than 10 seconds in this post-instagram age! That is the real challenge for screendance I think. How can we truly engage an average viewer for an extended period of time and how can various filmic devices (perhaps not generally associated with screendance) be used within the context of human movement for this purpose?
The special effects in the film are striking, especially when the subject begins multiplying and we are overwhelmed with bold colours, vast movements, and distinct shapes. How did you envision and execute these effects to enhance the thematic elements of the film?
Believe it or not there was almost two years between shooting and finally finishing the film. In fact AI video was invented during that time and so couldn’t have been a part of my original imaginings - but I used this technology at the very end of the film to augment the scenes. To be honest I’m not much of a fan of having a ‘vision’ at the outset. I much prefer a bloody good plan and then a very open mind to take a film somewhere else if that what it seems to be asking to do.
Because these films are made for nothing else but for the sheer love of filmmaking it’s important at the end of the process that I feel like I have pushed myself as far as I can go. (Unlike advertising or music videos, if the final product is shit, well I have no-one else to blame but myself, right??!!) So I committed myself to cutting out over 2500 frames of video by hand which I did diligently (with some help from Noah, the best intern ever) over about 9 months of that period.
Josie Weise is both a performer as well as choreographer for the film. Can you share any insights with us about how this collaboration came about, and the different ways it influenced your overall vision?
I first worked with Josie Weise on a film called 'Still Life' created and choreographed by the amazing Jack Lister. In it Josie was just so good - but by this time she was living more than 1000 miles away from me when I contacted her about the idea. So we managed everything over email and phone prior to the shoot and she flew up for two days to film it. I wanted to embolden her by giving her ownership over the choreography and just brief her in broad brushstrokes. Not having a seperate choreographer was new to me and admittedly I very much lean heavily on the choreographer because they intuitively understand the movement and performance much more intimately than I ever could. So similarly I needed Josie to be able to watch herself back and correct issues that I wasn't capable of seeing.
“I’m a firm believer that sound has far greater potency than imagery because it operates on a subconscious level whilst the visuals distract you in a very conscious way.”
The sound design draws viewers into the story further whilst reflecting the protagonist's emotional journey. How did you work with Gablé on the music to create such an immersive audio experience that complements the visuals and choreography so well?
Every director approaches making a piece of film in their own unique way. My approach is always driven by music. For better or worse, making music videos has hard-wired me to use music as the starting point; the genesis of the idea. So where some directors of screendance might begin with a particular performer, or perhaps a style of choreography, or location, or particular conceptual idea - my starting point is always music. I find a piece of music that does something to me long before I think about what or who I might be interested in filming. I’m a firm believer that sound has far greater potency than imagery because it operates on a subconscious level whilst the visuals distract you in a very conscious way. It also has incredible power to put all the creative collaborators on exactly the same page.
Although I edited the song down somewhat, the structure of Gablé’s track is very much intact. I loved what it did all by itself, and made only the smallest off changes. Whilst some makers of screendance use music to inspire movement and choreography, I use it very much to inspire the core narrative, themes, ideas, editing, and even how the camera is directed.
Can you discuss the significance of working with Bulley Bulley for the fashion featured in the film and how this bold and expressive styling contributes to the visual language?
Collaboration is at the core of the KIOSK ethos. We try to use those crew in creative roles (DOP, choreographer, composer, dancer, editor, prod designer etc) as genuine collaborators who are permitted have an ownership over the creative process and product - and are not simply directed to a pre-ordained vision. So apart from being told the general premise of the film, the team at Bulley Bulley were given free rein to do as they pleased. I love it when I see creative people being allowed to simply do what they are good at, and not micro-managed through a process. There is a balance to be found in this approach of course, but guiding big picture stuff rather than dictating the details is always my preference.
What is it about directing Screendance that draws you in and what can we expect next from you?
Screendance is one of cinema’s oldest genres, but in my mind perhaps the least explored by filmmakers. Personally I am loving exploring humour and absurdity and this will keep me occupied for the very unforeseeable future!
Ryan Renshaw: Director
Happy Ending, Bubblegum, Sapient, Warped Observance, Still Life
Tilly Towler: Producer
Josie Weise: Key Cast "Performer" Still Life
Sara Taghaode: Executive Producer
Happy Ending, Bubblegum, Sapient, Warped Observance, Still Life
Josie Weise: Choreographer
Danny Haneman: Cinematographer
Bulley Bulley: Fashion
GaBLé: Music