From Patrick’s Notebook: The idea for “Happy Rabbit” hit me all at once. Out one night in London, I was in an out-of-the-way pub watching a line-up of eclectic musicians. One of the performers was really committed and selling it hard to a few local punters who just didn’t give a toss. He was actually doing an awesome cover of Umbrella. It was like two worlds colliding: somehow this guy had ended up in this pub singing his heart out to an audience that just wanted to drink and be left alone.
I wanted to give “Happy Rabbit” a very unique look. We shot it on video in real time, edited and then exported the project as stills and printed them out. This was in excess of 3000 printed pages. We “treated” the stills by crumpling the papers, working with paint, wax, lighting fluid etc. After treating them, we scanned them all back into the computer and imported them into the edit. We were using an animated process to create a look. The whole process took six weeks of the physical labor of at least four people.
When we were in film school we shot everything on film and edited everything on Steenbeck. We digitally scanned the work print, warts and all, for our show reels. All of the physical labor of actually cutting by hand was right there on the screen. It lent a tactile sensation to the whole thing. When I was planning the music video, this experience was in the back of my mind. I wanted to introduce an analog process to a digital format. We’ve used this idea of “trash design” before in our short “Fragile,” but this video pushes the boundaries even further. Every frame is literally handmade.
When I started working with Breakbot’s track, the actual storyline began to evolve and develop. It turned more surreal. Here’s a guy in a space suit performing an upbeat track in a grungy local workman’s pub. When he steps out of the gents, he is like Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the moon. There is a divide between the punters and the performer. But, when the track kicks in, for one shining moment, the Lambeth Walk Pub is awakened from its drunken stupor: people are dancing, smiling, giving the thumbs up. The performer connects with the audience and has a moment of glory before it’s shattered by the guys playing pool.
I have to mention something about casting and locations. This is another example of getting people to play themselves. Or, a version of themselves. Look at the video again and see if you can guess who is a professional actor and who are people acting themselves.
“Happy Rabbit” was officially selected for competition in the Slamdance Film Festival in the experimental short film category.