Giraffe Sisters Revel in LA in Music Video for Courtney Barnett’s “Site Unseen”
Where The Buffalo Roam (WTBR) directing duo Giraffe Sisters recently helmed the music video for “Site Unseen” (ft. Waxahatchee), the second single from the Grammy-nominated Australian musician Courtney Barnett’s upcoming album Creature of Habit. The music video, which also stars the Giraffe Sisters frolicking through sunny Los Angeles, is a delightful expression of Barnett’s self-effacing jangle in “Site Unseen.”
According to the Giraffe Sisters, the creative vision for “Site Unseen” was a spontaneous filmmaking experiment, described as a spin-off of their critically-acclaimed short, Summer of Fellini, with an LA twist.
“Courtney saw clips from our film Summer of Fellini, liked our style, and wanted a music video in that vein,” remarks Juliana Giraffe. “Getting that call was a dream come true. She gave us creative free rein, only requesting that the story center on two women. To simplify casting for the fast turnaround, we suggested putting ourselves in the video, and we were thrilled to learn she had actually hoped we would be in it.”
A love letter to LA and Hollywood, the Giraffe Sisters realized their vision through a location-first approach. They spent two days scouting iconic LA locations, seeking environments and backdrops that felt authentic to their personal experiences growing up as artists in the city.
“We wanted the backdrops to feel architecturally cool and graphic, emphasizing pops of color and negative space,” explains Juliana Giraffe. “The color palette for the entire film was directly determined by these locations, which in turn informed the troves of quirky costumes, wigs, and props we played with in the making of the video.”
“All in all, art direction played a vital role in giving the video energy and character,” adds Nicola Giraffe. “We visited all the iconic supply houses—Lennie Marvin's Prop Heaven, History for Hire, Gil & Roy Props, and Hollywood Outfitter Wigs—and even got our costume designer mother in the mix, who not only designed the wedding dress for the video, but also wore it.”
With a small crew, a Sprinter van, a Black Magic camera, and a cast rounded out by friends and family, the run-and-gun shoot took place over a weekend. The Giraffe Sisters, who are resident Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton impersonators at the historic United Theater in downtown LA, also took the opportunity to infuse choreography into the spontaneity by recreating a Buster Keaton stunt alongside Barnett’s cameo in the video.
“We just love old Hollywood,” remarks Nicola Giraffe. “That Buster Keaton stunt was a scene we had always dreamed of recreating, and this video provided the opportunity and budget to build the necessary facade on the studio back lot we shot at. And it was a perfect moment for Courtney to make her cameo.”
Expressing themes of renewal and hope, the lyrics of “Site Unseen” serendipitously resonated with the Giraffe Sisters and their desire to reunite; they had not collaborated on a project in six months as Juliana was working full time on a feature film.
“The song's message perfectly aligned with where we were in the New Year, providing a spark to get back into the saddle of filmmaking and continue building on what we started as directing partners,” concludes Nicola Giraffe. “Incorporating the lessons learned from our separate creative journeys in our time away from each other made this project all the more inspiring.”
CREDITS
Directors: Juliana and Nicola Giraffe @giraffestudios
DP: Z @silverlakecowgirl
Colorist: Zoe Lambert @silverlakecowgirl @fellowship_or_die
Wigs by Outfitters Wigs @outfitterswig
Cast: Courtney Barnet, Juliana Giraffe, Nicola Giraffe, Monica Adriana, Mark Rowlands Marinthia Gutierrez, Gabrielle Decaro, Amari Dennis, Maya Edmond, Sally Glass, Noah Kentis, Ryan Lambert Thinly, Wednesday, Gino Amato Valentino
