Look at the Sunrise

A song + video exploring contentment and lack thereof..

If you just want to watch the video and skip the details below click here

I’ve once again (against my will to some degree) been subject to the long but rewarding process of creating a music video from start to finish 99% on my own.

While I don’t think this work is more impressive than ‘the best thing i’ve ever made’ I do think it’s more focused and more clearly captures what the song is about.

This song and video are born of what I would argue is probably a universal experience.. an experience that, in the end, could probably be boiled down to ‘dissatisfaction’

However, what I was getting at was more a specific flavor of dissatisfaction and that is…

- dissatisfaction in the face of getting what you wanted -

The state of having what you need but it not being enough.. maybe even having more than what you need and it still not being enough.

Maybe it’s not right to say “not being enough” when really, it just doesn’t “feel” like enough.

On this front, I’ve heard that you can sort people into two categories:

Maximizers - people who always want the best and are always looking for better.

Satisficers - people who are looking for and happy with “just good enough”.

I can tell you unequivocally that I am a maximizer and at this point in my life I don’t know what’s more elusive.. contentment or a girlfriend.

Jokes aside, as I was preparing for this post and thinking through how I would approach it, I found myself getting choked up when I would put a thought together.

This was surprising to me because in the moment I couldn’t tell why I was having an emotional reaction when I pondered this concept.

Upon further reflection, my suspicion is that it has to do with this elusive nature of contentment and my relationship to it.

In the context of this video.. I see myself being surrounded by what I know to be divine beauty but.. there is a barrier between us. While it’s all right there.. it might as well be miles away.

Put another way, it’s like one of those movie scenes where someone loses a loved one and is subsequently presented with a chance to experience them one last time through magic, or a dream or time travel etc.. but packed into that opportunity is the pain of a thousand deaths because you know that, in the end you are (and will be) apart.

It’s the essence of what you want most being handed to you but instantly slipping through your fingers.

I may be pontificating a bit too far out into the ether here but it’s my honest attempt at describing what it all feels like to me. Of course though, it doesn’t have to be this way.

There are people who can truly be present and fully connect with the moments they are given but, in the end, they are few and far between. Either way - futile effort or not - I have my aim set somewhere in that vicinity.. I’ve slowed my breath and have my bow drawn back.

Now with that all on the table let’s take a closer look at the art. Go watch this and then come back to me for a breakdown of some of the themes, meaning and background context. (also please leave a like or comment if you feel so inclined! it helps the algorithm show the video to more people).

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Shot on iPhone 15 Pro

While I was in Bali I recorded a lot of video. As far as I knew, I was just filming beautiful things for my vlog but about halfway through my stay.. the inspiration for this video struck me (not long after I wrote the song). Realizing I had already built up a nice sized folder of footage, I started coming up with some ideas and a rough shot list to accommodate those ideas. I pieced together about 15% (the heart) of the video while I was in Bali and then ended up just focusing on gathering beautiful footage and eventually sat down and edited the rest of the video a few months later in Bangkok.

In my initial plan for the video, this is what I wrote.

“This will be a music/lyric video based on my footage from Bali, clouds, and just beautiful footage in general. I want to convey a sense of peace, beauty, scale and time dilation. There will be little-to-no performance. I will incorporate tasteful uses of A.I. and stock footage”

In the end, I never actually used any fully A.I. generated shots and only used a bit of stock footage for a background here and there. I also decided against including lyrics on screen.

Buddha Eyes

One of my favorite things in the video are these eye covers. Tracking these onto my face was something I had never done before and took me learning a whole new plug-in and workflow in After Effects that I hadn’t tried before… difficult, but worth it in my opinion.

To me, these eye covers represent a way of looking at the world that is grounded in the moment. You will notice that the eye covers first appear on the Buddha (that was a giant water feature in my bathroom) The Buddha is the example of this mindset and way of life.. the inspiration if you will. Thank you, mister Buddha, for the ideal.

I’ll also mention that this idea stemmed from a photo^ that I saw on the midjounrney home page when I was collecting inspo for the video. You can view my A.I. inspo folder in it’s entirety here

Sky Whale

One of the most prominent aspects of the video is the wildlife and incorporation of animals.. The same can be said about my time in Bali in general. The coral reef and its inhabitants were so magical and captivating. From the birds to the turtles and from the turtles to the bugs… I was consistently filled with wonder. Naturally, I wanted this to show through in the video.

You might also notice the occasional presence of ants that is somewhat off-putting but still cool in a way.. This is actually an accurate reflection of my experience because there were many ants in the house and while I didn’t exactly welcome their presence, they were fascinating and captivating. Ants really are among some of the most amazing and interesting life-phenomena on our planet.

Morning Swim

The video opens with me wading into the ocean during the sunrise. Comically and ironically, I was disappointed by the sunrise the morning we decided to film (btw thanks for getting up at 5:30 Spence). I was really hoping for one of those magnificent sunrises with a thousand colors and those Big fluffy clouds that I love.

What I got instead was an overcast fog sunrise that cast an eerie glow over the whole situation, which, in hindsight was not only really cool but also literally perfect for the video and concept. Well guesssssss what.. I missed it. All of it. Didn’t enjoy it… didn’t appreciate it…. Just went ahhh ok I guess it will work but booooo.

At least now I can use it to illustrate my point at the top of this post.

Ocean Gate

Also among my favorite scenes is this doorway out in the ocean, again representing what you want being just out of reach. In my opinion, the best part about this is the commentary in the song courtesy of Gandalf the White.

For context, during Spence and my three-month trip to Southeast Asia, we watched all of the Lord of the Rings in chronological order starting with the Rings of Power show on Prime. After that, it was the Hobbit trilogy (all extended editions) and so on…

All that to say, Gandalf’s words had been ringing in my ears. This particular monologue was Gandalf speaking to Pippin the night before the battle Minas Tirith and explaining to him what happens after we die.

-Paraphrased -

The grey rain curtain of this world pulls back.. and then you see it.

See what?

White shores.. under a swift sunrise..

How perfect for the song?! I pray for the mercy of the copyright Gods though.

Sunset

All in all I’m very pleased with the way this turned out and while I’m hopeful that it will be able to reach a wide audience.. I’m happy to have created it and for what I learned along the way.. even if it ends up with sub-one-thousand views (as my last work did) I can say that I’m proud of it/myself and wouldn’t take it back.

Also among my hopes for the song and video is that it has an impact beyond just mere enjoyment. I’m hoping you’ve been coaxed to self-reflect a bit.. maybe now you will be just a little bit more inclined to take in the natural beauty around you and if you do that little by little over a lifetime.. it will add up.

Thanks for reading, thanks for listening, and thanks for watching!

If you could be bothered to share any of this with someone else who would enjoy it or benefit from it, I would be grateful.

You can also read more about my time in Bali here, watch my vlog here, or if you’re short on time watch my two-minute photo journal here.

For more of an in-depth look at my process, check out my video breakdown on YouTube, where I walk through the various scenes and show my process, tools and workflows. (Warning: it’s full nerd shit)

🦋

- Dannysuede.com - Music (Spotify) - Youtube -