Rebellix - Not Afraid
May 21
Back in December last year, I was planning a music video for the Helsinki-based Finnish band Rebellix. I collaborated with the lead vocalist and songwriter, Samuel “Sammy Dee G” Honkavaara, to exchange visual ideas for the song’s concept, which revolves around narcissism and is dedicated to the “fighters and misfits who refuse to back down”.
Since narcissism can be both a personality trait and a mental disorder, my goal was to portray it in a dramatic and engaging way that the audience could relate to. However, writing isn't my strongest skill, so I decided to leave it to the experts. I reached out to my friend Tomas Linders von Kantzow—the creative mind behind the Unteton48 fictional film Kaikki Järjestyy, which we shot last year. Together, we developed a solid script based on the ideas we had brainstormed.
I was preparing the production on a small scale, but with big ambitions. There's only so much you can do alone, and in theory, this production would have been impossible to execute single-handedly. Still, I was determined to carry the heavy load on my shoulders and ensure the video would be shot, no matter the circumstances. During the preparation phase, I made sure everything was carefully calculated and thoroughly inspected.
Finally, in March, we managed to find the perfect studio for the video—spacious enough to fit the band on the studio floor, surround the environment with black molton curtains and haze, and still leave room for depth. We aimed for a dreamy noir/Sin City-inspired vibe: washed out, dusty, with a dramatic spotlight on our actress as she confronts herself.
I used a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K camera paired with a Sigma 18–35mm f/1.8 lens, which I mounted on a crane/studio jib. For handheld shots, I used the DJI RS2 Pro gimbal. We also used a lighting setups including the Arri Arrisun 12 HMI, Astera Titan Tubes, and of course my favorite RedHead 800W lamps. Just like the last time I shot a music video, I was challenged by the crane shots and focus pulling. While it would have been much easier to operate this setup with an assistant, it wasn’t impossible to manage solo.
The gimbal worked smoothly, as it should. However, as the band found their flow and began to really feel and express the music, I did too. While moving around the studio with the gimbal, I wanted to emphasize the wild and heavy parts of the song using shaky and Dutch-tilted shots. As I moved more dynamically, the gimbal occasionally lost balance and powered off due to the error—ironically, in my opinion, making the footage look even better. These shots are especially noticeable during the bass player’s parts in the video.
Editing progressed slowly due to other ongoing projects and work, so it happened on and off over a period of time. Usually, I prefer to dive in and do everything at once fanatically while I’m feeling inspired, creative, and motivated, especially when it comes to music videos.
But now the day has finally come. Today, Wednesday, May 21 at 18:00 GMT+3, the music and video premiere for you to check out, Youtube link is down bellow. I hope you enjoy the heavy music and appreciate the hard work that went on behind the scenes to make this project a reality. If you haven’t heard of Rebellix before, check them out. They're a great group of guys with big hearts and heavy riffs.
A big shoutout to Feelm Creative for lending me the gimbal, and of course, San.s.photo for the bts pictures, a huge thanks to everyone involved in this production.
