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Behind the Video: Peep Inside Plastic Rhino’s “Bleeding Heart” Music Video

With their new album ‘Terminus’ on its way, we speak with Atara of Plastic Rhino about their latest music video, “Bleeding Heart.”

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One good thing that came out of the pandemic was the reformation of Plastic Rhino. The hard rock duo is back in a big way with the release of their brand new music video for “Bleeding Heart,” a sign of things to come on their new album Terminus, which will drop later this year. “Bleeding Heart” comes with it a dynamic, lively, energetic new performance music video, a very fitting visual accompaniment to the song. This year marks ten years since the formation of Plastic Rhino.

The duo successfully worked their way up in the first five years, before Atara and Jack Glazer felt that they had hit their peak. As a result, they decided to pursue their own individual projects, with Glazer playing with other bands and Atara going solo. When the pandemic arrived, it provided an ideal opportunity for Plastic Rhino to get moving again, with both Glazer and Atara again seeking a new creative opportunity. The songs ended up coming easy and of the 15 they came up with, they have whittled it down to nine ambitious tracks that will appear on Terminus.

With Terminus on its way soon, we connected with Atara for a “Behind the Video” interview in which we discussed the “Bleeding Heart,” as well as the culture of music videos in general.

Any mishaps on set?

Atara Glazer: “We seem to love using natural products in our music videos when ingesting. This time around it was cranberry concentrate, which looks great as blood. There is a scene where I am choking on it, and then it decided to run down my face into my nose and eyes and began stinging excruciatingly so yes, I would call that a bit of a mishap. Luckily the pain subsided quickly.”

Any concepts where you started and, midway through thought, what the fuck are we doing?

“With all great music video concepts, there’s a ton of great ideas, that quickly turn into well the reality of making that work is A. too expensive, B. too complicated, C. what the fuck are we doing. You have to be able to create something you know you can see all the way through. The great thing about music videos though, is they don’t always have to make total sense.”

If money was no issue what would be in your perfect video?

“If money was no issue, there would be stunts, harness work, flying, green and blue screens, and amazing costumes made from 3D printing…. does anyone want to invest?”

If you could have any guest appear in your video who would you have?

“That is a tough one, but maybe Ryan Reynolds would be down?”

Do you prefer writing a video around the theme of a song or just going to a warehouse and banging out a live performance?

“Have you checked out our music videos? We definitely prefer creating a story to go with the song. Our music video for ‘Bleeding Heart’ is the first one where we are actually performing per se for the song.”

Tell us about any good, bad or crazy director or film crew-related incidents.

“We have always worked with our friends on our music videos so there really aren’t any incidents. It’s more like getting all the shots we need done to complete the day, so staying on track is key.”

How does the music inform the video in terms of visuals matching sound?

“Jack and myself will go back and forth on ideas that we think best tell the story of the song. We throw a lot on the table before we settle on the final creative visuals. We always want to make sure the essence of the song’s mood and vibes is portrayed through the music video.”

Artwork for the single “Bleeding Heart” by Plastic Rhino

Have you ever had such a baller idea for a music video that you’ve written music for it?

“Not yet, but never say never to creating that.”

What is your favourite childhood music video and have you any secret nods to it in your catalogue?

“I grew up watching MTV music videos. My parents would make VHS compilations of my favourite music videos, so I could watch them on repeat over and over. My all-time favourite still to this day is ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson. It’s a masterpiece. We haven’t done any secret nods to that one, but I am always trying to create the next ‘Closer’ Nine Inch Nails video concept.”

How important are music videos in terms of increased exposure?

“Plastic Rhino is all about creating a visual to the music. It not only can create a whole new set of fans, but it gives bands more of an online presence, which is where everything sits for music these days.”

How important of a role does social media play in sharing videos and increasing exposure?

“Social media is everything for sharing music and sharing videos. It covers a wider base for getting the information out there to those that want to support what you do. As much as it is a pain for bands, it is so important to be on all different social media platforms and posting constantly. You never know who will see your stuff and change your life.”

How much more effective or beneficial is creating a music video now compared to 20/30 years ago?

“Music videos were everything 20/30 years ago for bands. You had to have a music video to get on MTV, and make your band a star. They were a lot harder to create back then. Not everyone could afford them, or have the connections to make them. They were so professional because of that.

Now everyone has the power to create something in their hands on their phone and computers by themselves. So there is a lot of content out there, unfortunately, and it is harder to make a footprint that is noticeable enough. I think nowadays, it’s all about standing out enough to still get noticed with great visuals and well-produced tracks. It will give you a step up over others.”

Are the benefits worth the costs and effort involved?

“The benefits are always worth the costs and efforts. You have to remember that even after you die, you are leaving all of this content behind for someone to enjoy. Make it and try it all! Again, you never know who will come across your art.”

Does the “Bleeding Heart” video have a concept, and if so, can you elaborate on it?

“The concept behind ‘Bleeding Heart’ is… there is no clear concept (laughs). For this one, we were more about creating strong visual scenes with props, costumes, lighting, sets, and VFX. The song is about love, so the underlying theme is love-filled.”

Who did the crew involve for the video and how did you put together the team?

“This was our biggest crew we have worked with to date, and it included a Director, Producer, Director of Photography, Production Designer, Costume Designer, makeup and hair artist, and behind the scenes photographer.”

Did the video have a budget and were you able to stick with it?

“It is important to set a budget and stick with it because it gives you a clear concept of what you can and can’t use for your music video. We did have a budget and we did stick to it.”

How much of the video was self-made?

“We are a self-made band, and everything we do for it comes from myself and my co-band member. We worked with our director Nate Lipp to create this music video, and we executed and paid for everything. We work hard during the day to support our dream job of creating our music and our band.”

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