Behind the Video: Dawn Fades & Ravensview Films Discuss Their Short Film, “Drugs”

With music videos at times treated as an afterthought in the modern music industry, it’s reassuring to see how Dawn Fades treated the making of their latest clip. The band released their intense new music video/short film for their recent single “Drugs” just before Halloween. The release date was fitting given the sound and tone of the song, and the eerie, spooky vibe of the video. Since its release, the accolades for the video have kept rolling in. It was accepted to the LA Horror Film Festival and screened on November 8th with a Q&A with the filmmakers that followed. It was also screened in Chile at the Santiago Horror Film Festival in the “Video Clips” category. Another screening occurred at the Tub Theater microcinema in Los Angeles.

“Drugs” was released as part of Dawn Fades’ latest album III. Aptly titled III, it is the follow-up to 2019’s self-titled effort and 2021’s Ode. The album fuses together post-metal and heavy sludge. The band has been compared to Neurosis, Yob, Isis, Deftones, and Cult of Luna. Led by founder and singer Sam Sherwood, Dawn Fades formed in 2016 in Los Angeles. Originally a drummer, Sherwood had to stop playing as a result of an injury that resulted in chronic pain. As a result, he changed courses, taught himself guitar, and laid the foundation for Dawn Fades. A creative at heart, Sherwood encourages listeners to embrace their own creativity and, in so doing, help make the world a better place.

Today, we are joined by Sherwood and the makers of the video from Ravensview Films for a Behind the Video interview to discuss the background and making of the band’s compelling new short film for “Drugs.”

“Drugs” has so many elements from horror film classics. Clowns, zombies, mayhem. Who came up with the main storyline? Explain the sock puppets.

Kendra Ruczak (Producer): “When Sam from Dawn Fades reached out to us about producing a music video for ‘Drugs,’ we were immediately intrigued. He shared the idea of a multi-layered ‘drug trip’ featuring the band performing in unusual costumes, which matched the energy and lyrics of the track. This led to us discussing visual references and discovering a shared appreciation for cult-classic horror films, including Suspiria (1977), Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988), and Dead Alive (1992).

“Director Danial J. Smith developed the idea into an ambitious concept that weaves five kaleidoscopic vignettes and five surreal performance segments together into a true love letter to horror. As the video’s lead samples each colourful ‘drug’ and flips through TV channels, the band transforms into Italian giallo slasher villains, found footage ghosts, deranged birthday party clowns, blood-splattered zombies, and, in a surprising twist, sock puppets on a kids’ show. Rather than referencing a specific horror film or genre, the puppet show is instead an embodiment of reality melting away into absolute madness.”

This is a music video, but because it was filmed with several setups and locations, plus the storyline, it plays like a short film. How hard was it to bring this all together? How many days did you shoot?

Sam Sherwood: “The shoot lasted two jam-packed days. Ravensview did the big work here. They showed up locked and loaded with costumes, props and makeup. We provided the sweat… a lot of sweat. Costumes are hot!”

Danial J. Smith: “This video required a tremendous amount of pre-production planning, as we needed to develop a specific visual concept for each of the five vignettes and five performance segments, in addition to the overarching narrative. This included costumes, accessories, make-up, props, lighting, equipment, and practical effects elements for each setup.

“We completed pre-production in our home studio in Oakland, and then hauled everything down to LA for the shoot. We filmed the zombie vignette segment outdoors in a band member’s backyard, which allowed us to utilize a pressurized fake blood cannon that Danial built with home repair and garden supplies. The remaining narrative and performance sections were all filmed at a studio location on a variety of sets, which was perfect for all of our different set-ups, including a living room, kitchen, dive bar, and hotel room.

“Overall, we were able to film the entire video over the course of two days, capturing everything in a total of just twelve hours with a crew of three. The cast and crew truly went above and beyond on every level to bring this epic video to life.

“The video took on its final form during post-production, with Danial devoting a massive amount of time to the editing process, assembling each separate narrative and performance element into a cohesive storyline driven by a feverish momentum that builds throughout.”

Again, with the various set-ups, it looks like there were a few “costume changes” – who designed the costumes? How hard was it to convince the band members to “get into character?”

Sherwood: “Costumes were all Ravensview! I think the ‘performances’ were a wee bit stiff initially, but by the end of it, everyone was hamming it up. I tried to ‘lead from the front’ by going all in. I’m extremely grateful for the rest of the guys in our ‘serious’ band being willing to act ridiculous with me.”

Smith: “Each of the vignettes required an entirely different costume with accessories, makeup, and props galore. We handled the costume design and arrived on set with boxes of supplies ready for each section of the video. The band was more than ready to take on the challenge and was eager to get into character for each segment. Thanks to Danial’s directing, they truly understood the assignment and embodied the spirit of each character, whether they were being sprayed with fake blood or miming an entire performance with balloon instruments. They even handled the application of their own clown makeup, creating looks that matched their chosen personas.”

Veronica Warner is the only cast member who is not in the band. What were her acting instructions? Costume design?

Ruczak: “Veronica Warner’s role is the heart of the video, and we see all of the vignettes and performances through her mesmerized eyes. We styled her character to be a little scrappy and rough around the edges, like someone who might enjoy a good drug trip. Danial instructed her to viscerally react to all of the insanity that was unfolding in front of her, especially focusing on her eyes and facial expressions. Her performance is filled with a hypnotic intensity, and we see her reach every extreme on the emotional spectrum, from pure terror to maniacal delight.”

Explain how horror and metal have influenced the band.

Sherwood: “While we are all metal fans, I’m probably the only big horror fan in the band. I’ve written many Dawn Fades songs while sitting in front of the TV with a horror movie on and the sound turned down. This is another reason it was so meaningful that the other guys in the band would go along with the vision for the video!”

While writing the song “Drugs,” what came first? Concept? Lyrics? Music?

Sherwood: “Music always comes first for me. Once I’ve got a rough mix and structure I’m happy with, I sit down and write the first thing that comes into my head. With this song and album, I really wanted to be a bit more blunt (no pun intended) than previous records and this song certainly is!”

Is “Drugs” one of the heavier, darker songs on the album? Why did this song get selected for such an involved video shoot?

Sherwood: “The music combined with the lyrics certainly makes it one of the heavier ones in some ways. We chose this one mainly as it really shows where we’re going musically. We didn’t want to play it safe and keep rehashing the same waters.”

Anything more you’d like to share about “Drugs,” this video, the album III, or the band Dawn Fades?

Sherwood: “This band isn’t for everyone. This band is for us. We make what we want to hear, and we hope some of you want to hear it too. It is more important than ever, with everything going on, to create. ‘Drugs’ is a weird song, and we made a wild ride of a video to go with it. Get weird with us.”