The AKA’s - "Dead Flowers Forever" - (2008) 2:37 (USA)

While the AKA’s songs may sound like they are written to be relatable for 16-year-olds, the lyrics actually go much deeper, inspired by a group of 1960s hippie-terrorists who destroyed a building in New York City and subsequently went into underground hiding for 15 years. The muse for the music therefore became the muse for the video, inspiring the use of raw, unnatural graphics that harkens back to 60s optical art, rather than sleek images of modern times.

To achieve a handmade look, Transistor Studios shot the video on high-definition studio cameras and treated it to look like film. Entirely in black and white, there are sequences that appear to be film negative, with the musicians’ skin the color of dark gray. Price said that the band members were originally meant to resemble silhouettes, so his crew took the liberty of literally painting them black.

Although Transistor Studios has contributed to music videos in the past, this is a first for the production company in that this project is entirely theirs, from concept to final product. Director James Price said that the team enjoyed working on this piece and would like to do more of this type of work. "We would love to be more responsible for an idea," he said, referring to the major difference between music videos and commercials.

Credits: The A.K.A.s "Dead Flowers Forever"
Client (Band/Artist(s)): The A.K.A.s (ARE EVERYWHERE!)

Label: Metropolis
Song Title: Dead Flowers Forever
Album: Everybody Make Some Noise!

Release date: 3.18.08

Band Credits:
Art Director: Mike Ski
Song writer: The A.K.A.s (ARE EVERYWHERE!)
Lyrics writer: Mike Ski
Producer: Alex Newport
Audio: Alex Newport and Drew Fischer at Metropolitan Sound (Additional Engineering by Derron Nuhfer at Crescendo Sound)
Mix: Mixed by Jamie Woolford at Room Sound
Mastering: Derron Nuhfer at Sarlacc Mastering
Transistor Credits:
Production Co: Transistor Studios

Director: James Price
Co-Executive Producer: Damon Meena
Co-Executive Producer: Andrea Sertz
Producer: Nicole Salm
Creative Director: James Price
Art Directors: Jamie Rockaway, Mario de Toledo Sader, Jason Salo
Director of Photography: Piotr Jagninski
Designer/Animator: Aaron Baker
Designer/Animator: Greg Chen
Production Assistant: Brendan Kahn
Editorial: Transistor Studios
Editor: Jason Sloan/ Jamie Rockaway