MUSIC VIDEO: "Can't See You" Official Video

CharlesPapert

CharlesPapert

Director of Photography
This was a very challenging project to tackle, due to the sensitive subject matter. The lead singer had written a treatment for a piece that aimed to inform and bring attention to the issue of domestic violence. It was up to me (as director/DP) to deliver that vision and still make the piece watchable, without it feeling exploitative or overly graphic (or pulling too many punches).

We shot in two days, with two 1DMKIV's (this was pre-F3 and C300, so this was the fastest camera at the time which I needed for the night exteriors).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyIbuMhRpro&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
 
The camera work was really nice, very clean. The acting was solid. Overall nice work.

My only issue with it, is frankly that it's so depressing. Perhaps it's stupid but it would have been nice to see something change in the end. I can only imagine if someone that is a victim of domestic violence were to see this, they would leave feeling like it's hopeless, that they will be stuck in this cycle forever. I'm not saying it's the artists job to always show a "happy ending", but it would have been nice to see some sign that the girls life will change.
 
It's an interesting note. Because the story has something of a non-linear construction (we see the effect of various events before we learn the cause), while the last scene is obviously quite depressing, the fact is that the girl did act in a more active way against the "new threat" in the car, in the prior scene. The hope is that while she is obviously traumatized, she is learning to break out of her passive modality of being a victim. It may be too late for her to change things at home, but perhaps she can being to assert herself and work through the demons and separate herself from the shattered home life.

My sense of tackling subjects like this in what is effectively a four minute silent film is that it is hard enough to get an audience to understand, believe in and begin to care about characters without having to take them on a substantial story arc as well. I think the sad reality of a situation like this is that it takes a lot of work and time and help to get through and I didn't want to disrespect that process by short-cutting it in a tidy/convenient fashion.

The hope was to partner with an agency that works with this issue and have a hotline numer appear at the end, but to date that has not happened.
 
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