Q&A: Ava Doorley & Eddie Mandell - Sally Boy "Marie" Music Video
A FULL SENSORY EXPERIENCE THAT KEEPS YOUR EYES AND EARS IN IT ALL - Sally Boy’s “Marie” video transports you to scenes filled with raw and beautiful emotions. Directors Ava Doorley and Eddie Mandell codirect for the first time to bring us the beautiful imagery of “Marie”, a video that “explores the full spectrum of what it means to be alive”. Serving as a glimpse into the seven minutes one experiences before death, “Marie” lets us peek into Sally Boy’s life experiences, touching on all themes from pain to intimacy.
While Sally Boy has hit the ground running with his debut EP Erez , his creative team has continued to hit the mark with each visual piece as well. Working together under the creative agency and label Ourros, Doorley and Mandell have found a crucial dynamic and friendship with one another, allowing them to effortlessly communicate and bring their visions to life. Showcasing an attention to detail and a dedication to editing, though time consuming, the creation of “Marie” was worth every minute. At first watch, it’s clear to the viewer that the “Marie” video is complex though tasteful and digestible, and truly full experience.
“Marie” highlights Doorley’s and Mandell’s ability to translate complex thoughts and feelings into tangible imagery in a creative and unique way. Experience that life flashing before your eyes phenomenon by watching “Marie” below and read below to hear more from directors Doorley and Mandell on their dynamic as codirectors, the making of the video and more.
LUNA: Congrats on the release of “Marie” - so exciting! The video is really sick and really keeps the viewer into it with each shot. Though you’ve both worked together in some capacity before, this was your first codirecting project together, what was this dynamic like?
MANDELL: Ava is love. Ava is life. No, kidding.. but for real Ava and I have a connection where we can fluently communicate an abundance of ideas to each other with very minimal effort. I could begin telling her an idea and she’d finish my sentences for me and vice versa on some telekinetic shit. As a visual artist, I think that’s really all I could ask for in a collaborator: someone who exists in the same visual and conceptual headspace as I do so that ideas flow in the same direction.
DOORLEY: Eddie’s answer makes me want to cry hahahah... in more ways than one, Eddie’s been a creative mentor to me since we first met and, to a great degree, I have him (and the rest of the guys at Ourros) to thank for giving me a platform to do my thing. He’s probably been my biggest creative champion in terms of pushing me to realize my potential because he saw something in me really early on and I’ll never forget that. Working with him comes just as easily as being friends with him; we have a really special connection where we’re pretty much always on the same page. It’s interesting too because collaborating so closely with another person (let alone a friend) at this fragile age and stage of our careers could easily become a pissing contest or a competitively hostile environment but with Eddie it just feels like two friends literally vibing--no phones in sight. I’m kidding. For real, I feel really lucky to have a relationship like that. Little ego and lots of love.
LUNA: Can you share a favorite moment from shooting?
MANDELL: Damn it feels like we shot this so long ago I need to really think.. haha. It’s gotta be the ear bleeding shot for the “hearing” section of the video. We had one day to get through upwards of 80 shots, so we really only had time for one actual take. On that first take the blood dripped so perfectly, the camera movement was stellar, and Sally Boy’s performance was on point. All of these moving parts aligned perfectly and the crew nailed it. It just felt right. That was definitely a highlight of the day.
DOORLEY: There was one shot at the end of the day where we rolled for about three minutes straight—probably the longest single take of the day—and literally all the air was sucked out of the room. It was one of the most bizarre and beautiful moments I’ve ever had on set; you could hear a pin drop. We were watching Maddie and Fiona, one of several beautiful couples we had in the video, kiss and touch—essentially just be organically intimate with each other—and it was so honest and raw and shot so beautifully by Joanna, our DP, that it made me cry. I looked around after we cut on that shot and our friends were just staring, wide-eyed, back at me. Everyone was like “what the fuck”... it felt really special. Emotionally and spiritually, that moment felt like the epitomization of what Eddie and I were trying to do with this project: capture human experience.
LUNA: In addition to being your client, Sally Boy is also a good friend to you both - I’m sure working with friends has been a really fun experience. How do you balance your vision and goals with the artist’s vision and goals?
MANDELL: As Sally Boy’s creative director, I've been building the world in which his music exists with him for a little over a year now. I think we’ve reached a point where we have a very clear image of what that world looks like from a conceptual standpoint, all of its nuances, and how to implement those ideas in the art we make. Being both his friend and his roommate has streamlined that process. So when it comes down to conceptualizing cover art, planning a photo shoot, or ideating for a music video like Marie, we are often times on the same exact page since we have that strong foundation. Our visions and goals usually align, and if they don’t, we compromise!
DOORLEY: I feel lucky in this regard because we’ve met friends who are down for *almost* anything. No one will let me do the raunchier shit (yet) so stay tuned to see if I get my way sometime soon hahahah... Honestly though, our friends, and the artists, put a lot of trust and faith in us when it comes to the things we want to make and that speaks volumes to the dynamic amongst all of us: it’s a collaborative, warm, and symbiotic environment in our house. We all live together, work together, and are each other’s close friends so, of course, we disagree and have tension over certain decisions or ideas but, creatively, Eddie and I have been given a lot of leeway because they trust us. I’m new to the gang so to feel that trust and faith like I have since I started directing is really touching. Now, when it comes to Erez, what a fucking diva. ;) In actuality, Erez is one of my favorite people to work with creatively because he’s both a fun, silly little boy who wants to play as well as a deeply sensitive, vulnerable, and reflective big boy who wants to make beautiful art. I think anyone who knows Erez’s artistry and his creative (all Eddie) can see that duality.
LUNA: The editing for “Marie” is insane and really showcases the concept behind the track, what was this process like altogether? How long did it all take?
MANDELL: It was definitely the most time consuming yet rewarding edit I’ve worked on. The editing process really began prior to the shoot. Ava and I knew that we needed to meticulously plan the order of each clip, so upon conceptualizing all of the shots, we created a rough chronology and worked off of that in the actual edit. Each shot only being a few frames was definitely strenuous, but I think that format allowed us to approach the edit like a stream of consciousness.. and that’s really how we wanted this story to unfold, in a way that replicates the speed with which we recall memories. All in all the edit took about two weeks.
DOORLEY: From a technical editing standpoint, Eddie really carried the team on this so big ups to him because this edit was grueling. Altogether, it didn’t take that long but it was many late nights of me and Eddie going insane after staring at the screen for too long and singing country/spoken word renditions of “Marie”. Be glad you weren’t there— Eddie and I are not singers. We always knew what we wanted to do with the edit and I’m really proud of how it turned out; one of the driving forces behind this video (and, consequently, the edit) was to explore that theory of your life flashing before your eyes in a 7-minute collage of images and vignettes when you die. I think we definitely achieved that, even if the video gives you a seizure in doing so! The video just feels like life; it’s messy, it’s overwhelming, it’s beautiful, it’s gross... it’s everything.
LUNA: What’s your favorite shot/scene from the video?
MANDELL: I don’t think I have a particular shot in mind that stands out above the rest. However, I think my favorite aspect of the video is the detail. There are so many easter eggs sprinkled throughout. We kind of wanted people to feel the need to rewatch the video after their first viewing, and then feel compelled to click through frame by frame. I think there are two distinct stories that are told, one at regular speed, and one that can only be fully comprehended frame by frame. That’s my favorite part.
DOORLEY: There’s a shot my mom and brother are in where my mom is scratching my brother’s head while he falls asleep. That shot is so special to me. Like so many others, my upbringing and my own experiences heavily embed themselves in my work and influence the things I want to make. In this sense, my mom is one of my greatest inspirations because she’s the goddamn blueprint—she’s cooler than I’ll ever be. Anyone who knows her (and knows me) agrees. As I get older and more geriatric with time, I’ve been thinking back on my childhood a lot. Having my mom and brother in this video was essential for me and that shot reflected one of those formative, discreet little vignettes from my life that’s stuck with me and permanently etched itself into my memories. Combining that sense of nostalgia and memory-centric overstimulation with a prominent sensory experience like back scratches from your mom is really what this video was all about for me.
LUNA: The creative community you’ve both found in college has played a huge role the foundation of your careers, what piece of advice do you have for those wanting to get into directing but don’t know where/how to start?
MANDELL: Aside from researching, experimenting, and constantly practicing, i think the utmost important thing anyone can do is to surround themselves with likeminded people. That doesn’t necessarily mean everyone needs to be working in the same medium. If you’re interested in video direction find musicians, writers, graphic designers, producers who think the same way as you. Establishing your circle of people that you trust not only as friends but as fellow artists has been the most integral part of my journey thus far.
DOORLEY: Buy or borrow a DSLR, a Super 8, a VHS camera, a Go Pro—literally anything— and just make shit. What a dumb, trite answer—but it’s true! Manifest that shit by believing you can, learning as much as you can, and reaching out to people you admire. Instagram is seriously your friend in the creative industry; reach out to people you look up to!!! I think if you even have an interest in directing or storytelling to begin with, you’re the kind of person that’s compelled by the world around you and the study of human life so pick up any kind of camera you can get your hands on and begin by recording those stories in some way. Just stay curious and say yes to everything creative.
Honestly, I don’t even know if I’m certified to give advice on this because I just started directing so if anyone has advice on how to make it, please pass it on to me as well !! Hahahaha... I also think we’re witnessing a unique moment in time where the tides are turning against super glossy, high production value creative work and, instead, toward collaged, highly kinetic, almost guerilla-style storytelling because that’s how the world feels and is at this point in time—use that to your advantage when you’re just starting out. If it’s interesting, it doesn’t have to look “good”. That’s kind of where I’m at; I want to turn away from making refined, glossy stuff. It doesn’t feel true to who I am or what motivates me to create. Also, if you want to borrow cameras or shoot the shit or get into directing/producing/photography, etc. and don’t know where to start, please hit us up!! My email is ava@ourros.com—open door policy.
LUNA: Visually, what’s been inspiring you lately?
MANDELL: I’ve been paying close attention to vinyl packaging lately, really studying how certain details lend themselves better to a physical package you can hold and touch versus a digital, two-dimensional cover artwork that exists on a screen. I recently got a copy of both Gaika’s Basic Volume and Frank Ocean’s Endless on vinyl. There’s so much attention to detail in the packaging for both records. I’m a nerd about that type of stuff.
DOORLEY: Hmmm... this isn’t so much visual but I draw a lot of inspiration from women and girls in electronica like Shygirl, Sassy 009, Eartheater, Oklou, Erika de Casier, Smerz, etc. I love love love electronic music—it’s like the antidote to anxiety for me. I really wanna make videos for female electronic artists—they’re so badass and the music they make sets such a specific tone for storytelling. The options are limitless—it’s like soundscape music. Other than that, makeup artistry’s been really inspiring me lately. I want to include prosthetics in a video soon, I’m obsessed. I don’t know if this is a product of quarantine or if I’m just going insane, but my entire Instagram feed now consists of insanely elaborate nail art and makeup artistry—it’s so creative !! After working with men for so long—men whom I love dearly ;)—I’m realizing quickly how much “beauty” and its many creative disciplines (makeup, wardrobe, nails, etc.) are sorely lacking in our videos. I’ve never been super “feminine” in the normative sense with makeup or accessories or anything, so it’s new to me that I care so much about it creatively but I do! So if you see me stepping out post-covid with earrings, lipliner, and long ass nails, don’t ask questions. It’s the new me—not an identity crisis.
LUNA: As the year winds down, what do you hope the upcoming months bring you both?
MANDELL: Just happiness. I’m a little stressed right now, but I think I’m pretty happy for the most part. I don’t really care what I’m doing as long as I’m enjoying it. Yeah. That’s all I could hope for. :)
DOORLEY: Ugh god just to be happy. I’m annoyed Eddie got the first word on that answer because now I sound extra trite but I genuinely mean it and I know he does too. I can’t believe what’s happened for me in the past couple of months and I’m still dumbfounded, a little bit shell-shocked, and immensely immensely grateful for all the doors that have opened for me during such a bizarre and difficult time in the world at large. Hopefully the good fortune continues (*knock on wood*). If anything, I hope my imposter syndrome goes away as time goes on. I don’t feel like I’m anything special right now and I hope, in time, that I learn my worth. I wish that for anyone who reads this too <3
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