Client & Collaborator: David Hunter
Brief: Create an animated music video for She Used To Be Mine, telling the story of David Hunter’s time in Waitress. The video will be in the style of David’s drawings made on stage whilst playing Dr Pomatter in the West End, using his Dr Pomatter and Jenna character designs as a starting point. It will be released alongside the song and used to promote David’s gig ‘Night Shift’ at Lafayette, London.
Testimonial
"Chloe is such a wonderful collaborator! It was a joy to work with her on She Used to be Mine. I couldn’t have imagined the level of creativity and detail she would weave into her animation - I’m still spotting new Easter eggs! She worked with such passion and commitment and I’m so grateful for her glorious creation. It elevated my single release to a whole new level and gave me so much to play with while promoting the music. It’s was such a special project, with a truly special collaborator."
- David Hunter
Process & Ideas
For those who aren’t familiar with Waitress, it follows the story of Jenna who works as a waitress in a pie diner, baking the most amazing pies she invents herself.
The style we chose for the animation stems from a moment on stage in the show. David (playing Doctor Pomatter) had to write a prescription in every show, and would draw on each one for its recipient. We decided that these drawings were the perfect way of telling this story. The significance of writing on the specials board and then continuing the drawing represents the special pies written on the board every show, and the many drawings David did on stage. It’s him telling his story, guiding us through his Waitress memories on and off stage one sketchy pencil line at a time.
It was important that the video had the same feel as the musical itself - warm and cosy like a slice of pie, with some joy and humour thrown into the mix. I added a lot of references that fans of the show would recognise, including references to song lyrics and backstage antics, mishaps and curtain call cheers. This all helped to craft a sense of familiarity, whilst capturing the story of David’s time in the show which he treasures so dearly.
A pivotal moment in the video was deciding how to transition between present day and David’s memories of Waitress. So many of his memories of the show and the people involved can be sparked by hearing the music, and so his guitar became a way of exploring these memories. Starting and ending the story in a present reality (before and after the gig), I zoomed into the guitar to bring the audience into the music and his memories. This mirrors a storyline in the show itself, in which Jenna uses her pie creations to process her feelings and life events, as described in another song in the show - 'What Baking Can Do'.
Sharing With An Audience
The animated music video was launched exclusively at Lafayette, London on 3rd August 2024 as part of David Hunter's gig titled 'Night Shift'. Each gig-goer was given a keepsake card showing them the way to watch the animation before anyone else. The video was later released online for everyone else to enjoy.
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