It was only a few weeks ago that Gary Hankins & the Summer Knowledge delivered a fantastic masked performance at the Tin Can. The show was in celebration of Epiphany, Notion, Potions & Lore, a collection of seven eclectic, gleefully unhinged tracks that immediately established the group as one of San Diego’s most exciting new acts. And now Gary Hankins & the Summer Knowledge are unveiling the first music video from that EP.
The relentlessly catchy “Feelin'” was a standout track from Epiphany, Notion, Potions & Lore, and it’s the perfect subject for the band’s first video. The proudly lo-fi aesthetic, trippy visuals, and inventive use of green screen effects make for a hypnotic compliment to the song’s offbeat declaration of love.
Frontman Gary Hankins told us he first drew inspiration for the video from a long-defunct TV show.
“Essentially I had been watching Disco Beaver from Outer Space on repeat for about three months and was mega inspired by all the effects,” Hankins said. “I already knew that I needed to make a video out of something for the new EP so I started a sort of video collage.”
It was then that Hankins enlisted the aid of one of San Diego’s most talented photographers/makeup artists.
“I had some footage from a photo shoot last summer that I had done with my friend Esmerelda Prieto (aka VenusOcean) which involved many ladybugs and a summer’s day, found a video editor in the depths of a hard drive, and started hacking away. VenusOcean also does unbelievable makeup work — she has wicked tutorials on her YouTube: so good!!”
Hankins then had to set about teaching himself how to create the video’s barrage of visual effects.
“After I found out how to use the program it got pretty ridiculous,” Hankins said. “I’d be sitting in my hallway every hour or so with a sheet draped across a door shooting terrible green screen footage while the edits rendered, running back and forth to see if it could work or not.”
The hard work paid off as the video for “Feelin'” began to take shape.
“Between all of the random footage Esmerelda and I had shot, the plethora of stock footage available online, and that damn addiction to learning, it somehow came together rather quickly — about a week maybe,” Hankins told us. “I mean, it’s hideous…but I do like it that way. Really, the process opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of video/film and helped to solidify a love for so much of the visual imagery which inspires me every day.”
You can feast your eyes on the twisted results of Hankins’ work above. And don’t miss Gary Hankins & the Summer Knowledge when they play Soda Bar on December 3 with Tall Tales & the Silver Lining and Spero. Tickets for the show can be purchased here.