Video interview shot by Patrick Yonally, edited by Nina Liwag

Making Waves is series of artist interviews about Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized, a collaboration between The Decemberists and four filmmakers, Guilherme Marcondes, Julia Pott, Peter Sluszka and Santa Maria — each of whom have created an animation to accompany a section of the music. The project was curated and commissioned by Flux and produced by Hornet.

What other bands’ music videos have you worked on in the past?
I directed one for Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and we animated on the Of Montreal video by SSSR.

Photo by Marla Aufmuth Assistant director Robin Bushnell and director Julia Pott at Royce Hall for premiere of Here Come the Waves

Julia’s animation shot list. Click photo to enlarge.

How was this project different than a traditional music video?
This is completely different. Well 16 minutes is always going to bit epic. We had loads of creative freedom. It is the biggest music video we’ve done, for the biggest band.

What initial points of reference were you given at the start of the project?
(The band) didn’t want us to follow any lyrics of the songs, just be inspired by the mood. Keep it more with nature - flora and fauna.

What was the most exciting aspect of the project?
I think how much freedom we had. It was great. Even in a music video its three minutes you don’t have that time for pausing really making the animation breathe if you will. With this there is so much time It is quite nice how slow it is and that you can appreciate it.

Tell us a bit about the process of how you made the film
It is all hand drawn, which was maybe a bad idea (laughs). I wanted to make them all look like moving illustrations, so they were all designed as big illustrations to begin with and then the movement came in afterwards. A narrative came through as I was working on it, but there wasn’t supposed to be one. It wasn’t that planned out, if I’m honest.

Short excerpt from Julia’s 16 minute segment of Here Come the Waves

Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized is available on iTunes, on DVD via The Decemberists’ site and can be seen in-room at Ace Hotels.