Timothy Saccenti makes the kind of videos that — to borrow a phrase he is wont to use — are as rare as hens teeth. Sometimes ludicrously insane, sometimes whimsical, sometimes beautiful in both traditional and futuristic ways, the videos that Saccenti has directed are among the most unusual to hit the airwaves over the past year.
Largely associated with hip NYC indie bands like Battles and Animal Collective, Saccenti is poised for the next step — a move made clear by his recent signing with esteemed production company Partizan.
So, first a short list of Saccenti videos to prepare your palate...
...and into his mind via this Profile.
name: Timothy Saccenti
company: Partizan
job/title: Director
first video: By the time I had the opportunity to be involved in the motion world, I’d been shooting professionally as a still photographer for some time. I had a number of notable experiences — including James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem punching himself in the face repeatedly, and Pharrell Williams showing up 12 hours late, thereby leaving only 15 minutes to shoot him (“It’s all good man, I’m sure you got the shot”) — but the first motion project I was involved in was a fashion film for the dvd magazine “Fly." The piece was entitled “Shards." Centering around a model (the lovely Agathe Giraud) who was surrounded by particles of glass, it was a collaborative piece with the brilliant director Alan Bibby. Being from a stills background, I hadn't been on a film set before this point. Luckily, Alan walked me through the process, from explaining the technical aspects of the camera, through to the post effects and delivery. Our stylist, Alice Bertay, appeared with a stunning Chanel dress, we used simple lighting techniques I had developed through my print work and kept it very minimal. Overall it was an exemplary experience for me to work with a very open brief and a peerless, patient team.
The biggest change/challenge/hurdle was the fourth dimension of time. How long to hold on a shot? What effect would it have to cut a frame sooner, or a frame later? Again, I was fortuitous in meeting the superb editor/filmmaker Ryan McKenna and learning through him about sculpting images through time. We've worked together as often as possible, developing a working style which was then applied to some of our bigger projects, such as the Battles video "Atlas"
strangest video: We tend to court the muse of the peculiar as a general rule, but one project in particular stands out. Animal Collective's "Peacebone" video is a love story about two alien creatures, set in the suburbs of New Jersey, USA, planet Earth.
It was the middle of August during one of the hottest summers on record. We were shooting on location in a park near my family's home in NJ. The air was oppressive, sweltering; the humidity such that each drop of moisture was as a magnifying glass for the relentless beams of sunlight. With not a cloud in the sky, shade was as scarce as hens teeth. The budget didn't allow us the respite of a motor home. By noon our crew was delirious. The day, though uncomfortable, was going well. The team was soldiering on and we were getting the shots we needed with no notable problems.
The Alien however, was a different story. He had everyone's sympathy and understanding and did an amazing job, but at the 18 hour mark, after having been in his costume —which felt, as he described, like being "entombed in a sarcophagus"— for three days, he was catching a lethal combination of claustrophobia, exhaustion, and, most dangerously, paranoia. The costume was a highly complex layered foam material, mixed with a non-breathing latex and silicon combination on top. Only liquids could be consumed while wearing it and there was scarce circulation. He felt as if he was being anxiously consumed and was covered in rashes. The suit, which took three hours to put on, would only take him 5 seconds to rip off, and at that point, it was all he could obsess about — escaping that prison of heat and itch and running home. He sequestered himself in a room at our home base and wouldn't come out. The shoot appeared ruined and we had at least three more hours of shooting to go. I pleaded with him to continue, but it seemed very likely he may walk. We were out of options. Enter my mother, Joan Saccenti, a registered nurse, to take it upon herself to have a little "mommy" time with our extraterrestrial invalid. Armed only with a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and a tub of vanilla ice cream, she bravely spoon fed our alien back to health, one salty and/or sweet spoon at a time. The magic elixir was an immediate triumph. We finished the shoot with a renewed exuberance that only a mother with a can of chicken soup can make manifest. Victory was ours. --> watch Animal Collective "Peacebone"
what's next: I'm very honored/excited to be working with Partizan now, so the future is looking quite vibrant. At the moment we have multiple projects in the works, most of which we can't speak about yet, but we are working on an experimental film series, a documentary piece for electronic legend Carl Craig, an exquisite printed piece with the UK designer BUILD in collaboration with Commonwealth.nu, as well as developing concepts to be used in upcoming music promos and commercial spots.
