“It was so much fun that I was worried I wouldn’t get the right mood. I wanted it to be a little melancholic and mythical.” – Alma Har’el

Just as I promised for those of you watching closely. Here’s the second part to our exhaustive interview with “Elephant Gun” director and classy gal Alma Har’el. For those of you who missed out on the previous installment, check it out first and go download the video to your iPod, then return to us here for your dessert.

Beirut – Elephant Gun [Part I]

In today’s episode we learn of loneliness and beauty, the ‘correct’ way to shoot at a beach, who the heck Alfons Mucha is, and in the end, get a glimpse of our half-naked future. Let’s get ready to rumble!

SRO: Ok, so how long did the shoot take you, as a whole?

Alma: We shot a whole day on a sound stage and half a day on the beach.

SRO: Zach is so melancholy throughout the shot. Is that the drunk version of him, or was that a specific direction you gave him to shoot for?

Alma: Zach did a great job in the video. It wasn’t alcohol or anything like that. I tried to bring out the contrast between the endless appetite for the present moment in all it’s beauty and richness, and the inner melancholy of the poet among the celebrating crowd.

Zach just has it in him I think, I didn’t need to tell him much. I understood he relates a lot to Hemingway and Fitzgerald, the years they spent drunk and depressed in foreign places. ((See Obtusity))

SRO: Most people seem to enjoy the shot of Zach dragging the cans on the shore of the beach. Can you tell us how that came about? Where did the idea stem from?

Alma: In one of our first conversations Zach told me he imagined himself walking with cans tied to his feet, and I thought it would be the perfect image for the beach part. It reminded him of “just married” cars with the cans tied to their hoods, but to me it was the empty cans from the party, or the junk that got tied to his legs if he walked through the ocean… it’s a romantic, lonely image.

SRO: Very picturesque! So then, which beach is it, that provides us with such a warm backdrop for Zach’s horn playing?

Alma: It’s El Matador Beach in Malibu. Zach and his girlfriend (sorry ladies) Kristianna were staying at our house for 5 days and we worked everyday on “Elephant Gun” or on “Postcards”.

My original plan was to drive up to Big Sur, but it was a 5 hour drive in each direction, and the day before, we finished shooting around 9 in the evening. So we all just decided to have a nice day at the beach in Malibu… we brought a blanket and some beers and hung out… It was so much fun that I was worried I wouldn’t get the right mood. I wanted it to be a little melancholic and mythical.

SRO: And where the heck did you get the idea for the girl in her underwear riding the two “elephant men”?!

Alma: It just seemed appropriate.

SRO: The dancing was a pleasant surprise in the video. In the first part of the interview you mentioned a Bob Fosse influence. Any particular movie of his that stood out the most? (We’re rather partial to All That Jazz as is Sofia Coppola we hear)

Alma: I’ve learned that Bob Fosse is still the greatest editor for dance scenes, he’s totally committed to fully exploring the mood and meaning underneath every dance scene. He’s a director that started as an editor, and since I was editing “Elephant Gun”, I felt I could learn a lot from his beautiful work. I love All that Jazz and I love Cabaret, I just watched them over and over before the shoot. I also love all of Bob Fosses’s influences, so it’s a good package deal for me.

SRO: And what of those bottles of wine? Are they authentic, purchasable items or are they made up?

Alma: These are wine bottles with little prints of Alfons Mucha paintings glued to them. That’s how I think wine bottles would look like if Zach was king.

SRO: Those ‘Elephant Trunks’ were a nice touch, any word if we’ll be able to get our hands on some official Beirut Trunks at his merch table or via the Beirut store? If not, know any good places to find them for our next SRO Videofest (aka: houseparty)?

Alma: My incomparable producer Justin Benoliel (who can get anything in the world) was a little worried about those elephant trunks, but there they were, ready to be bought and used for any party:

Female Trunks

SRO: Since you were going for that “drunk/tipsy” tone it would only be right for me to inquire whether anyone was actually “drunk/tipsy” during the shoot?!

Alma: No one was drunk to my knowledge, definitely not the dancers who had to dance for hours. When we auditioned the dancers it was our main concern that they can act like they had too much to drink— I have some funny improvisations on tape!
As for Zach… I have no responsibility for that kid, he told me he finally turned 21.

SRO: Ha ha ha. Well, now that “Elephant Gun” is off and running, can you give us some clues of what to expect for the “Postcards” video?

Alma: Zach without a shirt on a skateboard. I’m not kidding…

Fantastic! Well, kids, we’re glad you stuck around just a little bit longer, as we’re not completely done just yet. It looks like Madame Har’el, ever the giver, has graced us with a behind-the-scenes look at a private show Mr. Condon did for the crew. But what am I still talking for? Why not see what Alma had to say about it:

After we finished shooting the party scene we took a little break so Zach could put his mustache back on… I wanted him to get back from the beach as who he is, with the idea being that once he went “inward” he didn’t need the hunter persona anymore… he was just himself amongst the crowd… but we still needed to shoot some more stuff with the mustache.

Before he went back to the makeup room Zach suggested singing 2 songs for the extras as a thank you private show for their good work. He just sat on the couch with his ukelele and they all gathered around him on the floor and sang with him… it was a great moment.
A girl named Claire Vogel who was one of the extras captured it on her little camera or cell phone and sent it to me – you can watch a part of the song. Thanks Claire!

Oh and if that’s still not enough Beirut for you, catch a great Guest Spot the ol’ chap did over at Said the Grammy a while back, to see where his influences rest. Respect.

Beirut – Postcards from Italy (live/acoustic)

Quicktime 7 (iPod compatible: 23 MB)

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