A conversation about the making of Hot Dogs:
JAKE GASCOYNE: Alrighty, first things first, how did this project come about?
AESOP: Hello and thank you for asking!
I had written a song that sort of had no home due to it being between album cycles for me.
Separately, you and I had been skating a bunch, and talked about collaborating on some kind of art/music/video release that would pay homage to skateboard culture. I remember we wanted something with some tricks, but also a narrative and some cruising. Not a "skate part" per se, but also not just pushing.
I played you the song, “Hot Dogs”, which has a real drowsy feel to it, and we brainstormed about a video that would celebrate the good old late-night convenience store mission, maintaining that drowsy cruise, while pushing through the city.
I remember you immediately saying, "we should ask Kurt to shoot it," and I was like, "whoa, would he?" We pitched it to Kurt and he was all aboard, which rules.
The initial desire was just to make something cool, but evolved a little and I think we'll be able to help promote a good cause and raise a bit of money too.
J: In your writing process, do one-off songs like “Hot Dogs” happen very often?
A: I am the kind of person that tries to stay busy. I like to make stuff, and I don't like long periods to go by where I haven't felt productive. So usually I try to always be writing something. I think I had just returned from a tour and found that sleepy loop, and just kinda went for it, feeling no pressure to have it fit into an LP at all. Song structure kinda went out the window, and this is more a rambly, winding piece, maybe like a journal entry. I try to just keep my writing muscles exercised, and that occasionally results in songs with no homes. I do find it a little bit less stressful to write a song when it's not for something specific, and I can loosen up, try new things, etc.
J: That's interesting. Let's talk about the shooting process. Walk our readers through a typical night of filming.
A: Being three total idiots, we decided to start filming an outdoor skate vid at the top of winter in Portland. Rain was our enemy, constantly. We would wait and wait for that one day of sun on the forecast, and everyone basically had to cancel plans to film. We didn't really have a choice.
Some nights were cold, and God, Kurt and I were feeling so bad for you! (laughs) Knowing how hard it can be to get in the zone, legs warmed, area clear, all that good stuff, ah man. You seriously came through hard on some nights when none of us wanted to even be thinking about skating.
The other main obstacle when filming is just that you never know who you're gonna run into. One guy yelling "get the fuck out", one guy threatening to shoot us, casual needle use from reputable heroin addicts, police and security, all the fun shit that comes with filming skating in a city at night.
Watching you and Kurt pull out beautiful shots of great skateboarding one after another in the face of all these random adversities, it's the best. The whole shit was fun as fuck. Being outside late at night, skating, being a part of this weird creative team making a weird idea happen in the middle of the night, I live for that shit.
J: Man, I remember the first night we went out we were about to leave the apartment and I had a beanie in my hand. I was about to step through the threshold but stopped and looked at Kurt, and was like, “what do you think, beanie or no beanie?” knowing I'd have to wear the same clothes the whole time for continuity. We were both like "ehh, just leave it I guess." I replayed that scene in my head so many times later in the process when I was dying in the cold (laughs).
A: (laughs) There were positives and negatives to our lack of planning.
J: Kurt, between the distorted, drunken-sounding, soundtrack, and the weird blurry dream-sequence concept that Aes and I imagined, you did an amazing job translating it all to film. Tell me about some of the moves you made behind the lens to make that happen.
KURT HAYASHI: Well, usually there is a shot list and whatnot. This was a little different. On this, we all got together, said our ideas, and drove around until our ideas matched the terrain. I did have some ideal places I always wanted to shoot at, so that was nice to finally see those happen. Honestly, it was great working with people who trust and believe in you and let you have creative freedom. I'd say, "I have an idea," we'd shoot it, and we'd all high five. Aesop’s song and Jake’s style made it easy.
J: You work on a lot of commercial shoots, Kurt. You mentioned this being different because of a looser shot list and Aesop talked about the tons of extraneous factors that come with skateboarding: getting kicked out, dealing with lurkers, etc. Are there any other ways this project differed from your usual work? Was it more fun?
A: I'll answer that: “Yes, it was more fun than my usual work. Jake and Aes are the best.”
J: (laughs) Perfect, I concur, let's move on.
K: Of course it's more fun, you're able to "work" with your friends and bounce ideas off each other. And we worked with each other's schedules to make it work. On commercial shoots, it's someone's idea, you shoot it and follow the schedule and then you're done. That's it.
Totally. I felt the same way. Plus we got to work with our canine talent, Margot. Add that into the unpredictable variables we had to account for.
A: Margot was occasionally unpredictable but all in all did pretty good considering her paycheck. She has now learned the command "look majestic in a parking lot."
J: She did do that well. What are each of your guy's favorite scenes?
A: I love that shot where you and Margot meet in the parking lot. Perfectly surreal. But I also love that clip of you doing the Fakie Ollie Switch Manny, and Switch 180 wallie on that sculpture. Was that a sculpture? I just love the rhythm of that little line, and knowing you were weaving through drug addicts to get it probably adds to it. The way Kurt filmed it, it really has a ton of momentum, which was what we needed at the time after doing a bunch of locked off, picturesque, skate shots. It moves!
J: Totally. I remember being really stoked that night too. We had that insight that it was lacking movement at that particular point in the timeline, and then figured out how to fix it with that line and the other line we got at the cellar door bank afterwards. Plus it was the warmest night in months and you bought me a new board and wheels for the session (laughs). Thanks again for that, that really made it happen.
K: I'd say my favorites are the silhouetted cross-by street shot, and the park blocks sculpture line. The lighting looked good.
A: That one is sick, Kurt. Also I remember after you filmed the Backside Lipslide, that specific shot added so much needed movement. I feel like the whole thing pivoted after the Back Lip.
Oh yeah. That silhouette shot was after an unsuccessful night of just Kurt and I while you were out of town doing a show. We made the most out of it.
A: Yeah, that was bonus. The one night I couldn’t make it and that shot pops up.
K: Yeah I always like shooting from the front too (on the Backside Lipslide clip), which is somewhat scary rolling backwards.
Totally. So Ian and I came up with the idea of him popping up as random people in the video as a funny way to include him in the film subtly and seamlessly without having to be like, “Aesop Rock! There he is rapping!” Aes, what was the most fun character to play, and what is your favorite of his iterations, Kurt? Mine is the clean-cut newspaper reader.
K: I'd say the construction worker was my favorite.
A: That's a tough one. Construction worker was strong, but getting access to a car that you can Ollie onto is pretty special. Not my best character perhaps but I love that we made that happen. It would also make you the biggest asshole skateboarder of all time.
J: Oh yeah, I forgot about the car. People were tripping driving by while we were doing that.
A: Totally. I imagined police coming and then I would have to explain that I borrowed the car from an acquaintance at the wing joint.
J: (laughs) I was really impressed with your acting in those scenes. It seems easy, but it's actually really difficult making the perfect minute movements to articulate what you need to in such a short clip. Has your acting experience just come from goofing around making music videos your whole career?
A: I guess, but all things told I’m a pretty bad actor when it comes to, like, real dialog and acting. I have been forced in front of people and cameras for a long time, so while I'm not totally comfortable with it, maybe there is a comfort that I'm not aware of. Acting to me feels like one of the least natural things to do. Even a short facial expression or reaction, I dunno, it’s hard to get right.
J: Well I thought you did great. I remember struggling more than I thought I would even just squinting into the distance outside of the convenience store. It's a weird balance of exaggerating movements to make them seem subtle.
A: Totally. And thanks! How was the filming overall for you, Jake? I know there were stressful moments, weather, occasional off-days, etc. I guess a lot of that comes with filming skating, just curious how your overall experience felt as far as getting the tricks and dealing with Kurt and I wearing puffy jackets. And maybe in comparison to filming a traditional "skate part.”
J: It was definitely difficult for all those reasons we already mentioned, but balanced out by so much fun with you two. It was just a lot of constraints. From only skating at night, to the already-mentioned freezing cold, to the severe lack of dry nights, and mostly just the lack of spots downtown that could be filmed as singles or short lines without a fisheye. So it kept getting more and more limited. Even with doing jumping jacks between attempts to stay warmed up, landing something and then hopping back in the car with you guys was the best.
It was so cool though how we lucked out and always found a solution to whatever we were envisioning we needed next. "Okay, we need a trick that starts switch but ends regular, preferably on brick, and maybe something harder since it's been a lot of cruising." We had a lot of that kind of stuff, but it kept working out over and over somehow.
A: Yeah totally. It was like tallying what kinds of tricks we may need after Kurt hit the timeline each night. The one element we haven't covered, which was something I am personally psyched about, is that you are currently working on art for the 7". I love that between the three of us we got the filming, editing, writing, recording, skating and graphic design. So sick to me. I know we're still figuring out the package now, but I also know this came up pretty early in the project, you perhaps doing the art. That's also the final piece of the puzzle. How has that part been for you? Couple versions, all that stuff. Is that fun, frustrating, or some combo?
Totally. That's a great point and something I hadn't thought about actually. Fuck all you hired agencies and your through-the-roof budget! (laughs) We did every single element in the whole project, it only took three of us. And we had way more fun than average.
As far as doing the album art, it’s been so fun, I'm so stoked to do it. I really appreciate you being down for that, man. Album covers have been one of my very favorite things forever, and are actually largely responsible for me wanting to be a designer. So for all those reasons, this album cover will definitely forever be one my favorite projects. It's been a major item on the bucket list and this is a really special first one to do. Plus it depicts my dog, which is sick.
Tight. Album covers are a strange, square, beast. Can't wait to see this one in my hands.
Last question I have: after making you guys wait in the parking lot while I was late to shooting so many times, did you ever take any sick pleasure in seeing me suffer in the freezing cold?
A: Yes.
No, I truly felt bad because I have a huge heart.
(laughs)
K: Nah. You mess with bull, you get the horns. You’re late, now you're in the cold and Aes and I can laugh and make jokes!
I assumed so. That's all I got boys. You were both a true pleasure to work with. Let's start brainstorming for the next one! Any questions for me?
K: I have one question: why were you always late?
A: (laughs) I loved that you were always late, but you were literally just up in your apartment while we waited downstairs in a car. So good.
