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Behind the MV: “do i, do i” – inch7 min read

26 July 2021 5 min read

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Behind the MV: “do i, do i” – inch7 min read

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Singaporean singer-songwriter inch dropped her latest single on 25 June titled “do i, do i” and on 21 July the accompanying music video was released. This is inch’s first bilingual song, having both an English and Mandarin version, and is our first look into her upcoming two-part EP “childish”.

“do i, do i” touches on the toxic and intoxicating feeling of being in a bad abusive romance- the push, the pull, the pleasure and pain. It is the feeling of being in an echo chamber of the good and bad memories; the struggle with and against an invisible entity that twists, turns, and gaslights. It is ultimately about the journey of grieving, acceptance, and walking away and coming out a little stronger.

inch

inch’s breathy, whisper vocals blend into the stripped down bass and synths of “do i, do i”. Shot at Pasir Panjang Power Station, the music video is a visual and artistic representation of the song’s characteristics and themes. Like the music itself, the video is not flashy or extravagant but still heavy in its symbolism and details.

The most striking imagery is the juxtaposition between the day and night shots, serving to mimic the duality of the abusive romance inch sings of. The video explores the relationship between lighting and choreography. The dance evolves with the visuals and the image of inch’s increasing struggle, giving intention to her movement and rising in intensity with the music. This video is a great study on contrast and the use of expressive dance in motion picture and visual art.

In this photo series, we take you on set and bring you on an exclusive visual journey behind-the-scenes for “do i, do i”.

DAY SHOOT

The bright luminance of day symbolises the periodic calm and the thrill of the highs in this romance.

Stylist Jo Peile (left) and makeup artist Beno Lim (right) giving inch a touch-up before the shoot. Jo also worked with accessories designer theKANG to create custom pieces for the shoot, including a guitar strap with handsewn flowers and a vintage sequined top that was cropped into a cape.
Camera Assistant, Azrin Putra (left), setting up for Director of Photography, Bong (right). Bong is far from a stranger to music videos and has helped direct and shoot for the likes of Benjamin Kheng, RRILEY, Nathan Hartono, Charlie Lim, and Jasmine Sokko.
inch’s floor length braids are done by hair stylist Den Ng. They make her movement even more dynamic and emphasise the details in the choreography.

NIGHT SHOOT

The darkness and discomfort of night stands in complete contrast with the day. The night symbolises chaos and despair, and the accentuation on the night brings awareness that this love is more bad than it is good.

The camera crew are not the only people who have to remain on set all day. The glam team is also on standby during the whole shoot to give inch touch-ups between takes so you won’t even notice the Singapore weather and the hours of dancing on camera.
As the sun begins to set and the rest of the crew are grabbing a quick dinner, the camera crew and lighting team are already hard at work coordinating all the lights and colours.
This is inch’s first foray into dance, or at least for a music video. She enlisted the help of her sister, Venus Chun, who is a professional dancer and choreographer. Chun helped inch warm up before takes and during takes she was her sister’s cheerleader. She brought the energy not just to the choreography but also to the set. She tells me that she’s based in New York and dived into conversations about the Singaporean dance scene with other crew members.
Bong (left) shot the entire music video on a gimble. This allowed for a lot of dramatic camera movement, showing us inch’s dance movements one moment then quickly closing in on her facial expressions in another. A strobe light in the background leaves inch (right) in silhouette. The harsh lighting and colour alone are enough to bring a completely different mood to the set.

Video Team
Director of Photography: Bong
Assistant Director: Peihuan Goh
Production Manager: Amelia Loh
Camera Assistant: Azrin Putra
Production Assistant: Xena Kok
Colourist: Eugene Soh

Lighting by Roadie Pte Ltd
Lighting Designer: Onion Low
Lighting Technicians: Tan Chin Koon, Ong Xin Rong, Nur Hafizah Bte Mansor, Siti NorHayati Binte Arshad, Carmen Ching

Glam Team
Make-up: Beno Lim
Hair: Den Ng / Prep Luxe
Accessories: theKANG
Stylist: Jo Peile

Metronome Management
Artist Manager / Producer: Patrick Chan
Production Assistant: Sandhya Silva

Choreographer: Venus Chun

Earlier this year, we sat down with Bong to talk about the art of making music videos — check it out He sat down with us to talk about the art of making music videos which you can read about here!

Qingru found her love for film and media while studying mass communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. She believes Disney’s 'Treasure Planet' is an underrated gem. She is also a self-proclaimed ramen enthusiast and the pantry rat of the Sinema office.
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