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The story behind Addison Rae’s star-making ‘Aquamarine’ video
Text Lauren Devlin
Since the launch of Addison Rae’s “Aquamarine” music video this past week, the internet has seen swathes of impersonations of the TikTok star-turned-pop icon – from Halloween costumes, to straight-up renditions of that dance routine. The video has caused a sensation, with many people (like myself) wanting to obsessively watch it over and over again.
The videos for both “Aquamarine” and Rae’s previous single “Diet Pepsi” were directed by Sean Price Williams, who is already a major name in directing. His debut feature film The Sweet East, starring Talia Ryder and Jacob Elordi, came out in May, and followed a high-school student navigating a bizarro, dreamlike version of America. But Williams had been working as an influential cinematographer for years before that, with credits that include Alex Ross Perry’s Her Smell, and the Safdie Brother’s Good Time and Heaven Knows What. With his work with Rae causing such a stir, we reached out to the New York filmmaker to talk about his work on “Diet Pepsi”, the already-iconic “Aquamarine” bathtub, and his all-time favourite music videos.
Hi Sean! Can you tell us about the Addison Rae videos? How did they come about?
Sean Price Williams: Mel [Ottenberg, the editor-in-chief of Interview magazine] was a big part of it, and Addison had seen The Sweet East and knows Talia Ryder, the main actress. I had also just met Mel at a screening in New York, which was about some Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey stuff, and I guess I was brought up because of that combination at that moment.
What were your main references for the “Aquamarine” video?
Sean Price Williams: Mel and I discussed Russ Meyers, and other sexy movies and girls. I’m always eager to leave the 60s behind, but I hadn’t thought about Meyers for a long time. Once Mel and I started talking about it I became totally possessed again, watching the films and having my mind blown again by the incredible editing and the spirit of the movies, the independence of the vision. I keep getting stuck back in the 60s… it’s better than the 90s, although everyone loves the 90s now. Luckily I was able to live through it and know how gross it was.
I’m not always articulate in how I express myself. Sometimes I create problems and rifts between collaborators and myself. Josh and Bennie Safdie stopped talking to me for months, maybe even a year, because I disagreed with their edit of Heaven Knows What – Sean Price Williams
You worked with American documentary makers The Maysles, who were said to have coined the ‘Direct Cinema Style’ of camera work. Tell me about that and how it’s influenced you today.
Sean Price Williams: The thing I like about Direct Cinema Style is the majority of it is still shot on 16mm, which is the format and texture that I like – the size of the camera and lenses have a big effect on how you shoot. I like to grab the camera, and with Addison it was cool as she was up for finding the shots. She would do her thing and I’d be bending all over the place, falling over to try and find these cool moments with the light and her. That’s the most fun I have shooting. In older Direct Cinema films, when you see them trying to find the shot in the movie, that’s the most exciting thing for me. I tried with The Sweet East to make the camera a character, at times. I love the idea of a narrative film where you’re very aware of the camera.
The Maysles are always actively in my head. I was an archivist for Albert Maysles, so I looked at all of his material for most of the films that he made in the 60s and 70s. I love all those films. They were really disorganised back then, they didn’t time when they were going to roll out, they didn’t discuss who the star was or know who the celebrity was and were filming the wrong people half the time. There’s a naivety that’s refreshing. When everyone wants everything to be perfect now, with tools that make cameras move perfectly, I have this revolt against that.
How do you stop yourself getting too emotionally involved in filmmaking? What’s your advice?
Sean Price Williams: I care a lot but I’m not always articulate in how I express myself. Sometimes I create problems and rifts between collaborators and myself. Josh and Bennie Safdie stopped talking to me for months, maybe even a year, because I disagreed with their edit of Heaven Knows What. I was very terrible at trying to express myself. I was hurtful and harmful. The thing is, it shouldn’t be forever.
Can you share some recommendations with us? Firstly, what are your all-time favourite music videos?
Sean Price Williams: I never thought I would be able to conceive a music video. My favourite videos are the ones that feel like they were made in 45 minutes, like Carly Simon, “Why” or Rolling Stones, “Waiting on a Friend”.
And finally, as it’s Halloween weekend, what are some of your favourite horror movies?
Sean Price Williams: My favourite horror movie of all is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It’s just a good art film, one of the greatest American films I’d say. Strange Behaviour is an example of one of these 80s movies that I love. It’s extremely awkwardly made and awkwardly acted. I watched that the other night and I try to watch it every year. There’s also a movie called Life Span from the 70s. Terry Riley did the soundtrack. It’s a cool movie to watch at three in the morning. Not necessarily a good movie but the atmosphere of it, it’s a sexy movie.