The Wonder Years "Dismantling Summer"

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Color can be a powerful tool in storytelling.

This was a music video I wrote, directed, and edited a few years back. The idea came about while I was on tour with the band and I was talking to the singer about the duality of sad situations, where there is always something funny to be found in even the worst situations.

I wanted to explore the theme visually by using a dual color scheme. Cold blue for isolation and loneliness, and warm orange tones for family and togetherness. This plan worked even better than expected because there was a snow storm the week of the shoot in Philadelphia (where it was shot). The contrast between the cold snow and the warmth inside the house set the tone for the serious nature of the song despite the comical elements within the story.

Here is the final video for reference:

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MTV wrote an article where they really broke down the meaning of the video quite well:

One of the more heartrending tracks off of The Wonder Years' The Greatest Generation (a favorite album of last year), "Dismantling Summer" deals with almost losing a beloved family member. So, naturally, we were a little confused at first by the comical tone that the song's accompanying video took.

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In the clip, Dan "Soupy" Campbell's family replaces all of the pictures of him throughout the house with ones featuring a goofy, bearded mannequin in his place, then proceed to sit down for an appetizing (but awkward-looking) family dinner with the stand-in. Is someone going to keel over soon? What's going on?!

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The change of tone was intentional, Campbell explained in a press release. "We knew that for a song so personal, a literal re-telling for the video would be unwelcome and painful," he said.

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"Drew [Russ], the director took the core nerve of the song, the idea of being away when it matters most, and spun it into an absurdist piece of dark comedy during which my family found themselves fed up with my perpetual absence and replaced me with a mannequin, leaving me in the literal cold."

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That explains Campbell wandering the frozen streets wondering where his ride home from the airport is, and receiving a text message from his mother saying she doesn't know who he is. (HAAAA! Much funnier than sickness and death...) Regardless, the song remains strident, anthemic, and powerful.

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