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Music

Behind the Lens: Bleachers' Jack Antonoff and director Richard Shepard on the set of "Rollercoaster"

Jack Antonoff gives us some girl advice, plus a behind the scenes video and tons of on-set pics.

You might know Jack Antonoff as the guitarist of Fun. You might know Jack Antonoff as Lena Dunham’s boyfriend. My perception of Jack Antonoff before this was he's a hypochondriac, crazy-talented and hardworking, and a pretty smart dude. I had, like the rest of the planet, heard hits like “Some Nights,” “I Wanna Get Better,” and lastly, Bleachers' current single, “Rollercoaster,” which appears to be about the emotional toxicity of a complicated and shitty relationship. Maybe you can relate. If you can't may God bless you and may your love be forever untainted.

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Above is an exclusive behind the scenes video from the "Rollercoaster" video shoot, the treatment of which put Bleachers on top of a speeding ice cream van and made sure Antonoff got kicked in the balls by a babe on a desert highway. (Watch the full video here.)

For this latest Behind the Lens we tracked down Antonoff and director Richard Shepard (Girls, Ugly Betty, Don Hemingway) to find out about their collaboration, the early days of MTV, and Girls. Plus the Bleachers singer gave us some advice on how to get girls when you're an awkward dude.

Jack and guitarist Mikey Hart.

Talking to Jack… Noisey: You revealed recently that you almost died filming the video. What exactly happened? I’d love to hear that story.
Jack Antonoff: The brakes went out while we were performing on top of that ice cream truck. Luckily we were going up hill when it happened. It was completely insane, and as result we couldn't shoot anymore so the entirety of us on top of the truck was from one take that was suppose to be a rehearsal that thank god was shot. It was bananas.

How important is the humor of your guitarist Mikey Hart for Bleachers’ morale?
Jack: Paramount. Mikey has a special way of balancing bits with intense musicianship. Usually, it's one or the other. Like people that good aren't funny, or people that funny aren't great musicians. He's got both up the wazoo. Never seen that before.

Recently you said: “The past two years have been defined by making Strange Desire” and you described the release of the album as “scary.” Do you carry the same emotional weight with the music videos as with the songs themselves? Do you tend to be more relaxed during the video shoot?
Jack: Slightly more relaxed with videos. But at the same time they're incredibly intense as well. Growing up in the 90s a lot of my childhood was defined by the images bands were putting to their music. In many cases (Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer) the videos ended up meaning more to me than the music itself. I'm constantly aware when I'm making videos that it's an art form that can enhance the music or really shit on it. There's a pressure there that I was to live up to.

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What music videos had an impact on you when were you younger / what were some of the formative influences from the world of MTV?
Jack: “Tonight Tonight” by Smashing Pumpkins. To this day, it's better than a lot of full-length films out there. It's just beautiful. Fully captures the wonder and longing in the song. It's one of those videos that perfectly shows you what you were seeing in your head before you even knew that's what you were seeing. Such a dream.

What was the inspiration behind this song?
Jack: "Rollercoaster" is a sad song to me. It's about looking back and trying to recognize yourself as someone who was way more willing to let the more wild parts of life come in. Specifically, it tells the story of the kind of romance that takes you out of your body—but it ends up being more about the days when that kind of thing was possible to begin with. For those reasons it's dark to me.

Between Bleachers, Fun. and your old band Steel Train, you’ve been an insanely busy guy. How do you prioritize one band or project over the other?
Jack: It's all just a feeling. Prioritizing isn't hard because it's natural. Whatever I want to work on it what I work on. I'd never focus on something for and reason other than just the feeling of being inspired to work on it. I like to keep it that way. If something else ever enters the equation, the work is gonna suffer.

Your sister describes you as a pretty shitty driver. What’s your response to your driving haters?
Jack: My license is currently expired and the road is a better place without me.

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What’s been the highlight of this year and what are your aspirations for the band as you move into 2015?
Jack: The highlight has been connecting with people in general on the album. It's so personal and in many places reads like a diary. It as hard to revisit a lot of things I went through in the past to make this album lyrically. Being able to share that makes me feel less alone. I love recorded music, live music, making content, etc. etc., but relating to people on dark experiences is something that makes life make sense. That's far out.

At the end of the behind the scenes video you say girls used to come up to you and ask you to make out and then punch you in the face. What are your tips for awkward guys when it comes to getting girls?
Jack: My tip would be to wait. Everyone who is being themselves—their time comes eventually. The only way to fuck it up is to act bizarre or phony to try and get girls or boys. What makes you unattractive at one point in life will probably make you irresistible at another.

Talking to Richard… Noisey: You’re known for directing and producing TV shows and movies. How did you end up behind the camera? Was it something you were always drawn to?
Richard Shepard: After I realized that I would never play third base for the NY Mets, which coincided with getting a Super 8 camera for my 6th grade graduation, I decided to follow my other love, which was movies. I have been extremely lucky to be able to do it for a living. Whether it’s movies that I’ve written and directed like The Matador with Pierce Brosnan or Dom Hemingway with Jude Law, or my TV work with Girls and others I still feel like I’m a 12-year-old, worried about running out of Super 8 film, and thinking of new cool ways to tell a story.

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What do you enjoy about shooting music videos versus TV shows?
Richard: Strangely, Bleachers “Rollercoaster” music video is the first video I’ve ever directed. I may be the oldest first-time music video director in history—or one of them, at least. Ultimately there are many similarities in any visual medium whether it’s film/TV or music videos. You always have too little time, too little money, and the pressure to make it interesting. That said, working within the three-minute video structure you actually have a lot of freedom. Jack Antonoff asked me to direct the video (we know each socially through his girlfriend Lena). I took it as a great opportunity. First off, no one had ever asked me before. And I love new challenges. And I loved the song so much it was really easy to try to visualize an interesting version of it.

What music videos had an impact on you when were you younger and what were some of the formative influences from the world of MTV?
Richard: I was an MTV addict from its inception. I spent my four years at NYU doing almost nothing but watching music videos. And even today, when MTV barely shows videos, there’s just great work being done in the medium. If you want to see the newest most innovative visual styles happening today it’s still in videos. My favorite video ever is The Beastie Boys “Sabotage,” fun, funny, perfect for the song. I could watch it a million times (and think I have).

Sun damage is real. What was it like working with Jack?
Richard: Working so closely with him was a real treat. He’s incredibly collaborative and yet fully decisive, like I am, so we were able to throw a million ideas back and forth and come up with something that excited us both. From the inception, to the editing he was in on every decision. That made it fun because we just wanted please each other, and when he loved the finished product I felt I had done my job correctly.

This video reminds me a bit of the Pumpkins’ video for “Today.” Was that a reference at all?
Richard: It’s a great video. Again, definitely ingrained in my creative DNA. Jack wanted an 80s feel for the video, and I was the perfect match for that since that was when I was in my prime music video watching period. In many ways I had a stunted growth, so my “old man” perspective was exactly what he was looking for. I just wanted the video to express my feelings about the song. The happiness it gives me. I just talked about sun flares a lot with him. I referenced Terrence Malick more then Smashing Pumpkins.

Can you tell us anything about Girls episodes you directed in the upcoming season?
Richard: I’ve been extremely fortunate to be able to direct on all the seasons of Girls. It's an incredibly creative environment to work in. This upcoming season is the best they’ve done yet. I had one particular episode that was both visually and performance-wise very challenging and there’s a scene with Lena and Adam Driver that's some of the best work I’ve ever been involved with. For that scene alone—in episode five of the new season—I'm super excited for people to check it out. Other then that, I can’t tell you anything more or the show runner will kill me. And since I live with her (Jenni Konner) it’s easier then you would imagine.