A Little Background
We had already worked with Estani Frizzell on a couple different occasions before collaborating again for her single, “Higher,” so we knew we would be in for something novel and fun when the opportunity arose! Estani is an exceptionally talented artist and songwriter who wrote the award-winning “Enraptured” and “Meant To Be” for Alexa Friedman, as well as “Cry” for Rachel Gencon. When she approached us to do video production for her own first single as an artist, we knew it needed to be more than memorable, something that would establish her as a true artistic novelty. She had lent her talents so many times to reveal the brilliance of so many other musicians, we knew it was her time to step into the spotlight!
Estani’s single “Higher” is an award-nominated song about the universal longing to express something of tangible value in one’s life, but the daunting paralysis that arises with confusion over the next steps forward. Many of us long to make a difference for the good in a world plagued with bad news cycles and troubled times, but it can all seem too overwhelmingly big, devastating, unassailable. What difference could we make? And where would we even begin?
The songs opens with the lines: “You want so bad to make a difference, but you give up before you start. You say someday you’ll go the distance, but that’s just talking without heart.” Can anyone relate? Estani knew she wanted the video to reflect the haunting anxieties of the desires for change clashing with felt powerlessness that are all too familiar in our day. With that vision, our director, Spencer Evans, went to work imagining visuals to properly mirror these palpable and timely longings. He knew immediately he wanted the video to be a sort of visceral shock for viewers, leaving them with a sense that they had not only roller-coastered Estani’s experience, but that hers had imaged their own as well. Paying homage to Tobe Hooper’s film, “Poltergeist,” the video projects a sort of ghostly battle between Estani and these dark demons of anxiety and despair. And this existential battle is lodged not only between ourselves and the tragic realities of our world, but between our own haunting fears and our willingness to face them. And just as the song longs for a redemptive arc, so the video also progresses toward a more ultimate baptism of hope and release.
The Story…
The story begins with Estani sleeping soundly in bedroom near an old TV. Suddenly, while she’s still sleeping her spirit leaves her body to go downstairs. As she glides down the stairs the lights flash and we get a glimpse of the cross on her bracelet. When she enters the living room we see her dog alerting her with a bark, but we aren’t sure why. If you look closely you see that the TV has followed her.
Estani reaches the front door and a bright light and big gust of wind brushes over her. As she turns to walk away, we see that another has entered the house. Next we see her in the theatre watching the horrors of the news on the old TV that has been following her. Overwhelmed by the weight of bad stories, Estani tries to cleans herself in the shower. The TV continues to follow. Giving up hope, Estani rips her bracelet and the cross falls to the ground. She carries the TV to the pool as the news continues to play. She approaches the edge of the pool, deciding whether to take the plunge and leave her burdens. Just as she is about to hit the water, a hand pulls her out to save her. This action initiates a reversal of her actions and her spirit arrives back in her sleeping body.
Since releasing this video, we at Spirinity have found a second joy in its creation by hearing the various take-aways from its viewers! Did Estani save herself in the end? Was it an angel? Was it her thoughts or just her imagination? Or did the story end on a more tragic note? Also, what was the thing that came into the house? Was that just her? Was it all in her head? Her dreams? Or was it something of darker origin? Whatever you took away from the video and song, we hope it inspires us all to not give up on hope for our world, our loved ones, our neighbors, or even ourselves!
Final Thoughts
Finally, here are some fun facts about the video production side of filming! First of all, the dog in this video is the Director’s named Daisy! If you watch some of our other videos, you might see her make a cameo in a few of them. Either way, she’s almost always on set with us. When it comes to the gust of wind and light at the front door, it actually took us several tries to time it just right. We had one person operating the fan, another doing the light and it wasn’t easy to get the door opened and all of it to turn on in perfect sync! It’s a miracle that Estani was able to stay in character because the crew was definitely cracking up from all the mishaps.
One final filming fact for funzies: You know that feeling when you’re wet and frigidly cold after getting out of a pool on a cooler day? Estani definitely experienced that! After shooting the shower scene, she had to stay wet for the pool scene. While it was a summer day, it still can feel cold when you’re dress, hair and whole body is wet! When we filmed Estani’s fall into the pool, she actually fell in with the TV with 3 cameras capturing from different angles – including a GoPro from under the water. (Don’t worry, our team tested it out ahead of time for safety purposes.)
Truly, we had a wonderful time collaborating with Estani on “Higher” and we can’t wait to do more!