Animal Collective's Upcoming Film Project Revealed!

For all those basking in the glory of Animal Collective's epic new album Merriweather Post Pavillion, bask on this: The Collective is already at work on their next project, an experimental film directed by Daniel Perez and shot by Ryan Samul. A few days after the band's packed-to-the-brim, sold-out show at Bowery Ballroom, PAPERMAG had the pleasure of talking with Perez and Samul about the project. Perez explained in slightly enigmatic terms that "it's less a documentary, more an abstract visual endeavor. Neither a feature nor a short."

A project two years in the making, Perez (who first teamed up with the band on their video for "Who Could Win a Rabbit") began the filmmaking process by joining AC on the road. "I shot some live footage, but more importantly we spent time chatting about various imagery and motifs that we wanted to develop." From there, he says, "I built up the design of what would make up the live action portion of the video. The costumes, sets and various props that we would be shooting. We were working with a handful of clothing designers and carpenters -- a lot of stuff was brought together in a pretty short amount of time."

As for the filming itself, Perez says, "There have been multiple shoots, re-shoots in various places up and down the East Coast in the past two years, but the main shoot took place about two years ago, in upstate New York at Wing's Castle, a particularly great place to work in for a week's time at night. A handmade castle on a hill behind you, and the Hudson Valley below." The members of Animal Collective are the central characters in the film, but there are several actors and performers who make appearances as well.

Even though they are probably the most beloved indie band indie banding today, throughout the shoot, Animal Collective kept things real. "Everyone was on board -- when the AC members weren't being painted up and covered in masks, latex and goo, they were chopping wood and going on food runs for the crew. I was lucky to have a great crew who were all supportive and hardworking. There was no ego involved which is always ideal."

Cinematographer Samul added, "The shoot was probably the best filmmaking experience I've had because of the level of excitement surrounding it. To work with someone whose vision is so outside the norm, to make those images reality, to be given freedom to experiment and just do what feels right without having restrictions was totally amazing."

The film, which Perez hopes to start screening in the summer, is now reaching the end of its post-production phase, and has consisted of Perez sifting through "hours of footage and forming a structure that resembles some sort of fever dream at this point... Over various cuts in the past two years, Animal Collective has been feeding me music, sounds and ideas regarding the cuts. Ultimately, it's our desire to have the finished video be one singular entity in itself. The video and the sound are symbiotic. Any structure seems to come from how they both inform the other."

While there's no title yet, and no set release date at the moment, Samul hints, "I've seen some of what Danny has done -- this is going to blow people away."