Bang Your Head

Artist Statement

For my video essay, I decided to interrogate how Heavy Metal music affects my everyday experience. Ever since being introduced to it a few months ago, Heavy Metal has quickly become my favorite genre of music, and I listen to it incessantly. Because of this, it has caused a significant change in how I view my everyday.

I used a free-form double helix essay containing both lyric essay and research components for the film. I felt the double helix would allow me to express my feelings toward Heavy Metal while giving a little background information for the un-initiated. My research was mostly web-based. I guess the parts where I just listened to music could be considered “research” too. I approached my visual design wanting to make something kinetic and exciting as well as slow and ponderous, much like the Heavy Metal music itself. The audio treatment was a challenge, as in several parts of the video I had to mix my voice along with the music I selected for the film. Recording was especially tough, even when I tried breaking the essay up into smaller chunks to read. The most rewarding part for me was in the editing room, seeing my the parts come together to bring the film to life.

I hope you enjoy me video, and as always, keep it brutal.

Artist Bio

Sean Neagle is a junior at The Evergreen State College originally from Oakland, California. He is an avid filmmaker and writer, whose film reviews and photography have appeared in UCSF’s Synapse newspaper. He hopes to become an independent filmmaker upon graduating.

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