Gabe Silva – Skeletons

We had a chance to interview Gabe Silva, producer and storywriter of the music video Skeletons as well as the musician behind the song. Skeletons is an official selection of the 12th annual Utah Film Festival at the Towne Hub in American Fork, Utah. 

What was the inspiration to make Skeletons?

We wanted to tell a story about not wasting time and connecting with someone you love in the present moment, with a Skeleton protagonist representing vulnerability in a relationship, the skeletons we hide in the closet and the looming presence of death in life, as well as adding a bit of humor to the story. We were inspired in the song lyrics as well as the dark humor and aesthetic of directors like David Lynch and Tim Burton.

From idea to completion, how did Skeletons change?  

The idea was ambitious for an independent music video, and one of the most important changes came from turning a limitation into a strength. We wanted to set the music video in a surreal dimension that recalled 1950s United States, but achieving that in Bogotá, Colombia in 2021 wasn’t exactly an easy task. After a lot of thought we decided to represent the locations through miniatures (created by Javier Farfán) which in the end really added to the style of the production.

What was the biggest challenge in getting Skeletons made? 

The biggest challenge in getting this music video made was trying to tell a complex, ambitious story in a just few minutes, and where we most felt that challenge during the editing process.

What do you think is the most important takeaway from Skeletons?

The most important takeaway was how important it is to find creative solutions to the challenges that come up, especially when working with a tight budget, persistence in following through with an idea that inspires you, and working with a team who is excited and motivated by the story.

If you could have a do over with Skeletons is there anything that you

would have done differently? If so, what would you change?

There are some night shots taken of the POV of the car driving through the forest that did not result how we intended and I would definitely do those over if I had the chance.

What do you have in the works?

We recently released a new music video created by the same team behind Skeletons, which tells the story of a group of ghost detectives haunted by the past. You can watch Fighting Ghosts here: https://youtu.be/f5lkD70u0_I