The maid Bernadette doesn’t tolerate servitude for long. Tearing the crucifix from her neck, she stabs it into the eye of her double while it’s sleeping, a thick green mist emanating from the wound. But moments later we see her gaze down from the top floor, in the same pose and outfit as we first saw her shadow. Is the cycle doomed to repeat? Meanwhile, the pop star earns the applause and attention of the manager, but there is no warmth to the signing of his contract. He takes it wordlessly and leaves her alone in her dressing room, with nobody around to talk to except her questioning conscience. The journey of depression is one of silent and unwitnessed victories, each one soured by the knowledge that soon it will be time to struggle again.

“We settled on the horror genre and the idea of Bernadette playing multiple characters, each representing a different period of her life or facet of her personality, and the concept for Sliding eventually took shape. When we were about a week out from shooting, I asked Bernadette to write backstories for each of her characters. I expected in return fun little made-up stories about The Maid’s upbringing or The Master’s fall from grace, but instead I received very honest and very raw recounts about her life and experience with treatment resistant depression, reminding me that, despite all the horror tropes and cursed eyes and creepy old mansions, this one, for Bernadette, was personal.”

Each Bernadette has their own signature look, an important device when your lead actor is playing multiple roles. From the first few frames we see her in a striking white blazer, headscarf and the crucifix which will later become her weapon. The doppelganger is seen in glimpses through open doors and windows, in a white nightgown that evokes The Ring (2002), and then later veiled and in black (in a wheelchair but no less menacing) evoking The Woman In Black (1989). Meanwhile, the pop singer is clad in a gold patterned blouse and an enormous blonde wig, perhaps symbolizing the gratuitous effort that goes into performing normality when fighting inner demons.

“Sliding is a period piece, what period exactly is up for interpretation, but it’s definitely well and truly in Bernadette’s vintage wheelhouse. So I trusted her to style herself from the moment we decided on the concept. But that’s not to say Bernadette didn’t get in a couple of curveballs, like her characters being predominantly barefoot. I wasn’t sure about it, but she won me over by referencing the Virgin Mary and Sandie Shaw. This then inspired one of my favorite moments in the clip, the stomping out of a cigarette with a barefoot – the character motivation behind this action spoke louder than words and I loved it! And as for styling Erik Thomson, it was just fun to find ways to turn the sweetheart of the Australian/New Zealand stage and screen into a sinister and slimy music manager. The glasses, the cigar, the gold rings, all added to and inspired his performance.”

Just like in real estate, music videos are often governed by location, location, location. Labassa Mansion, a heritage listed property in Victoria, was chosen because it oozed gothic horror. Lit up at night in strong orange and green lights, they seem unnatural but instead of undercutting the believability they serve to bring strong emotion and surreality to the scene, much like Dario Argento’s horror classic Suspiria (1977). The pop studio, meanwhile, evokes 1984 with huge eye decals, grey tones and analogue screens.

“Pretty much every facet of this world was researched, sourced, constructed, dressed in and bumped out. Where the lighting team were the MVP’s at Labassa Mansion – lighting the interior and exterior of that place is not a small task- the Production Design team definitely earned this title in the broadcast studio and adjacent dressing room, which were, before they showed up, just a couple of empty rooms.”

Sliding is the second collaboration between Andrew and Bernadette, with the first being her clip “Another View on Dystopia” which is similarly full of striking imagery. The music video is both an amazing artistic achievement and a testament to overcoming deeply personal mental hardship, wrapped up in a stylish gothic package.

Here is the official video for “Sliding“

Music Video Credits

Director: Andrew Yeremeyev. Assistant Director: Sean Hutton. Producers: Andrew Yeremeyev & Bernadette Novembre. D.O.P: Daniel Bolt. 1st Assistant Camera: Tommy Le. 2nd Assistant Camera: Claire Giuffre. Steadicam Operator: Joel Soh. Gaffer: Francis Healy Wood. Best Person: Aidan D’Arcy. Production Designer: Annika Rigg. Design Assistant: Fifi Aitken. Hair & Makeup Artist: Eve Louise Gale. Hair & Makeup Assistant: Brigitte Khalil-Salib. Wardrobe Stylist: Bernadette Novembre. Wardrobe Assistant: Talana Daff. BTS Photographer: Sarah Ruhullah. Editor/ Graphic Designer: Andrew Yeremeyev. Visual Effects: Hannah Dougherty & Neil Rowe. Colour Grade: Ted Deacey. Sound Designer: James Yeremeyev. CAST: “The Maid”, “The Master” & “The Pop Star” – Bernadette Novembre. “The Manager” – Erik Thomson. Body Double – Talana Daff. Broadcast Studio Extras – Talana Daff, Aidan D’Arcy, Hannah Dougherty, Claire Giuffre, Francis Healy Wood & Sarah Ruhullah. SPECIAL THANKS: Gasworks Arts Park, The National Trust of Australia (Victoria), Always Classic Cars and our Chauffeur Eddie, VA Hire Melbourne, Melbourne Light Rentals, Phong Truong, Darcy De Silva, Lewis Bradley at Bradley Rose Hair, Scorpio Rising, Queens of Archive, & Hollywood Custom Wigs.