By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Noble Park North film director’s long love of horror lives large in his most recent ARIA-nominated music video.
Nick Kozakis, who grew up on a terrifying watch-list of The Exorcist and the Halloween series, received his third consecutive ARIA nomination for the recent Tones and I clip ‘Won’t Sleep’.
The elaborately staged video pays playful homage to popular horror movies as well as Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
“We found that medium between a bit scary but not too scary – so as to not alienate children.
Kozakis, co-director Liam Kelly and producer Tim Whiting staged the spectacular at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda.
With more than 100 cast and crew, it was the biggest, most expensive clip made in Australia, he says.
Forty crew worked on the unique ‘second-skin’ masks and make-up.
“As a horror enthusiast, it was fun and it was very stressful. We shot over two days, and there was not a single weak link.
“The idea is to keep every frame as fresh as possible, to push different scenes, try different shot types.”
Kozakis’s collaboration with homegrown hit Tones and I began with a last-minute call-up to film ‘Dance Monkey’ two years ago.
He jumped on board, sourced senior citizens’ costumes and a leafblower from a Noble Park op shop and filmed the clip in a day.
That became a “surprise global sensation”, with 1.7 billion views on YouTube and contacts with Sony, Warner Music and US-based Electra Records.
“It propelled us to the next level.”
Kozakis and his company Visible Studios’ first feature film Plague screened at Cannes Film Festival in 2015, and won awards including ‘most popular’ at Monsterfest.
His upcoming second feature ‘In God’s Care’ is another look on the dark side. It’s inspired by true and tragic tales of botched exorcisms on people that may have had mental illnesses.
“It’s dealing with the themes of isolation so it felt like the right time to do this.
With as yet unannounced stellar cast and a location in Daylesford, Kozakis describes it as a “very big leap that we’re excited to undertake”.
Born in Dandenong Hospital and raised in Noble Park, Kozakis has kept nearby to his parents by buying a home in Noble Park North.
He said he drew from the rich cultural diversity in his neighbourhood and schools Heatherhill Primary and St Joseph’s Primary.
As well as a copious diet of horror movies from a young age. His memories of watching The Exorcist were that he was “extremely frightened” but also inspired to understand film.
As a child, he re-enacted scenes in local parks and back streets. At a point he realised his destiny was behind the camera not in front of it.
He played around with a video camera, experimented with make-up as he produced ‘zombie’ flicks in parks and local homes.
Starting work as a graphic designer, he could never shake loose the bug. He enrolled in a film course at Swinburne Uni.
“Doing things was the best way to go ahead. I’d always try to go above my comfort level.
“Failures were more beneficial than successes. I’d identify what went wrong and improve on the next production.
“I’m never satisfied.”
To vote for the Aria awards, go to https://www.aria.com.au/awards/nominees
Entries close on 24 November.
