Scott Helman presents a premiere music video for his latest single “Wait No More,” shot at the singer’s Toronto home over two days in May while following lockdown guidelines.
Known for his inventive and indelible music videos, Scott and director Ben Knechtel were up for the challenge of maintaining their high standards while not being able to be in the same room together.
Knechtel – who previously directed Helman’s videos for “Ripple Effect,” “Kinda Complicated” and the JUNO-nominated “Hang Ups” – set up camp outside the home. Cinematographer David Schuurman shot the outside scenes from a safe distance, while Helman’s girlfriend, Katya Cybulsky, masterfully helmed the camera for the intricate scene shot indoors.
The video was filmed with a reverse motion effect, which meant Helman had to learn how to sing the song backwards.
“I reversed the song, added markers, and rehearsed each day for an hour or so. It was frustrating at times, but I started to get the hang of it, and by shoot day I knew the entire song backwards by heart,” says Scott. “Dave handed his (lysolled!) camera over to Katya, my girlfriend, and gave her a quick run-down on how it worked. Then we just got to it! Kat filmed the whole thing inside, with the feed from the camera running to a monitor outside so that Ben and Dave could direct Kat at a safe distance. We had a mic running from the backyard to the living room so we could communicate freely. We rehearsed the shot all day since we had one chance at getting it right. It was hectic and nerve-wracking (and we destroyed our living room in the process) but I think the final product was well worth it.”
Adds Knechtel: “This is my 5th video collaborating closely with Scott and the pressure to always innovate is real, especially after we built a freaking rotating room for the ‘Hang Ups’ video, but we always seem to find our way. The pandemic forced us to get creative and make something truly unique with what we had available to us. Some hair clippers and a bucket of green paint, and we were off to the races.”
“Wait No More,” released earlier this month, was the most added song at Canadian radio last week. The single will be featured on Scott’s next collection of music, due out later this year.
“This song marks a new chapter for me as an artist. It marks the start of living freely, of appreciating each moment, and of waiting no more. I hope it brings you peace in these strange times, and that it illuminates the small beautiful moments of your life as it has for mine.”
Scott Helman, a 2020 JUNO nominee for Single of the Year (“Hang Ups”), has established himself as one of Canada’s leading songwriters whose versatility promises a limitless ceiling. The Toronto artist has toured around the world with the likes of Shawn Mendes, Vance Joy and Tegan and Sara, and has collaborated with Alessia Cara, Blas Cantó and Hunter Hayes. With 2 platinum and 3 gold singles, 5 career JUNO nominations and a worldwide record deal through Warner Music Canada, Scott Helman is poised for an international breakout.
