Featured Selection

Cobrah

"Torn"

Built around precision choreography, motion control, and a striking central performance, Torn explores repetition, reflection, and the tension between identity and continuation. Directed by Julius Hayes, the video brings a tightly coordinated crew together around a technically demanding concept — executed under significant time pressure.

Below, Hayes walks us through the making of the video, from scale and planning to on-set challenges and narrative intent.

Despite the complexity of the visual concept, the production remained deliberately tight, relying on close collaboration and a committed lead performer.

In total, we were 27 people involved in the production of Torn. Cobrah is one of the most professional people I’ve ever worked with.

She stood in her high heels for an entire day and gave her all, take after take and never complained.

Much of the production timeline was spent refining choreography and technical execution before cameras ever rolled.

We made it in about a month, and a large part of the time was spent planning how we would achieve the effect of duplicating Cobrah and having her follow a choreography with herself.

Many of the days were spent bringing the DoP and myself into the dance studio together with Cobrah and the choreographer Christin Olesen.

As with many technically ambitious shoots, the biggest obstacles emerged once production was underway:

Time, as always when you make a film. You always have such big ambitions, but unfortunately there isn’t always as much time as you would like. We shot the entire film in 8 hours, since our motion control system malfunctioned a lot and ate up our time.

One specific moment became the visual anchor for the entire piece; an image that existed long before the shoot. I love the scene when she stands up and the reveal of her replica. It was the first image I saw very clearly in my mind when I heard the song, and I immediately started sketching it out.

Rather than closing the story, Torn leaves the viewer with an open thread.

Keep an eye out at the end, and you’ll get a little hint about the next chapter.

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