Ketamine

A song about a destructive relationship that seems inescapable.

  • Donald McQuade
    Director
  • Katheryn Heffelmire
    Producer
  • Seth White
    Associate Producer
  • Niki Hunter
    Editor/VFX
  • Tom Barnard
    Visual Effects
  • Midnight Divide
    Band
  • Project Type:
    Music Video
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 29 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 1, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Global Film Festival Awards
    Los Angeles
    Award Winner: Best Music Video
  • Rome Independent Prisma Awards
    Rome
    Italy
    Finalist: Best Music Video
  • Indie Short Fest
    Los Angeles
    Finalist: Best Visual FX
  • Indie Short Fest
    Los Angeles
    Finalist: Best Music Video
  • Vegas Movie Awards
    Las Vegas
    Award Winner: Best Music Video
  • jellyFEST
    Los Angeles
    Semi-Finalist: Best Music Video
  • LA Underground Film Forum
    Los Angeles
    Honorable Mention: Best Music Video
Director Biography - Donald McQuade

Donald is a Florida native, coffee addict, and award winning writer/director. His work is highly stylized and informed by a love of the innovative and the unexpected. He studied film at Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. Once in Los Angeles, Donald’s strengths as a storyteller made him a highly sought after script doctor and ghost writer for feature films before transitioning to directing music videos and commercials. As a filmmaker, his work has featured the talents of Ciara, Leah Michelle, John Legend, Regina King and Eva Longoria.

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Director Statement

As music, Ketamine immediately caught my attention. It was a simple rock song that told a relatable story: a relationship that brings about the worst in a couple yet, like addicts, they can’t seem to quit one another. Listening to the song, it conjured up visuals of love, beauty and destruction, something that would make for a great music video. Assembling a team of “professional volunteers”, our friends in the industry, we did our best to capture those images with what little we had. Our budget was essentially the cost of lunch, everything else was borrowed or loaned to us. Seeing this project completed is one of the proudest moments of my career only because of what it represents. This film was made by a group of friends with a shared passion for film and each other. I’m so thankful for the work they put in and the countless hours that were spent seeing this vision come to life.