I got back into the Beach Boys and their music. I also started learning more about Brian Wilson and his interesting and tragic history. He was such a fascinating person and was totally ahead of his time. After learning about his story, I really resonated with his struggles with mental health and the creative process. He’s a true survivor and an inspiration.

In Brian’s unreleased 1966 album the Smile Sessions there’s a minute and a half long skit called Psychedelic Sounds: Brian Falls Into a Piano. I thought it was very funny and had potential as a fun storyboard project. The original audio has Van Dyke Parks, Michael Vosse, and David Anderle who were Brian’s friends and collaborators at the time, but I decided to instead include the Beach Boys members instead since their personalities are more distinct and accessible.

I wanted to have this contrast the quiet peaceful nature of the beach with the chaotic and slightly dangerous world of the piano. It represents the Beach Boys during this time too, struggling with their identity, especially musically. I also wanted to have a sense of family and comradery between the band members since they were a family unit and had such a strong bond. I think the final shot gets this theme across in a really nice way.

Check out the art direction I did for this project here!