On March 1st, 2021 I released my most ambitious project to date— a 50-minute video essay that explores the history and impact of the Canadian synth-rock band, TWRP. The TWRP Iceberg Explained utilizes the popular iceberg meme to explain everything from the most well-known facts at the tip to the obscure, forgotten trivia at the bottom. The video, which spent four months in production, was an exercise in file management and long-form editing in Final Cut Pro X, an application that I had used previously for short projects.
I aspired to create a video that stood out among its contemporaries both in terms of content and production value. To achieve these goals, I devoted a significant amount of time talking with long-time fans and researching long-lost interviews, blog posts, and social media posts. The result was over 65 distinct trivia entries with the most accurate and up-to-date information available at the time. I combined footage of performances and interviews, photographs, and screenshots from social media to tell the most comprehensive history of the band.
Most iceberg videos follow a similar formula — the video creator narrates the video and is accompanied by photographs, screenshots, and videos. I took this a step further and went all-in on the nautical theme. I donned a captain’s hat, beard, and pipe and recorded live-action vignettes used to introduce sections of the video. The footage was then composited with the interior of a submersible rendered in 3D.
Designing the submersible might have been my favorite part of the whole process. It allowed me to flex my 3D modeling and animation muscles in ways that they haven’t been before. The original idea for the submersible was to have it resemble a traffic cone or pylon, similar to the original headpiece of the band’s keyboardist, Doctor Sung. While the idea sounded good in my head, it did not translate well on paper and wouldn’t make much sense as an underwater vehicle. After some more brainstorming, I came up with the idea to make a submersible that looked like Doctor Sung’s keytar, the Roland AX-Synth. After the first rough sketches, I knew I had struck gold. The design processed continued on with more sketches of the exterior and the interior. With the final drawings in hand, I began to work on the 3D model in Blender.
Modeling the submersible was a challenge. I wanted the ship to look cute and cartoony, but also like it was a serious piece of equipment. Countless images of submarines, submersibles, and SCUBA equipment were referenced to get the details just the way I wanted– from the struts holding the exterior tanks to the rivets holding the portholes. Inspiration for some elements of the design came from movies, such as the periscope inspired by the Yellow Submarine and the ironwork window bracing from Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The interior of the sub presented me with even more opportunities to reference other media. Several of the control panels in the sub were modeled after musical equipment that the band has used, such as an 808 drum machine and a Moog synthesizer. I also paid homage to one of the greatest space vessels of all time and included the control sticks from the Millennium Falcon.
Convincing a random visitor to watch a 50-minute video dedicated to a costumed indie synth band is a hard thing to do. While it has not achieved the viewership levels as my other videos, “The TWRP Iceberg Explained” has made waves where it matters most: with TWRP fans. The comments that I have received from new and old fans alike have been heartwarming. It brings me immense joy to hear that someone learned something new about one of their favorite bands.
I don’t know if I will make another Iceberg in the future. This process taught me that I don’t enjoy managing long-form content in Final Cut. Although I didn’t enjoy it, the experience was valuable. It improved my competency with the software and even surprised me at times with its capabilities. If you get a chance, I highly recommend you give it a watch after familiarizing yourself with some of TWRP’s music.
As TWRP says, you gotta roll with it.
-E