Ghostbusters (Halloween Cover)

RELEASED: OCTOBER 27, 2024

We knew we wanted to do something special for Halloween, and it didn’t take long for Ghostbusters to come up. Farrah had an awesome ukulele arrangement on standby from Al Wood over at Ukulele Hunt (check him out – his site is a treasure trove for ukulele players!). His arrangement was the perfect base for the project. Of course, we couldn’t stop there, so we decided to add drums, bass, and play plugged in!

Recording & Sound Mixing

Since we played plugged in, we were able to record everything in the bands “studio” (aka Sivan’s livingroom). It’s so much easier to capture clean audio than recording everything with a mic. Farrah spent a few days mixing the sound, added in some ghostly laughs, and we had our track ready to go the night before we filmed.

Location Scouting

Since our past videos were mostly outdoors, we wanted to try something different this time and checked out some studios. We ended up at FD Photostudio in downtown LA, and it was perfect! The setup fit our ghostbusters vibe, and the space added some seriously cool ambiance to the shoot. Shooting there was a blast.

The look

For our music video, we aimed for a rock-inspired look with a vibrant color palette of red, blue, and green to go with the Ghostbusters theme.

To add a playful touch, we incorporated Ghostbusters shirts that arrived just in the nick of time (A day before the shoot, Phew!). This last-minute addition perfectly complemented our overall style. In fact, we were so impressed with the final look that we briefly toyed with the idea of transforming into a rock band called "RGB." Haha! (just kidding) ;)

Transporting ALL the Equipment

Getting our gear to the studio was a journey in itself. Sivan’s drum kit, all of our instruments, a fogger, and other equipment meant we had to pack and transport a lot of stuff. We needed two car loads! We had to make multiple trips to get everything inside, hauling it all up the stairs while keeping an eye out to make sure nothing disappeared. We definitely realized we could use a roadie or two – anyone want to join the team? haha!

The Three-Hour Challenge

We only had three hours total to set up, shoot, and break everything down again. It was tight, and at moments, a bit of a rush, but we managed to pull it off without a hitch (or maybe just a couple). Working under that kind of time crunch was intense but totally worth it for the final result.

A Haunted Freight Elevator Adventure

When it was time to haul everything back down, we opted to use the old freight elevator. Marina was NOT into the idea, convinced it was going to trap us – and guess what? It totally did! Luckily, a staff member came by and rescued us, showing us the trick to operate it. We all had a good laugh, but Marina would have killed us if we got stuck without help.

Spooky Post-Shoot Celebration

After everything was loaded back up, our evening continued with some unexpected encounters (dead rats, anyone?) in more spooky halls & stairwells. Marina knew the perfect place to end the night: Bottega Louie, a beautiful Italian cafe nearby, where we celebrated with delicious drinks, incredible food, dessert, and finally a walk around downtown LA.

Mini Ghost Trap Shoot

One of the shots we wanted but didn’t quite have time for was the ghost trap in action. With only three hours in the studio, some shots had to be sacrificed. Luckily, Farrah had a great idea to shoot the trap scene as a miniature at home later in the week! She recreated the studio’s lighting and environment to match the footage as closely as possible. We’ll share a picture of the setup to give you a peek at how she pulled it off – you’ll see just how much effort goes into making these small details perfect. This one is for your ghostbuster fans!

Editing

Farrah dove into editing and crafted the final video in just four days. She combined our shots, transforming the look from day to night to give it an eerie, ghostly vibe. With color grading, she made every scene feel cohesive, layering in extra fog for that perfect spooky effect. The result brought our vision to life.

This whole experience was fun, chaotic, a bit spooky, and unforgettable – the perfect Halloween adventure. Thanks to everyone who checked out our cover of Ghostbusters! Let us know what you think, and don’t forget to follow us for more behind-the-scenes stories.

Trixie & The Jumping Fleas xoxo