Ariana Grande Director Responds To Safia Video Concept Theft Claims
And a third act has also entered the debate with a similar clip of their own
Max Landis, the director of Ariana Grande's One Last Time clip and the son of famed director John Landis (Thriller, The Blues Brothers), has responded to Canberran outfit Safia over their claims that the filmmaker might have "reworked" the concept used in their video for recent single You Are The One.
"Coincidences are coincidences, tropes are tropes, but those in glass houses shouldn't throw meteors," Landis tweeted this morning after an apparent deluge of messages informing him of the Aussie three-piece's assertions that Grande's clip's purple-hued apocalyptic sky and single-shot end-of-the-world narrative might have been lifted from their own.
"It's almost like tropes and themes are repeated constantly throughout fiction," Landis tweeted. "Guys, calm down."
Landis' dismissal of Safia's claims was bolstered somewhat by the entrance of West Australian outfit Injured Ninja to the fray, whose 2011 clip for Fallopian Tube Screamer was offered up by Landis as proof of the universal appeal of purply-pinkish-coloured armageddon. Offering their thoughts on Facebook, the WA band expressed that Safia "should chill the fuck out about Ariana Grande".
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"Everyone likes one-shot end of the world videos — you aren't special folks," the band posted.
Despite some (understandable) defensiveness, Landis actually seems to have extended the olive branch Safia's way, tweeting that he had spoken to the band and "they were very cool about it", and even cushioning some cold, hard advice in the blanket of friendship, telling Safia, "Protip: don't accuse someone of stealing for having similar tropes if you REALLY ACTUALLY STOLE YOUR VIDEO YOU'RE ACCUSING THEM OF STEALING."
Have a read through Landis' full tweet stream over the controversy below.
holy shit the collective unconscious is fuckin scary
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 16, 2015
It's almost like like tropes and themes are repeated constantly throughout fiction. Guys, calm down.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
No but seriously for people who are saying we stole @SAFIAmusic 's video, they should watch @Injured_Ninja's video https://t.co/GPxnowixYJ
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
Slow mo, traffic, purple sky, couple dies together...It's literally the same. I'd never seen either video before today.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
Both videos are sick, and one is pretty clearly...inspired...by the other one. They're nearly identical, actually.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
Ari and I came up with the concept together after she saw this short of mine: https://t.co/pxLYmDjZlh We had other ideas too, but..
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
We went with this one because we thought "wouldn't earth going through a comet's tail be neat and unique." Comet's tail: Pink, purple
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
I talked to Safia and they were very cool about it, but guys, I gotta be serious with you for a minute, as a creative person
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
And just give you some advice, as a friend. I'm being a friend to you right now.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
Protip: don't accuse someone of stealing for having similar tropes if you REALLY ACTUALLY STOLE YOUR VIDEO YOU'RE ACCUSING THEM OF STEALING.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
I hope you fucking love the #OLT video as much as I do. But I don't love enough to steal. Anything. *Ever.*
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
coincidences are coincidences tropes are tropes But those in glass houses shouldn't throw meteors.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
Everyone in the biz said "stay quiet, let it blow over" fuck that. i respect Ariana way too much to let her get called a thief.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
i respect MYSELF too much. max landis doesn't "let it blow over" I blow it like it's my job! Max Landis is all about GIVING BLOWJOBS WAIT
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) February 17, 2015
You can watch all three clips - Safia's, Grande's and Injured Ninja's - below.
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