What's in the Bag? Tom Clover's Urban Nightmare for KETTAMA
With his music video Man With a Second Face for Irish DJ and producer KETTAMA, London-based director Tom Clover crafts a visceral urban nightmare that refuses to let go. A plastic bag. A man spiraling. A city that watches. What started as a simple observation (people walking with bags, never questioning what's inside) became a relentless exploration of inner demons made physical.
The result? A music video reviewers call “genuinely shocking” and “unforgettable,” selected by Shots Magazine for their Best of October list. Tom knew exactly what he was looking for: fierce intensity, physical prowess, and an actor capable of carrying an entire story on his face. With cosmic movement rehearsals, melting plastic, and KETTAMA himself as a silent witness, the video became something more than a promo. It became a journey through pain, paranoia, and eventual reckoning.
Tom, you chose a plastic bag as the central object. Tell us, how did that idea begin?
“You see people walking around with plastic bags in their hands all the time. You never even bother to think what’s inside of them. It just felt like it could be interesting”.
How did you end up working with Dudley O’Shaughnessy?
“We went on a real mission to find The Man. Thank you, Jinjo Casting. They had to be fierce and pierce through the screen, but also have boxing experience so we could build a movement language against their natural foundation.
Rowan, the producer, saw Dudley in Top Boy and suggested him. Dudley could not have been more perfect for this. Thank you, Rowan”.
Dudley carries almost the entire video on his face: tension, paranoia, panic. How do you work with an actor to get there?
“Me and Dudley spent a long time discussing the backstory of The Man. Where has he come from? What’s in the bag? How has this situation manifested? It was a true collaboration, and Dudley had some wicked ideas.
Alongside this, we had a couple of cosmic movement rehearsals with Joe Grey Adams and George Jennings. Those guys are true artists, man. We basically all transcended into this project. What you see in the final video is the tip of the iceberg.
On the night we were so rushed and up against it, but because we had done all of this prep, we knew exactly what we were doing. I could literally just shout “PAIN!” and Dudley would switch it on. Was mad impressive. PAIN!”
The finale is intense. Reviewers call it “genuinely shocking.” When did you know during the process: this will be the ending?
“I always knew there was going to be a big fucked up climax, but the actual structure of how this happened changed a lot in the edit. We spent a whole night filming that scene and explored so many ideas, but only used about 5% of what we shot.
Me and Craig David, the editor, had a bunch of new ideas in the edit and worked with this company, Punkworks, to shoot extra macro melting shots. I feel like pickups are so important, and I will always try to grab more extra bits or new ideas if I can”.
KETTAMA’s music is relentless techno. What did you hear in it that others might not hear?
“I heard a man whose face sets alight”.
London almost feels like a character in the video. How did you choose where to film, and what were you looking for in those streets?
“I recce and explore until I feel fucked. My toxic trait. It also had to be night to check the lights, so I felt double fucked.
I wanted it to feel like a high street that’s inside the center of the city. It’s busy but small. There are high rises surrounding it. A bit dystopian, a bit metallic. We went for Shoreditch/Old Street. It was perfect”.
There’s a lot of physical discomfort: plastic on skin, suffocation. Why did it feel important to be so tactile, so physical?
“It just made sense to do that”.
What’s in the bag?
“What’s in the baggggg!”.
KETTAMA himself is in the video, driving past, staring at Dudley. Why did you want him in it?
“KETTAMA is the antithesis of The Man. He literally moves in the opposite direction of The Man’s journey. This is because KETTAMA has accepted himself. He has already been on the journey The Man is on. He is the only one who can recognize what The Man is going through, but he must let him figure it out himself”.
Looking back at the video now, what stayed with you?
“I just love making this kind of stuff. I now have a better understanding of prosthetics, SFX, and animatronics, and I can’t wait to apply it to a new project. I’d like to see what jobs I can do from here, and in the looming dawn of AI, I will be keeping it as practical as I can!
I also feel so lucky to have worked with everyone I did. They are all so talented and all bring their own authorship. Thank you all.”