Crushglad - Діана
Satirical video teaser for CRUSHGLAD's synth-pop-punk track Diana (2023). A chaotic mix of internet memes, pop culture, and absurd humor.
Working on the teaser for the song "Diana" by Ukrainian artist CRUSHGLAD was an experiment in contrasts. The synth-pop-punk track told the story of the main character's hopeless life. To amplify this narrative and push it to the absolute limit, we decided to take a path of radical irony, creating a highly absurd and hilarious visual sequence.
Video Production
In 2023, CRUSHGLAD was preparing to release a dramatic yet energetic synth-pop-punk track. The main challenge was to visualize the hopelessness of the story in a way that didn't feel cliché. Instead of classic sad imagery, I decided to exaggerate the situation through the lens of internet absurdity. During the editing process, I compiled a collage of various internet jokes, pop-culture references, and local memes reflecting what was happening in the Ukrainian music scene at the time. The result was a highly dynamic and satirical promo that played perfectly in contrast to the song's lyrics, grabbing the audience's attention with its viral potential.
Cover Design
To create the cover art for the release, I needed to convey a sense of "damage" and nostalgia. I used an original photograph and heavily manipulated it in Photoshop. The main technical challenge was to realistically emulate the effect of analog film burn around the edges of the frame. To add a crafted touch and maintain our signature style, I also integrated custom hand-drawn elements. The result was a stylish, slightly "grungy" cover that perfectly complemented the overall punk vibe of the release.
Poster Design
The promo poster for "Diana" became more than just a marketing tool; it was an important milestone in our history. The challenge was to provide listeners with a bit more context about the release itself. This poster served as our micro-debut — it was the first time we officially used the name of our creative collective, "School Melancholy" (Шкільна Меланхолія). I designed the layout to include a short manifesto about who we are and what we do. This text turned out to be so accurate and sincere that it is practically still used as the core description of our collective to this day.
