Alter Boy: Bad Dream Break In
Year
2020
Synopsis
Bad Dream Break In by Alterboy. Acting & Choreography: Hemi Wiapo, Jack Meakins, Laura Bullock, Molly / Aaron
About the Work
Bad Dream Break In is the first music video from Perth queerlectro pop seven-piece Alter Boy, and it announces them exactly as they are: Deaf first, uncompromising, and doing something that hasn't been done before. Funded by a triple j Unearthed Level Up Grant, the video follows band members Laura, Hemi, Jack and Molly/Aaron through an Auslan depiction of a nightmare — a Deaf person imprisoned within a dream state — with every visual choice serving the language rather than decorating it.
The choreography was developed in close collaboration between Molly/Aaron and myself, working to ensure the Auslan remained fully legible even as it was stylised for the camera. That balance — between artistic expression and linguistic integrity — was the core creative challenge, and the one we were most careful about. This is Deaf-made work for a Deaf audience.
Highlights
