Adam Oh

STROKE stages a hot, wet pool party in New York City as a compact, kinetic celebration of queer sex and joy. The frame is often tight on bodies — water-slick skin, hands, mouths — then opens into moments of organised chaos: group choreography, spontaneous embraces and the sort of loose, sweaty choreography that reads as both sensual and communal.

Carl Knight’s cinematography pairs intimate handheld and steadicam moves (Adam Kim operated steadicam) with bright, mid-day sun and reflective pool surfaces. The camera’s mobility keeps the energy fluid: edits push the song’s momentum, while the final minute around the 2:00 mark ramps into a raucous, fully realised climax where performance, lighting and production design converge.

The video was shot in a single day with a 27-person crew and a cast that includes Julian Perry, Hannah J Souza, Nisha Virmani and Bradley Mickelson. Choreography is by Arianne Meneses and the look is shaped by production designer Avvi Hernández. Annika White and Carl Knight also handled edit and color, with VFX by Knight; the project was produced by Clam Studios with line production from Karla Armendáriz.

The Berlin Music Video Awards selected STROKE as this week’s Music Video of the Week.

• Directed by: Annika White & Carl Knight
• Choreography: Arianne Meneses
• Production Company: Clam Studios