Melanie Martinez reveals K-12 visual project cost between $5 million and $6 million to make

9 September 2019, 15:48

By Nicky Idika

Melanie also says that a behind-the-scenes K-12 YouTube documentary could be on the way

Melanie Martinez dropped her second studio album, K-12, on 6 September as well as a 92-minute long visual for the project, which marked the 24-year-old's feature film directorial debut. The film's theme centres around social conditioning and uses a school setting as the backdrop for an extended commentary on issues like sexism, slut-shaming and bullying.

In K-12, Melanie revives her previous persona, Crybaby, who has magical powers and frequently challenges norms pushed by her teachers and peers. She also sings, dances and acts in the film, which came with a sizeable budget, according to the singer.

Melanie recently told Variety that K-12 was financed by her record label, Atlantic Records, who reportedly put an estimated $5-6 million dollars into the project.

Melanie also revealed that Atlantic initially offered her a budget of $2 million but that the process of cutting down the film meant that her vision would have been at stake.

"There was only so much I could cut before compromising my vision and the story," she told Variety.

K-12, the film, involved quite a few visual effects, too. Melanie told The Wrap that, while she found post-production to be "very exciting", the shoot itself was stressful for her.

"Shooting the film was so stressful for me," she explained. "My call time was like 3 am. I was getting out of bed like 2:30 am trying to make it there by 3, just to get in hair and makeup." She also told The Wrap that she underwent full airbrushing on her arms to cover up her tattoos and maintain a clear difference between her real self and her character.

Melanie shot the film in Europe last year, providing occasional updates to fans on social media during its production. Melanie has also revealed that a behind-the-scenes documentary could be on the way in partnership with YouTube.

You can watch Melanie's K-12 below.

Melanie Martinez - K-12 (The Film)