Music moves fast. Sometimes too fast. If you were scrolling through Vimeo or scouring indie music blogs back in 2013, you definitely ran into the Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film. It wasn't a blockbuster. It wasn't a Netflix original. It was a vibe. A gritty, soul-drenched, monochromatic explosion of Los Angeles cool that helped define the early aesthetic of Jesse Nolan’s musical project.
Caught a Ghost isn't just a band name. It's a feeling. When Jesse Nolan started the project, he wasn't just looking to release an album and call it a day. He wanted a visual identity that felt as "foot-stomping" as the percussion in his tracks. That’s where the "Get Your Life" visual comes in. It’s essentially a short film masquerading as a music video, or maybe it’s the other way around? Honestly, it doesn't matter because the impact was the same. It caught people’s attention during a time when indie-soul was fighting for airtime against the rise of EDM.
What Was the Caught a Ghost Get Your Life Film Actually About?
Look, if you're looking for a linear plot with a beginning, middle, and end, you’re watching the wrong thing. The Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film is about atmosphere. It’s directed by Justin Stage, a name that pops up frequently in the early 2010s indie circuit. The visual is a black-and-white fever dream. It features Tessa Thompson—long before she was Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or starring in Westworld. Back then, she was an integral part of the Caught a Ghost collective, providing vocals and a magnetic screen presence that basically centered the entire project.
The "Get Your Life" video feels like a humid night in a basement club where everyone is just a little too attractive and the air is thick with cigarette smoke. It captures this specific subculture of East Side Los Angeles. It’s stylish. It’s effortless.
Some people call it a "film" because of its cinematic scope. It doesn’t just show the band playing instruments. It weaves in narrative textures—glimmering sweat, sharp suits, and high-contrast lighting that feels like a nod to 1960s French New Wave. The song itself is a blueprint for the band's sound: a heavy kick drum, soulful brass, and Nolan’s smooth, slightly detached vocals. It’s a track that demands you move, and the film reflects that kinetic energy perfectly.
Why Tessa Thompson Was the Secret Weapon
People often forget that Tessa Thompson wasn't just a featured actress in these videos. She was in the band. Her chemistry with Jesse Nolan is what makes the Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film work. You can’t fake that kind of artistic synchronicity. In the video, she isn’t just a "love interest" or a background singer. She is the focal point. Her movements are choreographed but feel improvised.
🔗 Read more: Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus Explained (Simply)
It’s interesting to look back at this now.
Seeing a major Hollywood star in a gritty indie music film feels like finding a time capsule. It reminds us that before the big budgets and the capes, there was this raw, experimental phase of creativity. The video helped propel the song into the cultural consciousness, eventually leading to the band's music being featured in shows like Suits and The Blacklist. The visual identity established in "Get Your Life" became the benchmark for everything the band did afterward.
The Aesthetic of 2013 Indie Soul
We have to talk about the "look."
The Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film arrived right when "indie" was transitioning from lo-fi garage rock to something more polished and soulful. Think about the landscape. You had Fitz and the Tantrums, Mayer Hawthorne, and Alabama Shakes. Caught a Ghost took that soul revival and added a darker, more electronic edge.
The film used:
💡 You might also like: Big Brother 27 Morgan: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
- High-contrast black and white cinematography (very film noir).
- Urban Los Angeles backdrops that weren't the Hollywood sign.
- Sharp tailoring mixed with vintage streetwear.
- Slow-motion sequences that synced with the downbeat of the drum.
This wasn't just about looking cool. It was about branding. In 2013, if your video didn't look like a film, it didn't get shared on Tumblr. And Tumblr was the kingmaker back then. The "Get Your Life" video was tailor-made for that platform. Every frame was a potential GIF. Every outfit was "inspo."
Why the Film Still Resonates Today
You might wonder why anyone is still searching for the Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film over a decade later. It’s simple: authenticity. Most music videos from that era feel incredibly dated now. They used weird filters or tried too hard to be "random." But because "Get Your Life" leaned into a classic, soulful aesthetic, it aged remarkably well.
It also represents a moment in time for LA's music scene. It was a period when the lines between acting, music, and filmmaking were incredibly blurred. You had actors who were musicians and musicians who were directors. It was a communal effort. When you watch the film now, you’re seeing a group of friends making something because they thought it was dope, not because a label executive told them it would trend on TikTok.
Honestly, the track still slaps. The production on "Get Your Life" is timeless. It has that "Human" by Rag'n'Bone Man vibe before that was even a thing. It’s heavy. It’s bluesy. It’s got enough grit to keep it from feeling like a Motown parody.
Technical Elements That Made It Stand Out
The directing by Justin Stage deserves a second look. The way the camera moves in the Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film is almost predatory. It circles the performers. It gets uncomfortably close to their faces. This creates an intimacy that most music videos lack.
📖 Related: The Lil Wayne Tracklist for Tha Carter 3: What Most People Get Wrong
There's a specific shot—Tessa Thompson looking directly into the lens while the brass kicks in—that basically defines the "Get Your Life" era. It’s a challenge to the viewer. It’s an invitation. The editing is snappy but allows the shots to breathe. It’s a masterclass in how to use a limited budget to create a "premium" feel. They didn't need explosions or CGI. They just needed good lighting and the right people in the room.
How to Find and Watch the Film Now
If you’re trying to track down the Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film, you’re in luck. It hasn't been scrubbed from the internet like so many other indie projects from that era. You can find it on the official Caught a Ghost YouTube channel, and it’s still sitting there on Vimeo in its original high-bitrate glory.
Watching it in 4K (if your screen supports it) really highlights the grain and the texture of the film. It’s a different experience than watching a compressed version on a phone. You can see the sweat. You can see the dust in the air.
Actionable Steps for Music Video Enthusiasts
If you're a filmmaker or a musician looking to capture this same energy, there are a few things you can learn from the "Get Your Life" project.
- Commit to a Palette. Don't just film in color and "see how it looks" in black and white later. Lighting for B&W requires a different approach to shadows and highlights. The Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film looks great because it was clearly shot with the final monochrome look in mind.
- Prioritize Performance over Plot. You don't always need a story about a bank heist or a breakup. Sometimes, watching talented people perform with intensity is enough.
- Collaborate Outside Your Bubble. If Jesse Nolan hadn't collaborated with actors like Tessa Thompson and directors like Justin Stage, the project might have stayed "just a band." The crossover of talent is what gave it that "film" feel.
- Focus on the "Low End." If you listen to the track, the bass and drums are the stars. When filming, the editors made sure the cuts hit on those low-frequency moments. It creates a physical reaction in the viewer.
The Caught a Ghost Get Your Life film remains a high-water mark for the 2010s indie soul movement. It’s a reminder that style and substance don't have to be enemies. You can have a video that looks like a fashion editorial but still feels like a punch to the gut. Whether you're a fan of Tessa Thompson’s early work or just someone who loves a good horn section, this "film" is a mandatory watch. It captures a specific Los Angeles magic that is hard to bottle, but for three and a half minutes, Jesse Nolan and his crew managed to do exactly that.
To truly appreciate the evolution of the band, compare "Get Your Life" to their later tracks like "Sleeping With A Friend" or "Time Go." You'll see the DNA of that first film in everything they’ve done since. The grit stayed. The soul stayed. The ghost, it seems, was never actually caught—it just kept moving.