, a 26-year-old NYC-based film editor, followed along live as videos popped up, and while Ocean was still onstage, Kinnes began downloading them to stitch into a cohesive 73-minute concert film.
“I did not expect a legitimate cease-and-desist from the head of legal at AEG,” Kinnes told SFGATE over the phone, speaking about 150 yards from Ocean’sin Manhattan. “Just the tone of that letter really put me off guard. I didn’t realize how much they didn’t want that being seen in a quote-unquote professionally recorded way.”
Frank Ocean attends the 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019, in New York City.Ocean’s set was brilliant musically but often confusing for those in attendance. His stage setup was obscured from fans, and he was only visible on the video screens. There were long pauses between songs where he huddled with a stage manager. It seemed like each song might be the last. In a purposeful decision, Kinnes removed these excruciating moments.
Due to a healthy fear of a multinational company’s legal department, Kinnes has removed the film from the internet completely. He wishes fans were able to see his version — featuring a professionally polished audio track — particularly for his favorite song of the set, “White Ferrari.” The live version incorporates a roaring modular synthesizer melody and new lyrics.