CREW UP & SHOOT
TAKEAWAYS
Network Across: Building a Career Through Music Videos
Issa Rae is a proponent of the idea of ‘networking across’ instead of ‘networking up’ in the early stages of your creative career. In a 2017 News One interview with Roland Martin, the multi-hyphenate Rae (writer/actor/director/producer) explained that for her, it wasn’t about looking to someone like Tyler Perry or Ava Duvernay to put her on; “It’s about networking across: who’s next to you? Who’s struggling with you? Who’s just as hungry as you are? Those are the people you need to build with.”
“Every project I’ve done, every friend of mine has been a part of it,” Rae added, and that community of talent has both grown with her and grown in their own careers. This reality also rings true in the realm of music videos: Popp Rok, Mad Ruk and Kid Studio are just a few examples of small communities of creatives crewing up to create great work together, ultimately building careers in film and television through the cornerstone of the music video. This approach can also often lead to long-term creative relationships between musicians and filmmakers, as we’ve seen with the visuals for Daniel Caesar by Keavan Yazdani and Sean Brown and their creative circle, theEnds.
During a discussion hosted by the MVP Project, Jon Riera of Combo Bravo took the audience at Free Space (and online, via livestream) behind the scenes on a number of the projects that have shaped his career.
Speaking about his most recent video, ”Smoke” by Haviah Mighty ft. Clairmont the Second’, Jon shared how the crew he worked with brought lighting and access to studio space that, at cost, “would’ve at least doubled the budget”.
Some of Jon’s collaborations with recording artists have lasted over several years and several projects. On working with Jazz Cartier over three projects (including the virtual reality video “Red Alert / 100 Roses”), Jon talked about going beyond the realm of the traditional music video and exploring new techniques and new roles with his team.
The story of Jon’s relationship with A Tribe Called Red began when he met the group while working on a documentary for Toronto’s Manifesto Festival. Jon revealed that his first pitch for the group wasn’t exactly what they had in mind, but after a few notes, they discovered a new direction together. Eight projects and several tours later, ATCR have once again entrusted Jon with the visual direction of their next release.
“These projects weren’t about a payday, they were about building a legacy,” Jon explained, looking back on a long list of successful collaborations.
The key takeaway here is to prioritize the development of relationships with the core crew members of your music video project. Identify trusted collaborators, work together towards shared goals, and then repeat that process. This can be a foundational formula for any filmmaker or recording artist building a career in the industry.
WATCH THE ENTIRE
DISCUSSION
February 25th, 2020 @ Free Space in Toronto
PRE-PRODUCTION SKETCHES
FOR “SMOKE” BY HAVIAH MIGHTY
Courtesy of Jon Riera
ON COLLABORATION
Another core part of CREW UP & SHOOT was a round of one-on-one conversations with an esteemed line-up of industry mentors. We asked them for advice on growing a career alongside others, and building relationships across multiple projects. Here’s what they had to share:
CHANDLER LEVACK on how a crew shapes a project:
“Finding collaborators you can trust, and developing lifelong creative partnerships is definitely the ultimate goal of filmmaking for me. It's about finding someone who knows how to speak your language, and who will devote the amount of time and dedication you have to making something truly great, people who are going to fight for the best video possible and think as deeply and as critically as possible about every aspect of the production.
You want to work with people who are just as obsessed with your film as you are. I have a friend who once said that the DNA of every person on your crew is going into your movie, which is a metaphor that I think about all the time...Don't just work with collaborators who look, or think exactly like you do. Having a diverse crew that offers proportional opportunities to women and people of colour is important in any industry, but especially in film.”
SCOTT MCCUAIG on leaving space for your crew to shine:
“It's all about the team. Strength in numbers. As a producer, I look at cultivating and fostering talent as one of my main responsibilities. Whether we're talking about directors/DPs or stylists/MUAs - the goal is to cultivate a cohesive/reliable team.
Along the way, you develop creative syncrasy and often build real friendships. It's often not about the financial gain from music videos. Giving your keys the ability to flex their creative muscles, and bring different perspectives to the table, gets you the best final product.”
ISIAH BLAKE on how building strong relationships leads to innovative work:
“What has worked for me has always been creating meaningful friendships in the industry with people who share the same vision that I have. Because the budgets are so small here, It's important that each person that I work with has a passion for creating.
It makes all of our jobs easier but also you start building a language that is easily transferable across all projects. It creates a safe space for me as a director to be innovative and to experiment with crew members and artists who are always looking to push the bar forward.”
JASMIN MOZAFARRI on how shared values are the foundation for effective collaboration:
“When it comes to creative collaboration, the most important piece is that you and your team share similar values. I always want to create work from the female gaze that dismantles patriarchal ways of thinking and empowers women, non-binary individuals, and people of colour. If you have a whole team of people who believe in that same goal - be it the cinematographer, costume designer, production designer, etc. - I believe that you are more likely to create something that is fresh, exciting, and revolutionary.
It's a lot more invigorating to work with people who want to change the world through art than with people who want to simply create a 'product'. I think when you're starting out, before you become a 'director-for-hire', that's the time when you should be doing weird, risky, out-of-the-box stuff because you don't have anyone to answer to - which is incredibly freeing. “
MENTOR SPOTLIGHTS
CHANDLER LEVACK
Chandler Levack is an award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and music video director. In 2017, her first short film We Forgot to Break Up premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. As a music video director, her work with Jeremy Dutcher and PUP has garnered several Prism, Juno and MMVA nominations.
MORE FROM CHANDLER
PUP - Guilt Trip
Co-Directed w Jeremy Schaulin-RiouxWe Forgot To Break Up (Short)
KATY MARAVALA
Katy Maravala made her first music video at 15 and has since collaborated with artists like Drake, Rihanna, and The Weeknd, to name only a few. Her extensive production and post-production experience with artists, filmmakers and brands has made her one of Canada’s most sought-after line producers.
MORE FROM KATY
ISIAH BLAKE
Isiah Blake made his directorial debut in March 2015 with his short film Last Hustle in Kensington. He has gone on to direct music videos for artists such as jazz Cartier, Amaal Nuux, Felix Cartal, and many more. His work has premiered on VICE, NYLON, and BET, and has attracted millions of views,
MORE FROM ISIAH
JASMIN MOZAFFARI
Jasmin Mozaffari is an award-winning Toronto-based film, tv and music video director. Her debut feature FIRECRACKERS premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018, won Best Film at the Stockholm International Film Festival and went on to win 2 Canadian Screen Awards, including the award for Achievement in Direction. As a music video director, Jasmin recently signed with Director X and Taj Critchlow’s company Popp Rok.
MORE FROM JASMIN
RINKU DASGUPTA
Rinku DasGupta is an award-winning Producer in the commercial film and television industry. Rinku is a multi-year MMVA (Much Music Video Award) nominee. After more than 14 years in the industry, he has worked with a wide range of high-profile clients, including Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Simple Plan, Sean Paul & Machel Montano.
MORE FROM RINKU
SCOTT MCCUAIG
Scott McCuaig began his career with a marketing diploma from George Brown College, which led to marketing and commercial work. McCuaig was later recruited as an art assistant by a production designer colleague named Stephen Trivieri. 3 years later and the duo are hard at work as freelance producers under the umbrella of their production company, Breathe Entertainment.
MORE FROM SCOTT
The MVP Project, with support from the RBC Foundation, was established to promote the intersection of emerging Canadian Recording Artists and Filmmakers through Music Video Production Grants valued between $5,000 and $15,000.
