I wrote and directed this spec commercial that was featured today in SHOOT and will be featured in Source Creative/Shots “Scout” showcase. The spot featured five up and coming artists in Los Angeles each stuck in a creative rut who find inspiration in the unexpected.
Philosophie
After moving in with my girlfriend, pop music artist Teddi Gold, I got a behind-the-scenes look at the songwriting process of rising music artists in Los Angeles. I was struck by how the ups and downs of the writing process for many singer-songwriters mirrored my own experiences in screenwriting, and filmmaking in general. We’ve all heard the stories of artists finding a song in a dream and waking up to record a masterpiece, but the reality I witnessed in my own apartment, where Teddi hosted many songwriting sessions, was much less glamorous. Watching this difficult, but also beautiful and ultimately creatively rewarding work, inspired me to write and direct what is essentially a short film demystifying the process of creating music, which I hope might make the musician’s experience more relatable and universal.
Problem
Conceptually, I wanted to link the magic of discovering your voice as a musician, with that serendipitous feeling we all have experienced when discovering a new artist we love (for the purposes of this spec commercial, discovering a new artist we love on on Apple Music). I felt that Spotify was the place to discover new artists and Apple Music was the place for more established acts, but I had discovered many new artists on Apple Music and wanted to try to create a spot that would communicate that feeling visually.
Ergebnis
I called up some of the same artists who inspired the concept and asked them to be in it. We shot over a weekend at many locations all over Los Angeles on vintage Japanese anamorphic lenses, with rising artists playing themselves (including Olivia Grace, VIAA, and Ismael Cano Jr. of Los 5), and singing their own work. It was shot by Cole Graham (Solange “When I Get Home”), edited by Emmy-nominated R. Brett Thomas, colored at The Mill by Gregory Reese (Apple “Sway”) and set to “Magic Will Find You,” a beautiful song by Jillian Edwards, a fellow Dallas, Texas native.