The most interesting part of directing a music video or creating images for a music release is the process of translating a piece of art , that already exists in audio form, into a visual format.  Many questions come up and I learn a great deal about the meaning of lyrics, the depth of chords, the timing of the rhythm track, and that is all processed through my and my collaborators aesthetic filters to arrive at a solution.  This exposes myself to many aspects of the world I would, if I had a different job, never get to experience. It’s like alchemy and quite magical at times.  Sometimes I feel my job gives me a “Free Pass” to gain information about experiences that other artists have, and it is a blessing.  Overall the hardest part of the process is the fact that these songs, the music, is like the children of the artists who created it.  So I have to treat it as a new born baby, nurture it, treat it with kindness and respect, and give it a visual translation that is worthy of it.

I have some great benefactors at record labels, without whom I might not be working today, who have pushed artists to work with me who might normally think I was too experimental.  The Santana project was one such case.  An amazing creative director at Sony, who I am lucky to have worked with on previous projects, put me forward for it and it worked out amazingly.  Mr. Santana has an energy about him that fills the room once he enters. He channels his fame into   a massive amount of humanitarian work and you can feel that generosity in his presence. The shoot consisted mostly of him performing, solo, for myself and my crew as I took photographs in a unique lighting set up.  A personal, multi-hour long show from Carlos Santana.  At the end of the shoot he gifted me with a signed guitar.  He was a true gentleman and human.  It was a very good day.

My approach to all projects is the same.  My job is to communicate a message visually.  So I dig to find what that message is, via meeting people and talking, researching their works, or just sitting in a dark room and playing their record and seeing what images appear to me.  Then I go to the artist with my ideas, and an open mind, and we break it down until I can understand what they really want.  It’s mostly about keeping an open mind and heart.  I’ve been lucky to work with artists, like MNDR and HH who are true artists, who have a point of view, that I can work from.   It almost makes my part easy!  But no I don’t change my process from “big star” to “rising star” because each artist, in my mind, is already a beacon of inspiring light on their own merit.