Director: Emma Tomelty
Artist: Ricki-Lee
Song: Do it like that
Director: Emma Tomelty
Q.
How were you approached for the job?
I
approached the record label, EMI, to show them some of my work and they called
me in for a meeting and asked me to pitch on Ricki-Lee's second single, 'Do It
Like That'. They were excited to learn about my background as a dancer and
makeup artist and my slight obsession with American pop videos and thought that
I'd be a good match for Ricki.
Q.
What inspired you on your idea for the video?
I
was given a brief by the record label to do something fun, upbeat and
energetic, featuring drums and dancers. They also floated the idea of a rooftop
party or laneway dance party, using the city as a landscape. This got me
thinking about the street parade scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (such a
great movie) and I thought how cool it would be for Ricki to have her own
street parade with a marching band, and fans lining the streets, cheering her
on. I knew this concept would allow me to use lots of colour and movement,
giving the video visual energy and a dynamic feel.
I
am really inspired by American and British pop video directors such as Melina
Matsoukas and Jake Nava and I’m extremely passionate about bringing this style
of highly-polished and professional music video to the Australian pop music
industry.
With
this in mind I wanted to surprise viewers with something unexpected for the
second half of the video, something that was a dramatic stylistic change from
the opening parade scene. The huge pink hollywood style sign, with flashing
lights, spelling out "Ricki-Lee" somehow seemed appropriate.
Q.
What was the budget?
The
budget was definitely on the larger side of things in today's music video
production climate, but was by no means excessive. We had to be very careful
about where we decided to spend our money, making sure it all translated into
'on-screen production value'. We did have some pretty cool toys on set - a
steadicam, a crane, megadeck and wind machines - but even the little things
such as the flags and balloons, which were inexpensive, added production value
and scale.
Q.
What were the limitations you faced with the production?
Our
biggest limitation for this video was time. I boarded an ambitious number of
shots and only had one day in which to get it all. The crew worked incredibly
hard all day long for which Ricki and I were extremely grateful. The First
Assistant Director said to me at the end of the shoot that it felt as though
we'd just shot "three music videos in one", to which I gleefully
replied, "that's the point." I really wanted Ricki's video to exceed
the 'norm' in Australian music videos and to have that international look
through multiple setups.
Q.
Who were your key collaborators?
I
worked with the most brilliant DOP, James Brown, on this music video. I was a
huge fan of his work and he had a lot of experience shooting female pop stars
already so I knew he'd be a great fit for Ricki. James was very dedicated to
this project, meeting with me several times to check out potential locations
and go through storyboards, and also meeting with Ricki to discuss his lighting
plan. He was a lot of fun on set and I really credit a lot of the success of
the video to him.
Brad
Hurt edits all of my work and once again did a stellar job with this Ricki
video. Brad's skills as a music video editor, in my opinion, are second to
none, and he makes post-production feel like the most fun part of the entire
process. He has fantastic ideas relating to structure and really knows how to
visually highlight those subtle musical accents and bring energy and rhythm to
the screen.
Marko
Panzic, who is Ricki-Lee's choreographer and also a childhood friend of mine,
was another fantastic collaborator on this video. Marko and I went to the same performing
arts school together in Perth where we were coached on 'performance' and 'pop
culture' by the inspirational choreographer Bernie Bernard, and we naturally
share a similar vision when it comes to pop videos. I attended several dance
rehearsals with Marko and Ricki so that I could learn the choreography and plan
my camera movement around it. I also had some key moments that I really wanted
to include such as the slow motion strut at the start and the flirty action
with the hotdog vendor, and Marko was very flexible in adjusting his
choreography to allow these moments to work.
Q.
What was the process you took in producing the video?
I
take the pre-production process of a music video very seriously. In my opinion
a failure to plan is a plan to fail, so I was careful to spend adequate time
planning the shot list, finding the right location and keeping the record label
and Ricki informed at every turn. I didn't want any surprises on the day and
thankfully there were none.
Q.
What was the turnaround?
I
had four weeks from my first meeting with EMI to delivery, but ended up
extending post-production for an additional week in the Flame suite to add some
special finishing touches.
Q.
What did you shoot on? What lenses did you use?
We
had a 2-camera set up running all day long, generously supplied by Southern
Cross Cameras. We had A-camera on the steadicam or crane and B-camera on sticks
using longer lenses. Having two full camera crews was an absolute luxury.
Q.
Where did you shoot it?
We
shot the entire video at Australian Technology Park in Redfern. The parade
scene was shot on a road that we blocked off within the complex, and the
hollywood sign setup was inside one of their convention warehouses. The ATP staff
were so incredibly generous with the space that they allowed us to use and even
put on extra security staff to help fight off the paparazzi that turned up
during the day.
Q.
If you had a chance to approach it again, what would you do differently?
If
I could shoot this video over again, there is not much I'd change at all. I had
a fantastic team around me who worked so hard, and I can genuinely say it was
one of the most fun shoots I've ever done.
Emma Tomelty is an award-winning
Director based in Sydney, Australia. Originally from Perth, Emma’s move to the
east coast to study a Post-Graduate degree in Film marked the beginning of her
directorial pursuits.
With her adaptable skill-set, Emma
recently tackled the world of music videos and was immediately recognised for
her work. Her direction on local act Hermitude’s ‘Speak of the Devil’ landed
her a Triple J award for Best Music Video of 2011.
Drawing inspiration from
Directors such as Mark Romanek, Francis Lawrence and Melina Matsoukas, Emma
aspires to create an aesthetic that is both conceptually original and visually
exciting. Her work is recognisable for its colourful art direction and musical
visualisation.
http://emmatomelty.com/
http://emmatomelty.com/
This video seem to appear very colorful and lively with all the lights and the studio. I suppose that what they did here is the same thing as our video production in ny. Locations are perfect and well suited for the concept.
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