Director: Jack Shepherd

Director: Jack Shepherd

Artist: Lime Cordiale

Video: Money

How were you approached for the job?

I've actually been best friends with the Lime boys for a few years now. This is the 4th music video I've shot for the band. 

When they first approached me I told them I wasn't able to make it work within the time frame as I was going to be in the USA for the month leading up to the release. 

After I told them my return date, they pushed back the release 1 week, bought me a beer at the pub and told me I now had no excuse. I was in! 

What inspired your ideas?

When they told me the name of the track and I first listened to it, there was no way I could avoid the topic of money or wealth. 

I didn't want to make something that was too related to the lyrics, but I knew the boys wanted to be in it, and for it to have the same kooky vibe as clips like 'Naturally'. 

I wanted it to have a more serious tone than 'Naturally' but when we got on set and I saw the boys in their different outfits, their kooky nature just came through but I was vibing it and just rolled with it! 

Tell us about the production process?

By far the hardest music video to produce because I was in the states for the month leading up to the shoot, brainstorming and writing on long drives and in hotel rooms with my girlfriend (production designer) Lena Buchanan. 

We had 3 jet-lagged days back in Sydney before the shoot where we were running around like crazy after my stylist had to pull out last minute. We shot over the Australia Day long weekend at the location in Avalon. 

One key thing I do for every music video is to storyboard the whole storyline in Premiere pro. I use title cards which describe the shot/scene/action as it plays along to the song. This really helps with knowing what you need & what you don't need, how long you need a shot and how the story unfolds. I'm able to send it to the crew so everyone is onboard with the story and how it plays out. It's an amazing feeling when you're in the edit and you see the exact shots play out just as if you were watching the original storyboard. 

What were the limitations you faced with the production?

Definitely the biggest limitation was the fact I was overseas leading up to the shoot. Jakson (Producer) & I were trying to cast people which was extremely hard. It was stressing me out big time so I after many minor freak outs staring out into the desert of Utah and Nevada, Lena calmly suggested that I just get Oli & Louis to play the married couple… Immediately it clicked in my head, that could be the answer! I ran it by Oli & Louis and they loved the idea - problem solved! (I owe credit to Lena as I feel this was really the saving grace of this film - and my sanity) 

What was the project turnaround?

5 Days - We shot on Saturday & Sunday, then straight to the edit suite with editor Adam Shean for Monday & Tuesday, then onto a grading session on the Wednesday with Matt Campbell. So final product finished by Wednesday night! Video went live on Friday! 

Who were your key collaborators?

Lena Buchanan (Production Designer/Writer) - My main collaborator on all my films, from the original brainstorm/writing to location recces, to wardrobe/character decisions, to input on the final edits. We have such a similar taste in film making and photography so its really important to have her with me to make crucial decisions I can't always make on my own. I run far too many ideas by her, I'm surprised she's still willing to work with me!

Tommy Austin (1st AC) - My main man when it comes to running the camera department, He reads my mind, throw suggestions at me, pulls focus and allows me to take on the intense roll of Director & DOP. 

Jakson Gray (Producer/1st AD) - Cool calm & collected producer who really helps me with crew/talent, scheduling, post production and acting as 1st AD in the shoot, making sure we stick to schedule and don't miss any shots. - Which is extremely important when you have talent playing multiple rolls in the same scenes. 

Adam Shean (Editor) - It was my first time working with Adam, I was a bit hesitant about handing over my project to a new editor with such a tight turnaround but he really did an amazing job! I really enjoyed working with him and loved what he brought to the table. 

Matt Campbell (Colourist) - Matt's been colouring all of my latest music videos, He's a legend and really has been patient with me creating a distinct style for each clip with is also evident across all the latest music videos. 

Have you worked with any of them before?

I've worked previously with everyone involved in the production besides Adam (Editor) and Amanda Reick (M/UP) &  Bridget Cure (M/UP Assist). 

What did you shoot on? What lenses did you use?

We shot on my Red EPIC Dragon with a Canon 17-120 Cine Zoom with a servo remote to ensure smooth zooms. We also used dolly tracks to create some dynamic movements through certain scenes. Tommy was running his wireless video/focus setup which free'd up space around me when operating the camera. The wireless video also allowed me to step back from the camera in between takes to watch playback whilst looking at the scene from a different perspective, which really helped when moving into close ups/reverses etc. We used a lot of natural light which we shaped, along with a Kinoflo 4 bank, some LED panels and some Arri 1K/2K's. 

How involved were the band and label?

The band were very involved, Oli and Louis were across most of the decisions made in pre-production. Im very lucky to have the band & the team at Chugg Music trust me enough to just run with my own vision. It's so nice to work with clients that hire you for your style and let you run with it - I only ever had support and no criticism! 

If you had a chance to approach it again, what would you do differently?

Not really… The crew were amazing, we had a really fun time and I'm very happy with the end product!