Music Video’s are a good training ground for any aspiring Feature Film or TV Commercial Location Manager – creative, innovative, often many locations squeezed into each day, tight budgets, long days and an abundance of energy on set!
I cut my teeth on a few classics ones back in the day, here are three that bring back fond memories:
Jamiroquai – You Give Me Something
Director: Dawn Shadforth
Production Company: RSA / Black Dog Films
Location: ExCel London
Location Brief: Replicating a contemporary Hotel complex
Notes: This was the Native-American influenced Funk-Jazz band’s 20th single and the hottest property video director at the time – Dawn Shadforth, was going to direct it.
Dawn recce’d the ExCel exhibition centre and it had all the elements that she needed for the Promo, including an abundance of Skateboarding area’s for Jay Kay to ride around on.
We shot for a weekend in 2001, pretty much all over the complex and we dressed one of the meeting rooms as a Hotel suite for the opening scene.
So Solid Crew – Ride Wid Us
Director: Dawn Shadforth
Production Company: RSA / Black Dog Films
Location: Milton Keynes & Milbrook Track
Location Brief: Modern Town / Commercial Buildings & Test Track
Notes: So Solid Crew were a UK Garage / Hip Hop Collective who achieved wide success in the early 2000’s, but controversy was never that far away from them. I remember the Police visiting us during filming in Milton Keynes.
We started the day by filming driving scenes on the mile-straight at Milbrook Proving Ground, in Bedfordshire, then we unit moved down to Milton Keynes where we filmed pretty much all night in the rain, until the sun came up the following day – I ended up working a 23 hour day.
The Sea Horses – Love Is The Law
Director: Nick Egan
Production Company: Propaganda Films
Location: Eastbourne
Location Brief: Traditional English Seaside Promenade
Notes: Following on from legendary guitarist John Squire’s departure from the Stoned Roses, he formed The Sea Horses. This was their debut single in April 1997.
We shot for one very long day, I remember leaving my home in Earls Court at something like 3am, and heading down to Eastbourne on the South Coast, and not returning home until the very early hours of the following morning (with a short lay-by nap on route home).
We filmed all over the promenade and then on the beach, even though I gave production the tide-times, they thought that they could film for longer – cut to all the band’s instruments and various filming equipment floating out to sea.
Here are the three Music Video’s:
