How I Shot A Music Video for CG5

Here’s how the director, Dash McDonald, and I discovered our working relationship.

We met in high school film class and then went to college together. At the time, I had zero experience in filmmaking let alone cameras. Fast forward to the pandemic era, I had learned the basics through YouTube and was floating around as a production assistant trying to get as much set experience as possible. I hit a point where I knew I needed to monetize it if there was ever going to be the point where it evolved from being a hobby.

Dash had been freelancing as I started to express interest, so naturally he brought me along on some of his projects to help out.

Since then, that relationship hasn’t changed much. It’s been our experience that has been the main changing variable. We’ve been able to work on a handful of projects together where along the way we were able to learn each other’s creative habits and preferences. From planning in pre-production to finding the best takes in the editing room, we realized that there is a unique and valuable dynamic between us since we each have our own unique strengths and understanding of each other’s workflow.

This is when I realized that sometimes 1+1=3.

“Two people who collaborate well will be about three times as effective as each of them operating independently, because each will see what the other might miss—plus they can leverage each other’s strengths while holding each other accountable to higher standards.”

— Ray Dalio

Overhead view I created during pre-production for “Forbidden Feeling”

So, instead of two ‘videographers’ on a project, there was now a Director (Dash) and a Cinematographer (me). It was a fun realization that our working together as two specialized roles was more beneficial as a Director/Cinematographer combo than it otherwise would have been.

So when I heard the news from Dash that a local artist, Charlie Green, also known as CG5, wanted to do a one-take music video for his song, “Forbidden Feeling” the creative gears started turning.

Dash had a relationship with CG5 for a few months prior when I was told about this project. He decided for this production that it would be valuable if I stepped into the picture. This project was unique as multiple departments were going to have to go full steam simultaneously; it was time for me to step up to the plate and execute as the cinematographer.

For those wondering what a cinematographer or a director of photography is, robertcmorton.com describes it as:

A Cinematographer is a person responsible for operating the camera movements and capturing the images, while the Director of Photography is responsible for the overall visual style of the film, including camera angles, lighting, composition, and crew management typically on complex / larger scale productions.

Here’s how I interpreted the vision of the project as the Director of Photography:

1. Knowing the Creative Goals

   • I knew that the video needed to be a one-take. I also knew that there would be a choreographed routine which essentially means the camera movement (my movement) would need to be choreographed too. Thankfully, Dash has had experience with dance before and gave great direction for me. Again, I had a large camera rig attached to me, so knowing exactly what to do from him was incredibly helpful. From there, I could add my input from my expertise.

2. Knowing the Space to work within

   • I knew that we would shoot the project at Pirate Studios, (https://pirategripandelectric.com/home.html) a great studio with a lot of option for filmmakers in Phoenix.

3. Knowing the tools that would help me succeed

   • I knew that planning is the key to mitigate accidents. So, I created an overhead view of what the day would look like. This was incredibly helpful as it was shared with all departments to make sure their goals aligned with my interpretation of the project. It seemed to also act as a great constraint for the choreographers to work within.