Emil Nava

Emil Nava is a freelance music director who has directed many music videos for huge artists such as Jesse J, Calvin Harris, Neyo and Ed Sheeran. He began his career as a runner for different production companies like Blink Productions and now works as a freelancer for OB management.

After working as a runner, Nava graduated to become assistant director where he would manage music video shoots. Nava then signed to the Academy which is the biggest music video production company, he struggled while working with the production company as the stakes were very high, it was documented by Nava that he was consistently working in the office and always pitching throughout the week. After a strenuous time at the company, Nava left the organisation and joined with a company called 'Between the eyes' and now mainly works with Pulse, a production company situated in London.

 

•Emil’s first budget was for the band Kid British and the track Our House

•Budget - £20,000

•Location – Manchester

•Cast – local people

•1 day for filming

•2/3 days for editing

•10 days pre-production

•Demonstrates the very tight timescales involved

 

•Jessie J “Wild”

 

•At his busiest Emil has made 24 music videos in one year

•When he began shooting videos for independent labels the budget would be as low as £5,000 to £10,000

•His most expensive video to date has been for Jessie J and the budget was £160,000

•Emil’s first budget was for the band Kid British and the track Our House

•Budget - £20,000

•Location – Manchester

•Cast – local people

•1 day for filming

•2/3 days for editing

•10 days pre-production

•Demonstrates the very tight timescales involved

•Has now begun to make adverts, which generally have a far higher budget and production values but allow for less creative freedom

•Paloma Faith ‘30 Minute Love Affair'

•Client Sony - Director Emil Nava

 

•Paloma Faith 'Picking Up the Pieces'

•Client Sony - Director Emil Nava

•Cost - £80,000

•Ed Sheeran 'Lego House'

•Client Atlantic - Director Emil Nava

•Jessie J 'Do It Like A Dude'

•Client Island - Director Emil Nava

•Cost - £25,000

 

•Rita Ora 'RIP'

•Client RocNation - Director Emil Nava

·         Ed Sheeran 'You Need Me'

·         Client Atlantic - Director Emil Nava

·         Cost - £35,000

•Jessie J 'Price Tag'

•Client Island

•Director Emil Nava

 

Emil’s Top Tips

•Use Extreme Close Up on faces wherever possible

•Do not shoot whole of video in medium shot/long shot

•Example – Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares to U

•Godley & Crème - Cry

Some of the Production Companies that OB work with are:

•Pulse Films

•Rocket

•Agile Films

•Friends

•Wonda

OB Management work as agents for music video directors. They describe themselves as, “ three straight up dudes who work out of Denmark Street London”.

Their aim is to:

•Nurture talent

•Work with production companies

•Work with record labels

•Match the right director to the right artists

Jamie Thraves

•Director – Jamie Thraves

•Made short films at University

•Used award-winning short film as a ‘calling card’ to get a ‘foot in the door’ with the video production company Factory Films

•Began by shooting three very low budget music videos – cost about £5,000 each

•As can be seen for many directors in the business it is a precarious existence where their livelihood is dependent on each commission

•Jamie Thraves submitted treatments for his two best known videos and each was accepted

1.Radiohead – Just

•£100,000 budget
•Shot in three days



2.Coldplay – The Scientist
•£200,000 budget
•Shot in three days

•Jamie Thraves – most recent video – Japanese Popstars – Song for Lisa

•Currently videos cost about £20,000

•Shooting time – 2 days

The Japanese Popstars "Song For Lisa"

•Jamie has used the music videos to get into the film business

•Has so far shot three features:

•The Low Down

•The Cry of the Owl

•Treacle Jr

Jamie’s Tips:

•Use the lyrics but try not to be too literal

•Most importantly – go with the emotion of the lyrics

Katie B “Broken Record” Directed Jamie Thraves



Death Cab for a Cutie “I will follow you into the Dark”

•.Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
(e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).

There is a relationship between music and/or lyrics and visuals
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

• The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style and ‘fireworks’?).

 There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, looking into the camera etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. Katy Perry’s videos appear ‘Feminist’ but she also appears ‘sexy’ in parts.

There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc