Director Van Alpert Talks Drifting a Rolls Royce for Post Malone and Building Lasting Brand Partnerships

Not many directors can say that one of their music videos has over one billion views. Van Alpert can. The Miami native, now a director signed with LA production company ArtClass, made a name for himself – and Post Malone – with the video for the artist’s debut single ‘White Iverson’, a wildly successful project on a shoe-string budget that united his love for cars with his affinity for the “blank canvas” and colours of the desert.

Since then, Van has worked on music videos for the likes of Machine Gun Kelly — winning an MTV Moonman Award for ‘my ex’s best friend’ – and commercials with brands such as Red Bull, Lyft, Babyghost, Apple, and Nike. A multi-faceted artist, he grew up in Miami’s graffiti scene, where he developed his lightning bolt tag — a symbol that remains prominent in his visual art today. Having also lived and worked in Cuba, Madrid, Amsterdam, New York, and now LA, his adaptability and appreciation for a diverse range of influences culminate in his versatile yet distinctive storytelling across various platforms today.

Speaking to LBB’s Ben Conway, Van discusses his career journey so far, learning the craft from legendary director Joe Pytka, and winning Best Documentary at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival for ‘Skategoat’ – his 15-year project following skateboarder Leandre Sanders in a world of gangs and crime in Hawthorne, California.

LBB> So how did you go from doing graffiti to becoming a filmmaker? What were some of your formative creative experiences?

Van> When I was 13, I began doing graffiti with my friends in Miami, but I was also involved in my school's drama programme. The graffiti scene was competitive, risky, and ultimately, illegal. As we became more serious about it, the risk of getting arrested or going to jail grew more real. I couldn't afford to get into trouble because I had big dreams, and some of my friends were starting to face legal issues or pass away. 

As I stepped away from graffiti, I shifted my focus to theatre and filmmaking. At 17, I moved from Miami to New York, where I studied at the Lee Strasberg School and hung out with students from the NY Film Academy. Together, we made films and I learned various roles in the crew, such as writing, editing and working in the art department. After my time in New York, I went to Cuba to study film at the EICTV programme outside Havana and made a documentary about surfing with a friend. For the past 20 years, I’ve dedicated myself to filmmaking and transitioned my graffiti into fine art, continuing to evolve in my craft.

Above: Van's 'Lyft Up' spot for Lyft

LBB> Miami to New York to Cuba - you’ve moved around a lot! How has this shaped your creative outlook?

Van> Living outside the United States, especially in Cuba, was a transformative experience for me. I was lucky to join a friend who was studying at the University of Havana and asked for my help in making a film. With no luxuries or budget – just two determined kids with a camera – we created something we felt was truly important. I learned to operate a camera and point it at people; it's a powerful tool that demands respect. 

Spending a year in Cuba, where everything had a rigid and very disciplined atmosphere, made handling a camera bag and working in challenging conditions feel super serious, and those experiences have influenced my approach to my style and career. The toughness and adaptability required on long shoot days, carrying heavy gear and making decisions in challenging environments are qualities I value. Filmmaking is a tough field and I love to make it easier for everyone while being a strong leader in any situation. 

After Cuba, I spent a year in Europe, starting with a few months in Madrid editing the Cuban documentary and then moving to Amsterdam to work on a travelling theatre show. It was a really fun experience, navigating different languages and adapting on the fly. I encountered unique locations and people; the diverse advertising, films and art were incredibly inspiring. Bringing those experiences back to LA had a huge impact on me.

LBB> Lots of your visual art incorporates a lightning bolt - why is this the symbol that you chose?

Van> The lightning bolt symbolises time and energy for me. I started by tagging to make people remember my name and crew, and as my work evolved into fine art, I aimed to create symbols that people would recognize and want to display in their homes. We all have a brief time on earth, and my lightning bolt represents a moment when I made a mark on a canvas, capturing its energy and time here.

LBB> You helped introduce Post Malone to the world with the ‘White Iverson’ video - looking back, a decade and over one billion YouTube views later, what does that project mean to you and your career?

Van> That was a great project, and I’m really proud of it. There are countless music videos that fade from memory, but ‘White Iverson’ is one that everyone remembers. The timing was perfect when I connected with Post Malone through my friend Rex Kudo. I pitched my idea to Rex, and Post loved it. The rest is history.

LBB> How did that project develop from there? How did you maximise the relatively small budget?

Van> The story behind making that music video deserves its own movie, and I’ll save the full tale for that day. Overall, we created an iconic video with almost no money. Post Malone had an incredible song, and he was very easy and cool to work with. At that time, he didn’t even have an Instagram. I covered most of the video’s costs myself, and one of my best friends was the stunt driver doing donuts in the Rolls Royce. 

The film gods really came through for us that day, letting us pull off all my wild ideas and more. This was before Post Malone was signed, so I had the chance to work directly with him on the creative vision. He was fully into it all — excited to shoot every idea I came up with. We had an amazing flow that day - no overthinking - just two creatives doing what they love and having a great time together.

Above: Post Malone in 'White Iverson'

LBB> Your documentary ‘Skategoat’ recently won Best Documentary at the Sydney Film Festival - tell us a bit about the project and the 15 years that went into it!

Van> Making ‘Skategoat’ was a labour of love that took nearly half my life to complete. I’m incredibly proud of Leandre 'Skategoat' Sanders and the man he’s become. I feel very fortunate that I met Leandre and his brother, Leontay, when I first moved to LA. One of the most interesting lessons I’ve learned is how to maintain a friendship and working relationship with someone over such a long time. We’re still tight like brothers, and that’s what I’m most proud of. Beyond the film, Leandre, Leontay, and I are still family. I also had the chance to work with producers and production teams from Australia and learned many valuable lessons about making a movie with partners. These are things I’ll carry with me throughout the rest of my career in filmmaking.

LBB> How did you get to know Leandre and his story? Did you have skate–film experience beforehand?

Van> I met Leandre on my first trip down to Venice Park when I was about 21. Leandre and his brother Leontay skated up to me and asked if I could point my camera at them and get some clips. I got permission from their mom that day, and the next 14-15 years of their lives unfolded in the movie. I used to skate a little when I was younger, just pushing around, nothing crazy. But I always felt a connection between graffiti culture and skate culture, and I was heavily influenced by Bam Margera’s CKY films and early Spike Jonze work. 

A lot of my friends back home in Miami and New York were legit skaters, too, so I felt comfortable in that skate park environment. I was new to LA, looking to capture something real, and it happened - I found Skategoat.

Above: 'Skategoat' Leandre Sanders

LBB> From the music videos you’ve done with Post and MGK, and recent projects for HUGO and ‘Furiosa’, you clearly enjoy working with cars (especially in the desert, it seems!). Are there consistent creative muses or obsessions that inform your art?

Van> I’ve always had a love for cars. Growing up in Miami, the first film I fell in love with was ‘Bad Boys’, shot in Miami and directed by Michael Bay. I remember being in awe about how he filmed the Porsche Will Smith drove and how cool it made the movie feel. Michael Bay had a way of shooting cars that was just unmatched. When I was in high school, they were filming ‘The Fast and The Furious’ in Miami, and I would sneak around the movie set to check out the picture cars. 

When I moved to LA, I started off working in the art department and worked on some car commercials. That’s when everything really started to click for me. I naturally began incorporating cars into my ideas, they had a huge impact on my work. I always made sure to be original with how I used cars. The Rolls Royce in the Post Malone video - no one had drifted it like I did before. And for MGK, no one had ever kick-flipped an S-Class Benz and surfed it.

The desert plays a big role in my film work because I love the colours and how it can be used as a blank canvas. I treat the desert like my own personal backlot, creating my own rules. The further you travel outside of LA, the more freedom you have when filming in those open spaces. It was also very different from anything I experienced living in Miami or NY.

Above: Machine Gun Kelly - ‘my ex’s best friend’ 

LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? 

Van> I'm most excited about finding a brand or agency that gives me the chance to build something lasting with them. I’ve helped a lot of artists and brands create their most iconic videos and films, but it would be a dream to work with a brand and have a relationship that lasts for years, helping each other grow. I love commercials and have worked on a tonne in just about every department. 

When I was young and working in the art department, I had the chance to work with the famous commercial director Joe Pytka, and I have a lot of respect for what he accomplished. He consistently worked with big names like Pepsi, Nike and Apple. As a young, aspiring commercial director, his sets were incredibly memorable. I aspired to create momentous commercials like him and add my own touch one day - making commercials that the world remembers and stand the test of time. That’s the dream. I’m very passionate about commercials.

LBB> What are you most excited about for the rest of 2024 and beyond? Any goals or upcoming projects you’re working towards?

Van> I have a new documentary in the works that I’m excited about. I just moved back to my hometown in Miami, where I haven’t shot anything in my career yet, so I’m especially excited about that. You’ll see some new work from Florida in the near future. I’m also excited about expanding my style as an artist. This year, I plan to release some new works that nobody has seen. But what I’m most excited about is my commercial career. I joined Artclass this year, and it feels like the perfect company to be part of as I continue my creative endeavours. I think we’re the perfect match.