New Talent: Jordan Rossi

Jordan> I produced two music videos for one of our other emerging talents for Fergus last summer and then a pitch came in for me this time. So I shot this one down in Camber Sands at the end of February. And right after that another one came in for Fergus. His aesthetic from the previous videos is visually quite outdoorsy, indie, which is not me at all, so I was really excited to do this one. I’ve not really got much on my reel that’s outdoorsy. For the next one [not yet released] we did a mini set build in our studio and married his indie aesthetic with my kind of beauty / fashion lighting. It worked out nicely.

Jordan> I’m surrounded by a lot of really good people. I’ve had varying advice about what to do and what not to do, even things like social media - certain things to post, not appearing too this or too that. It’s something I’ve consciously thought about quite a lot. You don’t want to get put in a box too early on. You want to be able to show different sides of your work. 

But also with emerging talent there is that exploratory phase. Sometimes you’re not quite sure why something resonates with you. I find that a lot of the time when I’m attracted to a subject matter or topic I’m working through that and trying to get to the bottom of why it’s interesting, what is the driver behind it? That’s a really fun part of it.

Part of me doesn’t want to get put in a box, but at the same time, fuck it, my work is my work. These things resonate with me. I’ve done work that I think is cool and I want to share it. 

Jordan> Some people from other companies have told me to be careful with some of the stuff I share - “You don’t want to get labelled as ‘that queer filmmaker’.” - I understand that, but also there’s a bigger issue. Queer visibility is really important, especially now. I think social media has helped with that a lot. I think it’s really important to be sharing work that is saying lots of different things. Conversation is great and anything that can kickstart and continue the conversation is really important. 

It’s something I’m aware of. You’re constantly trying to curate it. You want to show a range of stuff. At the same time my work is my work. I’m not going to pretend that I’m something I’m not. I’m just going to show what it is.

Jordan> I’m an only child. And every time I say that everyone groans like I’m really spoilt or something. It wasn’t like that at all. I was quiet. I was left to my own devices a lot and that allowed me a lot of creativity. I was always coming up with ideas, stories. I loved theatre, books, literature, cinema, listening to music and watching music videos. Anything visually stimulating I immersed myself in. As I got older I got really interested in acting and was pursuing that for a very long time.

After a while I realised that I was actually a really shit actor. But I’m also very pragmatic about stuff. So I thought: “This isn’t working but I’m also very interested in the industry still. What things am I good at and where can I place myself?” That’s how the whole film industry thing started. I was initially going to go into theatre, but I got an internship at Rankin Film Production. I thought it was kind of cool. Photography, film, the in-house agency - there were loads of different things going on. It was a really good education in the advertising, fashion, photography and film industries. I started there and just kept working at it and never left.

Jordan> Definitely. His work is so prolific as well. Even simple things, like working with him in production, listening to the way he engages with people on set, off set, on conference calls, is hugely informative. It’s an amazing gift that I get to be a part of that. That’s why I’ve stayed here so long.

I learn a lot from him. I’m grateful for all the opportunities he’s given me here. Especially in the early days of me wanting direct - letting me use the studio and equipment on weekends. He’s also very gracious with his time. If I have questions and need help or assistance with stuff he’ll always be there. With the MNEK video, he posted that on Instagram, which was really sweet for him, to try and get more eyes on it. 

Jordan> It was always there. Wanting to be an actor, I learnt that an actor is very rarely in control and I didn’t want to just make one type of thing. Being here and seeing the amount of fingers Rankin has in so many pies, I realised you can be more than one thing. You can be a director, a photographer, an exec and a producer. 

It was like an Oscar’s speech - “I’m just happy to be here and to learn” - then there was a turning point: “I’ve got ideas that I want to make. I’m going to go and do this now.”

Jordan> The first thing I directed I’ve never shown anyone. I’m very much a trial-and-error kind of person and I needed that short film. I wrote it myself, produced it myself and shot it on a bit of a whim. I gave myself the confidence so the next time I [directed] it was a million times better. 

Jordan> For me they go hand in hand. The thing I love now I’ve got to a certain point is that when I get a brief though for a music video and it’s X amount of money, I know how much that gets me. I don’t overwrite or underwrite ideas. I know what the expectations are.

It gives me so much more of a head start. I don’t have to come up with an idea, talk to my EP or music video rep and find out what’s do-able. I can get it on a Friday, go away at the weekend and return on Monday with a treatment and a budget. Through being who we are, with our Little Black Book (no pun intended) and network of resources we have here, I know people I can call on for certain things. If a last minute job comes in I can crew it up myself. I’ve got that shorthand.

Also, from dealing with record labels, music video reps, agencies and clients, I have a good idea of what their fears are. I have a good idea of what they’re going to ask in that initial pre-production process. I can almost tailor treatments, calls or emails to allay those worries. It gives me a head start.

Jordan> I think there are two.

The one I will always go back to at the moment is the music video I did for Blonde for their track ‘Me, Myself and I’. They’d done a couple of things with my mates that caught the attention of Sam Seager, who’s an amazing commissioner. He got in contact with me direct and said some of the stuff I’d done is cool and he thought it might fit this track they were pitching out at the moment. 

They told me how the track was made. Bryn Christopher [who features on the track] had a night out at Savage Disco - a queer night in East London - and he lost all his friends, but still had an amazing time dancing with all these drag queens that he met. That was a story that very much resembled a lot of nights out I’ve had!

It was really cool going through that process just because Sam engaged with me creatively, pushed me in certain ways without being overbearing. It was a really good learning process in that regard.

It was also the moment where I got to repay a lot of my friends. The cast had done loads of freebies and cheapies for me. This one was a proper music video where I could give them a small token for their time.

Also, everyone gave me so much freedom. There were a couple of conversations about who we should cast. I knew these people were amazing performers. I said “let me have the moment with them and you’ll have an unforgettable music video.” And it turned out. It’s one of my favourite pieces. It all came together amazingly. 

The other one would probably be the music video I did for MNEK for ‘Girlfriend’. That’s simply because I’ve loved MNEK as an artist for years. I think his music is great. We co-directed this one which was a first for me. The thing that struck me about MNEK is he actually knows how film works. He came to the edit suite, we had a great time. He’s such a laugh as well - such a cool, down-to-earth guy. There’s no diva there. He just knows how it works. It was a true collaboration. And a really fun process too.

Jordan> I’m a bit of a workaholic so more. Just more would be great. I would love to do one of those old school ‘90s studio music videos with a set build. I was watching a music video channel over the weekend because I actually still do that and NSYNC’s ‘Pop’ came on. That’s an awesome video! It’s got a great set and party vibe to it. A lot of the Ariana Grande stuff, like the video for ‘Focus’ is really cool. It’s in a studio set and really fun.

That being said, I’d love to get out on location more. That always presents different challenges and it’s fun to overcome those.

I think it’s about finding the right artist and track and making sure that the idea suits it. Different genres. 

Just more. And more different stuff. 

Jordan> It’s changed a lot. When I was at university I used to love John Ford, Quentin Tarentino, Nicolas Winding Refn, Akira Kurosawa - cinematic guys. As I’ve moved into advertising and music videos, different inspirations are relevant or different things. 

Joseph Kahn is so prolific. His work speaks for itself. Also, I think pop music gets tarnished with a bad brush and if you look at Joseph Kahn’s work he’s made some of the most iconic music videos ever. When I was thinking about my aesthetic and the type of work I want to do, he was someone I looked at quite closely. 

Hannah Lux Davis is killing it with Ariana Grande. The thing I love about her work is that every video now is just iconic, both Hannah’s and Ariana’s. I clocked onto her work when she was doing big videos, but not as big as they are now, and I interviewed her for Hunger magazine’s website. That was a great experience to be able to talk to her about her story. She came through the glam side as a makeup artist. I think you can tell from the way she shoots and her sensibilities, which is amazing. We spoke off the record about some really basic things like how she does her treatments and what energy she focuses on in her process.

The other Fergus video, pitching more - I’m always open to new briefs and projects. I’m doing a few personal projects which are fun. You never know where the next thing will come from so I’m working away, directing. I actually shot a stills editorial for HUNGER TV recently so I’m just getting that retouched and that’ll be out soon.

I’ve always dabbled in stills. I’m not a photographer and I’ve never made any claim that I am, but I did notice that after I did a couple of stills shoots a few summers ago, my directing got better. So I try and keep up with both because I do feel as though there’s something about engaging with people in front of and behind a lens that photography can teach you that directing doesn’t. There’s just that natural human connection between the person in front of the camera and the person behind it. Film is such an intimidating thing when someone steps on set and there 30 people staring at them and the person in front of the camera has no idea what any of them do. 

I think my lighting also got better because when you’re a photographer people ask you how you want to light it. Directors will go “I don’t know. Ask the DOP.” Now I’m so much more involved on set.