South African photographer and director, Chris Saunders is the creative talent behind the superb intercontinental music video ‘Let Me Live’, a collaboration between Rudimental and Major Lazer launching globally this month.
Saunders says: “This project was a six month developmental process because we wanted to do something really disruptive; really different. We shot about 30% of the video in London’s Ridley road where there is a diverse multicultural market.
“The band is from nearby Hackney so that created relevance and the remainder of the piece was completed in downtown Johannesburg under the M2 bridge flyover with more than 40 dancers and taxis converging on this public space.”
Saunders is as passionate about his performances as he is about the performers: “The main thing for me was to work with SA performers and showcase how they should be treated. A lot of international and local pop stars treat performing artists in this country very unprofessionally.
“You are working with people’s cultures, their livelihood; you have to pay them properly. It’s important to be conscientious about their backgrounds and their history; hire choreographers from within their cultures. Dancing is fundamental to their lifestyles and a serious part of their identities and how they grew up.”
Saunders has immersed himself in African dance and performance culture over the course of his career and saw this video as an opportunity to allow local dancers to express their own unique talents. Saunders sees himself as a conduit, assisting his collaborators to tell their own stories and define themselves; a belief that is clearly revealed in the original dance choreography for the video.
“These dancers are seldom asked for their artistic views and this was a chance to work with great performers in a more consultative and respectful way.”
Saunders commissioned multi-talented, award-winning director Batandwa Alperstein, better known as TAKEZITO, to create an insightful Behind the Scenes documentary about the process of creating the music video with a view to encouraging cultural collaboration and respect.
The song is a global alliance of music artists: The UK’s Rudimental and Anne-Marie, the US’s Major Lazer and Nigeria’s rapper Mr Eazi. The result is a vibrant blend of street culture; innovative fashion, dance and attitude, all to a tune that is sure to dominate the airwaves.
CREDITS
DIRECTOR
PRODUCER
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Believe Media
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
1ST AD
SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCTION
Ola! Films
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Olivia Leitch
PRODUCER
PRODUCER
ART DIRECTOR
Tamzyn Botha aka. Tamzyn Limb
COSTUME DESIGN
Nao Serati & Tamzyn Botha
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
EDITING COMPANY
COLOURIST
VFX COMPANY
BELIEVE HEAD OF PRODUCTION
Vitaly Koshman
RUDIMENTAL STYLIST
Bevan Agyemang, Laurie Hadleigh
M/U
Liz Taw
MAJOR LAZER STYLIST
Tati Cotlier
ANNE-MARIE STYLIST
Phoebe- Lettice Thompson
M/U
Kim Neeta
HAIR
Emma Osborne
MR EAZI STYLIST
Mariam Abass
STEADICAM
Jo Oosthuizen
MAKE-UP
Orli Merli (Lampost)
HAIR
Mimi Duma (Lampost)
SA PERFORMERS
PANTSULA DANCERS
Impilo Mapantsula
PANTSULA CHOREOGRAPHY
Thomas Motsapi & Kgotsofalang Mavundla from Impilo Mapantsula
PANTSULA DANCERS
Tshepo Mashego, Thomas Motsapi (Choreographer), Mjabulo Zaba, Doctor
GQOM CHOREOGRAPHY
Welile Artchild Gumede
GQOM DANCERS
Welile Artchild Gumede (Choreographer), Ayanda Mkhize, Boniwe Gaga, Ntokozo
VOGUERS
Lebo Otukile ( Fakamatah) Alonzo Strauss
STUNT DRIVER
Stacey Lee May
