Collaboration on Let me Live - Behind the scenes
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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.”

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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.

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CREDITS

DIRECTOR

Chris Saunders

PRODUCER

Shabana Mansuri

PRODUCTION COMPANY

Believe Media

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Jannie McInnes

1ST AD

Mark McPadden

SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCTION

Ola! Films

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Olivia Leitch

PRODUCER

Maurice Dingli

PRODUCER

Allison Swank

ART DIRECTOR

Tamzyn Botha aka. Tamzyn Limb

COSTUME DESIGN

Nao Serati & Tamzyn Botha

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Alexandre Jamin

EDITING COMPANY

Homespun

COLOURIST

Arthur Paux

VFX COMPANY

Gloria FX

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