Life isn’t perfect and sometimes it sucks and sometimes you’re in situations that
are scary.
And I like to show that because to me, that’s what making real art is.
In my mind, I was imagining the early '90s and the older films of these road trips and
mischief, and getting into trouble and somehow getting out of it.
And so I was painting this picture of things unraveling, but still coming together in the
end.
This whole scene was improv'd.
They would do the scene, and then I'd be like, okay, this is going a little too this way.
Let's bring it back and let's bring it back more about you guys not understanding each other.
They did it about three times, and I comped it all together in the editing room to create
this dialogue, which wasn't the easiest thing.
I probably shouldn't have written a script.
I've heard these lines before,
of just…
“Why are you this way?"
"I don't understand.”
For Kehlani, her mother figure was her aunt.
And so I really wanted to build that dynamic, and also, we're starting to have more representation
for the youth, but there's not a lot of videos where parents can watch and relate to that
experience with their kid.
And so I loved the idea of showing that.
When we scouted this location, we went and we would
stand in and do the dancing.
And I'd film it on the iPhone and send it to my DP, and he would be like
"Wait, let's do it this way."
So we really would map out each shot.
So going into the shoot, I knew what angle we were going to shoot at, and how it was
going to flow.
It does take time, because when we shoot this scene and we're dancing and seeing how the
camera's moving, we have to pause and I have to watch the monitor and make sure it's okay.
And then we keep going.
This scene, for me especially, was very hard because I'd never directed an action scene before.
We've got a PA here. We've got a PA on this side, and then my camera operator is literally
standing in the middle as this car's going this way and swerving.
To figure out that choreography was hard and this is also a stunt guy.
And then a stunt guy.
And then no one's in the passenger's seat.
This is my favorite scene.
Number one, I can't run for shit.
Number two, this really complicated to do.
And number three, it just is fun.
We had the camera mounted on the truck, driving alongside us, timing out how fast I could run.
I'm behind following in a car and then there's a walkie talkie here.
And I'm talking to her.
So I'm going, "Okay, look at the camera."
"Laugh."
"Look down."
"Look to the left."
"Laugh more."
"Be insecure."
"Be quiet."
"Be flirtatious."
And so I'm telling her what to do and then she's just ... She's just doing it 'cause
she's great.
We needed a problem to go down.
We needed a conflict.
I needed Kehlani's character to betray me or make me feel abandoned, to kind of have
that full circle story.
This was an epic scene.
I really loved the idea of us making out on the side of the road.
It was funny.
My mom actually helped with this idea.
I called her complaining 'cause I was like, "I can't figure out how they get back together."
My mom was like, "You should just have her come running after you like she left the car."
"Or something bad happened in the truck and she didn't like it and she left."
I told my mom, I was like, "Mom, you put together a lesbian love story," and she was like
"No honey, it's just a love story between two people."
And I was like...
It's so important to have representation in film and TV.
And so why not have that in the music industry as well?
And I think that's the whole struggle, is if you don't see someone that looks like you
doing what you want to do, then you can't dream it.
When she says, “I'm sorry.”
Oh my god, kill me.
I loved that moment.
I was like, this is just the best.