As one half of the directorial duo Ransom and Reason, Casey Sjogren is at least partially responsible some of the most striking music videos to come out of Seattle in the last year. The output has been prodigious for the Seattle filmmaker, whose team has released videos for Kris Orlowski, Noah Gundersen, and Joseph in that time.
With a cinematic sweep, the work that he has made in partnership with Motopony frontman (and creative polyglot) Daniel Blue has brought those artists’ songs to life on the screen with compelling narratives and well-developed characters, an approach that has earned the duo recognition as Featured Directors for the 3rd Annual Sync Music Video Festival.
In advance of the festival screening, we interrupted a very busy Sjogren to ask a few questions about his approach and his partnership
How did you come to make your first video? I became friends with local director Garrett Gibbons and offered to assist on his next music video. The band he was working with at the time, Theoretics, chose a song he wasn’t exactly into, so he offered me the chance to direct and shoot the video. I came up with a treatment that the band loved, and we went for it. I had always dreamed of making music videos, but I was waiting for the right music to come a long. I told myself I’d never create videos for music I didn’t connect with.
You work with Daniel Blue as Ransom and Reason. How did the two of you meet? I was in preproduction of a video for Ryan Abeo (aka RA Scion), which at this point hadn’t been entirely written yet. We were working backwards, creating a video treatment as the words to the song were also being written. Anyhow, Ryan still needed a vocalist to sing the hook, and given the nature of the song, I introduced him to Daniel, who then ended up writing the hook and starring in the video. We spent three days together on Orcas Island during production and Daniel and I just clicked. We met for drinks the following week and it all made sense. A filmmaker and songwriter director duo. The rest was history.
What is your average budget for a video? Where does that money come from? The average is between $3000 and $5000. Either the bands pool money together, or the label pays for it out of the marketing budget.
What was the greatest challenge in making the videos that will be shows at Sync? How did you overcome it? The biggest challenges were finding the right locations to fit the vibe. Thanks to social media outreach (and great producers), we’ve always had the community support in helping tie loose ends and find the right places.
Do you currently have any projects in the works? We are in preproduction of a 45-minute short film comprised of nine music videos that all tie together into one narrative. We are shooting it on a 10-day roadtrip throughout the Northwest and it will be released with the artist’s debut album.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to anyone approaching their first music video project? Connect with the artists and their music before starting anything. Hang out, drink a ton of beer with them. When the barriers are stripped and trusting relationships are formed, it becomes a more organic free flowing process.
What are your three favorite music videos of all time?
Gesaffelstein, “Pursuit”Directed by Fleur & Manu
Beastie Boys, “Sabotage”Directed by Spike Jonze
Lana Del Ray, “Ride”Directed by Anthony Mandler
