The Jem video is a photofilm made from 25,632 photographs shot over the course of 10 hours. Jem and I met in 2007 at a MoCA opening because me and my friend Mathew Chaney were wearing mustaches (it was halloween). We kept in touch, and she approached me to collaborate with her after seeing “a very sad day.”
Jem is an incredible storyteller and has an intuitive and refined sense for what is right for her. Sitting in the edit together we reflected on our first conversations and how the project had unfolded quite magically, especially in the face of a very tight deadline. From start to finish was exactly 2 weeks. Jennifer Geirsbrook and her team did a remarkable job styling the shoot and we enjoyed a deeply collaborative spirit throughout production with everyone. Most amazing was the speed at which Jennifer, Kathy and Aviva worked to transform Jem for each shot.
Credits: Directed by Saam Gabbay & Jem. Producer: Kim Pinola. Coordinator: Heidi Hawkings. Wardrobe stylist: Jennifer Geirsbrook. Assistant wardrobe stylists: Ryan Cox & Anna Land. Makeup: Kathy Jeung. Hair stylist: Aviva Perea. Photo assistants and second unit photography: Michael Crook & Gabriella Kashani. Colorist: Marcelo Aprile, Riot Santa Monica. Special thanks: Jeff Adelman for help on set and Joey for his vintage Citroen. Shot at Hearts & Fives in Echo Park, California. Label: Dramatico / ATO Records. And thanks to Perez Hilton who featured it on his site, 45,000 views in 1 day. And over 2,000,000 hits on YouTube.