Jackson Hunt! He was born in Korea and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He works as a Director of Photography for music videos, tv shows and campaigns. He was the DP for the show Betty by Crystal Moselle on HBO Max. I loved the way Betty was filmed and became a fan of Hunt’s work.
I had a feeling that the DP of Betty had a history of working on music videos for how much camera movement there was in the show. In a behind the scenes interview for Betty, Hunt mentions that the filmmaking was a lot more ‘freeform’ and allowed for more improv when it came to what the camera was going to pick up. His compositions are great, close ups, natural lighting, handheld style and the way he keeps the camera moving all lend to Hunt’s cinematic approach. His visuals look very indie and authentic. The footage either is, or resembles soft film. Movement in videos keep the story interesting and engaging. Handheld cameras, tracking shots and jump cuts are all things Hunt uses to accomplish this. He knows his way around a camera and can capture the vision of different directors.
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Some music videos Jackson Hunt has worked on:
Losing You by Solange (2012), Pretty Hurts by Beyoncé (2013), Robbers by The 1975 (2014), Oblivion by Bastille (2014)
Solange - Losing You (2012)
Solange’s Losing You music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas who is an incredible director of music videos, films and television shows. Jackson Hunt worked as the Director of Photography on this project.
The music video was shot in Cape Town, South Africa. It features Solange, her friends and La Sape Society - some of Africa’s most stylish people.
Now, these people are interesting af. La Sape Society is the society of entertainers and elegant people. It’s an artistic subculture and even a religion for some. Largely formed in the Congo, Les Sapeurs stay fresh by wearing big brands from Western culture. They wear things like crocodile shoes, designer suits, capes, skirts, flashy accessories, etc. Rebranding its roots in colonialism, Les Sapeurs see their style as a way of life with major confidence and ambiance. They believe that clothes and fashion are a part of one's identity and can be used as power symbolically. It’s their art.
In the Losing You video, Les Sapeurs are shown alongside Solange looking dapper, getting fitted, performing in the streets and acting like statues on display.
It’s a concept video with a lot of movement and dancing. Most of it was probably improvised and it feels like everyone is having a good time and vibing to the music. The scenes felt super cinematic and the aesthetics were on point. The visuals reflect the indie/pop audio and create a space for the song to live in. It’s pretty funky and colorful, and the choreography keeps the video lighthearted and entertaining.
Matsoukas and Hunt created a soft film look to their shots. Everything looks handheld, mixed with tracking shots and fast pans. Hunt is great at capturing movement in a way that looks effortless. His frequent use of natural lighting in his videos is showcased here too.
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Awards won
Best Direction of a Female Artist - MVPA 2013
Best Pop Video - International - UK MVA 2013
Bastille - Oblivion (2014)
Bastille’s Oblivion music video was directed by Austin Peters in 2014. Jackson Hunt’s indie style is evident here too as Director of Photography.
First of all, this video features Sophie Turner, and I live for it. The video starts out with a profile close up of Sophie getting ready in a room with natural ambient sound. We then hear footsteps, the crowd murmur, car engines and Sophie hum as we see a series of jump cuts. She walks to the middle of a demolition derby field and stands at a microphone. It kind of feels like she’s about to sing the National Anthem or something. She takes a breath and starts to sing Oblivion, but the audio is from Bastille. This was a cool juxtaposition - the girl lip synching to the male lead singer’s voice. It helped to add more innocence and delicacy to the song’s heavy subject about the people you love experiencing depression. At the end, Sophie climbs into a car herself. It is a performance and narrative based video with intentional movement that helps reflect how the song feels.
Visually, it’s beautiful. The colors seem more saturated and cool toned than other videos done by Hunt as it takes place at night under bright lights. The camera cuts to shots of the crowd, close ups of the people at the derby, crashing cars and the lip synching performance. Again, Hunt uses handheld camera movements and tracking shots throughout. The cars crash into each other filling the air with smoke in slow motion, creating a more dramatic feel to the video. The crashing cars also parallel the lyrics and create a contrast to the cheering crowd.
The director used realism storytelling, making the video look and feel authentic. Being at a demolition derby is a foreign thing to those who don’t participate, so the world created in this video seems distant for the audience. You feel like a fly on the wall to something new, yet understanding it is a common activity for others. I believe if the video had taken place at a basketball game or a party, it wouldn’t have had the same effect. I like when artists highlight something niche and bring perspective to it.
Jackson Hunt’s style of handheld cameras, slow motion, close ups, jump cuts, natural lighting and overall indie vibe bring this honest story to life.