YoRaps.com Interviews Frame By Frame:
Category: Video Spot
Frame By Frame: Videos On A Higher Level
Posted: Wednesday – January 20, 2010
In many ways, the success of an artists’ single is directly related to the visual component of the music video. Directors are challenged with capturing the lyrics and theme of the song while maintaining artistic credibility. Through Frame By Frame Inc. Production Company Shanta Conic and Yolande Geralds are breathing new life into the music video industry.
A company created in April of 2008 with more than 20 videos under its belt Frame By Frame is here to stay and win. Co-owned by two women, therein lies the advantage. Combined with marketing, visual and business knowledge, the evolution of music videos has met its match. Proving that storytelling and artistry don’t have to be compromised and can be television ready, Geralds and Conic create the perfect balance of business and creation.
Past work includes both Plies’ Plenty Money and Becky along with Say Aah, the latest video from Trey Songz, and Medicine the most recent effort from Plies. Frame By Frame is more than a video directing house, the company has worked with the Simmons sisters on their Pastry empire, as well as directed Emmy nominated films and shorts.
Yolande Geralds and Shanta Conic talk with Yo! Raps about working with artists such as Plies and Trey Songz, breaking the glass ceiling and creating a wealth of business during a fledgling economy.
Let’s talk about Frame By Frame Inc.
Shanta: We started the company in April of 2008. Yolande and I had the idea to begin our own company and see what happened. During that time, we were really blessed and were working with Plies and Estelle, Trey Songz, from that point on, it just took off.
Yolande: We stepped out on a leap of faith. We were at a stale mate because of other projects we were locked into. We decided to just go in and see how it works. We’ve been working with Plies and Estelle, Tracy Chapman, the Simmons sisters with the Pastry line. We wanted to do different things than what others were doing. We wanted to portray what the artist was meaning lyrically and translate that into storytelling.
Many times, a video will make or break a single.
Yolande: As a director, we’re blessed with my experience working with a label. I know marketing and promotions but we’re both also consumers and we know what the kids want. Creatively, with the lyrics, we follow the lyrics of the song but sometimes we have to get creative with the portrayal in the video. For example, with Becky we knew it would not work so we took a different approach. We had to think about what we could do to make this viable for the artist and his fan base but also viable for television.
Shanta: Yolande works with the artist to come up with the vision and my role is similar to executive producer. Running logistics and making sure everything is in place.
Yolande, you don’t just direct music videos. How do you balance the music presence with your art as a filmstress?
Yolande: Coming from a film background, it’s the idea of creating and storytelling. Oftentimes, we can’t do storytelling. They want the typical video with cars, girls, rims and money. For us, being women, we are cautious about what we put on television. People are often ridiculed as video hoes so, if I have to use the girls and they want them scantily dressed or half naked, we’re going to take an artistic approach to it and, I don’t judge anybody. The best example of this is when we shot Plies’ Plenty Money, the girls had bras and panties on for most of the video but there was the obvious storyline with the whole transaction.
What’s your take on the evolution of visual images?
Shanta: We started at a time where anyone can make a video but, with what Yolande can do visually and with the experience of working at a label, she can balance what the label wants and what the artist wants. As far as what videos are like today, the standards are a little lower. Visually, we are progressive with effects and things like that. With us, we want to make sure we are showing women in the most decent way. It’s about being respectful and poetic. We are learning and growing and moving with the design.
In such a business dominated male industry by pioneers such as Hype Williams, Chris Robinson, and X, do you, as women, find yourself bumping your head against the glass ceiling?
Shanta: Of course we respect the Hype Williams and Chris Robinsons and the other pioneers of video directing but we’re coming in as competition with them. Because of the change in the economy and the budgets in the industry, we have to keep promoting ourselves and working to make sure our work is out there and respectable. It’s different when you have those “Top” directors that have been doing it for years and then we come in and are competing for the same jobs, which normally wouldn’t happen but because of the economy.
Yolande: Because of my background, we have more resources than a lot of people. We have so much skill and resource that we operate on our own. We completely embody everything that we believe in, the flexibility that we have, we can go right on set and jump right in.
How is the economy affecting the video industry?
Yolande: From a business standpoint, everyone is trying to figure out what they’re doing. Everybody is scrambling and I think, from our standpoint, with the marketing background, we can do a little bit more because we’re thinking beyond just putting it on the screen. We’re working with them on longevity and what they’re working towards doing. Sometimes, we can create a commercial within the video, we will find resources in terms of product placement. It makes it easier for them to afford to do the things that they want to do. That works if they couldn’t do a Chris, or a Hype or X, I’ve worked with all of them and I think they’re great but, we all bring something different to the table.
It’s more diversity for the artist because it’s almost like a one stop shop.
Yolande: Exactly. We offer the artist the most diversity of any directors out there because of those resources.
There are a few video moments in history that stick out as game changers, Paul Hunter and the D’Angelo’s Untitled joint in particular comes to mind. Yolande, is there a video or director that jumps out at you as a trend setter?
Yolande: This is the craziest thing but I don’t watch television very much. I don’t get to see music videos a lot because we’re spending so much time creating things. I do know there are amazing directors out there and can speak to the way they’ve changed the game but as far as the videos, I stay focused on creation. We’re a little left of center and it’s hard for me to pin any one down. Hype Williams is definitely a pioneer. He’s probably the most sought after director in music. He created things that people apply to their videos. Jake Myers has crossed the barriers because he does urban and also pop videos. They’re all very amazing at what they do. I do think it’s going to be harder to come up with ideas and be able to execute these things because of the way the economy is. Each person has their own style.
And the goal is to re-create oneself with new elements?
Yolande: Right, so with Trey Songz and the things we’re doing with his videos with Other Side Of The Bed and the way it looks like a movie, we’re really setting the bar high. It has to be something creative and what comes from within. It’s going crazy on the internet right now and it’s kind of bad because it wasn’t supposed to come out for a while but the behind the scenes footage leaked online. We were going to put it out after the video and we did a trailer on the front end because we didn’t want to give it away but it was leaked.
In the meantime, what are the latest projects on deck for Frame By Frame?
Shanta: We also have the Plies featuring Keri Hilson video Medicine and of course Other Side Of The Bed with Trey Songz and Keri also. Our website is www.framebyframeinc.net and we are working on the videos we mentioned, which are either out, or coming out soon.
- By Maxine Ross
