Video Director & Producer Jacques Brown

Jacques Brown is an International Video Director & Producer from South Africa, living and working in Dubai. He discovered his creativity at a young age and turned it into a profession. He turns his imaginative visions into reality through artistic skill. It is important for him to share his passion with other people and to create something great together. I talked to the ambitious video producer about his life & his profession.

Jacques Brown: video producer by vocation

FIV: Jacques Brown, you are an International Video Director & Producer currently shooting a commercial in Dubai, can you tell us more about it?

Jacques: Dubai is a fascinating city that surprises me again and again with the large and diverse offer for creative people like me. What I particularly appreciate is that people of all cultures, religions and political backgrounds work and live with each other in peace. It is this mixture of characters that inspires me.

FIV: What is the promotional video for and who are you shooting with?

Jacques: I’m directing the commercial shoot for a perfume label called “Cupid” and I’m working hand in hand with the label’s representative, Andreea Zoia. She herself is also in the film. This commercial will be different from the normal “mainstream commercials” that are currently on the market. The style will of course be glamorous and beautiful, but the film will also take the consumer on a journey into the dramatic, sometimes tragic and at the same time ironic world of historical lovers like Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolda and Napoleon and Josephine.

FIV: Has this always been your dream job?

Jacques: Without a doubt, despite my late career start in the business. I feel it is my vocation and my duty to put into practice the visions that come to me and share them with the world.

FIV: When did you start doing this?

Jacques: I started in 2010, at about 37 years old.

Jacques’ recipe for success: Believe in yourself!

FIV: What has to be considered in particular for a commercial video shoot?

Jacques: A commercial shoot depends on the discipline of the whole team, different factors play a role. Only if you are surrounded by the right team will you be successful as a Video Director & Producer. First of all you need to have a vision and be inspired, secondly you need to believe in it with all your heart. If your team is also inspired by the project, then the miraculous will happen.

FIV: What have been your best experiences in your career so far?

Jacques: The best memory of my life so far, is definitely my first self-made short film. I also always have fond memories of a school project I made with my dad when I was a kid: A giant spider that could actually move! I think that memory sets the standard for how far I will go for my art. In the early days as a film producer, I had to scramble! I was too poor to book big locations, afford proper equipment, props and actors. I had to literally beg for them to help me with my projects. These were formative and important experiences for me that made me the film producer and director I am today.

FIV: What celebrities have you worked with?

Jacques: The really great artists, no matter how prominent they are, are just like me. They love what they do, they push themselves to get better and better and they have a great passion for their art. So it doesn’t matter who they are or where they come from. When we meet to discuss a new project, we go to a creative place where we can both be equally creative. A beautiful place to share your creativity with each other.

FIV: What has been your most interesting project so far?

Jacques: I think the spider I made with my dad when I was a teenager.

FIV: Can you name a few prominent names you’ve worked with so far?

Jacques: I haven’t worked with very big “names” yet, but you can warn them: I’m coming!

 

Video producer Jacques: “Modesty is a priority”.

FIV: Which of your qualities are particularly important in your profession?

Jacques: Because producing films is so dynamic, you need a number of qualities to do your job well. You need an extensive balance of qualities that any executive position requires to lead the team from conception to execution of the final product. However, I think humility should take precedence over everything else.

FIV: What does an average working day look like for you? Is there a normal working day at all?

Jacques: That doesn’t exist in my world. There is no normal working day for me. One day you see me in baggy clothes and slippers, then I’m driving around to find cool locations. The next day I’m in a suit and in a meeting with a new client. Sometimes I spend my day in my favorite sweatpants and writing a script at home. But I know what a perfect day is for me: a day on set with my team.

FIV: What do you like most about your job?

Jacques: I like that every project and every client is different, because of that I always face new challenges. I get to work with the different creative disciplines such as music, styling, writing, lighting, props, locations, etc. to create a fantasy world. Ultimately, my work gives me the opportunity to travel to different places that other people will never see in their lifetime. I meet incredibly talented and creative people who share my experiences with me.

FIV: You are at home in the fashion world because of your job, what appeals to you most about fashion?

Jacques: It’s the mix of fabrics and design coming together and being presented by models. It’s all about beauty and creating it in different facets with character & personality and in my case filling it with a story. An art that sells emotion, that’s exactly what I love about the fashion industry.

Jacques Brown has big plans for the future

FIV: What project would you be interested in working on in the future? Who would you like to work with?

Jacques: I definitely want to work with luxury labels like Coco Chanel, Calvin Klein, Versace & at the top of my list: Victoria’s Secret, to work with. There are so many talented designers, models and actors in the industry, I want to work with as many as possible. Everyone is individual and has their own style, this makes every project unique.

FIV: What are your plans for the future? Very classic: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Jacques: In the near future, I can imagine founding and building a successful production company. With this company I don’t want to shoot classic commercial advertising films, but personal, own feature films. Feature films are my great love.

FIV: Do you have any tips for newcomers who are just starting their career in your business?

Jacques: Make your work fulfilling, no matter what you do. At the end of the day, that’s what counts.

FIV: Thank you very much for the interview!

More information about Video-Producer & Director Jacques Brown

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