There’s a gorgeous hazy,lazy, Dorothy-in-the-poppy-field quality to Elisha Smith-Leverock’s work. She’s shot portraits and fashion photgraphy for the likes of Dazed&Confused, Vice and Vogue Germany – and now that beautiful aesthetic has made its way into the moving image, as Elisha has been shooting music videos and fashion films, for the likes of Fred Butler, Bombay Bicycle Club and Sunday Girl.

Can you tell me a little about where your from and what attracted you to life behind the camera?
I’m half German, half American. My dad was in the army so we travelled a lot. We finally settled in Germany where I after some time in Hamburg and Munich finally moved to Berlin and studied photography. I have always been a very visual person with a strong interest in photography but I went through a phase of wanting to have a ‘normal job’ and therefor didn’t pursue it straight away.

In hindsight, however scary it was then, quitting the job and applying for the photography course was the best decision I’ve ever made.

When did you first make the leap from shooting still photography to video? How do the two media compare?
My first proper shoot was a fashion film for a designer called Fred Butler. She had seen a photo I had taken of one of her pieces and thought my lighting and my way of seeing things really would suit her upcoming collection so she commissioned me to capture it. That shoot became a defining experience for me. The film featured graceful ballet dancers performing in the designers metallic, elaborate faceted collection. The pieces were catching and reflecting the light so beautifully with the dancers every move, It made me realize how in some instances I could get much more scope out of filming something rather than photographing it. I think now my eye as a photographer benefits my film work and my cinematic ideas influence my photography.

I see that you’re from Germany originally and have lived in Italy, America, and now the UK – what kind of influence has this international lifestyle had on your work and creativity?
It has been great. I have been able to take a little bit away with me from every place that I have lived in. Meeting many different people from different origins and backgrounds and adjusting to different cultures has opened me up to a lot of things I probably would have never seen or heard of other wise. I find moving a lot keeps you on your feet you never get too used to things to stop appreciating them.

Fashion film has really taken off in a big way over the last few years – what’s the appeal for designers and filmmakers?

For filmmakers i think the attraction is the creative freedom. Designers – as fellow creatives – respect the creative process. This isn’t always the case when shooting promos and dealing with record company executives for instance. When shooting a music video there is far more to consider in terms of marketing etc.. Loads of people have to have input on the outcome. With fashion film the main goal is to create a mood that represents the designer and their collection and in the end it’s solely down to a good dialogue between the designer and the director that determines what this should look like. It’s mainly about beauty and often showing the clothes in all their detail is secondary.
For designers I suppose it’s a way to reach far more people than you would be able to reach with a show. There are a lot of fashion blogs out there that feature these films. I guess it’s also a cost factor. Shows can be quite expensive.

Working in collaboration with other creative people – designers, musicians etc – must be really energising…
It’s amazing. It’s great to bounce ideas off each other and inspire each other. Together with other people you sometimes come up with things you would never do on your own. They nudge you out of your comfort zone.

How would you characterise your creative process?
It depends on my mood. Most of the times it’s quite spontaneous. I get an outline for an idea straight off the bat and then do research to refine that idea. Sometimes it’s a bit more complex then i let things grow on me and revisit them and change things put them aside again and slowly build them. The spontaneous method works best for me though. I other wise tend to overthinking/overworking things occasionally.

Which of your films are you most proud of and why?
I love my latest fashion film ‘Sunshowers’ it was made for Diane Pernet’s A Shaded View On Fashion Film festival & vogue.it’s ‘One Minute Light Series’ and is a response to a simple brief given by Diane Pernet- ‘think light, what ever that means to you’. The film is low budget but I love it. Not only for how it turned out but the process of making it has been the most fun i’ve ever had. I guess that is because it was totally in my control from start to finish, no compromise. It was also the first project I did at Stamp Films and I got to work with some amazingly talented and inspiring people, like Fred Butler, Kim Howells, Steve Annis and Ben Esser amongst others. They each put their heart and soul into it. For me it’s magical.

What inspires you?
Sunlight, cinema, music, fashion, literature, art, food and friends

For more info, check out Elisha’s website http://www.smith-leverock.co.uk/