Josh Logue is bit of a busy bloke. What with being signed to The Feds in Oz and with his own graphics design, creative studio Mathematics as well as opening a new restaurant with friends, we finally pinned him down in Sydney for a quick chat

Your music videos are epic to what extent do you get involved in creating the narratives?
I always try to start with a loose idea. Sometimes that initial idea may come from the band and their influences involved in creating the music, however, mostly I try and conceive narratives that I would want to see myself. I’m more interested in creating surreal, loose stories that have multiple messages. Many music video directors fall into the trap of trying to execute a short film style narrative that ends in a cliché. I’d rather leave the viewer wanting more.

Mexico, Tangier, Shanghai… obviously when it’s a grey day downtown Sydney it’s time to hit somewhere exotic. What were the challenges of shooting in these locations?
To be honest it’s much easier to shoot in these locations, so any challenges seem minimal when compared to shooting on the streets of Sydney. Obvious challenges are foreign language barriers and cultural differences but that is fast overcome once production commences and the local crew observe how we work. Generally when we have shot overseas we’ve had a minimal crew, so that can be an added challenge but also exhilarating. A small crew is nimble and can move fast so in the course of a two-day shoot we can get an enormous amount of coverage.

http://vimeo.com/22409386

There are a lot of scenes, mini movies in themselves, was everything pre-prepped or did a lot of the shooting evolve on the run?
Everything is generally pre-planned, scripted and worked out in a solid treatment and shot list. That said, things can change quickly when you get to a location. If you have a solid idea of what you want to achieve then it’s easy to think on your feet and solve any problems that arise. Some ideas do evolve once you reach a location. Sometimes we are presented with amazing locations that we simply didn’t see in the recce and other times locations can end up being disappointing so being flexible to changing ideas can sometimes be crucial in these situations.

How long are the shoots for the videos generally?
With the overseas jobs we try and get as much out of the country we are shooting in as possible, so we tend to travel from one end to the other – generally shooting 2-3 days. It’s a great way to explore a new country.

What’s your favourite part of the whole process of making a music video?
I love the actual shooting aspect, being on a set with the crew and the talent/cast. When it all goes to plan it can be amazing. Then if you’re lucky, you get something extra and special that’s unplanned that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. That can be the best drug in the world.

And we mustn’t forget the commercials which certainly can’t be pigeon holed. Which one are you most proud of?
Commercially I really like World Movies and Mountain Dew was fun to shoot. Kan Tong was a lovely experience. The agency was great and the idea was simple and fun.

Did you go to film school or did you learn on the job?
I studied Graphic Design at University and I’ve spent the last 12 years running my own design company, Mathematics. We work across many disciplines from print to motion graphics and have been involved in some really interesting projects that we’ve won quite a few awards for over the years. Our latest project is the branding for Splendour in the Grass Music Festival and we’re also in the middle of redesigning the branding for the ARIA Awards too. Over the past few years I’ve moved towards live action and animation directing as it’s an exciting discipline that allows you to be creative in multiple ways. For example working with talent, building a narrative or working in 2D and 3D animation.

Now what?
I definitely want to make more commercials. When you get the right script and work with the right people they can be so much fun and it always shows in the end result. Although I haven’t made a music video in a few months I’m always keen to look at them.

And any other interesting titbits?
I’ve recently been working on the development of a new Latin/Mexican restaurant in Surry Hills called El Capo, which I’m opening with a few friends of mine. It’s been fun to art direct / design the look and vibe of the place, and be involved in the whole concept from scratch. It’s a new venture for me and I feel like we’ve built something really special and can’t wait to open this month.

See more work of Josh Logue’s at http://xy-1.com/joshlogue and http://2011.thefeds.com.au