If there was ever a lesson in the value of preparation here it is. Take a look at this stunning music video for Appleonia shot by new director Penny Vozniak and then the earlier experimental stages shown in the video below. We’re not quite sure who we admire the most – film maker or singer – or perhaps the collaborative power of both for persevering to create something magical.

Ok we have to own up. From the first frames we thought Appleonia’s It’s Not So Precious music video was going to be a benign, girly beauty spot and then we were captivated. How did you talk the singer into it?

The whole process was very symbiotic. Jessica Chapnik Kahn (Appleonia) and I have been friends for a while and she suggested that we make a clip together to cheer me up! I was feeling down on my craft and between documentary shoots. I jumped at the chance to try something I’d never done before. I love her musical style, it’s unique.

The single-take, one-shot music video or short film is a lovely risk-taker and I was already a fan of this style. You get happy accidents that could never be staged.

The concept hinged upon Jessy’s performance. But after a few tests I learned not to worry that the clip would drag or that we would need more happening in the frame. Her beauty is simply captivating; once she’s in the frame you can’t look away.

We experimented for weeks, some great ideas were born, while others were best forgotten!

You can see the evolution on You Tube:

Are those real darts you’re chucking at her and, no, not potting soil?

Yes, real darts! Jessy pulled apart a feather duster and made these beautiful darts to look like arrows. Every re-set took around nine hours (cleaning up flowers, glitter, soil, plus Jessy had to shower and dry her hair etc), so I was under great pressure to land these darts within the frame and not hit her beautiful face!

Potting soil, yes it is. I was lucky to work with an artist who was so willing to get messy.

And what sort of kit and rigging did you use?

We shot the clip on a Canon 7D because we needed to shoot at 50 frames, and because you get a great look without breaking the budget. We used a Zeiss prime lens.

The smoke and mirrors type of effects are what interest me as opposed to CGI and effects that are added in post. So playing with perspective, gravity, time, illusion etc, that’s what we wanted to explore.

It’s Not So Precious was a truly indie production. It was all shot in a tiny lounge room, which always blows my mind.

During the two weeks of production we had glitter in our hair, clothes and in our food.Twelve months after I can still see glitter on the driveway to their apartment.

Jessy’s husband (Nadav Kahn) was the entire crew and together we threw everything at Jessy in double time.

We’d drive around the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney at night, sneaking into people’s front gardens to pick flowers.

Because we only bought one box of apples, I had to hand-wash the glitter off each apple after every take.

I didn’t look at the frame for the entire clip…I kid you not. It was high up on a tripod accessible only by a stool. It was a ‘set and forget’. So when we’d sit and watch the result on the computer, it was like we were all seeing it for the first time together.

It’s easy to get stuck in ‘the waiting place’ as filmmakers, as Dr Seuss warns. I see the value now of using what you have at your disposal, putting your skills to the test and just forging ahead. No one was more surprised than we were that it turned out so well.

Film school or self taught?

Primarily I’m self-taught. I have done a few short courses to sharpen my technical skills over the years, but by far the majority of my knowledge has come through trial and error on my own projects. I find it more rewarding.

What’s your five-year plan?

This year I’ll make at least two more music videos for Appleonia, and complete a couple of the documentaries on my slate: Despite the Gods and Extra Ordinary: This is Not a Superhero Movie.

For me, the sanest approach to creative work is to pencil in plans but be 100 percent willing to jump tracks and adapt at any point along the way.

That being said, in five years I’d like to be making the music videos for Appleonia’s second album, and have a base, with room for a piano, somewhere in Northern Europe closer to the creative projects I have on that side of the world.

I can just hope for some happy accidents between now and then.