As a kid, I spent countless hours watching music videos on MTV and MuchMusic. As a result, I wanted to be a rockstar or a filmmaker.
While I chose the latter, I started taking guitar lessons at 9. My passion for music has only grown, and I still attend tons of concerts.
In college, my dreams were briefly shattered when my bid to direct the Niteskool music video was rejected (here’s the video they made instead). While I’ve shot and produced many videos since that disappointment in 2004, I hadn’t found a project that inspired me enough to step in as director—until now.
I can’t thank Sam Katz enough for this unique opportunity to collaborate with the extremely talented Harry Mack. Making Harry’s first music video for his first written song was such an honor. He’s known for his jaw-dropping freestyle marathons, and a lot of care went into selecting his debut single. Thankfully, we all agreed that “Napoleon Hill” was the track.
This summer, Sam asked his father, Jordan Katz, for director recommendations. Back in January 2013, Jordan called me to shoot his no-budget short film, They Dissect Frogs, Don’t They? He had found me through what he described as a “lengthy & exhaustive” Google search for cinematographers, though we didn’t end up filming for another year. Frogs went on to play a few festivals, but we didn’t stay in close touch afterward.
Considering I had never directed a music video—and don’t widely publicize my interest in directing—Jordan’s recommendation and Sam’s invitation came as a surprise. After meeting Harry and hearing his unreleased music, I couldn’t wait to make this video.
After sharing several concepts for “Napoleon Hill” with Harry and Sam, Harry responded with an idea that incorporated elements of mine into the structure you see now: working in the studio, freestyling in Venice, meeting an A&R, and ultimately getting signed.
In the final video, I found a way to include what I dubbed the proletariat vs. bourgeoisie concept. Our VFX artist, Eric Silva, took it to another level by painting out the heads behind the coins and dollar signs. We were blown away by Option B.
I wouldn’t have accepted this challenge without the support of my amazing partner, Anna Rak. Early in the process, I questioned my ideas, but she encouraged me to push forward. She also appears in the video as the A&R executive.
Jeremy Rhodes did an incredible job editing. His first cut was remarkably close to the final version. I’ll never forget watching it for the first time—trying to hold back tears of pride.
The video above inspired Harry to incorporate the idea of a viral moment leading to success. While our piece isn’t non-fiction, grounding it in that reality added to the vérité feel I was after. Recreating the Venice freestyle on the boardwalk was a highlight—I just wish I had captured better audio for bonus content.
If you have time to go down a rabbit hole of mind-blowing freestyles, check out Harry’s YouTube channel. Hype Magazine also published a great profile worth reading.
Crew
Director / Cinematographer
Dustin Pearlman
Executive Producer
Sam Katz
Post
Jeremy Rhodes — Editor
Eric Silva — Visual Effects
Hair & Makeup
Kelley Farlow
Cast
Anna Rak
Lorne Hughes
Special Thanks
Davidson Vorhes, Lisa Santacroce, Helena Sardinha, James Kapner, Nolan Borgman, Sam Hirsh, Stan Taylor, Darrell Winfrey, Brianna McCafferty, Casey McCafferty, Andrew Baxter, and United Talent Agency.