As someone who has shot for both DANIELS and BREWER, cinematographer Pat Scola knows what it’s like working with director duos. In his career as a DP, he's knocked some items off of our imaginary DP bucket list, such as working on two different videos for the same artist but with different directors, and shooting a one-shot music video. We talked to Pat about these experiences, how he defines the success of a video, and the fact that apparently the music video making season is over for 2012.

Doug: You’ve done two videos for Alt-J, but they were actually directed by different people. Is there a significant connection between those two videos because they’re for the same artist, or because the directors are different is there not such a significant connection?

Pat: The directors being different really separates the two videos into different worlds for sure. I would say if there had to be a connection, it’d that both of those videos aren't your typical performance videos, but maybe not your typical narrative videos either? I’m not sure. What was nice about doing both of these videos was the amount of prep time I was able to put in with the directors. It wasn't the kind of thing where we'd show up and think, "this will be neat, let's just shoot it.” Both of them were approached with a certain level of planning that I really think had a huge impact on the final outcomes.

Doug: Do you ever get a chance to see the brief from the artist or anything like that? Or are you getting all of your information about the video from the director once your hired?

Pat: It depends on my relationship with the director. Some directors that I work with, will get a brief and we’ll bounce some ideas and looks around before the treatment gets handed in. With other directors, they won't even contact me until the video is booked and they're hiring me. It really just depends on if I'm friendly with them and if we have the type of relationship where they're down for collaborating at such an early stage in the game.

Doug: You mentioned working with the duo BREWER, and you've also worked with DAINELS. From a DP perspective, how does working with a duo work? Do you usually work directly with one or the other, do you deal with them collectively? How have you found that it works?

Pat: The main difference is pleasing two people instead of one (laughs). Totally depends on their personalities. The way DANIELS work together is totally different than the way BREWER works together. They have very different relationships and division of responsibilities on set. I haven’t worked with DANIELS for a while, but I’ve been working with BREWER pretty consistently lately, either way, I definitely enjoy working with teams. I find that their ideas are so flushed out before I even get involved. I’m assuming it’s because they always have each other to throw ideas around with and find the best way to approach a project. I like to deal with them collectively for sure and keep the lines of communication super clear between all of us. Lately I’ve found doing that really lets some of the best ideas between the three of us surface.

Doug: The other Alt-J video that you shot, "Breezeblocks," recently won the UK Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video. Have you benefitted at all professionally based on that win?

Pat: It's still a relatively fresh award and the season for making videos is pretty dead for the year at this point. It's hard to say from the award specifically, but it was released last March, so the video itself has had some time to soak. I've definitely seen some people take a larger interest in my work as a result, but I don't think I've seen my world change. That being said, it's a video that I'm super proud of, I loved doing it. I think what I love most about it is how little it cost. It’s always super rewarding when you can take a little bit of money, a lot of favors and some good people, and make something pretty neat. If I had to benefit “professionally,” I’d say that developing a stronger creative relationship with Ellis was the best part of that video. We had met each other not more than a month before that and have gone on to do two more videos that I’m pretty psyched on.

Doug: Where do awards like that fit into how you judge the success of a video? Are awards a big deal?

Pat: Don't get me wrong, it's exciting. By all means, it's super cool to have somebody say, "you video was this, or your video was that. We thought it was the best alternative video of the year." There are so many great videos out there that won't even get a nod, so I think an award is a bad way to justify the success of a video. Don't get me wrong; videos get awards that they deserve, but I think I have to gauge the success of a video on the story we set out to tell, and if we told it the best way possible. Did we make something that’s worthwhile and fun for someone to watch? Honestly what matters more to me are the opinions and feedback that I hear around the music video community. Hearing from people whose opinions I respect and have made things I love, really feels like the best way to determine if we did a good job or not. Shit, Videostatic posts still get me psyched haha.

Doug: Another video directed by Ellis Bahl, “Red Hands” by Walk Off The Earth, is a one shot video. Does that make your job as a DP easier because it’s only one shot? Or more difficult because you have to get it all in that one shot?

Pat: When I hear one shot I think about the technical restrictions involved in that. I probably think more about the things I can’t do than the things I can. You need to design a space that’s going to look and feel a certain way. Then you need to tell a story/scene in that space with an entire take, however long it may be. That's the fun part, developing an idea or plan when someone throws that challenge in your face. I feel that you can tell a great story in a one shot, but other times I think it can actually be detrimental to the story telling. In “Red Hands”for example, the entire idea was conceived as a one shot because that sells us traveling through time/space with all these things happening. Where as sometimes a director will come to you with a one shot, and it might not be the best way to tell that particular story.

Unedited version of the Walk Off The Earth video that Pat shot.

Doug: I’ve noticed that you’ve directed some commercials, is the role of the director in the commercial world closer to a DP and that’s why you’ve found yourself working on those projects, or do you plan to get into directing music videos?

Pat: I would love to. Honestly, those commercials were just a crime of opportunity. Some things came up that allowed me to do it, and so why not? I think directing has helped me communicate better with everyone on a production staff and most importantly other directors. It’s given me a well-rounded perspective, and I think helped realizing the each project is a whole and not just a series of great shots.

Doug: Are you looking to follow that path into directing, or are you satisfied as your position as a DP?

Pat: It's a hard question to ask right now, I'm still on the young side. It's definitely something that I would love to do, but it's also not they kind of thing I'm going to stress myself out over or get hung-up on if I don't do it. If someway, somehow the opportunity affords me, I would totally do it in a heartbeat, but I love shooting. It's where my heart is at for sure. I love music videos so much because they’re such a visual medium. Being able to take on several completely different looks a month and work on developing new styles and tones is something I’ve been loving right now.

Doug Klinger is the co-founder/content director of IMVDb and watches more music videos than anyone on earth. You can find him on twitter at @doug_klinger.