A Conversation with: Connor Pritchard

Based in Auckland, award-winning director Connor Pritchard has an incredibly impressive portfolio and has become an integral part of today’s NZ music scene by consistently creating world-class content. He’s taken pics for massive international artists like Aminé, 6LACK and Slowthai and has shot/directed music videos for Six60, Netsky, Raiza Biza, SWIDT, Church & AP, Melodownz, JessB, MAALA, SACHI, Mitch James ... the list goes on!

He’s not only won Visionary Director, Best Editing & Best Music Video at New Zealand’s Vision Feast Film Festival 2021, he was also a finalist for the Creative Film Awards - Los Angeles 2021! He chats to us about his journey of becoming a videographer, music video making process, biggest lessons, career highlights & best advice for artists/videographers starting out.

We’d love to know your story about how you got started in photography and making/directing videos?

So I’m from Napier originally, and I guess coming from a small town, there’s not a whole lot to really do apart from going to parties and all that because it was every weekend (laughs). What I kind of thought was to find something that myself and my mates could go out and do - something different. 

It all started when, I would’ve been like 14 or 15 years old, and we’d just go explore old abandoned buildings and wander around with balaclavas on. The old Napier hospital was still up at that time so we’d go in there and it was just good fun. I’d just make edits from that and post stuff online (laughs). I hadn’t thought of what a music video was then - it was real raw.

I started emailing people like Tyler, the Creator, A$AP Rocky, like everyone (laughs) - all my favourite rappers. I was just like fuck it, I’ve got no work under my belt but let’s just do it (laughs). My vision was, it’s an email so if they don’t reply then they don’t reply, but if they did, you’ve cracked it.

The school I went to didn’t offer any photography or film classes - it was all just about sports or maths or whatever. When I was at school, I reached out to KVKA on an email or Instagram message and he called me while I was in class and I just hopped out and ran out of class, I didn’t care (laughs), and he was like “yo, can you come up to Hamilton and do a photoshoot with me?” and I was like “yeah for sure!”. But I had no car, I was like 15 or 16 (laughs). Thankfully my dad drove me up, I took photos with him, and then I met Blaze the Emperor through him and filmed the “Pacific Coast” music video.

That’s when I met Raiza Biza - I didn’t know who he was, then I realised he’s quite a big deal. I did a video for him and then I thought “this is actually quite fun, it’s mixing my passion for music as well as my passion for film”. And then from there, I started gaining his trust with the whole visual side of things, and went on tour with him a few times around Europe and China and stuff. To be honest, I can’t even remember it - I was just overwhelmed the whole trip. I was 17 or 18 years old and yeah, it was crazy.

I started emailing SWIDT while I was living in Napier, and they asked if I wanted to come up and do a video for them. So I went up and shot a music video for them, and that was real crazy as well. Pretty much kept going back and forward from Auckland to Napier every second weekend just to do videos for SWIDT and Melodownz. I guess once you meet one person in any realm, it’s just connected and connected and connected. And shit, I had no work, no portfolio, no nothing, so I’m always forever grateful for Raiza, Blaze and SWIDT for giving me their trust. Then I made the move up to Auckland coming on 4 years ago now when I was 18 and yeah, that’s pretty much how it all began.

That’s a crazy journey you’ve had! So what was your regular process to making a music video then compared to what it’s like now, from when an artist approaches you to sending them the final cut? 

So back in the day it was just me shooting and directing and I didn’t really know that there was a team behind it. I just didn’t think that there were so many different key roles involved in making a video. I was just like “what the hell, why would I get someone else to shoot the video”? Why would I get a lighting guy?” (laughs). Then I clicked and I realised it just saves you so much stress and so much time, and it’s more creative and fun which is great. 

Now, I always work with a DOP (director of photography), a lighting guy, and it can go from like 4 crew members to like 15 or 16 crew members depending on a job. From the start, either you reach out or they reach out to you. Sometimes the artist will propose an idea or concept, or other times they’re more keen for me to take the lead. It’s always nice for an artist to give you an initial idea because if they don’t and you write a treatment which is just not what they want, then there’s no point in me bothering to start. So I write a treatment which is basically a concept and a visual style with references and all of that jazz, and you send that to them. If they sign it off then we get into the pre-production round which is just sorting crew, dates, budget, locations, extra talent if we need, all of that stuff. 

Then shooting it - we usually try to do it in a day or two days, just because the budgets don’t always allow for like a week shoot or anything like that, which is fine because we like to work fast. Then there’s the editing which I do myself and yeah, maybe some revisions from the artist. Then it gets released into the world!

I would never say a job is ever easy - there’s always stuff that can go wrong. It’s a long process for what it is - a 3 minute video takes about 2 to 3 weeks, maybe more sometimes, so a lot goes into it just like anything else. 

Awesome! What do you say have been your most memorable moments on set?

The craziest moment would be getting asked to shoot 6lack at Listen In in 2019. I got a message from 6lack’s personal photographer, and he couldn’t make it to New Zealand. I’m not sure how he found me but he said “can you shoot 6lack’s set at Listen In?” and I was like “yeah I’ll cancel all my plans” of course (laughs). So pretty much met 6lack at his hotel and got to drive with 6lack to the show. In that car ride, I was just like “woah this is really crazy, he’s just right behind me” (laughs). Then went into the show - I’m Slowthai’s biggest fan as well and I knew he was going to be there, so I knew instantly that I had to go up to him and just meet him. I didn’t care if he wanted a photo or anything but I just wanted to meet him.

So yeah it was really crazy - shooting 6lack and after Slowthai’s set, got to go up to Slowthai and ask him for a photo. I was trying not to be hella fan-boyey but I was (laughs). It was all on film so I didn’t know if it was gonna work and all of that, so it was exciting and a moment that I’ll remember forever.

And also ScHoolboy Q was there, and at the end of ScHoolboy’s set, 6lack went up to him and said what’s up. So I went up to them, kind of interrupted their convo, and I was like “can I take a photo of you two?”. I accidentally pushed the camera button before taking a photo of them, and the fucking film roll wound up. And ScHoolboy came up to me, pushed me and swore at me and I was like “oh shit” (laughs). But I was destined to get the photo so I put in another roll and went back up to them and was like “sorry can I take it again?”. Then I got the photo so yeah. That was a cool moment for sure.

Wow that’s an insane story! You gotta do what you gotta do to get the shot (laughs).

And on the music video side, a special moment was working with Troy Kingi on the “All Your Ships are Sailed” because that was the first job ever with a producer and a bigger crew. There was an art director and all sorts, and my dad came up to take photos because he was a big fan of Troy and it was cool for him to be there on my biggest job which was awesome. That was a special moment.

Love that! What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far?

I guess don’t always expect everything to go as it’s planned. You kinda have to prepare for the worst thing possible to happen, even in the smallest ways as well. Like, for the CHAII “Might Just” video, it was meant to be a sunny day, blue sky and we got massive storms. And you know, the set’s already put up, cameras are all set up, artists are there, all the way out at Henderson Valley in West Auckland. You kind of just have to shoot (laughs).

There’s lots of things like that which is a lesson that I’ve learnt to just roll with it. If you don’t fully get it, then you have to be happy with whatever you’ve got. Money’s being spent, you’re already there, and it’s kinda of hard to turn everyone down. We’ve had car crashes in videos, lost footage - just so many things. So yeah, always expect for the worst but be happy with what’s happening still and get the job done is my biggest lesson (laughs).

Absolutely! What would you say has been the highlights of your career so far?

I guess the first one would be working with Six60 just because they’re Six60 at the end of the day (laughs). But it was also cool for the “Sundown” video to get full creative control. Also it was a bigger crew, 3 day shoot, lots of talent, working with kids for one of the first times which was tricky (laughs). Getting them to look happy and excited was a challenge because it looked like they didn’t want to be there (laughs). It was a big challenge, big job so that was definitely one of my favourites and it won a couple of awards which was cool (Visionary Director, Best Editing & Best Music Video at New Zealand’s Vision Feast Film Festival 2021).

Another one was hosting the event I did with Checks Downtown with Melodownz. It was just cool to have a photo of mine on a t-shirt and getting Melo to tag on the tee and getting SWIDT and Raiza and Melo, the three people who started out with me, to perform at the event. That was a pretty special moment for me just to see how far I’ve come and all the people that came and showed support. I don’t usually look back on what I’ve done but that was like a “woah, maybe I’ve done something for the community” moment I guess (laughs). 

That’s definitely a full circle moment! So the latest news is that you’ve been brought on as a commercial director for Wabi Sabi Media Group! How excited are you for this role and to delve deeper into the commercial world?

Yeah I’m excited! The tricky thing is it’s kinda like starting from scratch in a way because I have no commercial work to show for myself. Like some things, but not like TV commercial spec you know. So yeah, I’m looking forward to it to try and bring my musical creativity to the TVC world. We’ll see how it goes (laughs).

Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you especially love or connect with?

Yeah there’s heaps (laughs). I’ve got a kiwi playlist that I’ve made but other than that, the new Panthers album is fucking sweet, really really cool. I love that and I jam deadforest all the time. Those are like my top 2 at the moment. And Muroki’s “Wavy” is always a vibe.

Yes some great picks, and absolutely love your playlist! What advice do you have for new artists out there who are looking to make their first music videos, as well as videographers who are just starting out?

For the musicians, if you’ve just started and you want to put something visual with your music, I don’t see anything wrong with shooting on an iPhone, shooting on a phone. The worst thing if the quality is bad, just chuck some filters on it, make it look old school, you know (laughs). There’s so much you can do with it - maybe chuck some titles on it. Or, look out for up-and-coming videographers who are keen to start out. If you don’t have any budget and they’ve got nothing on their portfolio, then I’m sure like I was, they’d be more than happy to do it for free and just get that experience. Do it yourself or DIY it with another creative because I’m sure you’ll get more out of it.

And then for the videographers, if you want to get into the music video realm or any sort of industry, there’s no harm in reaching out to someone at all. Obviously how I started, I was just emailing everyone - some replied and that was enough. So if you’re passionate about it and you’ve got the work or don’t have the work, go out and shoot some stuff. Even if it’s just with your mate, just shoot something.

Yeah I guess it’s just almost just the fear of getting started and then after that it’s learning and growing from there. So our last question we ask everyone - if you could say one thing to every person in the world what would it be?

If you have any sort of passion or dream in life, don’t wait to go chase it. Just try and just go do it. Just do it, the Nike slogan wow (laughs), so original. Yeah just do it aye (laughs). Just ask - if you don’t get a reply in the first round, just keep going.

Thank you so much Connor - such an inspirational chat! Make sure you keep up with him on Instagram, Facebook and his website.