Music Video Director Hannah Lux Davis Reveals the Method to Her Madness
Most people could never dream of becoming one of the most in-demand music video directors out there, but for 31-year-old Hannah Lux Davis, that dream is her daily reality. Over the past few years, she’s helmed some of the most incredible pieces of work that will live on in music history. Having worked with a variety of artists including rapper Lil Wayne, French DJ David Guetta, and former Disney starlet Sabrina Carpenter, Davis has defied the strict confines of musical genres.
"I truly get a lot of pleasure when the artist gives me their trust, she shares. When there’s a mutual respect, I can [really] do my thing." A common thread throughout her videography is color. Whether it be implementing shades of neon pink, blue, and turquoise in the clip for Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj’s "Side to Side" or dreaming up a 1970s tangerine pattern of hues for one of her latest projects, the visual for "High Horse" by Kacey Musgraves, Davis has never been shy when it comes to color. But as she explains, there’s a method to her madness.
"Shooting 'High Horse' with Hannah has been one of the most seamless, fun, and exciting creative experiences to date. I love that she's representing females as power players in the world of video direction."
—Kacey Musgraves
It’s always good to find three colors that you want to base the video around," she says. "I like creating a triad of color palettes that either isolate something, make something stand out, or portray a kind of era or mood—I want to be direct with it. Of course, no job is exempt from its share of challenges. Davis not only directs, but edits each piece as well, a process she notes can get incredibly lonely, but one she’s more than happy to do in order to execute her vision.
"I think a video is successful when you truly align with the authenticity of where the artist is at in their career because it feels true to them in that moment," Davis states. "Details like that are really important." I could keep going on, but I'll keep this ending short and sweet: Hannah Lux Davis loves what she does, and she’s fucking good at it, too.
