Taillight is a multi award-winning production company known for its high-profile broadcast programming, events, concerts and music videos credits, as well as its world-class roster of talent. This year the Nashville company’s work was once again recognized by the Country Music Association (CMA) with a trio of nods for ‘Video of the Year’ for director Shane Drake‘s music videos for Tim McGraw’s ‘Highway Don’t Care,’ featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban and Little Big Town’s song, ‘Tornado,’ as well as for acclaimed director Peter Zavadil‘s music video ‘Downtown,’ for Lady Antebellum.nnTaillight signed sought-after music video director, Shane Drake, who was previously known for his multi Video Music Award (VMA) nominations and wins for his work with mainstream artists, such as Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. Taillight partner and executive producer, Chandra LaPlume-Pereira, recognized that Drake had the kind of fresh aesthetic and passion for storytelling that would seamlessly crossover into country music – and the accolades the director has been receiving for his growing roster of music videos for some of country music’s biggest stars has proven her right.nnDrake credits his success in the country genre to Taillight and Pereira’s stellar reputation and long-standing relationships with the industry’s top talent and labels. Since joining its roster in 2009, he has not only broadened his scope of work, but also come to value and enjoy country’s relationship-based approach to the music business. Case in point, his collaboration with Tim McGraw on ‘Highway Don’t Care’ revealed their creative synchronicity and led to an ongoing working relationship and friendship. (Soon after the video wrapped McGraw called upon Drake again to direct his next video, ‘Southern Girl.’)nn
nn”Working with Tim McGraw on ‘Highway Don’t Care’ was an iconic experience,” says Drake. “Since college, his gift for storytelling through music has been an inspiration to me – and his clear vision of the video showed how adaptable his talents are to any medium.”nnMcGraw’s concept was inspired by a video that he took through the windshield of his car while his daughter – who still had her learner’s permit at the time – was behind the wheel. It captured exactly the kind of organic tone and timeless feel he was looking for.nn”Tim emailed me the clip from his phone, said he wanted the storyline to revolve around a car crash and have the kind of real, impactful imagery as the video he sent me – and that was the brief,” says Drake. “I could immediately see the parallels between the feelings evoked by the shock of being in a collision and the impact of a relationship crashing down around a couple – and got to work writing a treatment.”nnTameron Hedge, who helmed the production for Taillight, and seamlessly managed the logistics, working around Swift and Urban’s tight schedules, notes, “We split the shoot into three days, with three very busy artists and a lot of story to tell this was our best scenario. We covered McGraw’s performance and b-roll footage of the actress during the first day, and then on day two we shot the remaining storyline and Swift on a set we created in an unfinished retail space. Keith was shot in LA a week later, as he was in the midst of taping ‘American Idol.’ It was hectic, but somehow all came together without a hitch.”nnDP, Maz Makhani, shot all of McGraw and Swift’s performances, as well
