Jefferson Stein, a 2015 SHOOT New Directors Showcase alum, wrote and directed this Apple Music spec spot titled “Magic Will Find You.”

The concept was inspired when Stein got a first-hand look via his girlfriend, pop music artist Teddi Gold, at the songwriting process for rising music artists in L.A. The director was struck by how the ups and downs of the writing process for many singer-songwriters mirrored his own experiences in screenwriting, and filmmaking in general. We’ve all heard the stories of artists finding a song in a dream and waking up to record a masterpiece, but Stein witnessed the far less glamorous reality of Gold’s many songwriting sessions. Watching this difficult, but also beautiful and ultimately creatively rewarding work inspired Stein to write and direct what is essentially a short film demystifying the process of creating music, which he hopes might make the musician’s experience more relatable and universal. 

Conceptually, Stein wanted to link the magic of discovering your voice as a musician, with that serendipitous feeling we have when discovering a new artist we love (for the purposes of this spec commercial, discovering a new artist we love on Apple Music). Stein called up some of the same artists who inspired the concept and asked them to be in it. He shot over a weekend at various locations all over Los Angeles, with rising artists playing themselves (including Olivia Grace, VIAA, and Ismael Cano Jr. of Los 5), and singing their own work. It was shot by Cole Graham (Solange’s “When I Get Home”), edited by Emmy-nominated R. Brett Thomas, colored at The Mill by Gregory Reese (Apple’s “Sway”) and set to “Magic Will Find You,” a song by Jillian Edwards.

Credits

Client Apple Music (spec commercial) Production/Creative Jefferson Stein, writer/director; Carly Van Skaik, producer; Cole Graham, DP. Editorial R. Brett Thomas, editor. Sound Design Monkeyland Audio James Parnell, sound designer. Color The Mill LA Gregory Reese, color. Music “Magic Will Find You” written & recorded by Jillian Edwards (courtesy of Concord Music) Featured Artists Ismael Cano Jr., VIAA, Olivia Grace, Yianni Anastos-Prastacos, Justine von Winterfeldt Special Thanks Corey Howard

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