Louise de Nexon

Unaffiliated

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
I’ve been directing for musician friends for the past few years but with incredible freedom and no “client to director” relationship.

I’d say the first professionally directed work was Nothing Lasts Forever in February 2023.

How did you get into directing?
I come from a family of artists, so I’m not sure I ever thought I’d pursue any other field. If anything, my desire to become a filmmaker really resulted from a lack of imagination. But in all seriousness, I first wanted to be a writer, then thought about pursuing photography. It’s only around the age of thirteen that I started thinking about becoming a filmmaker as the medium seemed to combine both storytelling and images. Prior to that age, I wasn’t clear on the role of the director, hence couldn’t really dream of becoming one.

Beyond the urge to make (as in create) something, I think I really grew up with a desire to attach meaning to things and reach a certain understanding of human behavior. “Why did one person do this and another say that?”. Filmmaking somehow requires to take a stand on the why and convey it through intentionally crafted images. It’s a fascinating exercise that also has the advantage of making me like people slightly more.

What is your most recent project?
I’ve just directed a music video for an old friend of mine. We had very little resources and I’m really proud of the concept we landed on. This one felt very close to home and so liberating creatively.

What is the best part of being a director?
My favorite part of the job is the level of precision it demands and enables.

I feel like a projects is ever as good as you make it, and there isn’t really a ceiling to the amount of intentionality one can put in. On the best projects, you really get to spend time developing every single detail, and that’s really exciting to me.

I also really love the collaborative parts of the job. I have really close relationships with the creatives I work with, and those collaborations have made me grow so much as a director.

What is the worst part of being a director?
I think the worst part is having to prove over and over again you’re fit for the job. It sometimes feel like you have to have done the exact job already in order to win it. I think finding the right opportunities to scale up has been the most difficult part of the journey for me.

What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, television, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?
Like most of my peers, I feel like I’m pursuing a dual path. I’m trying really hard to break in as a commercial director (with a focus in fashion ideally) but I also am developing fiction on the side. I try really hard not to lose track of the big picture and keep on working the narrative muscles.

Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons) and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates with you?
I think I’ve been craving a mentor for my whole career.

Instead, I have a collection of really close collaborators that I grow with and who teach me on a daily basis. It’s definitely been a different way of learning but I’m grateful for every single one of those friendships and collaborations.

Who is your favorite director and why?
That’s an extremely difficult question.

I grew up watching a lot of Jane Campion. I think her stories are very human centric which deeply speaks to me but she also is a master of craft. She has a deep understanding of how places influence stories and behaviors. I find her fearless way of approaching stories deeply inspiring.

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?

• Movies: The Piano, Time of the Gypsies, The Godfather, Orlando
• TV: True Detective (season 1), The Bureau

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I grew up in Paris until I was 13 years old then moved to New York. I think 13 onward was when I really started shaping myself as an individual so NY definitely played a big part in inspiring me as a creative. Yet, it still feels very foreign in some ways.

Mostly, I think being split between 2 countries at such a young age resulted in me always feeling like I was from somewhere else, no matter the place I found myself in. A Parisian in NY, a New Yorker in Paris. I learned to really appreciate it . I feel free to constantly exist as an observer and nourish a sense of wonder in the way I look at things. My work ultimately is shaped by my curiosity – in places, people and feelings.

Before I fully transitioned to directing, I used to produce. I think I bring a lot of what I’ve learned in production in my directing.

Have you had occasion to bring your storytelling/directorial talent to bear in the Metaverse, tapping into the potential of AR, VR, AI, NFTs and/or experiential fare? If so, tell us about that work and what lessons you have taken away from the experience?
I have not. This is not something I’m particularly seeking outside of what it brings to the table as a tool.

Contact

Contact Louise via email here.