BUDJERAH
FENDER NEXT SESSIONS

CLIENT: FENDER
PROD CO: CHUCK MEDIA
DIRECTOR: STUART EDGEWORTH
DOP: NICHOLAS PRICE

Fender Next sessions featuring Australian singer-songwriter, Budjerah.
Filmed on location in Fingal Head and Brunswick Heads on the North Coast of NSW.

Project
The "Budjerah Fender Next Sessions" is a collaboration featuring Budjerah, who is known for his soulful voice and authentic sound. This project, part of the Fender Next initiative, focuses on showcasing Budjerah's unique musical talents in an intimate and raw performance setting.

The award-winning, Coodjinburra artist, Budjerah performs Ready For The Sky, Talk & Missing You with his cousin Jarulah joining him on guitar. The breakthrough artist discusses his upbringing in a musical household on Bundjalung Country, his love for playing guitar and singing and how he aims to share love through song.

Cinematography Approach:
The goal was to capture the essence of Budjerah's live performance by filming in and around his home town of Fingal Bay. We were lucky enough to meet Budjerah’s family and film with them jamming in his grandparents shed. We used some rehoused Russian lenses to film around the river and the beach with Budjerah, it was late afternoon and the light was moody and dramatic, creating a really introspective feeling.

In contrast to the natural lighting of Fingal Bay we used a theartical lighting style for the old Brunswick movie theatre where we filmed the live performance. We filmed three songs, each in one take and it was amazing to see Budjerah play and sing live, doing one perfect take after another.

Key techniques included using handheld cameras for a more organic feel, incorporating light flares and reflections to add depth, and intimate framing to keep the focus on Budjerah's emotive expressions and guitar play.