Posted by Bossip Staff
As promised, Bossip will be giving a little shine to new or up and coming performers, athletes and actors. Allow us to introduce you to Taj Stansberry, one of the hottest music video directors in the game right now. He’s directed videos for Ne-yo, Rihanna, LL Cool J and more…
How did you make the decision to become a music video director?
Taj: I was a recording engineer at night, and by day I sold car insurance at a rental car place. We had a TV there and I used to always sit there and watch music videos and I thought that I could do music videos as well. My mom moved away and she gave everyone gifts. So, she gave me like $1,500. I took that money and invested it into my own music video. I contacted this group and asked them if I could shoot their video. I was like, I know that you don’t know me but you don’t have anything to lose. I’ll spend my own money on it and if it comes out good then you can put it up, and if not you don’t have to put it out. We shot the video and it got 1 million views on youtube. Someone saw that video and called me and said, ‘Hey we want you to do our video.’Taj’s Big Break…
Taj: I started using my own money, well, really losing money, to work on sets as a production assistant. I was getting water, ice, coffee, whatever I could do., so that I could be close and watch the director as much as I could. I was working under Anthony Mandler, who is like a huge music video director, like one of the best. As I was bringing him water, I would just watch what he was doing, I would never turn my back on the camera. So, I started passing my work around to different agencies and the main agency I applied to was an agency called Boxfresh pictures, where Anthony was signed to, and that was my number one choice. But, no one responded for like four or five months. I started to give up and say this isn’t going to work out. I enrolled in school and September 2nd, 2006 was the first day of school. I had my bookbag on and I was ready to go to class. I got a call that morning around 6am and it was Boxfresh pictures. They were like we’ve been looking around and scouting directors, and we want to sign you. So, I flew to New York from L.A. and that’s really where I got my start.
Needless to say, he threw the bookbag in the garbage and the rest is history…
Some of the kid’s work
Ne-Yo “Year of The Gentleman” Promo
Rihanna “Don’t Stop The Music” Music Video
LL Cool J “Rockin With The Goat”
Nas “Hero”
Yung Berg “Do That There”
More On Bossip!
Road Rage! Celebrities That Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Drive
Turning In That V-Card: When Did Your Favorite Celebrities Lose Their Virginities?
Dirty Dog Diaries: A Gallery Of Men That Left That A$$ For A White Girlllllll
Rumor Control: Did Trey Songz Smack One Of The Kardashians?!
