Bethany Vargas on Abracadabra set

SW: First of all, total hands up. Normally when I interview a director, I do deep dive research. But for this call, I didn’t  because I wanted to hear it straight from you, rather than versions of other conversations. I’ve seen your whole reel, and I’m obsessed with what I saw – especially the lipstick shot with the foot on the face [ Jesse Jo Stark, Lipstick] which I think is one of the most beautiful images I’ve ever seen in a music video . But let’s rewind from there.  What’s your background? How did you get into photography?

BV: Thanks for the sweet intro—it really means a lot! I grew up in a tiny town in Washington State with a population of about 6,000, and I was so bored there. That’s literally how it all started. Someone asked me to take their pictures back in the Myspace/Facebook days, and I was all in. I thought, “This is fun,” and it quickly turned into something I loved. I was in high school charging other kids for photo shoots—no joke! I ended up going to photo school in Seattle, then moved to LA. I actually stumbled into directing after working as a DP for a few years. It was so random, but everything just moved from there.

Lady Gaga, Abracadabra 

SW: So tell me about that.  I came into production doing music videos, like working with Charlie XCX and PC Music, and I’m an unashamed pop fan, having grown up with Britney Spears Vs. Christina Aguilera. So in that space in the 00’s there was this weird structural imbalance where all of the technical crew were men, and the stylists and the choreographers were gay guys or women. How did you get into cinematography when it’s always been a “man’s job”?

BV: Totally. Well, because I don’t have a traditional film background and I didn’t go to film school, because I’m a photographer, I’m framing up my own shots, I’m holding the camera. So I’m like, oh, I can do the same thing for video. I didn’t really think anything of it. So I was doing that and directing at the same time and I did that for a few years. But yeah, definitely I’d pull up to set and people would be like, “Are you the makeup artist? Are you the stylist?” I mean, it still happens haha.

SW: “No, no I’m not. That’s my name second on the call sheet. Just below the artist…”

BV: Yeah, it’s funny. But I did it for a handful of years. I realised that it was not for me because I just wanted to focus on the creative. Even though I’m still very technical in my process because of photography with lighting and having that background, I’m super particular with that on the motion side. I like to be super involved with the lighting and working with the gaffers and the DP. But yeah, very short-lived DP career.

SW: It’s really interesting because, in music videos, you typically have the director as this kind of “brand” the artist wants to work with, selling the style, concept and narrative. But there’s also that really important aesthetic element that we register on TikTok, YouTube and all the platforms – what does that specific shot or setup look like?  I’ve always found it weird that there is this disconnect between one person’s idea, but another person is making all of those minute details like lighting stops and speed of pan. So it’s really interesting to hear that you come from that space, where you connect the technicalities of photography not just to the overall takeaway, but to the second-by-second experience.

BV: Totally. Yeah, definitely. I think that’s a good shout. I’ve noticed other photographers who enter motion have a different approach to it, which has been cool to see, just like with my peers. Yeah, I think the worlds are different but they’re so connected at the same time. It’s been interesting to navigate, for sure. So again, I guess there’s been this organic gravitation towards things I don’t normally do.

SW: Since we’re talking about your collaboration with Lady Gaga and knowing how her audience is, unconventionally I dropped into the comments section of the Abracadabra YouTube video and asked, “Hey, I’m about to interview the director of the video. What questions would you like to ask her?”  Biggest mistake of my life – I was inundated for two days with about a thousand replies – I’m not joking. I promised the YouTube community I’d get back to them with answers, and five questions kept recurring in various forms. Knowing that Gaga’s Little Monsters are wanting to hear what you have to say about this collaboration let’s go for it!

The first questions is about the team.  Working with the styling team, especially when it’s Parris, and you know, it’s PARRIS –  how does the creative process work when you have someone that is obviously as clearly defined as Gaga paired with a styling team that’s on it’s A-game, building an insane lookbook? I’ve seen the sketches that are beautiful with the cross look and the cut through chiffon / lace décolletage. So how do you guys build this synchronised harmonic unit, each amplifying your shared creative vision?

BV: That’s a great question. Lady Gaga is the ultimate artist – so playful and daring with her looks and creative choices, which is so rare to find. On our first call, she started showing me printed images of her styling and makeup references, and I was blown away. So many of her references were some of my favorites too, and I immediately felt completely aligned. All my inner child’s dress-up dreams!

Working with her stylists, Perry and Nick, was also incredible. They already had tons of sketches and looks to ideate with right from the start, which was so exciting. Seeing the unique structures and shapes of these pieces come to life on camera felt like being in a playground. The fitting itself was such a special experience – racks of stunning designer pieces, accessories everywhere, and opera music playing in the background. It was magical.

SW: Could you talk a bit about your process with Parris? At its core, this is a choreography video, and I think that’s why the fans went mental for it. Gaga fans are OBSESSED with choreography. I don’t know if you’ve been following it on social or if you’ve chosen to distance yourself from it, but less than 24 hours after the drop, drag queens in Boys Town in LA were doing full, video-accurate choreo homages to your video. The moves were flawless. So how did that collaboration with Parris work? Did you map out shot construction and angles, or did she advise on when to punch in on certain physical moments? How did that process come together?

BV: Totally. Parris is amazing, so talented. Being there for rehearsals and watching the dancers’ energy as everything started coming to life was truly electric. She has such a vision for movement.

We got to work together workshopping special moments, figuring out how to adjust the choreography to fit certain lighting cues or parts of the set design. Everything kept evolving right up until we got to set, but it all came together in such an incredible way.

SW: So next up, and I think probably the most asked question from fans of your video (seriously, it got me to turn my comments off) – how did you get to collaborate with Gaga? Presumably it wasn’t a pitch process; she selects a director she wants to work with so it’s not a you-versus-two scenario like it normally is. Do you know how she became familiar with your work? Did you have that discussion? Was it a particular photographic shot or story of yours? What was it that drew her to you as a director?

BV: I believe a few supporters put my name forward and her creative team is lovely. I submitted a treatment and it stuck. Our first call was cool because she really takes the time to understand and learn about her collaborators. She’s super involved in the process, which makes it so collaborative – a rarity. Knowing she took the time to dive into everything was really cool.

SW: It’s almost like curation more than collaboration in a way. When she has that team in mind and she presses play, that’s what’s going to happen.

BV: Yes, totally. And she has such a vision. And just her dedication that she puts into every project, and with the dancers too, they rehearsed for so many days trying to get it right. So it’s pretty, pretty great.

SW: So next question, this was from a fan of the video from Brazil – and I was like, wow, this is super specific, they’ve obviously deep dived into this! Their question goes something like this: “Gaga has collaborated with some amazing directors from Jonas Akerlund to photographers like Mert and Marcus. How does it feel, as a photographer-turned-director,  knowing that Gaga selected you when she’s worked with creatives on THAT level!?

BV: That’s a big question! Honestly, I’m still processing the fact that it happened and the response it’s gotten – it’s been a dream. Seriously, this is a bucket list project for me. Getting to work alongside some of the greats is wild, especially being a small-town internet girl with a big imagination and a love for fantasy. I’ve always looked up to the work of these collaborators, and they were a huge part of inspiring me to become a photographer and director.

SW: I guess building on that, there was a moment where fashion had finally woken up to the the internet. Fashion had always fetishised the idea of the singular image, whether it’s a Jürgen Teller or a Steven Klein shot – but that fixation on the singularity of the image has been so constraining to fashion that it almost bred a fear of going into what was then called “motion”. I mean, it’s kind of hilarious and regressive that in fashion, motion was treated like some 1870s curiosity with Muybridge’s moving horses and zoetropes.   It’s been interesting watching fashion catch up, and even surpass, the conventions and modes of filmmaking in real time.  What’s your take on this?

BV: I like very simple, elegant photographic moments. And I think that’s how I like to approach my work, especially with the framing. I love symmetry, and I’m always keeping that in mind, which is a bit unconventional because I feel like a lot of people in film are always like movement, movement, and crazy stuff. And there are times for that. But for me, I like to let things breathe and make space for the composition. To me this is huge. I frame film the same way I approach photographs, just like moving photographs. That’s kind of how I look at it. Even when I’m looking at lighting I think of it as a photograph, not like a music video or a video in general. So that’s been an interesting approach of mine. There’s this really fun, beautiful thing of pop music happening now that we’re having this resurgence of this nostalgia that I grew up on, too. I grew up on her and watching her music videos. And that’s what made me want to do what I do today. So being able to be a part of that and having a younger generation watch that and hopefully also be inspired is crazy to be a part of.

SW: Which is organically a perfect segue so thank you! The next question, one that really sums up a lot of the fan reaction – is this sense of nostalgia. Like, it’s weird to think that Gaga’s fans are now old enough to look back on classics like Poker Face with genuine nostalgia. There’s been a lot of chat about the resurgence of Mother Monster, and while we don’t know yet, where she’s going creatively with the new album the fan response has been phenomenal. Mother Monster is back.

So here’s a very specific question  from the comments, one that touches on how your video fits into the overarching lore of Gaga. In the choreography scene, where Gaga moves towards the camera on the crutches, it feels like it’s a conscious decision to reference Jonas Akerlund’s Paparazzi video – where Gaga wears the Mugler look from 1991. Can you confirm or deny this connection?

BV: Haha.. I mean, that’s one of my favorite scenes in the video.

SW: But I guess aside from that, the bigger question: you grew up with her, so how much did your awareness of her iconography and visuals shape what you wanted to do with this project? I mean, it’s hard to imagine it didn’t play a part, right?

BV: Growing up with her work, I absorbed so much of her visuals. Her ability to create bold, unforgettable imagery has always set the bar. That said, I wanted to honour that unforgettable pop era while still honouring this era now. One of the first things she said was I want to make a pop video. This made me smile 🙂

SW: So, “Abracadabra” translates roughly to “I Will Create As I Speak.” For an artist like Gaga, who’s all about using her voice in the moment, that idea of spontaneous creation is incredibly compelling. Was this something you discussed with her, or did it naturally influence the way you treated on the video – this idea of creation and magic?

BV: I don’t want to kill the mystery, but the magic was definitely there. We talked about adding more magical elements – subtle, not cheesy – but some didn’t make it. However, the little touch we kept, with the magical puff of smoke as she arrives, sets the perfect tone and is another one of my favorites. The sun rises over the club, transforming it into an entirely new scene.

SW: I guess to build on that then, given the imagery and correct me if I’m wrong, but the concept in a way is so embedded in this notion of witchcraft and it’s difficult to get away from the idea that historically this idea of witchcraft has been tied to this idea of confusion or revulsion or fear of feminine power. That’s ultimately what the Salem Witch Trials were about in a way perhaps – a violent destructive response to proto-feminism. Is that something that was part of the work in a way?

BV: At its core, the storyline is a battle between dark and light and the challenges with in your own self. It’s also a celebration of community, brought to life through the power and unity of these incredible dancers.

SW: People will slog in music videos for years to get to the point of having an opportunity like the one you’ve just experienced. There’s this incredible quote from Tom Ford—my favorite entrepreneur, designer, fashion personality—from a documentary called Visionaries. He talks about the day he left Gucci, saying something like:

“I remember the day I left Gucci, my last day in April. I got home, went into bed, pulled all the drapes up, and woke up the next morning to a diary that was usually so full—Paris here, New York there, Milan, LA, appointment after appointment—and there was nothing. I didn’t know who I was, I didn’t know what I was supposed to be.”

That moment of coming down from something so life-defining really resonates. So for you as a director or creative, how do you navigate that ‘come down’ moment? After a breakthrough like this, how do you deal with the question: what’s next?

BV: Oh my God, wow, your questions are amazing. That is such a good question.

SW: It’s just that idea of this guy who’s resuscitated Gucci, rebuilt YSL for Kering, and then suddenly he’s in bed on his own thinking, “fuck, my phone’s not ringing”. It’s that raw, human moment of, aside from the glamour and the shininess, you’re still human. When the endorphins crash down and you’re like, fuck, what if that was the biggest thing I’m ever going to do and it’s over? How do you deal with that?

BV:  It’s funny you say that because I’ve been thinking about this a lot. As an artist, there’s always that constant question: What’s next? How can I outdo myself? Who else can I collaborate with?

Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to pause and appreciate how far I’ve come. We work so hard, and sometimes forget to stop and recognise when all that effort has led to a big moment. Recently, I’ve had several of those realisations – years of building my portfolio and collaborating have led to a dream project.

I’m in this moment of gratitude, but when it comes to what’s next, I feel like I’m just getting started.

SW: There’s that interview on the press tour for Wicked with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, that I think people didn’t understand bizarrely and I think the interviewer said something to the effect of audiences are holding space for Defying Gravity and I feel like this is a moment for you to hold space for this experience in a way.

BV: That’s exactly it. Like I went to the beach the other day because I was thinking, “I feel like I need to ground myself in nature to really just take a moment to reflect.” I think reflecting is a good way to process it. And then, now I can get back into the digital world. But what’s next to come, I don’t know. And I’m excited. And I feel like I’m just getting started. And there are so many things that I want to do that I haven’t got to do yet. So we’ll see.

SW: One more, and then I promise I’ll let you go. When this project confirmed, was there that one person where you’re like, you know what, I really want to phone them and tell them, because they, to me, were so instrumental to me getting here, and I want them to see that their belief has driven me to this point, so they can recognise the value of their investment in me. Was there that, and who was that person, if I can ask?

BV: Oh my God, who did I call after the project confirmed? I mean, a few people, but I think one of my childhood friends, Levi, who lives in Paris now – he’s known me and seen my growth through the years, and we were like the only artists in our small town. So we were, you know, always loving Gaga, always taking pictures of each other and over the years being like, let me test shoot on you. Let me do this. And now he does casting in Paris and he’s amazing. But I had to call him and I was like, you’re not gonna believe it. And he was freaking out, but yeah, he’s just known me the whole time. So I knew he would just understand, I think, the evolution and how lovely this opportunity was.

SW: I didn’t get to ask you about the lipstick shot, just know it’s my screensaver. I think it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It’s like the perfect way of expressing the expectations of the female beauty industry with submission. It’s fucking incredible.

BV: I literally love your brain and how you think of things. That’s the best articulation of what that shot’s kind of trying to get across.

SW: The sort of image of commercially imposed sexuality on the face of a woman with a lipstick. It’s just like, that’s what it means. It’s the subjugation of women under the foot of capitalism. With the promise of sexual appeal if you comply. Mwah. Love it. Mic drop. Boom. Bethany, thank you. I think you’re fucking incredible.

BV: Thanks so much.

A SELECTION FROM BETHANY VARGAS PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO :

INFO:

Bethany Vargas website

Love Song website