Julian Scalia

When an immensely popular song featuring famous artists introduces a Music Video, it is not always clear as to what type of visual will be created. Certain videos can enhance the song and become just as popular and some visuals end up becoming a staple in pop-culture. For “Life Is Good”, not only did the Director, Director X, create a timeless video for 2 of the biggest recording artists (Future and Drake) but numerous iconic visuals were conceptualized through the Production Design.

In an exclusive interview with Interiors, we spoke with Julian Scalia, who is the Production Designer for "Life Is Good" by Future featuring Drake.

INT: First off, we were curious how the opportunity to do the Music Video, “Life Is Good”, came about? What was it about it that made you want to work on it?

JS: “Life Is Good” was a unique opportunity. I first heard about the project from a friend whom I had worked with while designing the stages for the Red Bull Music Festival ATL 2019. He told me that Director X was coming to town and was looking for a Production Designer for his new music video. At that time I had no idea what the concept was or what artists were involved. All I knew was that I had seen a few Director X music videos and that he liked high concept ideas and big designs. I knew I couldn’t pass the job up, so I threw my name in the hat. A couple days later I was reading his treatment and realized I had signed onto a very different type of music video, one where we would be creating sets that existed heavily in the real world and not the magic glitz of your standard MTV video. Although by the end of the shoot we did get to throw a LED light up dance floor into the stage set…that was pretty MTV.

INT: You’ve worked on various Movies and Television Shows and had many incredible roles as an Art Director and in the Art Department. What was the process like doing the Production Design for a Music Video? What was the most challenging aspect?

JS: “Life Is Good” was the first music video I’ve ever worked on, and it was a dream to Production Design. I come from a TV/Film background where we work with very large art departments full of set designers, model makers, concept artists and multiple art directors. I can tell you that Music Videos are a completely different beast. The first thing you’ve got to come to terms with is the budget, usually there is not enough money to do a full set build for multiple locations. It helps to get crafty and creative, talking over ideas with the team, dialing in on the shots and angles to make the money go a long way. I think we came to a beautiful compromise of built scenery and dressed locations for Life is Good. We operated our art department much like you would on a big superhero movie but with only a handful of people. I created a design deck for Director X to look over that included set dressing, reference images, floorplans, and a few quick concept illustrations. I had to create the design deck quickly as we went from concept to the final martini shot in only 1 week. I believe the timeline was the biggest challenge, time and money are always against you in film. Music Videos are fast and dirty, often involving night shoots. As a production designer, it’s a completely different game from a film as you are on set with the crew all night while also prepping sets to shoot later that evening and the next day which makes for long hours.

INT: A Music Video can be iconic because of the popularity of the artist and the song. In the case of “Life Is Good”, it features Drake and Future, who are immensely popular. How did you and your team create the visual aesthetic for these 2 artists? Did you try to create something that would work with their individual styles?

JS: The dynamic is a lot like designing stages for live music acts.  The artists have very distinct styles/brand images that they inherently want to preserve.  A lot of that is hashed out early in the concept between the director, the artists and their management.  By the time I am designing the sets, the art department has a lot more freedom to explore creatively so long as we fit the scenery to the director’s treatment and vision.  When dressing the sets, my team and I think a lot about the artists’ individual styles in order to make informed decisions.  Something that I carried with me from my narrative filmmaking experience is that final top layer of set dressing really matters - it’s what brings a flat set to life.  We wanted people to notice the humor in specific items on set. For example, the flour scale in the kitchen or the drive thru window note at Hotlanta’s; little additions can go a long way in creating a vibe.  When it comes to graphics and hero props, we want to make sure the artist and director are comfortable with the aesthetic before placing anything on set, so we send concepts out for approval.  The graphics for “Life Is Good” were actually designed by our talented producer from Toronto, Harv Glazer.  He really knew the story we were trying to tell and knocked the logo design out of the park.

INT: How did the concept develop with the artists and their teams? The Music Video features different sets and locations. Are there any that stand out to you with how they are shown in the Video? 

JS: We had a great crew on “Life Is Good” and the sets were constantly evolving as people brought great ideas to the table.  We were always looking for ways to enhance the story, add depth and Easter eggs to the sets.  We wanted this world to be humorous but grounded in reality.  What many people may not realize is that the majority of the video shoot was shot at Areu Brothers Studios in Atlanta, GA.  The Peach phone store was built into the existing studio lobby.  We didn’t go to any locations outside of the Fluid Exchange auto shop and Hotlanta’s fast food joint.  Of course, we had to rebrand and decorate them to fit the music video’s world, so it was still a good amount of work.  The Server Room was a lot of fun to build, and I was really amped on the way the Kitchen set turned out.  But overall, I think Hotlanta’s will stand the test of time.  It may only be a fried chicken fast food joint, but it really encapsulated the entire video.  Hotlanta’s is now infamous after the video topped the charts on YouTube for three days.  We even redesigned the Hotlanta’s set and expanded it into an entire popup hosted by Future and his management in Atlanta.  That was a great experience, and I have really enjoyed all the fan art that’s been created and shared on the internet.  Fans are really talented, and I love how they riff on the designs and scenes from “Life Is Good”.  That was the most rewarding experience from working on a music video, the culture content “Life Is Good” generated is immense and you can see the positive results hit quick.   

Julian Scalia is an Art Director and Production Designer and has worked on various Television Shows, Films and Music Videos. You can visit his Website and see his Instagram to see more of his work. The images in this piece are property of Julian Scalia.