Displaying the narrative power and meticulous craft that goes into shaping a project, behind the scenes videos can take viewers on an experience with the artist.
A dynamic storytelling tool in itself, shooting candid and unscripted footage can define the true nature of an artist, offering fans an all-areas backstage pass into a personalized tour with their favorite star.
Award-winning filmmaker and founder of LA based production company Secret Film Service, British-Chinese producer Tom Edwards is an industry front-runner when it comes to generating character-defining content for some of music’s most influential names.
“There’s something about filming real life moments that captivates me,” says Edwards. “It’s storytelling at its purest form, transparent and honest.”
Over the years Edwards has collaborated with some of the world’s biggest names, including Grammy-award winning icon Cardi B, and multiple award-winning artists Demi Lovato, Rita Wilson, Becky G and French Montana.
Finding those character defining key moments which creates a pathway into the archetype of an artist, is just one of the many reasons why Edwards remains in such high demand as a leading-edge producer of behind the scenes videos.
“Behind the scenes work is all about getting the most genuine moments,” Edwards explains. “Moments that are true to the subject and to the production as a whole.”
Edwards’ savvy technique in using the artist’s voice to drive the narrative of the video is what landed him a collaboration with award-winning actress and producer Rita Wilson (“Sleepless in Seattle,” “It’s Complicated”) to film interviews and candid moments behind the making of her highly anticipated new album “Rita Wilson Now & Forever: Duets.”
Scheduled for release later this year, and co-produced by Wilson and Grammy-award winning producer Matt Rollings, the album is a collection of popular 70’s renditions sung by Wilson and a medley of acclaimed artists including Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Josh Groban, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Leslie Odom Jr., Smokey Robison, and Keith Urban.
Eager to share how the album came into fruition, Edwards was recruited by marketing music agency Black Box (“City and Colour,” “Janelle Monáe”) to interview both Wilson and Rollings, along with Browne and Odom Jr. at the world renowned recording studio “Village Studios.” The state-of-the-art complex is famous for landmarking sessions with music legends Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Taylor Swift.
Edwards says, “I love being part of projects that are led with passion, and to witness the synergy that was created in the studio… it’s not everyday you can say you were in the same booth with musical legends while they recorded their songs.”
Illustrating the high regard in which he is consistently held in, Edwards was invited to work with Loki Artist Group and famous tiktokers, Kayla Bundy, and Javi Luna (who’s videos have over 10 million views on Tik Tok), to take viewers behind the scenes at Loki Artist Group. Founded by Bob Murray, Zack Dekkaki and Ric Wake, Loki Artist Group is an agency geared towards the modern age, which provides a plethora of services from artist and tour management, as well as business support and financial guidance. Home to two recording studios, as well as a record label and publishing division, Edwards’ behind the scenes work to viewers inside the studios, giving the public insight into the process of shooting there through the eyes of Bundy and Luna.
The success of his work with Loki Artist Group and the tiktokers landed him a following collaboration with vocalist Jonathan Antoine, iconic songwriter Diane Warren and Grammy Award winning record producer Greg Field. Produced through Artist Share, Edwards gathered exclusive content and took audiences inside the recording process of the upcoming collaboration.
Edwards’ goal as a producer is to humanize the artist and show off their personality in the best way possible. Setting an intimate environment where the artist feels completely free to express their authentic self, allows Edwards to hone in his talent for finding intricate and true to life moments that very few filmmakers have the knack for noticing.
“It’s important for me to establish a healthy relationship early on so I can tap into their emotions and get the best performances,” Edwards says. “When the main subject is comfortable and open to answering your questions, that’s when you can really start crafting the narrative of the video.”
Continuing to offer fans a glimpse into the intimate process of an artist’s creation, over the years Edwards has conveyed emotional connections between artists and fans across a wide range of mediums, including feature films, documentaries, music videos and digital content.
Edwards helped create a track-by-track interview for four-time Teen Choice Award winner Demi Lovato for “Holy Fvck,” (2022) the eighth studio album by the American singer, along with shooting exclusive onset footage for YouTube sensation Pia Mia’s 2021 “Good Luck” music video, which featured English DJ James Hype and reached over 1.1 million Youtube views.
It was the management team behind two-time Grammy Award winner and internet celebrity Cardi B, who were so impressed with Edwards’ highlight reel of the rapper’s on-set antics for top-grossing mobile game Coin Master, that invited Edwards to film B’s extravagant star-studded Vegas birthday bash in 2020, which was shared via her 144 million Instagram followers.
“I felt like we really captured some special moments,” Edwards says of the birthday event. “We featured a lot of other celebrities in the video as well including Offset, Megan Thee Stallion, Kylier Jenner, and even Floyd Mayweather.”
Continuing to move forward with leaps and bounds, Edwards’ diverse and well-rounded understanding of filmmaking allows him to integrate emotion into every project he takes on, sparking a genuine connection between fans and artists from all around the world.
In great demand by both artists and producers, Edwards has already been tapped by Capital records to create footage for the celebration of Sir Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday. Edwards has also been commissioned by SONY Entertainment’s record label RCA Records to shoot footage for Pink’s song “Never Gonna Not Dance,” the lead single from her upcoming ninth studio album “Trustfall,” which also happened to be Pink’s directorial debut. The billion dollar record label is home to numerous global sensations and Grammy-award winning artists such as The Strokes, Usher, Santana, SZA, Shakira, Mark Ronson, Doja Cat, Justin Timberlake, Childish Gambino, Foo Fighters, Britney Spears and Alicia Keys, among many other high-profile artists.
With a distinguished all-star clientele list to his name, and a booming production company delivering groundbreaking video content time and time again, it’s no wonder that many big-name artists in search of striking behind the scenes promotional footage for their next top-tier project are lining up at Tom Edwards’ door.
Writer: Portia Leigh