May 26, 2020

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Morgan Gruer

NFFTY has grown into a wonderful community of over 2,700 filmmakers from around the world. Alumni have experienced success in many areas of the media industry. To celebrate these achievements, we are highlighting NFFTY alumni here!

Morgan Gruer (NFFTY ‘17, ‘18, ‘19) is a multidisciplinary director, creative director, and artist. Her work seamlessly fuses film, animation, illustration and design, and has been featured at film festivals across the United States, often taking home juried prizes and awards. Her illustrated work has been featured in publications internationally, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Refinery29, Billboard, Variety Magazine, The Creator's Project, and VICE.

As a music video director, she has worked with notable artists such as The Decemberists, Ed Sheeran, Louis the Child and more. Morgan’s newest film, Ghosted, premiered online last month with a Vimeo Staff Pick. You can check it out here.

OUR INTERVIEW WITH MORGAN:

As both a visual artist and a filmmaker, you often combine these elements in your work. How do you find balance between the two, and what does that process look like in pre-production? 

The designer in me has always believed that form follows function; therefore, different storylines are suitable to different execution methods. In pre-production, I’ll often cycle through numerous different styles and techniques through writing, brainstorming and sketching in order to figure out what the best style for the concept is.

I still have so much to learn, and by making a point to mix different media, it ensures that I’m constantly learning.  It’s a bonus when I can use a paying job as a vehicle to try something new – whether that’s a new camera rig, working with different actors, incorporating VFX, refining a post-production process, or different animation styles. Exploring new techniques and media keeps me alert and on my toes.

Where do you find inspiration for your creative projects, film and otherwise? 

Most of my projects stem from personal experience, however, client work inherently has to incorporate other perspectives as well. 

There is no magic solution for where to get inspiration – it’s always a mix of different things and it’s always changing. Mostly, though, I try to consciously put down my phone and get outside, as I’ve realized that staring at a screen will never fulfill that need. 

With so many different skills as a creator (animation, graphic design, film director), how do you decide what projects to take on? 

As an independent artist, It’s a luxury to be able to choose what projects you want to work on. Only recently have I felt comfortable turning down projects that I don’t align with, however, it all depends on personal circumstances. 

When I’ve spent too much time animating in front of a computer screen, I try to do more directing work, where I can get outside and work with people. At the moment, though, since we’re in quarantine, I’ve been doing more digital work, design, and animation.

Mainly, I try to take on projects that excite me, whether that’s through the message, client, execution method or paycheck. Not every project will end up portfolio-worthy, but there’s always something that can be learned from it. 

You have a lot of experience working in music videos. What do you love about that genre, or what excites you about that work? 

I’ve always loved music videos because they encompass so many of my personal interests – music, film, art and dance, to name a few. They can take so many shapes and forms, and it just works so many parts of your brain that it can never get boring! 

As a personal rule, I won’t take on a music video if I don’t like the song. Since you have to listen to the track so many times, the process will only be enjoyable if you actually enjoy the song.

Do you have any advice for young filmmakers hoping to break into the world of music video directing?  

This should go without saying, but if you want to direct music videos, you need to watch them. Go online and delve into the vast shapes they can take. Familiarize yourself with the directors and DPs who make work that excites you. There are performance videos, narrative videos, mixed media, animation, even iPhone videos… the possibilities are endless. You don’t need a big budget to make a good video, you just need a good idea.  

More importantly, though, is to not draw inspiration solely from other music videos. Look at the world around you. Go to a museum. Read a book. Walk down the street. Talk to your friends. The best music videos (or any works of art for that matter) draw upon the world around us, and say something. Find the topics that spark your curiosity, and then hold onto that seed until it grows into a concept.

Since entering the industry, you have already had the opportunity to work with some fairly notable companies and musical artists. How did you find and secure those opportunities, especially so early in your career? 

I think opportunity is equal parts luck, hard work, and the foresight to know when to capitalize on that opportunity. Looking back five years ago, my entire career started when I met a producer at a party. We were both standing in the corner and didn’t know anyone else, so we started talking. 

Although we could have easily never spoken again, I thought he made cool work, so we kept in touch and he ended up hiring me, kickstarting my career into the world of music videos.

I’ve invested a lot of my time into meeting people, as you never know where those relationships will lead you. At the end of the day, people want to work with people they like. It doesn’t matter how talented someone is – if you’re difficult to work with and don’t follow through, then nobody will want to hire you. Work ethic, trustworthiness, and passion will drive you further than any surface level talent. 

It may seem obvious, but my advice for people starting out is to never miss a deadline, keep prompt communication, and find the excitement in every project.

You just released a new film, Ghosted. What was it like finishing and releasing that film during this crazy time in the world? 

Ghosted is about a girl who is “ghosted” while recovering from an injury on bed rest, and how she drives herself mad in her sedentary and isolated state.

The film was actually finished pre-pandemic and we had initially intended to do a festival run with it before releasing online. However, we thought the theme of being sedentary and isolated was so relevant to the times that we decided to release it early.

How has NFFTY impacted your life or career? 

NFFTY was the first place that I considered myself a “real” filmmaker. 

The first short film I ever made, Reflections, took home the Jury Award at NFFTY for Best Animated Short Film. At the time, I was completely taken aback – I had no idea that an experimental animation that I made in my bedroom would actually have an impact on anyone. Watching the film on a real screen in front of a real audience was surreal.

The NFFTY community was so supportive, encouraging, and passionate, and I remember how energizing it was to be surrounded by rooms full of people who felt the same way.

I left my first NFFTY a day early on a red-eye from Seattle to New York City where I just barely made my college graduation, and after that I knew I wanted to find that feeling again.

What’s next for you? 

I just released my first narrative short film Ghosted, and have an animated short film, Da Sola, lined up to release later this summer. 

In the mean time, I’m keeping busy building out my creative studio and trying to carve out some time to relax, read, and sketch.