Interview
RAY KAY
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With a succesful career as filmmaker, di-
recting music videos with Justin Bieber,
Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Brittney Spears,..
this super talented Norwegian artist con- tinues to amaze us with his photography.
It is a priviledge for us to have his work on
our cover, as well as in the interior, with
some really insipiring stories.
ow did you become invol-
ved in filming? Was it at an
early age?
I started shooting portraits of my
friends when I was a teenager.
And I got involved with a regional
TV station part time while I was
still at school. Back then, it was
the perfect place to learn. Today, of course, things are di-
fferent and you can create amazing visuals with pretty inex-
pensive equipment at home. And the best way of learning
is still to experiment and learn as you go. As well as finding
mentors, of course. In which media/format do you believe you can
express your visión better….video or photogra-
phy?
I love working with both stills and motion. When I direct,
I usually work with bigger productions. but what I really
enjoy with photography, is that you don’t need all the crew
and equipment needed for motion. You can create world
class imagery with just yourself and a small camera. And
anyone can do it, it doesn’t require a big budget.
H
What or who were your inspirations being a
youngster? Did MTV play a big role in you beco-
ming a film director?
MTV definitely played a role, and I also directed music
shows for Norwegian TV when I was 19-20 that made me
fall even more in love with the music video format. When I
was 21, I had done pretty much everything I could with TV
back home in Norway, and I set a new goal: To shoot music
videos for the world’s biggest stars in Hollywood. I made a
ten-year-plan for how to get there. Fortunately, it only took
4 years. It was a very hard journey, but I’m glad I did it!
qpmag.com
The word “sleek” definitely defines your
work…..is there any other word you would also
like to be associated with your art?
Thanks. I’m not really looking to be defined though. I like
to create a variety of expressions, and not shoot the same
thing over and over..
When and why did you decide to move to the US?
I moved to the US in 2004, after I had developed my craft
and portfolio in Europe.
Where do you spend most of your time now?
I’m based in Miami, but I travel a lot. I mostly work in LA,
Miami and Norway these days, but also shot in places like
Brazil, South Africa and Belize recently.