Hannah Lux Davis

From Makeup Artist to 620 million views

Hannah Lux Davis is a powerhouse music video and commercial director who's created iconic visuals for some of the biggest names in music: Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne. But her path to the director's chair wasn't traditional.

In this episode, Hannah shares her 20+ year journey in LA, from attending film camp as a teenager to working as a makeup artist on set, which became her unexpected entry point into directing. She opens up about being one of the first female directors to work with major hip-hop artists, the nerve-wracking moment of directing Lil Wayne, Drake, and Future on "Love Me" (which now has 620M+ views), and the surreal experience of finally directing her childhood idol, Avril Lavigne.

We dive deep into the making of Ariana Grande's "thank u, next,” the video that broke YouTube records with 50 million views in 24 hours. Hannah reveals how they navigated legal clearances for Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, and 13 Going On 30 references, managed celebrity cameos on a 3-day shoot while she was pregnant, and pioneered the "Easter egg" approach that's now everywhere in music videos.

We discuss why communication and people management are harder than the creative work, how to balance an artist's brand with your own creative vision, and what it takes to be a consistently working director.

Tune in!

xx cg

“Directing is all about having taste. It’s decision after decision after decision of taste.”

- Hannah Lux Davis

Episode Transcript