Brooke Josephson

Your project has entered in our festival. What is your project about?
Brooke Josephson – Good Kinda Tired – Official Music Video follows singer songwriter, producer, Brooke Josephson, as a 1960s housewife in a vintage gown and robe with her hair in curlers, ironing men’s dress shirts with a pile of laundry on the sofa waiting to be folded with the TV on at night. It’s the end of “her day” and she’s working after she’s tucked her children in bed, treating herself to a martini and the “Ed Sullivan show”. Suddenly on the TV is Brooke as a 1960s rocker chic with her guitar singing “Good Kinda Tired”. She jumps on the bed, throws the laundry in the air, sings into her can of scotch guard, and embraces the energy of the song. Finally, her husband comes home from a day of work with his briefcase and suit. He joins Brooke on the bed as they fall back ending the night on a high note and their “Good Kinda Tired”.

What are your ambitions with your project?
I am passionate about writing empowering songs inspired by my own life. When I teamed up with Director Michelle Bossy, for the music video for the song “Good Kinda Tired,” I had recently spent 6 weeks with my family where I did laundry almost every day in between family activities. Michelle and I discussed how women were once taught that their measure of success is finding a man, raising children and being a “good wife” but that began to change in the late 1960s where women began to liberate themselves and take ownership over their lives and careers. Together we came up with the concept of the video to represent both the 1960s housewife and the rocker chic duality that I juggle in my everyday life today and what is a “Good Kinda Tired” for me personally and many women in this generation who are juggling motherhood and a career at the same time. Michelle and I also included the husband’s perspective of putting in a hard day’s work to come home to his partner where they have each other’s backs and celebrate their individuality and love for each other.      

Tell us something about your shooting? What pleasantly surprised you?
We found a location in Los Angeles, Honeymoon Inn Studios, with a prebuilt 1960s house interior that also had the bathtub featured in the music video that wasn’t originally part of the storyboard. The Director, Michelle Bossy wanted to incorporate it into the video, however, the location had a strict “no water or bubbles in the tub” policy. During the wardrobe fitting the day before filming when the costume designer, Devon Bartel was fitting Brooke in the disco ball dress for the “Ed Sullivan” look, she turned to the Director and Brooke and said, “why can’t you have a bath full of disco balls?” Everyone loved the idea and Devon spent the afternoon the day before filming going around town buying up disco balls in every size for the bathtub tableau and it became a crowd favorite feature of the music video.

For what group of spectators is your film targeted?
This music video is geared towards women from their teens looking for a female role model into adulthood, as well as men in the workforce putting in a “Good Kinda Tired”

Why should distributors buy your music video?
The song is a catchy, commercially driven tune and the music video is a clever and playful concept that reflects the empowering lyrics.

How would you specify your work? What characterizes your music video?
I primarily write inspiring and empowering music then marry the lyrics to the visual in creative ways that address real issues inspired by my own life.

Why did you decided to become a music video maker?
It’s a powerful artform that tells a story in under 4 minutes, set to music, where you can take creative liberties outside of the literal framework of a short film script.

Who is your role model?
I have several role models who have influenced my journey as a writer and producer. From Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox, Brandi Carlile, Patti Smith, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, Dolly Parton and Gwen Stefani. All these women have been a beacon for women’s voices. I love that Gwen Stefani took time off from her career to raise her kids and got the call from NBC to be a judge on the Voice while she was driving her kids in her minivan and how she balanced her role as a mom and artist while facing a humiliating and public divorce then rose like a Phoenix from the ashes.

Which movies or music videos are your favorites? Why?
I love Alanis Morissette’s music video for her song, “Ironic”. It’s fabulous that it’s set in the dead of winter and reflects her grit as a woman who will not be deterred by the natural elements of snow all over her car and fearlessly faces the icy roads. The video isn’t a generic female pop artist formula selling a sexy solo artist objectifying herself by washing a car in a bikini. It’s a spot-on metaphor for women in the world told to behave and stay in their lane and not venture out. Then, the surprise of her looking in the rearview mirror and seeing herself in the backseat is simply the best. The smile on her face is just so cheeky and how she performs each version of herself in the car unapologetically reflects the dynamic range of her personality. This feature is just so inspiring to see someone embrace all facets of who they are and is one of my favorite examples of music video making and proves you can create a masterpiece without spending a ton of money.

Where do you look for inspiration for your projects?
I start by zooming out wide to take into consideration what is happening globally then zoom into my own life and try to visually reflect the song in a way that is personal but with an refreshing universal message. I also take into consideration what’s been done before so I can give the audience a fresh visual. We actually discussed doing a music video in a laundromat, but it’s been done so many times I knew we could raise the bar and come up with something clever and authentic to my voice and message as an artist.

Which topics interest you the most?
Women’s equality and empowerment. I watched my mother raise my three brothers and I while running my father’s company without help juggling the household and the company for 35 years and she never got a paycheck for her work. When they ultimately divorced, he didn’t respect all the years of work she did and tried to drag the divorce out for seven years. This whole notion that women are less than left a huge impact on me, as well as the fact that I was on my own as soon as I turned 18, so I had to put myself through college and pursue my career without his help. I have been very passionate about using my voice, songwriting and producing talents to inspire and empower women, especially now as a role model for my daughter.

What do you consider your greatest achievement in your career?
Being an independent singer songwriter and producer. As long as I show up and put in the work, no one can take that away from me. I have encouraged my daughter that her value and self-worth is not defined by fame but in hard work, resilience, and authenticity.

What do you consider most important about filming/music video making?
The visual storyline is key with a beginning, middle, and end.  

Which film technique of shooting do you consider the best?
It depends on the story you’re telling. I have used drone on a few music videos at certain moments. I also heavily used green screen on the music video for my song, “Rainbow” since we shot it during the pandemic over three days using the covid compliance issue on set to lean into green screen to safely and creatively tell a story that reflects the moment of time we were facing globally.

How would you rate/What is your opinion about current filmmaking/music video making?
I think as an independent artist/producer that the music videos I have produced are high quality and creative without the influence of a major label.

Who supports you in your film career?
I independently fund my projects.

What are the reactions to your music video? (opinion of spectators, film critics, friends and family)
This latest music video, Brooke Josephson – Good Kinda Tired – Official Music Video has received rave reviews by several music publications.

“Its accompanying video is the cherry atop an already delectable cake.” -VENTS Magazine

“The makeup, hair, and costumes are especially apt and the promotional clip’s conceptual trappings do an excellent job of complimenting the song’s subject matter.”

-Pop Icon Magazine

“Her video for the song is a masterwork in miniature.” -Hollywood Digest

“The camera loves Josephson. She is, without question, a physically stunning woman and director Michelle Bossy does a great job capturing her beauty for viewers. The more significant attribute that comes through, however, is Josephson’s obvious affinity for physical performance.” -Indie Pulse Magazine

Have you already visited any of the film festivals?
I have not attended any of the film festivals in person yet. I plan on attending the upcoming Mammoth Film Festival in California the end of February that will be screening the music video.

What are your future plans in music video making carriere?
I love collaborating with my Director Michelle Bossy and my dream team of Jed Olmedo (hair & make up), Devon Bartel (wardrobe), Rose Krol (set design) Seth Fuller (DP), and James Swartz (Gaffer). I can’t wait to continue creating music videos with them on my upcoming releases. We have way too much fun working together and have an endless source of creativity that I can only imagine the next music video concept we will create.