Bottom of your belly
📊 Results
20K+ organic views
Widely assumed to be a “big budget” shoot thanks to the cinematic quality, crew, and art direction
No one gets paid, but everyone gets fed—by my mom. Homemade Middle Eastern food has fueled more than one ambitious shoot.
Most importantly, this video:
Repositioned Katy Guillen and the Drive in a new genre space
Connected emotionally with their audience through a queer love story
Reminded me (again) of what’s possible when community, vision, and trust collide
🎥 Production
Gear:
DP-owned camera package
Indie-rate car mount rentals thanks to my rep
Free walkies donated by a vendor I’ve built trust with
No lighting rentals—just natural light, shaped with grip gear
Location Scouting = Guerrilla + Community Magic
📍 Gravel Roads: 150+ acres in Butler, MO—found via a Facebook post and high school connection
🚗 The Car: Wood-paneled '90s Chrysler LeBaron—courtesy of a band acquaintance
🎤 Performance Space: A West Bottoms storefront I found on Google Satellite and tracked to a guy I met at a film wrap party
🛒 Mini Market Scene: A European market from my childhood memories—again, tracked down on satellite and secured with a phone call
All locations were free. I leaned into places with built-in art direction to stretch the (nonexistent) budget.
Wardrobe + HMU
Styled talent myself using their closet and mine
Iconic scarf = my mother’s
On-set hair & makeup artist to keep the visuals polished
📝 Pre-Production
Vision + Planning:
Storyboarded the video using stills from Thelma & Louise
Built a detailed shot list with my DP
Created a production schedule and oversaw all logistics
Secured production insurance through a producer friend
Crew (15 total):
All professionals from film/TV/commercial sets who worked for free (yes, really)
Vibes carry value: I’m known for cool projects and kind sets
Key crew included:
📋 PM: Em Kennedy
🎥 DP: John Beatty (who generously brought his own gear)
🎥 Steadicam Op: Lakoda Leap
🔥 Objective
With the release of their album Another One Gained, Katy Guillen and the Drive were looking to reintroduce themselves—not as the blues band they were known as, but as something grittier, moodier, more indie rock. The single Bottom of Your Belly needed a visual tone-setter. Something bold. Something that said, "We’ve evolved."
🌪 The Spark
The first time I heard the track—no lyrics, just a rehearsal playback—I saw dust clouds and spinning tires. I went home and rewatched Thelma & Louise. I clipped the film’s iconic climax, set it to the song, and sent it to the band. That was the pitch. They were instantly in.
What made this even more special? Katy and Steph—the band—are lovers in real life. So I got to reimagine a classic outlaw story through a queer lens, giving their fanbase a powerful, cinematic reintroduction.
🎥 Production
Gear:
DP-owned camera package
Indie-rate car mount rentals thanks to my rep
Free walkies donated by a vendor I’ve built trust with
No lighting rentals—just natural light, shaped with grip gear
Location Scouting = Guerrilla + Community Magic
📍 Gravel Roads: 150+ acres in Butler, MO—found via a Facebook post and high school connection
🚗 The Car: Wood-paneled '90s Chrysler LeBaron—courtesy of a band acquaintance
🎤 Performance Space: A West Bottoms storefront I found on Google Satellite and tracked to a guy I met at a film wrap party
🛒 Mini Market Scene: A European market from my childhood memories—again, tracked down on satellite and secured with a phone call
All locations were free. I leaned into places with built-in art direction to stretch the (nonexistent) budget.
Wardrobe + HMU
Styled talent myself using their closet and mine
Iconic scarf = my mother’s
On-set hair & makeup artist to keep the visuals polished
✂️ Post-Production
I edited the video myself
Sent to a colorist for final polish
BTS captured on both film + digital by Travis Young