Behind The Scenes of Fears N’ Desires Music Video Teaser By KNY | Los Angeles, California
It's been 5 years since I've last photographed behind the scenes of a music video, and I'm excited to share with you the stills I captured of KNY's "Fears N' Desires" Music Video Teaser over two days. I arrived at the shoot Saturday morning to snap some behind-the-scenes photos for my buddies Josiah, Ryan, and Jeff who are part of the Do Yu Productions team. Working with friends on cool projects like this makes the whole experience more fun and enjoyable. Big thanks to them for letting me tag along!
Kenny is a Vietnamese rapper based in the Los Angeles area. He wanted to go all out on this EP titled "Fears N' Desires." It's a project he's been working on for three years and serves as a time capsule for his creative journey. Inspired by a night at a bar where he craved Hip Hop over the traditional "Vina-House," Kenny set out to create a collection of club bangers that also double as the perfect soundtrack for workouts and celebrations. The EP explores themes of Money, Women, and Business, reflecting American pop culture—the culture Kenny grew up with for most of his life. The title, "Fears N' Desires," captures the two emotions tied to money: the fear of losing it and the desire to gain more.
Listen to Fears N’ Desires EP
The gear that I used to photograph the BTS of this music video!
Stay tuned for the vlog as I’ll be dropping it in the next couple of days!
Creative Director/Talent: Kenny Vu
Director/Producer: Josiah Yu
1st AD: Jeffrey Ramos
Production Coordinator: May Tran
Director of Photography: Ryan Hoang
Gaffer: Pedro Penteado
1st AC: Jorge Sida-Valdez
Key Grip: Ian Hussey
Swing: Winona Lo
Sound Mixer: Jared Wee
BTS Photographer: Makito Umekita
Cast & Crew: Andy Nguyen, Noeha, Chris Nguyen, Chowdhury Yeethmam, David Masan, Tuan Anh Tran, Alex Le, Truong Nguyen
Day 1
1st Location: Airbnb in North HollywoodDay 1 started early as the film crew began setting up at this retro-inspired Airbnb in the heart of North Hollywood. This Airbnb is specifically used for film and music video sets, and the owner was overseeing our time there—which proved super helpful whenever we needed props or amenities. I love the entire set design, from the vintage furniture to the complementary colors to the various backdrops. My favorite shots from this location were where Kenny sat on the tabletop in the kitchen area smoking a cigarette. It was cool af!
2nd Location: Elysian ParkFor this location, we brought in Kenny's boss's Lamborghini Urus. It was fascinating to watch Ryan and the team set up the car mount rig on both the exterior and interior of the vehicle. The entire setup process took about 1.5 hours to complete properly. Witnessing the time and effort required to install the rig gave me a newfound appreciation for the hard work that goes into producing films and music videos. During most of these car scenes, Josiah maintained constant communication with Ryan via walkie-talkie, headphones, and mic while Kenny drove the Lambo ahead of our vehicle. We concluded the night with a grave-digging scene. Despite the darkness, the scene was expertly illuminated with our available lighting equipment.
Day 2
Location: Monarch StudiosMonarch Studios offers a variety of unique settings for your next short film or music video. We drove around the surrounding area capturing roller shots of Kenny driving the Lambo. Later, we filmed night scenes outside the studio. The crew hosed down the ground and walls to create a reflective surface that mimicked recent rainfall—an interesting technique that added both grunge and polish to the aesthetic. For the final scene, Kenny spray-painted "Fear N' Desires" on a wall somewhere in LA, which will serve as the cover image for the teaser. What an epic way to end the night and wrap up our two-day shoot!
Shoutout to Do Yu Productions for letting me be a part of this incredible project!
To see more from my behind the scenes, check out these blogs below:
