In the mid- to late-1990s, I shot a music video starring Mary J. Blige. We shot for a day in a park in NYC with an orchestra on a raised stage.
We then traveled to Sedona, Arizona. Spent the day shooting her on huge Red Rocks areas. Large plains of pure rock. Gorgeous.
Then, as the sun set, she was dressed in an outfit that included a white fur short jacket. She sang as the sun set behind her, which made the deep red rocks turn black as the sky remained blood red. Quite beautiful.
I can NOT find out the title of the song, so I cannot search out the music video.
If you’re a MJB fan, can you help me and identify this video?
Many thanks !
Cartooniverse, Steadicam Operator on this and many other hip-hop videos.
Was it an actual music video or a recording of a live performance? do you remember anything about the song?
Did she do many live performances on red rocks in the desert?
If you can recall who directed the music video, you might be able to find it on their IMDB page.
It was definitely NOT a live concert. It was a music video filmed in 35mm.
The Director and Producer was Sean “Puffy” Combs.
Then it must be Be Happy.
How weird. The wide-open flatlands of rock? Yeah, that is where we were. I remember no helicopter on that shoot. And- for all of the cost of bringing me into Sedona, there are no Steadicam shots.
Guessing that Puffy used a few distant shots from my video on this one.
Again…weird.
It’s also weird that there are no close-up shots in the desert footage. Is that really Mary J. Blige down there? Who would know if it wasn’t?
Agreed. I know for a fact that I shot footage of MJB in relative close-up with the Steadicam out on those rocks.
Not to mention the scene I am most keen to revisit, which is the sunset sequence.