Heather Elder Represents
Reps Journal

Join the Afterparty with Kremer Johnson

Kremer/Johnson is known for encouraging a good time on set. Between their comedic timing and their eccentric ideas, they're experts at bringing conceptual scenes to life. And when they get to work with other comically inclined individuals, it’s a bonus. The cast of Apple TV’s “The Afterparty” joined Neil and Cory for a quick one hour shoot. Their time may have been limited but the collaborative ideas bounced around the four walls of the hotel room.

Ever flexing their unlimited creative capacity, Neil and Cory decided they wanted dramatic lighting that had been in their back pocket for the right shoot. To ensure that the lighting was distinct and not just routine portraits of the stars, the duo brought in some color gels that they had dabbled with in the past to shake things up. Luckily, Dave Franco, Sam Richardson and Ben Schwartz were up for anything, especially if it encouraged their rowdy behavior. Although they didn’t really throw a TV on the balcony of the hotel, their professional dynamic was contagious and created strong promotional art for the show. Read on to learn more. 

 

What was a memorable moment from this shoot?

Contrary to what you might think, working with celebrities isn’t always memorable. However, this group was incredibly flexible and willing to do just about anything we suggested. We really thrive  when talent, especially celebrity talent, is willing to have fun and let their guard down a little. These three really leaned into that and since they have been working together shooting the show, they already had that playful dynamic and energy that lends itself to strong images. So it was fun to just let them be while we did our job. In fact, throwing the TV off the balcony was Sam Richardson’s idea. He suggested it and we couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. It just a really fun, collaborative hour together.

The color on the portraits seems very intentional, how did you land on that style?

A few years ago, we started working with different color gels, however it never really lined up with a project we had. Since this is an editorial shoot, they give you a lot more creative control, so we decided it would be a good opportunity to bring the experiential color gels back. Editorial shoots also allow for more creative exploration so we’re always excited to shoot them. The show, The Afterparty is a tongue and cheek murder mystery comedy, so it felt appropriate to have something a little out of the ordinary.

What was one thing you learned from this shoot?

That there really are no limits to exploring your creativity. Editorial shoots give you the freedom to lean into your style and even push those boundaries. Producers on editorial projects generally hire you for your artistic vision, so they trust your creative capabilities. This project was a lot of fun because while we feel like the final images are distinctly Kremer/Johnson, we also got to try new techniques that we’ll bring with us to future projects. We really appreciate working with other creative individuals who understand the importance of exploration.