Delaney Bishop is a filmmaker and photographer based in Los Angeles. He has directed music videos for Jurassic 5, Cut Chemist and Engelbert Humperdinck.

Delaney has also worked on a twenty minute short entitled ‘The Death of Salvador Dali’ featuring Dita Von Teese, a project which broke new ground in new media, as the film was made avaiulable to download through iTunes.

FMCS: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Delaney:This may sound strange, but I pace around for hours, alone, thinking of stuff to do, write, film. That’s where everything comes from.

FMCS: Where do you currently live and work?

Delaney: In the Hollywood foothills where I grew up. People hear that and think I was a ‘film business’ kid but quite the opposite was true. Many of the hills and canyons in and around Hollywood were full of freaks, adventures, and danger!

FMCS: Ever since you were a child, cinematography had a great influence on you. Why?

Delaney: I was always afraid of being my own cinematographer because I had a few bad experiences with exposure. Stills, on the other hand, always came natural.

FMCS: You were already an award winning moviemaker by age 16.
Did you know that film and photography would dominate your professional life?

Delaney: Just then, yes.

FMCS: How did New York change or influence your career path?

Delaney: I didn’t really hang out with the other film students at NYU and for a while was kicking myself because making contacts is half the reason to go, right? I was still very quiet and hung out on the streets or with girlfriends.

FMCS: When did you start to do commercials and music videos?

Delaney: I shot a bunch of spec spots in the 90’s because I thought they were great vehicles for one-off ideas. The same with music videos.

FMCS: Do you remember your first commercial/ music video?
What is the most important thing you have learned during these shoots?

Delaney: I worked at a visual effects house after college so was able to handle all the post by myself including editing, effects, dubs, and even telecine. After working there, I shot more on video and cut at home. I learned that having contacts is valuable, which is what I neglected at college.

FMCS: How do you select your projects?

Delaney: Either shoot something I have a great idea for, or shoot someone else’s idea if there’s money or I believe it will be a good experience.

If I don’t like their idea or cannot collaborate to a satisfactory level, I pass.

FMCS: How come your great interest in Dali and furthermore the production of the short movie ‘The death of Salvador Dali’?

Delaney: I wasn’t fond of Dali in college when every other dorm room posters of his work all over the walls. I was recommended to his autobiography and I was hooked.

The day I finished I wanted to shoot a movie about him. I wrote the short in a class and decided to film soon after.

FMCS: The burlesque dancer and fetish model Dita von Teese played a major role in the movie, can we expect more cooperations?

Delaney: I’ve done photo shoots with her and we are planning more.

FMCS: Who and what inspires you?

Delaney: I used to get inspired at museums but lately they don’t have the same effect. The same with good bookstores.

I think talking to people and having good conversations is the most inspiring for me now.

FMCS: What motivates you?

Delaney: Money, women, fame, survival, fear, insecurity.

FMCS: What are your current projects about?

Delaney: I have recently done some funny commercials. I have a short I shot a while ago that I’m exited to finish called Bloods & Crips. And there’s the Dali feature.

FMCS: What are the artistic intentions within your work?

Delaney: Fairly recently I fully recognized the patterns and consistencies of my own style.

This is much harder in film compared to fine arts or music where there are usually fewer unknown conditions, other people, need for money, technical requirements, or range of skill sets.

Even though we all have a sense of our tastes early on and have certain strong points, my intentions are to keep aware of my own style. Being aware of this is a comforting and relieving state of mind, especially in a saturated field.

FMCS: Where can we see your photography works?

Delaney: I shoot photography with a partner at GDPhoto. We have the current cover of PICTURE magazine
with a shot of Jessica Alba and will be featured in the new Corbis FOCUS bi-annual.

FMCS: What keeps you busy besides work?

Delaney: Drama. Someone always has drama.

FMCS: Thanks!

Delaney: Thank you too!

Dali Movie: More Info
GDPhoto: Portfolio Site