Behind the Scenes: The Day We Filmed Kanis' "Ti Dezod" Music Video
Every photographer remembers certain shoot days forever. The day we filmed the music video for Kanis' "Ti dezod (Chapter 1)" is one of mine.
If you look at the credits, you won't find me behind the camera — I was the gaffer. For anyone who doesn't speak film-set: the gaffer is in charge of lighting. The director and the DP decide what the scene should feel like, and the gaffer makes it happen with lights. It's the job that decides whether a scene looks flat and forgettable or moody and unforgettable.
Watch the video here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNLA-WULNM4]
The team
Music videos are a team sport, and this crew was stacked. Raven-Joy Fox directed, Marcus Rigg was our DP (the eye behind the camera), and I worked right alongside Marcus to build the lighting for every setup. When a DP trusts you with their light, that's a big deal — the two jobs live or die together.
The day itself
We shot it in downtown Miami on a very sunny, very hot day — classic Miami. My day started very early in the morning, the way every good shoot day should: checking my equipment. Then checking it again. Triple-checking the list is never enough, because the one thing you forget is always the one thing you end up needing.
Lighting a performance
Here's what most people don't realize about music videos: the artist has to look like a star in every single frame, whether they're performing full-out or standing still. That means the light has to move with the mood of the song — hard and dramatic in one beat, soft the next — and stay flattering the whole time.
The hardest setup of the day
The video was shot at two different locations, and the second one was the real test: Kanis' painting studio. "Tight" doesn't begin to describe it. I had to light the poker table and make sure every light stayed exactly in place — there was no room for anything to shift. And as if that wasn't enough, some of her paintings kept falling mid-take, so we had to stop and reshoot a couple of the shots in there. Worth it, though. That room had a character you just can't fake.
My favorite moment
It happened at that same poker table. Funny story: out of everyone sitting at it, only two of us actually knew how to play poker — me, and the dealer, who's a real casino dealer. Everyone else was bluffing in the truest sense of the word.
And the best part? Paola, one of our actresses, won the hand without even knowing it. She had no real idea what was happening — and she took the pot. You can't script a moment like that, and it's still my favorite part of the whole shoot.
What I took home from that day
People ask why a wedding and event photographer loves working on music video sets. This is why. Lighting a performer like Kanis sharpens the exact same muscle I use on a wedding day: reading a room in seconds, shaping light fast, and making real people look their absolute best — no do-overs.
It's all storytelling. Sometimes the story is a bride walking down the aisle. Sometimes it's an artist under stage lights, mid-performance, giving the camera everything she's got.
Want this look for your project?
I shoot weddings, events, and video work across Miami and Port St. Lucie — and yes, I still light music videos. If you've got a project coming up, reach out through my contact page and let's make something people remember.
— Ray
