Get a look behind the scenes with Authorized Dealer Films on the set of "On Repeat"

How did Authorized Dealer Films get started?

Authorized Dealer Films was founded in 2010 by young filmmaker, Geoffrey Jean-Baptiste. In 2011, he created The ABCD Film Festival, the lower east sides’s first independent film festival bar crawl. After working on thousands of sets in the camera department Geoffrey is now directing, dp’ing and one of the few black Steadicam Operators in the US. In early 2020, Geoffrey partnered with artist and producer, Kaela Francesca, and together they creatively relaunched Authorized Dealer Films again as a full-service production company and resource. Authorized Dealer Films embodies a genuine and specific approach to story-telling as a stylistic choice. By producing untold stories, we unravel industry standards and redefine the truth through intentional settings, protagonists and premises

Visually, what story are you telling with the “On Repeat” music video (your latest project)?

Visually, the "On Repeat” music video is a quite literally a conversation between darkness and light. The story is about overcoming whatever your current bad circumstances might be and leaning into change, although most of the time it’s uncomfortable. It’s about the discovery that we can escape a negative reality we are trapped in by changing our mindset.

Why did you decide to use the Arri Alexa Mini with a set of Cooke S4’s? 

We chose the Arri Alexa Mini (as we almost always do) because of the consistent film-like quality when rendering colors and skin tones. Paired with the Cooke S4’s as our lens choice we were really able to capture true-life warmth. The compact nature of the Alexa-mini and the ease of workflow is a dream for steadicam operating. Additionally, working with Adorama always proves to be a smooth and efficient rental process with a large high-quality cinema-gear selection

Were there any challenges shooting in-studio during the Covid-19 pandemic?

We’ve learned that the key to shooting in-studio during the pandemic is nonnegociable safety. From limited crew members, to social distancing on set, to wearing masks, gloves and gear, to sanitization stations, to having a COVID Compliance Officer perform pre-shoot screenings, we institute whatever measures necessary to continue to work safely and protect the whole team. Yes, it can be a challenge and the whole experience changes (esp during lunch) but we must all adjust and prepare accordingly together

Where can we see the final edit of the music video?

The final edit of ‘On Repeat’ will be up on the Authorized Dealer Network YouTube page as well as on the @authorizeddealerfilms instagram. You can watch here!

What’s next for Authorized Dealer Films, and where can we find your work?

This year ADF is ready to work! We currently have two short-films set for production in early 2021 and two new projects for release. Stay tuned for ‘The Whole Some’ festival edit, a docu-short about a family-owned bodega in Brooklyn and ‘The Jeffrey Terreson Project’, a case study about an established artist who seldom does interviews. Big thank you to our teams! You can find our work at authorizeddealerfilms.com, kaelafrancesca.com, geoffreyjeanbaptiste.com

& Also on the Authorized Dealer Network on Youtube. Follow our instagram @authorizeddealerfilms

Anything else you would like to add? 

We are excited to currently be working with brands and innovators to utilize our visual story-telling techniques to power authentic commercials and branded content. The time is now for our industry to take ownership of a new, more inclusive future and change the game with cutting-edge technology. ADF is ready!