Jo Lewandowska and Fiona Jane Burgess’ Creative Connection

Fiona (left); Jo (right)

OkayStudio’s editor Jo Lewandowska first met director Fiona Jane Burgess in 2018 when the two worked on a music video for Peaks called ‘Still Life’. Jo says that she was still in the stage of her career where she took on any and all projects while trying to establish her own style and in Fiona she certainly seems to have met a creative kindred spirit. That project was a fateful one and the two have now worked on 20 together, including music videos for Grace Carter, Girl in Red, and Christina Aguilera; spots for Nike, Lacoste, MaxMara, Zalando; and TVC commercials for Tommee Tippee, Tanqueray, and Dove. Their latest collaboration is a spot for Lindex, following a woman's life from the early teenage years to menopause and everything in between.

Both Jo and Fiona are drawn to the emotional aspects of filmmaking and aren’t afraid of tackling difficult subjects; instead, they often seek them out deliberately. Fiona says that she shares a feminist outlook with Jo and that tends to seep into the work they’re doing, which can be characterised through the lens of the ‘female gaze’ they apply to their subjects and a sensitivity with which they tackle difficult themes. 

Today, LBB finds out what makes their ongoing collaboration such a success, how they push to make each other’s work better, and the dream projects they would love to work on together in the future. 

Above: Lindex, 'Underwear for Life'

LBB> When did you two first meet? If it was on a job, what was it?

Jo> We met in late 2018 when Fiona was directing a music video for Peaks, ‘Still Life’. That was a pivotal moment in both of our journeys in the industry. She was getting more recognition as a director and I was an up and coming editor, hungry to cut anything that came my way. I still didn’t know exactly what made me tick and was searching for projects that felt true to my interest and spoke to my sensibilities as a creative.  

Fiona’s style, the way she thought about filmmaking and telling stories, resonated with me instantly. We loved the same movies and indulged in watching different pieces of work that inspired us for hours on end. We are quite similar as people as well, never afraid to talk about our lives and be vulnerable in front of one another. 

LBB> At what point did you realise that the way you worked together was particularly fruitful?

Fiona>  Jo was one of the first editors I ever worked with, so I think I was just very lucky to have been introduced to her when I was starting out. It’s not always easy to find like minded collaborators, so I'm very grateful for that. I think I knew straight away that I found it very easy to work with Jo, there was never any ego or pretence in the room when we were working. I always felt safe and encouraged to make suggestions and trust my gut, so our collaboration just developed from there.

Jo> For me the best collaborations happen when people respect each other's opinions and allow for the creativity to flow freely in the edit room. Fiona always comes in with a strong vision and she knows what she wants. Our opinions might differ at times but we always try to listen to one another and be open to trying new things and experimenting. Sometimes the best ideas come to light when you least expect them. I think that we work well together because we have a similar work ethic and sensibilities as artists. And we’re both perfectionists.

Above: Girl in Red, 'Too Much'

LBB> How many projects have you worked together on now?

Jo> We’ve done around 20 projects together. From music videos for Girl in Red and Christina Aguilera through to pieces for Nike, Lacoste, MaxMara, Zalando to bigger TVC commercials for Tommee Tippee, Tanqueray and Dove. Each project we work on feels like a step forward. By sharing those experiences we not only learn about each other but also about the workings of the industry as a whole. 

LBB> How did the Christina Aguilera ‘Beautiful’ 2022 music video come about and how did you navigate the subject matter alongside a famous musical artist?

Fiona> It came to me via Christina’s creative team at Sony. The idea was inspired by their ambition to re-imagine the original music video but relate it to the idea of ‘beauty’ in a new and contemporary way. The original video wasn’t afraid to question beauty standards, or to show anxiety, depression, anorexia, and really confront them head-on. I thought a lot about what life was like for me as a 14 year old girl when the original was released versus what life is like for 14 year olds now. Prior to becoming a director full-time, I worked for nearly a decade in an adolescent psychiatric unit with young people. I’d facilitate drama workshops and encourage them to build confidence and self-esteem. All this work provided me with the opportunity to share a dialogue with young people. I was interested in exploring the relationship between social media, body image and self harm. And luckily, Christina was really interested in these conversations and also shared these concerns. I knew my take on ‘Beautiful’ had to be about young people specifically, since they’re the most vulnerable and at-risk of exploitation.

Jo> The atmosphere that Fiona created on set was amazing. Everyone felt like they were part of making an important piece work or, dare I say, history. I think that this resulted in strong performances and scenes that were packed with emotion and deeper meaning. From the edit point of view it was a dream come true.

The video was shot on 35mm so when the rushes came back from the lab we were over the moon. They were some of the most beautiful images I had worked with to date. My assistant, Michelle, worked on the animatic with Fiona prior to the shoot so we had a pretty good template for the edit, which was extremely helpful with finding the pace and building the story. Also the best thing about the process was knowing that Christina had full confidence in Fiona’s vision for the video so we weren’t second guessing ourselves when crafting the edit. 

My most memorable moment was sharing the edit with the artist and getting her feedback which was overwhelmingly positive. I swear I blacked out for a few minutes when we listened to Christina’s voice and couldn’t remember a single word. Definitely one of my personal career highlights. 

Above: Christina Aguilera, 'Beautiful (2022)'

LBB> Jo, what is it about Fiona’s work that you like so much?

Jo> I love the way she approaches each project. At the centre of her work is a strong desire to tell a human story. It’s about evoking an emotion and making the audience feel something. She’s also very passionate about music and movement. I myself come from a dance background so to me rhythm and sound is everything when it comes to crafting an edit. 

LBB> Fiona, what draws you to Jo’s style editing? 

Fiona> Editing is such an interesting role because, like every HOD, it’s as much to do with the person and the way they communicate as it is their approach to editing. I often spend as much time with Jo in the edit as I do with my producer or DOP during shoot prep. I love to chat to Jo in the pre-production phase and sometimes create animatics to help us figure out the edit beforehand, so in some ways we begin the editing process before the shoot has taken place. I love to sit with Jo and look through the rushes and make selects. Because I shoot mostly on film this often isn’t such an extensive process, but it’s an important way for us to familiarise ourselves with the footage. What I love most is Jo’s enthusiasm. With every project Jo brings a calm but ambitious energy that really helps to push the creative boundaries of what’s possible and always remains open-minded.

LBB> Tell us a little bit about why collaborating together works so well and what’s the secret?

Fiona> I think being willing to leave our egos at the door is what makes any collaboration successful. It’s about making the best work, challenging each other, and it being okay to have different ideas and opinions, because in a respectful partnership it’s okay to disagree. Editing can be a very emotionally intense environment so it’s important for me to feel safe and comfortable in this space, and to not to feel judged because it takes time to build a creative partnership.

Jo> I don’t think there’s a secret when it comes to our collaboration. There are definitely a few ingredients that allow us to work together well. As I mentioned before we are both hard workers and perfectionists, and we take our job seriously. Fiona often involves me in the pre-production when she’s writing the script and figuring out storyboards. We then sit down together and talk about the music, voiceover or dialogue, any additional scenes that might help us tell the story, transitions and technical solutions. Thinking and talking about the edit before the shoot is vital in the process and she’s very aware of that. I also try to come to set as much as possible and take notes of the best performances or best takes, but more generally be the second pair of eyes. I love doing rough assemblies on the fly to work out whether we have all we need to make the edit work.

LBB> How do you help each other to develop and push each other’s craft?

Fiona> We often look at films together and I think we always try to encourage each other to be critical, as well as explaining what we love in certain films. I also I think the edit can be a moment of deflation, because pre-production and the shoot is often incredibly intense for me, so in the edit I might be more prone to being self-critical, but Jo is very good at helping me see the positive in what we’ve shot and pushing an edit to be the best it can be. 

Jo> Fiona is a very detail oriented director and I’ve learnt a lot from her in that area. Editing is an incremental process and requires a lot of patience and compromise. I tend to take a holistic view and try to also grasp some sort of bigger picture, then focus on the details. Sometimes you have to let go to be able to achieve the best result in storytelling, so the most perfect shot won’t always make it to the final edit. 

LBB> Are there particular themes that you find you’re both drawn to? Why do you think that is?

Fiona> Ultimately we both want to make work that’s impactful in some way. Whether it’s making a political statement or whether it’s telling a funny or an emotional story, I think we both appreciate the craft of filmmaking and feel lucky to make work together. 

Jo> Over the past few years we’ve both been on a journey of discovery when it comes to the themes that we’re drawn to. My main goal is exploring the emotional aspect of filmmaking, looking for the stories that move me, and that I can relate to. If I can find my own experience in the characters or the script then it’s easier for me to immerse myself in the story I’m trying to convey. 

LBB> Is there a dream project that you would love to work on together?

Fiona> So many! 

Jo> What we haven’t done together yet is a short film or linear narrative lead film. 

Bringing a story to life and re-writing the script on the cutting room floor can be very challenging and rewarding at the same time. I’m always in awe of Fiona’s ideas and her process so I’m definitely excited about what the future holds.