Life & Work with Luke Ostermiller

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Ostermiller. 

Hi Luke, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Some readers may remember my last interview where I went into detail on the history behind Loste Films, Shooting Guard, and my vision for creating a sustainable movie industry in Colorado. Today I’d like to focus specifically on another key aspect of my career thus far; music videos. I directed my first music video in 2014 when Denver-based Fist Fight gave me a shot at the helm of their Break Something video. Break Something featured notable cameos including Black Label Society’s John DeServio and former Machine Head guitarist Ahrue Luster, and was well received by the local scene. It quickly became apparent that music videos would play an important role in my journey as an artist. In the early days of Loste Films we were desperate enough to take any kind of video work to pay the bills in between our film ventures. Commercials, film crew gigs, event videography, real estate videos, web series, social media content, and music videos were all part of the daily grind that kept the company running. Unless the commercials had massive budgets (which they rarely ever did), I felt that music videos were the most compatible with my career path. Each one could be viewed as a “mini short film” with unlimited potential, while also giving me endless opportunities to hone my craft. The more music video gigs I got, the less interested I became in videography or corporate video work. By 2018 I was certain that going all-in on directing music videos as a day job was not only best for my overall film career but also the smartest business move. In fact, I was so certain that I cut ties with my former business parters who insisted it was too risky and that we needed to primarily go after corporate video work. 

One long-drawn-out legal battle later, I was finally able to take the brand name with me. Loste Films returned with a vengeance. Several opportunities to work on music videos came right away and I was able to expand my portfolio of work to include practically every music genre within a year’s time. I even got to go on tour while working on an EDM music video. This led me to expand my services nationwide, where they are still currently available to this day. Over time, I have tried to become increasingly selective about the projects I work on. That strategy has worked very well for me, particularly over the last year. Just as I had predicted, choosing this route has also paid off for my movie career as well. I wouldn’t have acquired the funding to make my first feature film without connections I made in the music industry. 

No matter how far my films take me, I could still always see myself coming back to music videos. I truly enjoy the work and I’ll never run out of new techniques to styles to experiment with. I approach every music video with the goal in mind of improving on the last one in some way. Revisiting my past work to build mental checklists of things to work on is something I do on a regular basis. Sometimes I’ll see a camera angle and think of a better way we could have shot it or technical adjustments to the lighting that should have been made. But primarily I’m thinking about how the story could have been told better. How can all the elements of the production best serve the story we’re trying tell? Color, lighting, lens choice, production design, wardrobe, blocking and other creative decisions are all crucial pieces of the visual language. That’s where my brain is hardwired to go. There is no better method of staying sharp than practicing something every single day. Music videos give me that consistent practice so I’ll always benefit from them. I can’t see that ever changing. 

At this moment I have several music videos in various stages of production, which I am very eager to share with everyone. Recently, the music video for “Sunshine” by Suitable Miss was released. This was a really fun one to work on because we got to film a food fight at Sazza’s Pizza + Salad in Greenwood Village. Some pretty wild slow-motion footage made it into the final piece and I would highly recommend checking that out! 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest challenge I’ve found in working on music videos in Colorado specifically is the lack of artists willing or able to invest in a professional production. Instead of a traditional film crew (large or small), the vast majority of Colorado artists will hire a videographer to create an entire video by themselves. I chalk it up to the limited financial resources of local artists and the general unawareness of the full scope of the filmmaking process. Still, the fact remains that there is an extraordinarily difference in quality between the work of lone videographer and the collective work of industry pros on a legitimate production. An even colder truth is that a $20k budget (a figure which would almost always be out of the question for a Colorado music video), would still be on the extreme low end for a typical music video budget. For instance, Macklemore’s “Wings” video cost just over $18K to produce but the director Zia Mohajerjasbi took on additional roles in the production including Director Of Photography, Art Director, Editor, and Colorist. Cardi B’s “WAP”, on the other hand, had a budget of $1M, and director Colin Tilley was not splitting his attention between multiple jobs on set. Much like Zia Mohajerjasbi, I am often finding myself taking on additional jobs on set or even reducing my fee to help cover expenses related to production design. As a result, it becomes very difficult balancing fair compensation for my work with my desire to make the best video possible. My hope is that the music industry in Colorado continues to grow until we start seeing more high-end music videos produced locally. 

Each genre also presents its own set of obstacles. In rap, I feel there is a complacency when it comes to music videos. I was doing some projects in Las Vegas a few years back and one of the artists I was directing videos for missed his flight in. The shooting schedule began with what would’ve been an epic driving scene through the desert in cars that were rented for the production on the first day. That all had to be scrapped last minute because the next available flight wasn’t getting in until late that day. On the second shoot day, the same artist never showed up to the next set. Ultimately, we ended up having to quickly shoot everything in hotel rooms. The artist wasn’t at all fazed. This came as quite a shock, because I know if I was in that position I’d be devastated. From my perspective, it seems that many artists in the genre view their videos as merely “content” rather than an extension of the song and this can lead to their videos all being very similar or repetitive. A common trick employed on low-budget rap videos is to flood the screen with visual effects and flashy transitions to take viewers’ attention away from lackluster concepts, production design, and cinematography. I’m not suggesting that using visual effects is never good idea, but they shouldn’t be used as a crutch in an otherwise generic or poorly executed video. It can be quite frustrating to reach that last resort. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Loste Films is a movie studio first and foremost. We’ve produced many successful films through our company and I have directed for other studios. I have also personally worked as a department head on practically every department of a movie set. This is what makes us stand out. When a client books us for a music video, they are getting the absolute best production value possible for their budget because they are working with a team that has executed complex productions and knows how to allocate a budget for maximum effectiveness. For anyone interested in creating a cinematic piece, there simply is no better fit than Loste Films. 

What are your plans for the future?
The future I see is one in which demand for movies skyrockets because they become a regular investment for businesses outside the film industry. There are signs that this is already beginning to happen. Take for instance, “A Recipe For Seduction”, a short film starring Mario Lopez and sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken. Regardless of how good or bad these films may be, I believe the trend will continue due to the increasing relevancy of online content to all businesses in the age of the internet. Advancements in technology will also continue to lower the cost of producing independent films. In these early stages, the music industry seems to be first logical place where this would become a new norm. It certainly has been done, but putting out a feature film alongside an album is still rare. I am actively seeking an opportunity to partner with an artist on a project like this. It would be a great way to spark more collaborations between the music and film scenes in Denver. 

As far as short term plans go, I will continue the tradition of screening some of the music videos I direct in theatres. We did this in 2021 during the Red Carpet premiere of my psychological thriller film “Sick”, hosted at Landmark’s Mayan Theatre and again at additional theatrical releases of the film. Seeing these music videos on the big screen is really cool because you’re able to see all the little details that may be missed when casually viewing on a phone or computer. We will definitely be showing some music videos at the premiere of Shooting Guard. I’ve done some of my best work in the music video space this year, so it will be very tough deciding what will make the cut. Another idea I’ve been tossing around is putting together a theatrical event based entirely around music videos. Sort of like a “greatest hits” of music videos that I’ve directed over my career thus far.

Contact Info:

• Email: luke@lostefilms.com
• Website: www.lostefilms.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukeostermiller/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lostefilms
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaDVm56zG7XlGla-d7tWafQ

Image Credits
Sabo Tapia
Alexa Mainwal
R. Scott Glasgow