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Trey Fanjoy: Working and Playing

Trey Fanjoy didn’t know what to expect when she came to Nashville in 1995 to visit Tammy Hyler, a close friend who was struggling to make it as a songwriter.

“Tammy and I had waited tables together in L.A.,” Fanjoy remembered. “She left to write songs. I absolutely fell in love with Nashville — what a cool city. So here we were, together, being young, fulfilling our dreams.”

And they turned those dreams into reality. Hyler started to write hits and Fanjoy built her reputation as a film director, especially her highly acclaimed Country Music videos. Today she is part of the creative team at Picture Vision Pictures and one of the hottest video directors in Nashville.

Fanjoy has directed videos for Brooks & Dunn, Emerson Drive, Lonestar, Alan Jackson, Montgomery Gentry, Loretta Lynn, Allison Moorer, Joe Nichols, Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Mark Wills, Chely Wright and Wynonna. Rock/pop clients include Hanson, Five for Fighting, Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker. Recent Country clips include Tracy Lawrence’s, “All How You Look at It” and Reba McEntire’s, “Somebody.”

Her accomplishments include being nominated six times for Billboard Music Video Awards (winning four including “Best New Artist Clip” for Billy Gilman’s “One Voice.”). She’s the recipient of two CMT Flame Worthy Awards for “Breakthrough Video of the Year” – Joe Nichols, “Brokenheartsville,” and “Fashion Plate Video of the Year” – Chely Wright, “Jezebel.” Fanjoy received two awards at the 2004 Nashville Film Festival for Best Music Video and Music Video Audience for “100 Years” by Five For Fighting.

Fanjoy also received her first CMA Awards Music Video of the Year nominations in 2004 for “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” with Jackson and Jimmy Buffett and Jackson’s “Remember When.” “The 38th Annual CMA Awards” will be broadcast live Tuesday, Nov. 9 (8:00-11:00 PM/EST) on the CBS Television Network.

Born and raised in the Carolinas, Fanjoy went to New York to study journalism. There she discovered theater and became a member of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater. A longing for sunshine took her to California, where she acted in film and television and began her career in film production.

“It seems like I’ve always been behind the camera,” Fanjoy said. “My brother is a very successful photographer — I learned a lot from him about lighting and shooting. It was an easy transition for me, going from photography to video. It’s still shooting people — the only difference is the images are moving.”

Fanjoy’s big break came with her “Amazed” video for Lonestar. It remained in the No. 1 spot for nine weeks on “CMT’s Most Wanted Live.”

“It was such a big record for both of us,” Fanjoy said. “The video helped the song become a big commercial success. It created a wonderful transition for the guys in Lonestar. And I got more attention as a director.” Shortly afterward, Fanjoy joined Picture Vision Pictures, based in Nashville.

Her videos have a distinctive, sensual style as featured in Brooks & Dunn’s “Ain’t Nothing About You” and Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You” and “Rainin’ on Sunday.”

“I’d call myself a modernist,” said Fanjoy. “I’m very much of the moment. But I also like to shake things up, work with new people, try different things. I’m always conscious of trying to step out and do things differently.”

Fanjoy is quick to point out that making a video is a collaborative art form. “It’s not just me,” she said adamantly. “There are so many elements involved. It’s almost ridiculous how many individual talents go into one clip.”

Urban went straight to Fanjoy to create his “Somebody Like You” video, which is featured in the Paramount Film, “How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days.” “That was a great compliment from Keith,” she said. “We were both in pivotal points in our careers. Of all the videos I’ve done, it was the best, creatively fulfilling experience. Usually when you conceive and shoot a video, it never turns out exactly the way you planned it. But this one did. And there was such a beautiful vibe on the set. We filmed in it Malibu Canyon and laughed all day long.”

“I first met Trey back in '95 when I was with The Ranch and she would come and hang out at Jack's Guitar Bar (in Nashville),” Urban said. “Since then we’ve done four videos together, one of my favorites being ‘Somebody Like You.’ She brings such a great vibe into her work, organic yet stylish. Trey has a wonderful spirituality about her and she has a great eye for detail. She truly loves art and the weirdos who make it and we love her for it.”

For Fanjoy, the more she emotionally connects with a track, the stronger her visual concept for the video. “I really connected with Keith’s songs,” she said. “Another one was Alan Jackson’s ‘Remember When.’ The first time I heard it, I cried. It hit me so hard emotionally that I had to set it aside for awhile.” Fanjoy even inserted a little bit of herself in the video, putting footage of her as a little girl being pushed on the swing by her brother.

Music is an important part of her life — in addition to being part of the Country Music scene, she dabbles in piano and guitar. Her boyfriend is Eddie Perez, guitarist for The Mavericks. “We’re wonderfully happy together,” she said.

Fanjoy just completed a Loretta Lynn video “Miss Being Mrs.,” from the Interscope Records Van Lear Rose CD, which was produced by Jack White of The White Stripes.

“It is an amazing CD,” said Fanjoy. “Loretta wrote all the songs. It’s got a great hillbilly garage-band sound.”

Current projects are videos for Martina McBride and Kid Rock and Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as a documentary on “border radio” from the 1930s-1950s, when outspoken American musicians went to Mexico to escape the censorship of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

“The biggest challenge in the video world,” she said, “is trying to do something different. Technology is moving at such a rapid pace. I keep experimenting with new techniques. And I spend lots of time on post-production.”

What does Fanjoy love most about her career? “Everything!” she said. “I get to combine film and music, my two greatest passions. Someone once said that the definition of success is not knowing if you are getting paid for working or playing — it doesn’t get much better than that.”

By Mark Crawford

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