In the late 90s, if an artist wanted to bend reality, they hired Michel Gondry. But to actually build those impossible, mind-bending sets, they relied on his First Assistant Director: François Nemeta.

This week on The Music Video Guy Podcast, Maui and Carla sit down with the legendary French filmmaker. It all started when François casually dropped into our Instagram comments to correct our breakdown of Massive Attack's "Protection"—and it led to one of our favorite conversations yet.

We trace his incredible journey from a teenage music video obsessive staying up late to watch MTV, to tracking down Gondry at a Oui Oui concert, to eventually directing the definitive visual anthem of the French House era: Modjo’s "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)."

In this episode, we discuss:

• • The Origin Story: How a late-night music video broadcast led to a lifelong creative partnership with Michel Gondry.

  • The "Sick Child" Theory: Why Gondry refuses to throw away a "bad" idea, and how François adopted (and adapted) that philosophy for his own sets.

  • Finding His Own Voice: How François stepped out of Gondry's shadow of "robotic puzzles and mechanics" to pioneer his own naturalistic, atmospheric style for bands like Kings of Convenience and Modjo.

  • Industry Survival: Why saying "no" to clients gets easier with age, and François’s ultimate advice for young film students trying to break into the industry today.

Plus, François reveals which music video he would put in a time capsule to represent the golden era of French creativity.

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