Independent editor Taylor Ward served as the sole editor on No One Ever Really Dies’ collaboration with Rihanna on
Lemon. N.E.R.D is Pharrell Williams’ original group. The
Lemon video centers around one of Williams’ backup dancers, Mette Towley, who is given an opportunity to step into the limelight herself. Three different settings are featured — the first being an apartment/hotel location, where the dancer has her head shaved by Rihanna, symbolically setting her free to perform on her own.
The second setting is a dark, indoor flea market, where the dancer performs long, uninterrupted sequences as the camera sweeps around her. While there is almost no lip sync taking place, Ward says the choreography and its timing was very specific.
The third location is a stage where Towley performs in front of a curtain backdrop, covered in glitter and stylistically lit. Todd Tourso + Scott Cudmore directed the video, with Malik Sayeed serving as director of photography.
”I’m very proud of that video,” says Ward of its pacing. “As an audience member, I like things that are a bit slower, [but] as an editor, I have to make things ‘cutty.’ I really got to do what I want to do.”
While the majority of the video was shot using an Arri Alexa camera, there is also some Super 8 and VHS material integrated into it too. Lemon was edited using Adobe Premiere Pro.