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Co-Director of Beyoncé's "Countdown" Video Tells All

Adria Petty breaks down the clip's pop-culture references and praises Bey's team.

Beyoncé's "Countdown" video may not be the best video of all time (sorry, Yeezy), but we can all agree that's it's a whole lot of fun to watch. The high-energy clip shows a baby-bumped Bey paying tribute to classic pop-culture icons and milestones, from the Supremes to Audrey Hepburn to West Side Story. The co-director, Adria Petty, recently opened up to MTV about the video.

"I brought Beyoncé a number of references and we picked some out together. Most were German modern-dance references, believe it or not," she said, calling the shoot "an evolving, spontaneous process."

"The references were then dispersed to [Beyoncé's] creative team (hair, makeup, wardrobe), and they interpreted them on the set in their own special way," Petty continued. "Of course, one of the strongest wardrobe references was Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face, when she does the beatnik dance scene. I think a lot grew from there."

Petty gives a lot of credit for the video, shot over a few months in various New York City warehouses, to Beyoncé's talented team. "The shoot was great," she says. "We had a number of brilliant dancers and musicians and a top-notch crew. Beyoncé brings in a number of her own people who are so hardworking. Our video was the fourth they had shot in five days. I love the creative team that works with Beyoncé because they can roll with anything and keep smiling. Everyone was really upbeat and excited because we all love the track and the opportunity to work with Beyoncé so much."

 

To check out the full interview, go to MTV.

(Photo: Columbia Records)

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