Thom Oliphant: A Native Son Makes Good in Nashville

our team, we'll be looking forward to forming lasting relationships with record labels, managers and artists in Country Music and beyond with directors of this caliber."

"I have known Sam, David, Patricia and Missy at DNA for years," Oliphant said. "I admire (and have longed to be a part of) the kind of dynamic creative mix and rock solid reputation DNA has nurtured. To be under the guidance of what I think is the strongest team in music video, especially now during this next chapter in my career, is incredibly energizing. It makes me feel like the sky's the limit."

Oliphant's film career brought him back home to Nashville, where he was born and raised. Growing up, Oliphant was a southern rock fan and played bass in several bands.

"I actually got into Country through alternative bands like Jason and the Scorchers and Rank and File," Oliphant said. "They were doing some great Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb covers. Even the Stray Cats - they re-energized rockabilly and had some definite Country influences. All these guys brought me back to Country."

Oliphant attended Baylor University, where he graduated with a degree in finance. He worked as the program director for Baylor's radio station and began promoting bands in Austin and Dallas. He also began exploring film.

"To make some extra money, I worked on some horror/slasher movies, but it was enough to hook me on the whole creative process," said Oliphant, who went to graduate school in Syracuse. During his studies he was drawn to the highly visual, colorful music documentaries of the late 1960s, such as the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter." "I knew right then that this was the path I wanted to follow," Oliphant added.

He began working on the fringes of the music business in Los Angeles and Nashville, where he met Goldmann and immersed himself in what was then the hottest music video scene in the country.

"All these veteran directors were working here, and I was the new kid," Oliphant said. "Being around these guys was fascinating. They were more experienced than I was and really knew how to work with the artists and all the filmmaking tools. I learned a lot."

His big break came when he shot Martina McBride's "Wild Angels," which was nominated for CMA Video of the Year in 1996 and won a Gold Clio and a Silver Telly Award. "I think it set me apart from a lot of the directors, who were doing story-based videos," Oliphant said. "My work was more image-driven - building a core image idea and having everything else in the video connect back to that. It was really quite different for Nashville at the time."

Music videos should explode like a supernova, Oliphant believes. "You have three minutes to get the message across, and then it's over," he said. "It has to catch fire, it has to blaze, in that short of period of time. It's not like making movies, where you have more time to develop a mood."

Thom Oliphant: A Native Son Makes Good in Nashville

By Mark Crawford

He's not as famous as his clients, but Thom Oliphant's talents as a music video director and television producer are in high demand by some of Nashville's biggest stars and record labels. Oliphant is the creative force behind the videos for Terri Clark's "The World Needs a Drink" and Brad Paisley's "Mud on the Tires." Other hit videos include "Wide Open Spaces" and "There's Your Trouble" by the Dixie Chicks, Aaron Lines' "You Can't Hide Beautiful" and Keith Urban's "It's a Love Thing."

Oliphant doesn't just do videos - he also creates commercials, live concert films and television shows. In 2002, he produced and directed two films ("Star" and "This Moment in Country") for the opening of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. In 2003, he completed the Universal Records documentary/concert film "Alive at Brushy Mountain." Currently he is directing and producing several television specials for CMT/MTV Networks, including CMT's "We Love These Bars," "CMT Greatest Road Trips," "CMT's 40 Sexiest," "CMT's 20 Sexiest Men and 20 Sexiest Women," and "Twenty Greatest Bands."

August 2, 2005

In February, Oliphant signed on with David Nayor & Associates (DNA), a commercial and music video production company in Hollywood. He and Steven Goldmann closed their production company, The Collective LLC, and turned over the reins to DNA to handle representation and production.

"I've always been a huge fan of both of these guys, and I was so glad when each of them agreed to join DNA - with no hesitation. I'm looking forward to the work we'll be doing together," said Sam Aslanian, Vice President of DNA.

"I am thrilled to be working with Thom and Steven," said Missy Galanida, Executive Producer with DNA. "Their reputation and quality of work is consistent with the DNA philosophy of production. With Thom and Steven as part of

"My job is to make women look as beautiful as possible, and make the guys be the coolest icons ever," Oliphant continued. One of his best methods to do that is skillful use of color. Oliphant's colors are amazingly vivid - for example, check out Allison Moorer's sizzling "Set You Free" video. "This was also my first really sexy video in Nashville," he said. "It also led to more videos for stars like Jo Dee Messina, Lee Ann Womack, and the Dixie Chicks (Oliphant's "Wide Open Spaces" video won CMA Video of the Year Award in 1999)."

Time constraints are the toughest part of the video business, Oliphant said.

"The turnaround has to be quick," he said. "At most I have two days with an artist. I have to make good camera

decisions, because the clock is ticking and every shot counts."

Oliphant is excited about the increase in longer video projects in Nashville.

The traditional video timeline is short: an artist cuts the song, the video gets shot, runs on CMT, GAC and regional video outlets, and then it disappears.

"Now, with DVD, cable and broadband downcasts, there's a wider audience, which means the concept of the video doesn't have to be so constrained," Oliphant said. "There's more room to do longer treatments. It could even develop into a reality series on TV, sort of like what Big & Rich is doing with MusikMafia."

One of his long-term goals will be coming true later this year when he directs the movie "The Mountain." "It's a fable about small-town America," Oliphant said. "A serious drama about dissolving family values, how small towns struggle to survive, how destructive drugs like crystal meth are - sort of a 2005 version of Steve Earle's Copperhead Road CD."

Oliphant is thankful for his career.

"I feel blessed to be able to work with these artists and help them convey the meanings of their songs," Oliphant said. "For me personally, it doesn't get much better than testing the boundaries of what I can do creatively, and I hope I can do this for real long time."

On the Web: www.dnala.com

® 2005 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Thom Oliphant and the Dixie Chicks win the '99 CMA Music Video of the Year

courtesy of Thom Oliphant