Bradley Calder is one of the panelists for the 2025 SXSW “Building
an Artist: Crafting a Brand Through Visual Identity” panel where the
most respected visionaries in Hollywood will be sharing their insight and experiences.
The panel is to be hosted in Austin, TX on March 11, 2025, and will be moderated by Charlotte Woodhead, Managing Director & Executive Producer at CANADA LA. Senior Vice President and Visual Creative at Interscope Records, Andrew Ibea, will also be serving on the panel along with CANADA Director and Co-Founder, Lope Serrano. More details on how to attend the panel can be viewed at the bottom of this article.
Bradley Calder’s time in Los Angeles started at the young age of 18 when he had the dream to pursue a career in writing, directing, or acting.
He quickly found himself behind-the-scenes editing videos for YouTube stars, just to stay afloat amongst the chaos of Hollywood. This experience turned into fashion videography/photography and creative directing, all while harnessing the remaining eagerness to pursue his dreams. Calder then went on to meet various musicians, did photography for them, and was graciously invited to direct music videos after being asked to offer expertise for stage design from his past experiences.
“I think the only way to become a creative director is to be able to add a bunch of different tools to your belt,” Calder says.
He spent a lot of time developing many skills, ranging from graphic design to fashion styling, and had opportunities later down the road where he was able to apply what he knew with some of Hollywood’s biggest artists.
When asked what the creative process was like when working with such artists, Bradley Calder says, “It’s a very holistic approach… It’s a lot of spending time with the artist to get to know them on a personal level so I can digest that and understand who they are, what they want to say to the world, and how they want to say it truthfully.” After learning who the person is, he then works with them to create a game plan to tell their story, which leads to recruiting people for niche areas such as photography and styling. Calder emphasizes that to keep the vision and energy in alignment with the artist’s taste, each visionary on set must “speak the same visual and emotional language” as the artist themself. “I pride myself on being able to connect with artists that I’ve worked with… I think getting to know the person behind the artist is super important to do the most honest and true work,” Calder says.
He’s worked with generational talents, he says, such as SZA, Jean Dawson, and Tate McRae, whose recent album release So Close To What hit #1 on Billboard 200.
“I’m just happy to be there in any capacity to help facilitate and amplify their truth to the world.” says Calder.
“Any and all things,” Bradley Calder says when reflecting on his inspiration sources for projects. His curiosity in the industry began by studying art history in Los Angeles to learn from the past and see what he can modernize for the work he's doing today. Calder analyzes everything in artistic pop-culture in a historical timeline—he views the work he’s doing right now as a chapter in future art history books. Calder states he looks at everything that makes its way into his creative line of vision from all angles; between fashion, music, politics, and design, to try to convey a contemporary image that honors the artist’s background that tells a digestible story into the world. He mentions a specific example with successful Canadian artist Tate McRae. “We really wanted to play into the truth of her upbringing… She grew up around hockey games and rodeos, so a lot of our imagery was influenced by that.” Calder says.
The quickly-approaching panel hosted by CANADA LA in Austin is very diverse, which sheds light on their “own prolific aspects of this industry”, Bradley Calder says, and describes fellow panelists such as Andrew Ibea, Lope Serrano, and Charlotte Woodhead.
`Ibea, SVP of Visual Creative at Interscope Geffen A&M Records, leads creativity within the team and oversees visual production across many platforms such as music videos and packaging designs. He is praised for his efforts to shape the personal brand of popular artists such as Eminem and Finneas, while managing upcoming artists, such as KATSEYE, as they step foot into the creative industry. Serrano, the Co-Founder of said production company CANADA, is a director known for his experience in commercial work, short films, and music videos. His most prestigious work includes the production of both Tame Impala’s The Less I Know The Better and Dua Lipa’s Physical music videos, which have earned him global recognition in terms of visionary storytelling. Woodhead, Managing Executive Producer at CANADA LA, curates respectable directing talents and oversees high-profile commercial productions. She can be credited on music video productions for Amy Winehouse and Pharell Williams, and award-winning campaign films for brands such as Nike and Louis Vuitton.
Calder’s current career mission is very different from each panelist – he describes himself as the “mayor” of each creative he works with, as he wears a multitude of hats to fit the need of each area of expertise on set. This ranges from consulting with the artists themselves about fashion styling and working with the management team for marketing and finance purposes. “My job is kind of to make sure everyone feels happy and supported, and creatively fulfilled… My role on the panel is being the person in the middle; to wear all of the hats and to make sure the train stays on the tracks.” says Bradley Calder, when foreshadowing his experience on the panel. He says he wants people to ask questions and have a conversation about the experiences everyone has had. He is excited to share what creative projects in Hollywood look like from the inside, how operations work, and what each panelist’s predictions are for the future of entertainment trending upwards. “We have a pretty robust amount of spaces of mind on this panel; I think we are going to give some pretty good insight into the state of the industry and where we think the next generation of music marketing and image creation is going to go,” Calder concludes.
A Word From Charlotte Woodhead
“In this panel, we’re excited to bring together three different perspectives, each with a unique set of experiences working with global superstars like Dua Lipa, Tate McRae, Katseye, Eminem and Tame Impala. We'll be exploring the creative process behind high-profile collaborations, the challenges of navigating the balance between artistic integrity and commercial demands, and share behind-the-scenes stories that rarely get told.
Each panelist will offer insights into what it’s really like to work at the top level of the industry, from managing the logistics of big projects to finding ways to maintain authentic creative vision in the face of global success. I’ve really enjoyed exploring the different perspectives and themes that make up this panel. When deciding on the focus of the panel, we had several directions we could have taken, but we ultimately chose to dive into the process and the machine behind it all.
This panel is an invaluable opportunity to lift the curtain on the music industry, revealing the intricacies and strategies that often remain behind closed doors. Our goal is to offer a real, unfiltered look at what goes into working with global superstars and building a successful brand for an artist. Whether you're curious about the industry, looking to take your own steps within it, or aiming to build your visual identity as an artist, this discussion will provide key insights and actionable takeaways to help you along your journey.”
Additional Panel Information (from CANADA LA directly):
Panel Name: Building an Artist: Crafting A Brand Through Visual Identity
Date: March 11, 2025
Time: 11:30 -12:30 PM CT
Location: Austin Convention Center, Room 18AB, SXSW 2025
xoxo, Mia Linder, Creative Projects Coordinator
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