"Crazy week, about to leave for two weeks on a Honda commercial shoot so hope this works for you. ~ Best, Jonny," was the brief and cheery note our friend Jon Leone attached to his answers to our Q&A. Jon has been a neighbor, (quite literally two doors down), for a little over a year now. We have yet to meet his flat-mate/girlfriend, despite seeing her on the street many times. She looks friendly, but Brooklyn doesn't have that Mid-western "let's be friends because we saw each other on the street" attitude. We have, however, had the chance to share a beer here and again with her boyfriend, the young and very talented film-maker. Jon, who shares a few mutual friends and is quite friendly, has worked with some of the most relevant names in recent independent music, including Dungen and Animal Collective. Read on to find out what Jon had to say about Gatorade and the creative process!

JON LEONE

bad.neighbors. You've done a couple of pretty notable videos in the last couple of years in Dent May's "Meet Me In The Garden", Animal Collective's "Fireworks", and one for Dungen. Where and how did you get started doing music videos?

jon leone. I went to the Art Institute of Chicago in the mid-90's which happened to be an incredible time for music in that city. I was fortunate enough to start working with people who were making this creative music. Between being in that company and having visual interests I met music video.

b.ns. Who was your first?

j.l. I always made videos for friends bands or music that inspired me, so there is an archive of unofficial videos of the Chicago post-rock ilk. While the official videos really did not happen until I moved to New York City. Examples of unofficial early music videos would be Tortoise, Fennesz, Oval. Examples of official videos being Animal Collective, Beach House, Dent May.

b.ns. I know that you used to work for NBC, right? What did you do there?

j.l. Video editor, basically logging footage of humans making bad decisions which was usually violent murders in sensational ways. An occasional miracle.

b.ns. Where are you originally from? How long have you lived in New York?

j.l. Chicago. New York, 6 years

b.ns. What kind of creative process do you go through when putting the concept of a video together?

j.l. Slam a 32oz Gatorade...see what happens.

b.ns. Where do you do most of your work—home, studio, office, on the road?

j.l. Mostly work from home studio, occasional production facility and travel for shoots.

b.ns. What are Dent May, Dungen, and Animal Collective like? Any good stories you feel at liberty to tell?

j.l. The artists have always been great to work with. Dungen was a commissioned video, so no interaction there, while Animal Collective was more personal as I worked with them on a few projects during the Strawberry Jam days. Dent May, being a more recent one, sticks out. We traveled to Taylor, Mississippi, where he lives and had a blast. We shot one scene in a trailer that had a jacuzzi. Meanwhile, a healthy mix of local folk also packed in the trailer to observe the shoot so it turned into a bizarre party.

b.ns. How long does it normally take you to shoot and finish a video?

j.l. Most videos take about a month [pre-production/production/edit/post]. I do all the post production which is typically the most involved part of the process for me. Isolation time allows me to shape it where I see fit.

b.ns. Any upcoming projects you can or want to talk about?

j.l. Upcoming projects: art making, new music video discussions and a Honda commercial.

b.ns. Anything else that you're particularly proud of?

j.l. Johnnie's Beef in Chicago. (Pictured above).

And that, in 1,000 words or less, is Jon Leone. Make sure to check out his reel at www.jonleone.com and keep an eye out for his future work. And any bands out there looking for a director, we recommend calling Jon first.