Exclusive: Beyonce Director Takes Us Behind the Scenes of "Partition"

Jake Nava has worked with Beyonce for 12 years, and it's time he does not take for granted. Most recently, he directed three videos for Beyonce's visual album: "Partition," "***Flawless" and "Grown Woman." In the behind-the-scenes video above—which Fuse is thrilled to exclusively premiere today—Nava tracks the diverse process behind creating the world’s first visual album.

“I think Beyonce has a really good instinct for how she wants to be presented," Nava says while discussing "Partition," the clip which finds Beyonce exploring her most risqué self. "Now more than ever she’s famous for becoming a mom [but] that doesn’t stop you from being the sexiest woman you can be.” Jay-Z was on tour at the time of the shoot, so the luxury car scene they filmed together had to be done quickly—he was performing in London but the video was shot in Paris. There were police escorts waiting to take him to a helicopter the minute cameras stopped rolling!

As for the “Grown Woman" clip, Nava admits that all the footage of Bey as a teen—complete with Tommy Hilfiger jersey and bedroom dancing scene—was filmed in the present day. Expert costume and art direction allowed the footage to feel vintage. Channeling her inner goddess, Bey was able to revisit her adolescence, her acting abilities shining through the reenactments of home videos.

Lastly Nava discusses “***Flawless,” the most spontaneous of the bunch. Nava explains that the video was inspired by 2 Tone nightclubs from the '80's—punks and rude boys all dancing together with Beyonce as their queen. Much of the video was filmed by hand, because as Nava puts it, “Sometimes when things are planned, they can be less exciting to watch.”

When asked why he continues to work with Beyonce, Nava smiles at the camera and says, “She’s still clearly one of the most interesting and talented artists in the world.”

Bow down.