What happens in Vegas with the Jonas Brothers turns into an undergrad’s big hit

When the
Jonas Brothers
decided they needed a stylish music video to pair with the more sophisticated music and image they’re crafting now that their Disney Channel days are over, they turned to a Chapman University student.

And that’s how Daniel Iglesias Jr. ’14 ended up spending a whirlwind weekend in Las Vegas directing and filming the brothers and 20 of their friends hanging out at Planet Hollywood, zipping around the streets of Sin City and making splashy fun at a pool party chock full of gorgeous people. The result was the hit music video for the Jonas Brothers single
The First Time
.

“It was organized chaos,” says Iglesias, a senior screen acting major from Moorpark, Calif, who runs a production company he started with business partner Zack Sekular. And Iglesias loved every minute of it.

“It was crazy in a lot of good ways and in a lot of ways I didn’t expect. First and foremost, when you’re working with high-profile artists, you start to get a lot of cooks in the kitchen,” he says. “But that’s the name of the game, and I think I’m up for it.”

Indeed, Iglesias already has a proven track record in music videos. As a
screen acting
major, he is trained to work in both the technical and performance sides of the business. So when friends started an alternative band called The Neighborhood, he considered signing on to perform vocals but decided to focus on school and producing, creating a few short video pieces for the band. When band members were ready for a full video, he promised to step back in.

Before long, The Neighborhood was ready, and Iglesias created a strikingly moody and atmospheric video for their song
Sweater Weather
. The song took off, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s alternative chart in early 2013, bringing Iglesias and his partner along for the chart-climbing ride. The video now has more than 2.5 million views on YouTube.

Among the video’s admirers were Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas. When Iglesias and his partner met to discuss the video they would make for
First Time
, the brothers pointed to their favorite scenes from
Sweater Weather
and emphasized that they wanted to incorporate that aesthetic into their new video, Iglesias says. Thus began a great working relationship.

“They are very down to earth, very hard-working,” he says.

Now Iglesias is busy with senior projects and continuing to create videos for The Neighborhood. After graduation he says he will add acting auditions – “the whole grind” — to his routine. But for now he’s enjoying the rush of success.

“I feel very fortunate,” he says. “I can’t say that enough.”