I’d like to be buried in your colour palette. You have a very distinctive filmic language and aesthetic. Please tell us how this evolved from when you first realized you wanted to make films to your latest fabulous film for Hercules and Love Affair.
Thank you! My style of work is very DIY. I’ve always loved messing around with cameras and experimenting with different visual styles. Mixed media has always been a big part of my work. I don’t like feeling restricted to a singular look. I love colliding different formats and juxtaposing different techniques. Rejoice demanded a flamboyantly colourful aesthetic and a free-flow of shooting styles. It was a challenge to edit, but I hope the imagery does justice to the wonderful louder-than-life characters we featured.
What was the most challenging part of making Rejoice?
I guess the most challenging part of making Rejoice was also the most fun. I travelled to Holland and Germany with Andy to shoot the second half of the video with his good friends, drag artists Cybersissy and BayBjane. They are two of the most wonderful and welcoming people you could ever hope to meet and their work is astounding.
I travelled with a suitcase full of cameras and we spent a long weekend with them, hopping around Europe by train. We didn’t have a shooting schedule, but we had a rough idea of what we wanted to capture. It was tough thinking on our feet and shooting in new locations every day. But that weekend was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Was there ever a moment when you made introspective b&w films?
Yes. I’ve made way too many. I’m working on another one right now.
Did you study film or learn on the job?
I studied English Literature at UCL. I started making short films and music videos with my friends there. We were all finding our feet, learning on the job. It was liberating to work with so many driven, multi-disciplinary creatives.
What is it about music videos that appeals to you – is it open briefs or the collaborative nature of working with musicians? Would you like to make other genres?
It’s a little of everything. I love working with other artists and I really enjoy the relative freedoms music videos allow. Although I came into filmmaking as a writer and storytelling has always been my focus. I’m in the process of writing a new script. That’s something I’m very keen to pursue in the long term.
Please tell us about your creative process – how do you go about writing narratives and then developing them into your short films and videos.
It’s often mad stressful and I beat myself up a lot, but I find the entire process incredibly rewarding. Writing can get lonely, but I love collaborating with other artists throughout production. Filmmaking is such a team effort and I’m lucky that I get to work with some of my best friends. It never really feels like work.
Links
