Playlist: Fran Healy

What’s the best promo you’ve seen recently and why?

Run The Jewels - Ooh LA LA... because the effects are off the chart and are so good you don't even know they're there.

What’s the first promo you remember being impressed by?

Michael Jackson - Thriller. I had to reserve it from the video rental shop and wait 3 weeks to get it. It was on Betamax! 

I watched it on repeat the whole weekend. I was 9 or 10 when it came out. My mind was blown. Still one of the greatest promos.

And what’s your all-time favourite music video?

I grew up in the golden age of promo. Glazer, Romanek, Cunningham, Ledwidge, Williams, Corbijn, Jonze. Record companies also had budget. 

it’s difficult to say which music video is my favorite though... There are too many outstanding moments. 

What other directors/artists do you look to for inspiration?

I love the work of Douglas Gordon, William Eggleston, Edward Hopper, and Lucy Stein.

What are you listening to at the moment?

I'm listening to Bert Jansch singing strolling down the highway as I write this.

What’s your favourite bit of tech, whether for professional or personal use? 

I'm enjoying the iPad app Procreate immensely.  Their UI is exceptional. Apple’s pencil is also an incredible tool. 

What artist(s) would you most like to work with and why? 

A few years ago I was planning to make a documentary about the New York street artist Richard Hambelton but was beaten to it. Then he passed away. 

My friend Johnny T let Richard use the back room of his bar Black and White as a studio. He was the original New York street artist. An incredible human.

How do you feel the promo industry has changed since you started in it? 

I feel like it’s been flooded. Much like the music they visualize, it’s very easy to make a music video now so there is a lot of it. And YouTube has a very undiscerning eye. 

I think there are as many great promos out there now as there were in the 90’s. It’s just almost impossible to find them in the ocean of content we are currently swirling in.