Playlist: Life Garland

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

Donald Glover a.k.a Childish Gambino - This is America. One of Nina Simone’s famous quotes is, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times" and I think he did just that in his satiric depiction of gun violence and police brutality against Blacks in America. 

It’s a video layered with subtext, deep meaning and is unapologetic in it’s approach.

What’s the first music video you remember being impressed by?

I was most impressed by the Michael Jackson - Scream video. This video holds the Guinness book of world records as the most expensive video ever made coming in at 7M. 

I was lucky enough to P.A on that set and for the first time I was introduced to the idea of scale, scope and dynamic visual effects. The set’s were mesmerizing up close and felt like the perfect frame to encompass both Michael and Janet’s other worldly talent.

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

Too many to name but Chris Cunningham's video for Bjork - All is full of Love stands out to me. I remember Joseph Kahn and I would study this video  frame by frame. We would geek out like that sometimes at his house. The mentor and the mentee. He taught me a lot about editing progressions and the intricacies of lighting technique.

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

Kerry James Marshall, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Spike Jonze, Joseph Kahn, Hype Williams and Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X in no particular order.

What are you listening to at the moment? 

Prince, Sade, Drake, Busta Rhymes and The Weekend.

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

Voice memo’s on my iPhone. It’s replaced the pen and pad on my bedside table for those creative thoughts that jolt you out of a deep sleep. 

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

I’d love to work with Childish Gambino because he is a creative genius beyond just music. He exudes passion and excellence as a performer and entertainer. Plus he just seems like he’d be fun to work with.

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

It’s become more visually stimulating due to innovation in technology.