Machine Magazine Interview For May Issue 2009 (Translated)
1. If you were to describe the passing year in couple of sentances, what would it be?
2008 was a year of extremes. My second project of the year saw me making my first Pop video for Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl (nominated for five MTV Music Video Awards) but then just went dead. It became terribly quiet and with a strong sense of industry insecurity with the budget average dropping to an all time low, I did feel a little nervous and frustrated with the lack of work until suddenly I found myself making five videos in a row back to back for artists such as James Blunt, Will Young and newcomer La Roux. I haven’t had a day off in three months so I’m really looking forward to having some time off over Christmas.
2. Favourite film, record, book from 2008?
Coen Brothers „No Country For Old Men“ /The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, MGMT-MGMT, Gommorrah-Roberto Saviano
3. You made a great progress since the award winning Kate Nash’s „Foundations“ video. James Blunt, Katy Perry, Will Young – do you feel like being sucked in by the pop music machine?
Not at all. It was an envitable step in the right direction to move towards Pop. It has stimulated and excited me to be working with a new audience, a budget of greater flexibility and working with artists that are true professionals. It’s been a pleasure to make these projects.
4. Who was the best to work with so far?
Katy Perry really wowed me with her natural performance ability, James Blunt was lovely and unobtrusive and Will Young was an absoulete charmer. La Roux was most exciting however, I predict she’s going to be massive in 2009.
5. Have you refused directing a video to anyone?
I get offers that I may refuse because I believe I’m not right for the project or if the music/artist doesn’t excite me. You can’t make a good video for an artist you don’t understand.
6. As a young director, do you think that you’ve already found your own place in the music/ film business? Is it harder for a young women to be respected for her work?
I’m not sure I’ve found my own place but I do make a living from making videos and I know that can be unusal especially in the industry‘s current budget crisis. I am recognized in my industry but similalrily it could all change tomorrow. I don’t think it’s more difficult to get work being a female director (we are so rare it can be a bonus), but I do sometimes think women are more likely to be negatively critiqued by men who might be envious of their position.
7. Do you have certain rules in your work that you will never break?
I don’t follow rules but I do always try to make the most of the project despite the unique and sometimes diffcult circumstances.
8. What are the five things that you can’t live without?
My phone, computer, the internet, my parents and my boyfriend.
9. Do you remember your actual first time behind the camera? How did you feel back then? When was it?
Yes I made a short film to my friend’s music. My other friend was working as a focus puller and aspiring to become a cinematographer so we collected lots of off cuts of 16mm film and stole his work’s film camera on the weekend to shoot. I didn’t really know what I was doing back then but it was a rush to be behind the camera lens.
10. What’s your order in making the videos? What comes first, what comes last?
I’m sent a track and budget. I come up with an idea, write a treatment, it gets sent back to band/label/manager/commissioner. If they like they sign off, Partizan assign me a producer, we begin pre-production (usually one week), shoot, edit, grade, conform and deliver. If they don’t like the treatment then it goes to another director.
11. How would you describe your style? What’s the most important for you before you start working?
I’m not sure I have a distincitive style but because there aren’t many women out there I guess my work stands out. I am very visual so I love colour and art direction and always work with a strict colour palette. Making mood boards is very enjoyable, I like to see all the components visually together on a page. The most important thing is to secure a solid production team. A great DP, Gaffer, 1st AD, Art Director, Wardrobe etc. when I get my favourite crew, I relax as they are like family now.
12. When you think about the concept for the video do you always think of it as for a short form or do you try to film as much as you can and afterwards shape it into a 3 or 4-minute video?
It depends on the music, the artist, what the label want etc. Sometimes you get the track with a brief that asks for a performance video rather than a narrative. It means we can be creative in other ways…light the shots more dramatically, move the camera in a cool way or over dramatize the performances and embrace the ‘diva’. If we shoot a narrative, this is always a harder thing to do as today’s budgets can only ever allow for a one-day shoot and this is not ideal when you are working with locations. We always shoot as much as we can in the day and work with what we got.
13. Do you pay attention to the genre and the energy of the music when you make a video? Or you like to play with different styles and make the result as surprising as possible?
I listen to the music, I consider the brief or what is the best way to market the artist, I consider the budget and what constraints we have and try to be inspired by an idea that is fresh to make the best end result.
14. Have you already got calls from record labels saying that they have a new artist that they have to „sell” well and they need you to make a video which would draw attention and sell the product? What would you say in those cases?
Of course. My rep gets these calls often and if the music is amazing and the artist is predicted to get big, I may want to get in there quickly like I did with La Roux, Ladyhawke and Kate Nash. I did their first video in hope we would make more together. I must choose carefully because low budget is awfully exhausting.
15. Do you compete with other directors? Look at their work? Meet and swap ideas?
Every time I pitch (unless it’s a single bid) I’m competing against other directors but there is no sense of rivalry between us really. It’s such a cut throat industry already, there is no need to make it harder for ourselves. We are each-others biggest support network but I think swapping ideas would be taking it too far. You don’t want to see your ideas in someone elses’s treatment. Of course there are websites where you can view work but sadly I’m barely watching other peoples vids these days as I just don’t have the time.
16. With so many Polish people in London, do you sometimes hear Polish music, go to the concerts of Polish artists? Managed to visit Poland since moving from Australia?
I’ve been to Poland a few times since moving to London. I was born in Krakow and it is my favourite city. I went to a wedding there this year and it was a delight to be reuinted with my culture. Sadly I don’t really have any Polish friends in London, nor even as many Australian ones for that matter. It’s just so happened that I have mostly English friends and thus I’m pretty out of touch what’s happening in the Polish music industry today.
17. Even Wikipedia writes that you’ve been dating James Righton of the Klaxons. Do you talk about your private life at all? So how did you meet? Would you consider making the video for the Klaxons in the future?
Yes, I’m shy so I don’t like to boast about my boyfriend. I would much rather he was an accountant or something ordinary so he wouldn’t always be away on tour. He really loves being in a band so I support what he does, but it’s not fun when he is away all the time. Saam Farahmand introduced us a couple of years ago but I don’t think I can make a video for Klaxons. Mainly because of Saam, everything they’ve done together has been amazing –they are a perfect match. Also even if there was ever the opportunity, I don’t think it’d be fair on James, should the rest of the band dislike what I did.
18. What are your plans for next year?
I’d like to focus more on film and travel a bit more. I hope I can focus more on branching away from videos and see my family when they visit in the summer.
