PIG magazine interview for April Issue 2009 (translated)
INTERVISTA KINGA BURZA
Hi Kinga! How are you?
Hello. I’m nice thank you. It’s terribly cold here in London but I’m surviving by staying wrapped up and indoors as much as possible.
What are you doing these days? Are you working or are you enjoying a little bit of relax?
I’m actually enjoying a little downtime at the moment. I began the new year with making La Roux’s latest video for “In For The Kill” but also with a resolution in mind to designate more time towards reading books and watching films. I worked on five jobs back to back at the end of last year and I didn’t have time really to watch a film unless it was in Fast forward, just to look for references! It left me dry and hungry for stimulus, so I guess you can say I’m using the cold winter months to hibernate and catch up.
You are one of the few successful women in the videoclip sector (among many others, you’re the first woman I chose to interview). Why do you think it is a universe full of men?
Ah Thank you! I’m not sure exactly. It’s really strange! there are many female producers which is a role that equally demands as much responsibility so it doesn’t really make sense to me. I hope I am a role model to any aspiring young female filmmakers. If there is something you want to do, you just got to do it regardless of the statistics.
Could you tell me the name of a woman doing your same job that you admire? And why?
I’ve always loved Floria sigismondi’s work. She comes from a photographic background and her videos always translate a look typical of hers, which feels like she has had the luxury of spending too much time experimenting in a darkroom. I believe she is currently working on a film about the runaways, which sounds terribly exciting!
I know you’re Pole. Does your family still live there? How old were you when you moved away?
I was born in Krakow but my parents immigrated to Australia when I was one so I’ve never really experienced what it’s like to live in Poland. My parents still live in Sydney while the rest of my family (uncles, cousins, grandmas etc.) are still in Poland.
You were born in Poland, you studied in Australia and then you moved to London. Which city do you feel more as your own? Why?
I guess I’ve always felt culturally confused. In Australia my Polish upbringing made me feel unlike anyone else and in Poland I always felt so Australian. It is in London within a cocktail of cultures from across the globe, I feel most at home.
Could you tell me how you started doing videoclips?
I’ve always been quite obsessed with music videos since I was really young but I guess it wasn’t really a career path I expected was really ever possible. It only began with the intention of teaching myself basic filmmaking by making videos for my friends in bands, until one day my little hobby on the side got serious when Partizan asked if they could put me on their books.
Which kind of director are you on set? Are you formal or laidback and friendly?
I think I’m always trying to make everyone happy and feel comfortable but on the inside I’m a stress-head, after not having slept the week before the shoot and trying to fit in a mammoth shot list in the limited time on the day, there is always your own pressure hovering over you to get everything in your head on film before time runs out.
How do you schedule your work on set?
I have a first Assistant Director that will help me with the timings of a schedule, but very often we will shoot out of order as time is always so limited on our the day. Moving the camera or changing the lighting can really eat into our schedule so we will plan the timings and order beforehand to allow for the most productive shoot possible.
Do you prefer working alone or do you have a team which has been working with you since you started doing this job?
I always come up with ideas privately and write my own treatments but once a job is confirmed a producer begins to organise the shoot while I create mood boards, story-boards, shot lists etc. On the shoot day we always gather a wonderful team of crew that all collectively contribute to the filming on the day. This is how I like it. I really can’t imagine how sharing a directorial role with anyone else would work for me!
Could you tell me what you consider your best video clip? And why?
I think Kate Nash’s “Foundations” as it won A Young Gun Award as well as best Pop Video at the 2008 British Music Video Awards which was pretty cool as these are the only prizes I’ve ever won, since a winning a drawing competition when I was seven.
Which one are you more fond of? And why?
I’m particularly proud of The Teenagers “Homecoming”, Ladyhawke’s “Back Of the Van” and La Roux’s “Quicksand”. These were all ridiculously low budget and thus difficult to pull off. I sweated night and day to make these work, pulled favours out of my ears and refused to accept that the lack of financial freedom was going to affect the end result and so I’m proud of what we achieved, because it was really hard!
Many of your “colleagues” I interviewed told me that they are still working with a low budget, although they have realized a good number of videos, but this doesn’t bother them because they have the possibilty to express their most creative part. Is it the same for you?
Yes and No. Ultimately it’s about the music for me so if I really love the track (like I did with La Roux or Ladyhawke for example), I will make an exception to execute my idea even with a teeniest budget in hope that we will work together again because really I just want to be making videos for all the best artists and music that I like. But bearing in mind that Low Budget means that neither myself nor my crew will get paid and for me now, this is not something I can afford to do really because not only have my crew done enough favours for me but I really got to pay my rent!
I guess in addition to this as I’m making more and more videos, I’m getting more excited about fancy lighting, sophisticated camera moves, cranes, lenses and camera props and there is really only so many techniques you can experiment with on low budget.
Could you tell me which techniques you used to make the Back of the Van video for LadyHawke?
We didn’t have much money to play with, so to make it interesting I wanted to really embrace her 80s influences in the track, so we shot the video with the Tube camera which was the most popular broadcast quality cameras used to film live performances in the 80s. In the edit we layered lots of shots on top of each other and added galactic backgrounds, eventually adding a glow inspired by xanadu in post.
She performed in September for the PIG party and she was really great. Are you friends? Have you ever been to Italy?
Yes I love Pip. She’s great. We are friends, but I’ve haven’t seen her in ages as she is always touring and it’s difficult to catch up. Yes I’ve been to italy. Many times. I love it there! I’ve been to rome, Florence and amalfi coast on holiday and to rome and turin on tour with my boyfriend.
You made several videos for Kate Nash and I think you contributed a lot to creating her style. Did you work on it together or did you simply agree on that because you’re very similar?
Ha! I don’t think we are so similar at all! Kate is lovely girl. She loves tea and cakes, poetry and hand crafted things. She’s got a feminine shape and always loved cute dresses, so we put her in colourful vintage dresses because all her lyrics were about being a real homegrown girl, so it made sense to dress her in these rather than posh designer brands.
Talking about the videos you made for James Blunt. You gave him a totally new look compared to the videos that others had made for him before. Was it your idea or did you work on it together? How did he feel about it?
Yes the label wanted a fresh, new marketing angle and that’s why they approached me. James Blunt was lovely and extremely professional but he didn’t really have too much involvement in the preparation of the video. He had flown into London especially for the shoot and I understand he’d been in the middle of a tour that had lasted about 18 months, so I’m assuming he was probably too busy working and travelling to really have too much to say.
I also read you worked with Britney Spears… Could you tell me anything about it?
I wish! No I can confirm whoever told you that, that it’s not true. I would love to though. It’d be a dream come true!
Searching the internet before this interview I found out you are a party girl… Is that true?
No not at all! I’m such a dork especially as it’s so cold at the moment! I much prefer to stay at home, cook a nice dinner, drink wine, read a book or watch a film with my boyfriend. Sometimes you feel cabin feverish and then you need to balance it out with a gig or even a party, but it’s very rare for me this time of year.
What is your relationship with the guys of Ed Banger?
I met So Me and Gaspard of Justice when my rep Sasha bought them along to my 26th birthday party. We stayed friends since and whenever the Edbanger family hit town to play, we always catch up with them as they are always a good laugh.
Also last month So Me illustrated my cat and myself for his new cool cats T-shirts, so I guess you could say I’m officially an edbanger girl now.
What is your relationship with the guys of Partizan? If you had to tell me who your favourite director is, who would you say? And why? And as a friend?
All the London directors are all really good mates. When we work in the office we all sit together and work around one big table and it never feels competitive at all. In fact, we are always asking each other about our jobs, supporting and complimenting eachother’s work. I really love everyone there and it really is cool to be always surrounded by so many talented creative, friendly people. From the London office, I would have to say I most admire nima nourizadeh’s and saam’s work. Their videos are
always truly exciting.
If you had to name a breakthrough artist in the videocplip sector, that we should keep an eye on, who would you say?
I love Ray Tintori’s videos and think the French quartet Megaforce are pretty exciting.
Tell me something about how your collaboration with Katy Perry started… Did you expect such a huge success?
Not at all! My rep in LA, just sent me the track. I knew the track was going to do well and that she was a cute girl, but I never imagined a 6-week US no.1 and all of a sudden overnight pop stardom! I should have plucked one of her hair extensions and tried to sell it on ebay, maybe I could have made a lot money!
If you had to represent the word “sexy” with only one image, which one would you use?
Any of the pictures Terry Richardson shot for the 2009 vogue calendar.
Your style reminds us of the 80’s. You always thought that would be your aesthetics or you have come into it and then realized it was right for you?
I don’t think all my work looks 80s, but when the opportunity comes along yes, definitely I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and indulge in that cheesy, smoke-filled, slow motion look, because it’s just so amazing to me.
What is the coolest video of the 80s? And why?
“Club Tropicana” by Wham, Because it makes you want to slurp cockatils in the pool with george Michael. My favourite videos are the fun ones.
I’m sorry that I’m minding your own business… but I read that you have a boyfriend. Is he from your same sector? Can you handle both your relationship and your working life? You know, you’re becoming more and more famous and you’re also a beautiful girl.
Yes I have a lovely boyfriend. (In fact he wants me to tell you that he thanks Simon from PIG for showing him Milan last time he was there.) He’s truly wonderful and supportive of my work and I think that it helps that we both work within the same industry because we have an understanding of eachothers’ sometimes difficult work circumstances.
Has a crazy fan ever bothered you because he had a crush on you?
No way! The only crazy fans I have are my parents. I am their only child so I suppose it’s normal. I do have a stalker on myspace though that emails way too often from different accounts each time wanting me to direct his feature script. I’m happy he lives in LA and not in London.
Which techniques do you generally use to give your videos that sort of 80s effect?
Answered above!
Who are your favourite directors? Why?
I love the films of David Lynch, Dominik Moll, Lukas Moodyson, Louis Malle, Krystof Kieslowski, Michel Gondry, PT Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Sophia Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Alfred Hitchcock, John and Zoe Cassavette. There are too many to explain in detail but their works are ones that stay with me for long time and when I begin to forget them, I need to rewatch them immediately and that to me is a sign of a good film!
Which kind of music do you listen to? In your opinion which is the most surprising artist/band nowadays?
Oh I listen to all kinds of music like everyone these days. Music is more accessible than ever and seems to be omnipresent in todays society. Sometimes I feel like there is just too much music! But I do think the new Bat for Lashes is really cool, as well as Janelle Monae, Vivan Girls, Little Joy, The Big Pink and La Roux!
Do you have many musician friends?
Yes! I often meet many musicians through work and parties so naturally we become friends. My boyfriend is also musician and my best friend.
Have you ever thought of making a movie? Which genre would you choose? Do you already have something in mind?
Yes, I am currently reading scripts and would like to one day move into film but I’m waiting for the right project. I think that maybe I would like to make a feminine film about youth because it’s what I know well so far.
Can you tell us something about your future plans? What are you working on right now?
I’m pitching on some really great tunes, reading and watching films a lot and making room for a study under the stairs so I can write there.
Which is the last movie you saw that impressed you?
The Wrestler. A terribly sad but powerful film.
Which is the question I didn’t ask but you would have liked to answer?
You have asked me a lot of questions. I think this is the longest interview I’ve ever done.
And the answer would have been…?
Not Applicable!
What are you doing after this interview?
I will be eating some chocolate souffle and then watch a film with my boyfriend.
