It must be good fun being inside your head. Where do you get your off the wall ideas from – in the bath, in front of the computer, staring into space……
It can be fun. Sometimes not so much!
Ideas come from daydreaming and trying not to put any preconceived rules or ideas upon the ideas.
Then it just comes down to feelings. A) Does it feel good, and if it does we go with it. B) Does it translate the feeling we want it to?
We always strive to create visuals that haven’t been seen before.
So how did the visual narrative for Golden Toad’s video I’m A God start?
The idea came from the track. All my music video ideas do. It has to compliment the music.
It was based around the thought of always striving, trying to believe in oneself. One minute you feel like a god, the next you’re in the pits of hell.
The beat sounds like climbing stairs. Hence the upward movement.
Humor was important too. I feel humour is an important antidote to everything we do.
How does your creative relationship work with James Moriarty – do you rough up ideas and he translates into visuals – tell us how the creative process works usually !
Me and James have been making videos together for a few years now. He’s one of my best friends. And one of the most talented people I know.
We try and keep things DIY like when we first started. Editing in his flat with a huge sheet hanging from the wall.
I tend to have the initial idea/concept. Then Storyboard up. And we go from there. Jim will figure out how we create it, the technical side and start building visuals.
We then work very collaboratively, together bouncing ideas around as we create and letting the final film morph and build as we go.
As well as DOP, and animator he is also an incredible editor. He always brings something fresh to the edit.
The third member of the ‘Pigeon Death Cult Pictures’ collective is Alexandre Nerzic. He’s graded a lot of the videos. He’s a genius too. Always delivers above and beyond. Brings something fresh.
I’m a big believer in getting the right people in place and then letting them do their thing. Expressing themselves as artists.
How do you record your thoughts and ideas – notebook, iphone, folders…
iPhone notes. Drawing pad. Sketchbook. Visual ref off google images. Email myself.
When you have no ideas where do you go for inspiration?
I think I always have ideas. But I can talk myself out of them, and then I think I don’t have ideas.
I look back in a year’s time and think, damn that was dope, why didn’t we make it.
Can you recall the moment when you realised you wanted to tell stories in film?
I started telling stories through making my own comics as a kid and teenager. Entire worlds and characters and storylines. It’s not cool but I also always liked adverts that told a story or a simple idea in 30-60 seconds. This morphed into music videos as I wanted to be able to be more experimental and freer and less logical, and see what was / is possible visually.
A big part of my journey has been belief. And realisation, I come from a northern background based in factory work. The art world has always felt very foreign and untouchable.
I’m still learning what is possible.
At some point I’d like to shoot a feature.
I saw a film called Tornado recently, a samurai revenge film set in Scotland.
It inspired me, and the director’s process and conceptual thinking.
Final thought?
Keep dreaming.
