Playlist: Carlos Lopez Estrada

Grammy-winning American director Carlos Lopez Estrada is the man behind promos for the likes of US rapper Watsky, Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Maximum Balloon, Passion Pit, and Hook n Sling.

Estrada has seen his work showcased on Cartoon Network, SXSW, Los Angeles Film Festival and Reading & Leeds Festival. Now the director/Spanish novela star let's us know what's on his Playlist.

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

Kanye's Famous [below]. I won't even tell you if I love it or if hate it, but it has made me think more than almost any other thing I've seen this year has.

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

It was probably The Chemical Brother's Star Guitar [below]. I had no idea who made it or how it was made, but the way the visuals elevated the music was something that truly stuck with me. I still look at that video for inspiration today.

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

Massive Attack's Teardrop [below]. I believe it accomplishes all the things a video can accomplish. It's so lovely. 

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

I love the theater. I live in New York now and have been trying to see as many shows as I can. I saw a few plays directed by Ivo Van Hove this year, who I think is a brilliant artist and truly unique storyteller. Daveed Diggs from Clipping was also starring in Hamilton last year- so I got to see that a few times.  I was very moved by it. 

What are you listening to at the moment?

I am still playing The Coloring Book  [below] on repeat. It's such a beautiful collection of music. 

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

Spotlight DMS. It is a drumming app for the iPhone and my closest tech companion. I play it a lot on set when I am stressed and while I am doing post and waiting for renders. 

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

I am actually in a pretty happy place career-wise. I am working with artists who truly inspire me and have allowed me to do the kind of work I've always wanted to do. My relationship with Clipping [top] has been one that I especially treasure because those guys are true musical craftsmen. The way they handle their music has greatly influenced how I approach my directing.

Meeting and working with Watsky [below] this year has also been a great experience. He is a genuine independent artist who treats his work with a great sense of responsibility. We shot four videos over the summer (only two have come out) and are in the process of working on another four for his most recent album, which I love. I am staying busy doing projects that I find interesting and exciting, and that is honestly all I could ever ask for. 

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

There are more of us! And there are a lot of really amazing directors out there. It’s easier to pick a camera up and film something than it has ever been before- and that has allowed for younger people, like myself, to make stuff without the need of a large company infrastructure.

It feels more and more like the independent route is offering more exciting opportunities to filmmakers than the traditional institutional approach ever has. I hope this will continue to result in more filmmakers (and artists) taking the reigns of their projects and treating the medium more as a creative outlet and less as a promotional/marketing tool. 

Music videos have had a resurgence of late; where do you see the industry being in five years’ time?

People speak about the "industry" seeing it's last days, but all that means is that new opportunities will keep opening up for people who are ingenious and hungry. We are already seeing the narrative fruits of music video directors from my generation and I think the next 5 years are going to keep reminding us all that the medium can still be an important creative and educational space for filmmakers. 

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know…

I acted in a Spanish novela when I was in high school. Google my name and find my worst nightmare of a visual. Please don’t post it on this interview?