Playlist: Dan Moran

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

I love the Makeba video by Jain. It really stood out in my mind of all the videos I’ve watched recently because it’s a simple idea executed beautifully. The clever transitions help it flow from one scene to another in an interesting way, while the interactions with the background adds a layer of fun to the video.

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

Buddy Holly by Spike Jonze. It came with our copy of Windows 95 and it blew my mind how they managed to seamlessly pull the band into old footage from Happy Days. It’s a real skill to ensure seamless continuity within VFX, animation and grading, and this video is a shining example.

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

I love Muse’s video for Knights of Cydonia directed by Joseph Kahn. Stunning visuals with a goofy story what's not to love? You can see how the video was a real passion project, supported but a decent budget. It demonstrates Kahn’s genius ability to blend western, sci-fi and comedy into one beautifully shot adventure. How can you not love a video where a cyber godess on unicorn back saves the day!

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

I formed a lot of my grading style and technique from growing up in a photography world, so I think my personal visual inspiration has to be photographers like Anton Corbijn, William Eggleston and Ansel Adams. Anton Corbijn in particular, has influenced me greatly as I love the texture in his images.

What are you listening to at the moment?

I have a very wide taste in music and listen to everything and anything but two albums I can’t get out of my head are 22, A Million by Bon Iver and To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere by Thrice.

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

My HDR TV is the best thing I’ve ever owned. When film moved to UHD its wasn’t massively exciting as it’s just a sharper picture, but HDR allows us to see the whole image in exceptional detail and with excellent brightness levels. As a colourist its also a significant development in technology and the most innovative advance since I started in the industry. There are so many more grade and look options when grading HDR projects.

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

Justin Vernon from Bon Iver would be fantastic to work with. It would be my dream come true to work on a track on his latest album. I would get Daniel Wolfe involved as director and Robbie Ryan to shoot it. The combination of their talent and the deep and enchanting sound of from Bon Iver’s 22, A Million would produce something every colourist dreams of.

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

When I first started in music promos people would complain that £35k wasn’t enough to produce a video, but these days most projects are being made for less than that. Directors and production companies are working harder than ever before, creating videos that appear to have been made with significantly more money than the actual budget. This is only possible because of the creative community’s love and passion for making beautiful films.

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

I think there will be a greater crossover between music videos and branded content. It’s already happening but I can see it becoming more prevalent as brands continue to seek the best new talent for endorsements.

VR is a tricky innovation to predict. In terms of gaming and experiences, it’s an amazing option, but it’s still difficult to tell a narrative story in the medium. Tech will need to catch up.

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

I was in a pop punk band with three of my best friends when I was 19 and we dared each other to get a certain piercing.... Three of us managed it and one got a bit nervous and couldn’t face it. Not a bad band practice!