Playlist: Ciaran Lyons

Weather working across stop-motion photography, digital compositing, animation or puppetry Ciaran Lyons is a dierctor who doesn't mind getting his hand's dirty. Now the man behind promos for the likes of Hot Since '82, Slaves [below] and Catholic Action lets us know what's on his Playlist.

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

The one that comes to mind is Wild Hog in the Woods [below] by Chris Cornwell for Furrow Collective. It feels to me like it exists completely on it's own terms. After I first watched it, I felt like I'd seen far more than I actually had - because the world created is so cohesive, it set my mind off telling it's own stories. And the colours and animation are great.

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

Just by Radiohead. I had it on VHS, and me and my brother kept re-winding and re-watching the end bit when the subtitles drop out, trying to lip-read the pavement-man. We were convinced he was saying something genuinely deep and important. At that age, the idea that there could be something unknowable in a music video was mind-blowing.

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

Bad - Michael Jackson. People watch music videos for the artist, and this one really allows Jacko to let rip - thank God someone put this on film! The shot where he runs up the stairs, singing, does a head-toss, a pirouette and then pulls the ventilation panel off the wall just in time for the transition into the chorus perfectly encapsulates the ethos I aspire to. I love the playful camerawork, the use of space, the sense of humour and the jingly chain sound effects. I didn't even know it was Martin Scorsese until recently.

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

I've recently 'discovered' graphic novels - I feel like a fool for not doing it before. There's this whole world of imagination and storytelling that I've not touched. They're basically storyboards for movies where the creator hasn't had to worry themselves about budget, or appealing to a mainstream audience.

Otherwise, my greatest sources of inspiration are Davey Swatpaz [below], and Brian Limond. 

What are you listening to at the moment?

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard [below], Micachu, Shin Jung-Hyeon

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

I have a Universal Modulator in my house that allows me to link up contemporary media gizmos to my wood-panelled 1970s cathode-ray telly. I find the old, fat, soft tellies much nicer to watch when I've been at a screen all day. I swear they make films look more cinematic too.

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

I've often daydreamed about making a massive, overwrought inter-species alien love-story set to Kiki Dee's Amoureuse. Maybe some day. Apart from that... if Connan Mockasin gave me a shout, I'd go the extra mile.

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

I'm still in the process of climbing the hill, so my perspective isn't terribly broad. But I think I'm noticing a growth in the part of the music industry that caters for people who are after something a bit more idiosyncratic and creative. And the visuals that accompany this have to be part of the same way of thinking.

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

I hope that change I just mentioned continues to gather momentum. That's the kind of environment I'd be happiest working in, and I'm sure a lot of musicians feel the same way too.

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

I made my first music videos while working as a fruit and veg wholesaler and life-model.