Playlist: Charlotte Regan

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

James Vincent McMorrow's Cavalier is stunning, and it's always great seeing a video that focuses entirely on an actor's performance and interpretation of a track. 

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

I remember seeing Roll Deep's Badman during the Channel U/AKA days when I was about 14 or 15 and really loved it. At the time, UK videos were great but mostly performance-based and this was one of the first things I'd seen that was UK rap but had a narrative. 

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

Probably has to be Gesaffelstein's Hate or Glory. I watch it before almost every shoot I do whether it's relevant or not. Really love it. It's beautiful yet really rough and imperfect, I love the concept, the track, the locations... everything about it! 

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

Like everyone else at the moment I'm a big fan of Ryan Coogler and think there is no better film than Fruitvale Station. But in terms of promo directors I love Dir Lx's style, Aoife McArdle, David Helman. 

What are you listening to at the moment?

Pretty obsessed with Abra Cadabra right now. I'm listening to The Roads as I type!

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

I'm not really that techy and this probably doesn't count, but I love collecting hard drives for each job and naming them after Lord of The Rings characters, I'm about 25 hard drives deep at the moment and having to go to the books for character names. 

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

I've always wanted to work with Kano. I grew up listening to his music and love that whilst his music has changed and he's got more successful, his videos stay properly down to earth and just feel like they've been created by someone that's immersed in that culture, as opposed to coming from the outside and looking in. There's something about gritty rap videos, where you turn up with a camera and shoot a great performer and his mates, that you can never re-create with a budget. 

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

I think it's a time where a kid from anywhere can pick up a camera and shoot something for his/her friends and that video can go online and catch the attention of the world and that can launch someone's career no matter what their age or background. I think it's great that the industry has opportunities for anyone who is down to put the work in.

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

It seems like labels are trusting in people that come from the world of the stories they are trying to tell more often, which is great. I hope we'll see more of that.

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

I listen to Ghetts' Artillery before any interview, pitch or important meeting. Not too sure why that's become such a habit!