Playlist: Olly Jennings

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

Love Jimothy Lacoste’s very DIY video’s. Reminds me of how you start making music videos... being creative, daring and shooting at locations that are off limits but these are on a whole different level. He’s surfing on the back of trains, performing on top of bus stops plus there’s a performance shot outside IKEA which is iconic.

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

Chase and Status' Blind Faith. When that came out as it seemed so different to everything else and felt so spot and familiar.

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

Until The Quiet Comes, Flying Lotus, directed by Kahlil Joseph. The way he made LA street life into a surreal dream in that video and the whole atmosphere, it was like something I thought would never emerge from Hip-Hop and it made me want to make films. I think he’s the best when it comes to music videos and short musical films.

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

Increasingly I’m trying to look at less and less and try and just do my own thing. A lot of inspiration comes from the interesting characters I shoot and merging their ideas with mine. Also I like to just collect random interesting imagery from all over which is the source of a lot of stories and ideas. I’m inspired by artists like Olafur Elliason, Richard Mosse, Pippiloti Rist.

Photo from Richard Mosse's infrared photojournalism series, The Enclave.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Nines Crop Circle, lots of UK artists - Asco, Fredo, Skrapz, Suspect. I'm also currently listening to lots of mixes by Brighton record label Mr Bongo.

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

The Arri Trinity steadicam. We used one recently on my video for Suspect and Skepta and you can get such interesting dynamic movement with it. Really felt like a step up from other steadicams I’ve used.

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

It’s very saturated, there are so many videos being churned out weekly especially in the UK urban scene which I work a lot in. You have to dig to find really amazing stuff but having said that there are some really interesting young directors emerging at the moment who are thinking in new ways and creating new bold aesthetics and it feels like on the other hand music videos are becoming a bit more of an art form.

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

Hopefully they’ll be seen increasingly as credible art forms and become less promotional tools and more and more considered. I think we’re at a good place at the moment with music video’s though. Even the big artists are wanting short films and conceptual work so it’s a good time to be involved with it.