Playlist: Alice Bloomfield

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

Miki - It Stings A Little Though, directed by Émilie Tronche, is such a fun one. So much energy and crazy camera movements which are really hard to do in hand drawn animation.

I also thought the A$AP Rocky - FLACKITO JODYE video was really cool. Great mixed media feel, I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it before.

What’s the first music video you remember being impressed by?

I remember being so blown away by the video for FJAAK - Snow by Raman Djafari. 

I saw it when I had first started my career and remember going through it frame by frame to figure out how it was done. Its just so dynamic and I couldn’t believe how much work must have gone into it.

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

The Gustaf Holtenäs directed music video for A.G. Cook - Soulbreaker has to be my all time favourite, just beautiful with an insane level of detail in the characters and background.

I’m also obsessed with François Rousselet’s video for Pharrell, 21 Savage and Tyler, The Creator - Cash In Cash Out. In animation looping in a big thing, but Rousselet uses a 3D zoetrope to basically make the most elevated, insane loops ever seen. Genius.

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

As a process-driven artist, I’m always drawn to that quality in others. Like I love a bit of experimentation and when you can see that someone’s had fun making something. 

Nik Arthur is a really great example, he explores different materials and uses their qualities to make stop motion animation. My favourite involves him melting ice onto a scanner bed, showcasing the simple beauty of light shining through the water droplets.

Its always good to be reminded to experiment, it really stops things from feeling stale and keeps you in love with your craft.

What are you listening to at the moment?

I’ve been getting so many thirst trap, fan videos of Damon Albarn on my Instagram feed at the moment, so back listening through a lot of Blur and Gorillaz (the propaganda worked).

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

I bought a USB microscope camera which is pretty cool. I’ve been using it to look deep into my pores and document all the different textures across my face. It would be cool to incorporate them into an animation but I’m still waiting for the right inspiration to hit me.

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

It would be so cool to work with FKA Twigs or Kalis Uchis, they both have such a distinct style and sense of glamour which I’d love to encapsulate. I feel like both of them exist in a different universe, and it would be so fun to build up their worlds and create something really aesthetic and slightly surreal.

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

Im not sure if is the same for everyone, but personally I’ve been doing much more short form content. Like at the moment a lot of my commissions are for 10-20 second little clips, which in some ways I prefer. Its fun to see how much detail and precision you can put into a few seconds of animation, something that might not be feasible for a longer project.