Playlist: Jonathan Lia

Jonathan Lia has had an illustrious career that, as one of the founders of Good Company USA, has seen him produce more than 100 music videos for artists such as Beyonce, Jay-Z, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Marilyn Manson, Lenny Kravitz, Good Charlotte, My Chemical Romance and Kylie Minogue among others.

Recently signing to London-based Fresh Films as a director, Lia steps talks his inspirations, favourite videos, and what's on his Playlist.    

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

Feist Century by Scott Cudmore.  Simple yet extremely well executed; caught me by surprise. 

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

A-Ha Take on Me - the blend of fantasy and reality had me wide-eyed and drooling as a kid.

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

Tough one... Windowlicker by Aphex Twin is tough to beat. 

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

Directors:  Andreas Nilsson is in a world of his own. Scott Cudmore is the future of the modern music video.

Artists:  anyone willing to take risks, push boundaries and break rules. 

What are you listening to at the moment?

The sound of my air conditioner and the clicking of keys on my laptop... there's music everywhere. 

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

Apple Pencil.  Beats Pill 

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

I've had the pleasure of working so many great artists... I’d love to work again with Beyoncé (always pushes us to make things better), Bruno Mars [below] (he's truly all about the music) and Kendrick Lamar (he's not afraid to go abstract, break the mould).  The why is easy... these are some of the hardest working and most talented people in the business, it's not an accident they are where they are. 

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

I just missed the heyday of 90's videos, so I came into the business when budgets were plummeting... they're still plummeting 15+ years later!  The industry hasn't changed, they just took a massive hit with the dawn of the internet and we've paid the price since.  Hopefully, now that they are recouping a bit, things will level out and we can find that perfect balance of art and commerce. 

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

From a capture side, files will continue to get bigger... but I also hope more artists will embrace lo-fi approaches; I think we'll eventually see a lot of automation and integration of AI in various post processes. 

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

I started in film production when I was 17 years old and have done almost every job on set except make-up.  that said, I can powder someone down if needed.