Playlist: Harv Glazer

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

There’s always a blue light on one side and a pink light on the other side.

There’s so much tech out there, but it's not being used to innovate. It made it easy for anyone to jump into the arena and play. It’s a lot easier to do things now, but just because things are easy doesn't mean it's the right way. The helicopter shot was special because it cost a lot to do. It was a big deal and you didn’t see it all the time. You see the same drone shot all the time now, it’s expected but do you actually need it to tell a story. I’d love to see modern tech used to make something different, to think outside the box. I spent a lot of my career inventing tricks we could do in camera, things that people didn’t even know were done in camera. 

I once got nominated for a post-production award for a video shot entirely in camera. 

Where do you see the music video industry being in five years’ time? 

I think they'll be in the same place they are right now. They’re on demand. I don’t think kids will understand what it was like to wait for the music video you wanted to come on, or to PRAY that the music video would make it onto a particular show. Especially if it was Thriller. They only did that a few times a year cause it took up half the show. It used to be about art and storytelling. Now it's like a coin in the jukebox. Kids are watching on Youtube, and the window is either closed out or behind another tab. Sometimes the video is the least important part. Are people going back for the visuals, or just listening to the song? 

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with listening to music that way, but it means that people aren’t seeking out music videos for the video part. If anything it’ll get even more on demand. Not that it’s a bad thing. I can watch ANYTHING. But it’s lost a little bit of the specialness. We used to sit and watch with anticipation for a video to come on. Music video is an artform and platform that directors could launch careers off of through experimenting with their art. We need creatives to come in and create videos that audiences will keep open and watch. Something that’ll crash YouTube when it comes out.

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

I’m a fine artist, under the handle Pornigami. Also, I love classic Air Cooled Porsches. Here’s a secret inside joke for you. In the Drake - Started From The Bottom music video, I play the boss and I make Drake the manager of the store; in the Life Is Good video, I'm now the one stuck mopping the floors while he and Future take a break to talk about their plans to make it big.