Meet the New KODE Talent Dubbed ‘Most Promising’

Great work is made by great talent. Acquiring visionaries is something KODE has a knack for; often epitomised by how many awards their newbies pick up throughout the year. I chatted with four of them following the Creative Circle Awards where Dora Paphides and Harv Frost were awarded Most Promising Music Video Director’s, Nicolee Tsin a Most Promising Commercial Director and Lloyd Wakefield a Most Promising Photographer award. 

Dora’s love for music was inherited from parents obsessed with it – she’d sleep each night having plugged her ears with her beloved iPod Nano. But it wasn’t until her teens when a pubescent crush on a film buff would ignite an addiction to movies, prompting her to later study film. The happy marriage of her two loves would come after she left school and would spend her spare time making music videos for anyone who would let her. 

For Harv, it began by making music videos for her mates' bands on a shoestring, “I kept doing that until the budgets/ artists got bigger and bigger,” Harv tells us. After 18 Harv did every runner job she could find before becoming a PA and moving to Brighton. Eventually she was trusted with her first big video, “I stuck my claws deep into the world of music videos and never let go… I banged on the door until I was let in!” 

Lloyd had his heart set on becoming a footballer until the age of 18, from there, it has been the desire to capture energy and emotion that has kept him going. He works to portray that in all of the photographs and video work that he produces now. 

A background in graphic design led Nicolee to the film industry in the camera department. During this time she progressed into music videos, all the while continuing personal dance and visual-audio films on the side. But it was her passion project ‘HOKO’ which led her to break into the commercial space. 

We wanted to get to know these directors better, and find out about what they love, how they create, and where they’re going. 

LBB> Can you tell us about the projects that KODE entered into the ‘Most Promising’ award at the Creative Circle? What inspired you, and what was the creative process like?

Harv> For My Lady Of Mercy, we were inspired by a lot of black and white movies from the 70's-80s, and a lot of stills photography. We were also really inspired by the subject material of the song and the Catholic imagery that inspired it. The creative process was our first time collaborating, so it came from a very conversational and playful place.

We remember listening to the song on repeat, and jumping into the air when the idea to have Abi float into the air while having an orgasm came about. We would later have the idea to work with an actual magician to pull this off practically, which was as thrilling as it sounds. We are superfans of the band, and with them having such rich imagery behind their music it was really a game of connect-the-dots.

We worked closely with the band to ensure that the video was coming from a sincere place that they identified with, and we all had so much fun making this it was a really special one for sure.

Dora> We got the Chinchilla brief straight off the back of finishing My Lady of Mercy. Chinchilla had lots of ideas, so we came in to tie everything all together. The aesthetic of the video was inspired by the likes of Tim Burton, a bit of Kubrick ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ (and honestly Dr Seuss for the hat hahah) – we wanted to borrow from the past and build the world in a retro-futuristic way.

Furmaan Ahmed (production designer) had a big part to play and really grew these ideas to what you see on screen – watching the way their brain works blew our MINDS.

This project in particular felt really collaborative, there were so many moving parts. The video is what it is today because we all built off each other’s ideas —–it was a really special one.

Lloyd> My tour work for Harry Styles was so focused on capturing energy and emotion. I try to capture moments that most people don’t get to see. I love the doc style photos of the tour which I think show a super unique perspective, especially of Harry at that point in time.

Nicolee> All three projects had a very different approach. Jianbo 'Play Ur Part' was worked with a close-knit group of friends in London and Hong Kong. We had the luxury of time to scout and led the project with a more run and gun and documentary style approach.

HOKO, was a spot reworked out of an original short film script I had written. I took the first page of the short and turned it into a 60s spot so a lot more planning was involved. We had a storyboard artist, we made an animatic and went through a month of casting and planning with my producer to make sure everything was how we imagined. The cafe is run by two young entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and without their support we wouldn’t have been able to make it happen.

Tesco was a brief that came in from BBH and also my first ever commercial. It was tough but a huge learning process that required a lot of compromise and teamwork. The whole shoot was meant to be shot outdoors and just before the actual shoot days, it had been pouring down and we had a last minute detour to rework everything to be shot inside the school.

LBB> How has being recognised by Creative Circle impacted your career and your approach to new projects?

Harv> It was just an honour to have our names said in the same breath as the greats, Aube Perrie, Hugh Mulhern and Tom Emerson. We have been inspired by their work for a long time, and their work was all very formative for us. I am honestly so grateful to be considered in this category, it's a big confidence booster that we are making the right decisions. I truly love what I do, and to be recognised for doing it is something I'm just getting used to. Really, it felt like being granted a seat at the table. One I don't intend to give up without a fight!

Dora> First of all I’m over the moon - all my very favourite directors were nominated in the same category as us - it was a real ‘pinch me’ moment. I think being recognised by Creative Cirlce was just a confirmation that we are on the right track. I will keep pushing creativity as far as I can whilst also trying to fully understand what an artist is about. I just want to keep pushing ideas and concepts further and further.

Lloyd> For me I think it adds validity and if nothing else is a message to myself that I’m heading in the right direction. Very thankful to be acknowledged for such an award. 

LBB> What do you find most interesting about working in your field and what unique perspectives do you bring to your work? How would you describe your approach to creativity?

Harv> In this field of music videos, we are able to act upon creative urges with little to no limits, we have the freedom of trying new things, new techniques and taking risks. It's a medium that rewards creativity and individuality, and that pushes me to always take things a step further when I approach any concept. My personal approach to creativity is very instinctive, I always try to follow my nose and normally the concept for the video is the first thing that pops into my head when listening to the track. After the concept stage, it's about being playful and applying a level of energy that is like a kid playing dress up. It is through my repeated work with The Last Dinner Party that I feel like I've found my voice, and found my style. I am very grateful to get to do projects that bring that out in me.  

As for unique perspectives, as a trans woman working in this industry I like to think that my work has an element of queer theory in there somewhere. It's hard for me to see, but I'm always elated when people see that in my work. I think it's important that there are people like me in this industry, and it's gorgeous to see more and more LGBTQ+ in this industry shaping culture around them.

Dora> I think trying to understand what an artist is about, how they perceive themselves, [how] the public perceives them, and then trying to imagine a future visual space in which they could land. Music videos really do change perceptions of artists, it’s where you establish their world, and the rules of their world – there’s no other medium that does this really for musicians.

My approach is to fully consider all of these factors, and try to imagine a space in which they could fall into that feels ‘them’ but is also exciting! I think so much of my music video work is about escapism, for these three minutes you’re watching this video, I really want someone to believe that you could be anything and that anything is possible.

Lloyd> I love the aspect of collaboration, in any of my work there’s always such a strong collaboration process. I love to work with people who inspire me. 

Nicolee> Each brief is different and I find the pitching process and production prep to be the most creatively challenging. I always try to bring a sense of humour to the script when I can. I also lean towards a moodier, filmic look so I always try to make sure all my imagery reflects that in the treatment.

The directors I admire always manage to consistently put out commercial work that reflects their style. You can tell they’re very particular. I also like to storyboard and mood board everything and share that with HODs to make sure we’re aligned creatively but also give them the flexibility to contribute their ideas and vision. It’s all about planning and clear communication to me.

LBB> Can you share any upcoming projects or goals you have and how you plan to continue pushing creative boundaries at KODE?

Harv> Well, I've just had another video come out with The Last Dinner Party which marks my third with them, and 2nd as a solo director. Without giving too much away, there might be more to come from that collaboration you will have to keep your eyes peeled. As for what's next, i'm really excited about exploring other mediums, be that short film or even commercials. Music videos will always be my love, and I look forward to exploring new worlds through that.

Though Dora and I don't direct as a duo anymore, it's been so gorgeous to watch her go and work with artists such as Ella Eyre, and flex her pop-video chops. I look forward to us both growing with KODE, and continuing to do exciting things as a team.

Dora> I started off doing photography more so than film, the first big commission I won was a campaign for JD Sports and Juicy Couture. I’m never going to stop making music videos but I’m trying to push back into photography more, so in future, I could potentially creative direct a whole campaign.

Beyond this, I’m still directing music videos, but solo now (though Harv is smashing it and we’re still good friends), and just hoping to continue to make contemporary, new, loud, exciting, videos.

Lloyd> I’m excited to do more and more directing work under KODE, with some super fun projects coming up. I like to have a healthy balance of video and stills. I would also love to get back to the tour stuff soon too.

Nicolee> My dream and ultimate goal is to work in narrative feature, finding the time to write and really dedicating years to one project. Right now I want to focus on finding the perfect balance between making good commercials and stories that I care about. I’m positive that I can take the leap when the right time comes.

KODE and I have made our first short together and it’s currently in post so that’s super exciting. In terms of pushing boundaries, KODE and I have aspirational conversations and we keep each other grounded whenever we can to make sure we continue to push boundaries.