Kinga Burza interview
About half an hour outside of Central London sits the leafy suburb
of Carshalton Beeches. On this early July afternoon the peaceful
streets are disturbed only by the occasional onslaught of English
Summer Rain, which would usually only bother the patrons of the local
tea-room, all of whom toddle into the cosy interior. Today however it
also elicits mild panic in a gaggle of perfectly lacquered extras who
sit patiently out on the front lawn of one local's house while gaffers,
producers and assorted technical types eat lunch around them.
This is one reason that, in this little corner of Sutton, it isn't
difficult to find the location of Calvin Harris' latest video shoot.
Another is that it is the only house in the area with a handful of vans
and hire-busses sat on the road outside, servicing the 30 strong cast
and crew required to film "Merrymaking At My Place", a sight that will
later cause passing drivers to slow down and gawp - some offering their
services, some offering their children - all in the name of Pop Music.
At the centre of this walks Kinga Burza. It's lunch-hour, and with
a paper plate full of Thai Vegetable Curry and a smile that belies a
five am start she stops to chat with anyone and everyone on her ninth
video shoot for Partizan. In between mouthfuls of course. How did we
get here?
"To be honest it all happened by accident. The idea of making
videos was kind of a hobby until recently. I studied a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Sydney, took a Film Studies course there, but found that
short films in general intimidated me: The narrative, the
scriptwriting, the sound... But as I was really intrigued by it, and
the only way I found filmmaking accessible was to cut narrative to
music, and that's how I introduced myself to it."
Kinga is at once charming and modest. Of her childhood, in
Australia by way of Poland, she recalls "Taping the equivalent of MTV
and re-editing my own little mix tape of videos...I've always, always
had a massive appreciation for music videos." By the time University
rolled around it was that long-time love for the three-minute medium
that triggered a sense of direction. "As a twenty-something year old
girl, not really knowing why I was studying, I felt for the first time
that I got something from that Film class. After I'd made my first spec
video (to a Bonnie Prince Billy track) I started making videos for all
of my friends in bands as a kind of hobby and kind of opportunity to
self-teach myself filmmaking and editing."
What comes next isn't quite the stuff of dreams; it's a few months
after graduation before the McJob lifestyle and the sight of her
classmates going into high profile employment forces Kinga to up sticks
and head to England
"I came to London, really because I found the lack of opportunity
in Sydney to be rather exhausting and uninspiring. I had fantasised
about working at Partizan, but I was too embarrassed and ashamed to
admit that I wanted to be a director. I applied for a running position
but I didn't even get an interview. At the same time by total
coincidence - a musician friend of mine needed a video for his debut
single, so I wrote a treatment and the label chose mine. Suddenly I've
got £10,000 to make a video, and for someone who'd only ever made a
video for £50 that was a lot of money. So I went back to Partizan and
said 'I've won this pitch and I don't know what to do with it?!' and
they said '"OK, lets do this. We'll produce it for you', and once that
was job was completed, they put me on their books."
And what about Partizan was it that attracted her? "I always really
admired all of the directors there, especially Michel Gondry. I'd
always liked the naivity and the open-mindedness in his work.
Partizan's general style can be also be quite raw aesthetically;
there's some really nice creative energy that is embraced there, then
there's the animation studio... so I like that It's not all classic pop
video - of course, we have that too, and I think it's great! But I love
that individuality is enthusiastically encouraged there and this allows
for some amazing works to manifest and stand out from the rest. I guess
since working here, I've also realised that I never get the feeling
that anything is made for purely for money's sake, but genuinely for
the love of the artist, the track, idea or the experience of the
project; whatever and that's what makes Partizan such a successful
company. There is a lot of love here."
How far has this 'accident' taken her? A nomination for best
newcomer at the CADS, the highly respected industry awards, one of
MTV's most played videos with the Kate Nash track 'Foundations', not to
mention the opportunity to work with one of her long-respected acts:
"It was really exciting to work with The Thrills, because when their
first album came out they were one my favourite bands. I went to see
them live and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I'd
be directing their video, that idea never would have entered my mind"
It's perhaps not surprising though. Kinga pores over the
pre-production art, paying close attention to the aesthetics of each
video, be it costume, set design or the minutiae of lighting, creating
an exact tone for every film. She's a friendly, open presence on set,
happy to have the opportunity to work with respected industry figures.
There's obviously not the massive budget of a major artist's shoot,
but that's perhaps part of the charm of the current crop of directors
at Partizan. Newcomers like Saam, Dan Lowe and Ollie Evans are all
creating visually rich videos, establishing worlds for these songs to
exist in. For some of them the learning curve has been massive - you
can see in a body of work less than ten shoots old these directors
refining their approach, innovating to get the best out their budgets
and learning how to make the videos look as good as possible.
As Martin Poyner, one of the producers at Partizan, suggested
during the shoot, "Sometimes the budgets have to be there just to see
how far the directors can exceed expectations."
Looking at the people around me, and keeping in mind the fairly
intimate videos she's made to date, I miss-step: The crew for this
shoot is large, and I suggest it might match only her early video for
Tilly and the Wall in terms of numbers. She laughs "No, that was only
really the band, and I only had five hours to shoot!" I'm surprised,
that video looks like choreographed chaos!
"Tilly and the Wall looks really chaotic, because it WAS really
chaotic. The whole experience was crazy really - I didn't have a
professional DP on shoot, I didn't have any assistants, didn't have any
money. For today's shoot we've got, I think, five art department
assistants, and that was probably my entire crew on Tilly and the Wall.
I don't think I could ever do a job like that again though - it was too
much to handle, too much responsibility for one person. It was all fun,
but I can't even begin to imagine; if one of those gymnasts broke her
leg or something. It was a very risky one. "
It's that learning curve again. In the space of nine videos, in a
little over a year, she's gone from shoestring budgets and snatched
hours in gym halls to literally taking over one lady's suburban home.
The quality, and the challenge, for each of Partizan's directors keeps
leaping higher, something Kinga is very proud of.
"This is a professional production, with a professional crew, we've
got some of the best crew in London working on the project, we've got
one of the best best focus pullers, one of the best lighting gaffers,
I've got a really great DP, a great cast, an amazing stylist... it's a
really cool team to be working with. It's great to have this set up
supporting me so that I can focus on my role and directing
responsibilities."
Kinga's videos exist in strange spaces. Familiar seeming homes
become something more than lifelike, childhood romances seem hauntingly
universal and the world is soaked in colour treatments that make sets
appear like bleached polaroids on one hand and fantastical sweet shops
on the other. She brings to sets an eye for the perfect prop, the
well-placed splash of light, the perfect amount of clutter.
This set though becomes an exercise in restraint. 'Nana's House' is
a veritable black hole of unique paraphernalia, the collected
belongings of a life-long pack-rat. The art team have actually had to
remove boxes of belongings from the rooms of the shoot, not just in
case they're damaged but because it's too much for the camera.
In the hallway is a Grandfather Clock that the cast insist has a
sad face, while plates with floral decorations sit on the walls at odd
intervals. In one bedroom, alongside what one presumes are family
photographs, is a lone, framed poster of the Teletubbies, while in
another a cluster of lopsided handmade teddy bears sit dejectedly.
It's a beautiful, buoyant, brilliant space! It's the home that the
one in 'Foundations' grows up to become. Could an older Kate Nash live
here?
It seems, now, like the perfect partnership: Kinga, the
up-and-coming Video Director with a vibrant and colourful aesthetic.
Kate, the up-and-coming singer/songwriter, whose lyrics exist in the
hinterland behind Twee Pop Starlet and Chav poet. "About six months
ago, I saw her live and thought she was really cute, and she had this
charming yet sincere sensibility about her. At the time - because I was
a young director - I was pitching and pitching and pitching and not
winning any jobs, so I thought 'well, if I can't win anything I'm going
to go and source the work myself'."
It's quite a confident approach to take, but Kinga demurs "I think
as a music video director it's really important that you stay out there
and keep yourself in tune with what's going on in your scene. I thought
Kate had charisma and character. I loved her lyrics and thought she had
the ability to be great performer. Obviously, since the first time I
saw her she's developed and grown and blossomed into this amazing
artist, but I think I saw the potential for that to happen then."
"I think she was nervous the first time we worked together but we
managed to connect and she began to trust me. Not long after that, her
management approached me to art-direct her debut single launch, I then
art-directed a photo shoot and then we made the video for her second
single ‘Foundations’. We get along really well now, so it''d be a
really nice to do the next one!"
I ask Kinga if it's tough to work with a complete newcomer to the
medium, but she quick with an enthusiastic response "It's an amazing
feeling to work with someone who wasn't that comfortable naturally or
isn't so sure or is feeling quite intimidated by the camera and then
you make that performance work. There's something quite cool about
that, something really satisfying. I really felt that when I did the
second Kate Nash video, we had really come a long way from the first
performance."
"It's really exciting because 'Foundations' has reached to Number 1
on iTunes and Number 2 on the charts, which is pretty incredible. The
next track, I think, is going to be "Mouth Wash". It's definitely gonna
be massive...I've got a fun idea in the wings".
But what was it about Kinga's pitch that attracted Mister Calvin
Harris. "I'm always involved in choosing my videos. It was definitely
the best one, or certainly the one that looked like the most fun. It
was just a good idea, and once we had a little chat she fine tuned it
and now it's spot on."
Today's shoot revolves around 'Nana's House'. We find Calvin
house-sitting in this quiet suburban home, before a party comes
crashing in, bringing flailing debauchery, sexiness and gorgeous
costumes. Calvin narrates the narrative in a direct-to camera deadpan
while temptation and destruction swim around him.
As exciting as this sounds, the Calvin I meet is a somewhat more
subdued presence. The early start and the demands of the shooting
schedule have left him tired, but no less enthusiastic for the
experience, "It's been fun! Kinga's very nice, she's put me at ease,
and they've given me lots of fruit, which is lovely."
Stood in the dining room I ask Calvin what he thinks of 'Nana's
House'? "It's amazing! It's got all sorts of crazy memorabilia, I've
never seen anything quite like it. Definitely some... interesting
artefacts." Calvin refers to the framed clippings of the late Princess
Diana that border the room in which most of the filming is taking
place. These quirky household dressings and the assortment of chintzy
wallpaper and furniture has inspired a genuine fascination among most
the cast and crew.
Before he continues shooting I wonder if Calvin has had any trouble
adjusting to the experiences of a Pop Star? "I don't know, it's a bit
odd really. I'm still sort of finding my feet with the whole thing.
It's kind of fun, but you don't really get time to sit back and go 'Oh,
this is fun'."
On set it's tough to think beyond the next shot. As the
paper-plates are cleared away and the cables and wires start being laid
for the rest of the shoot I ask Kinga what comes next, after the end of
this 18hour day?
"There are so many young bands I like and I'd like to work with,
but - because I've been offered the opportunity - I'm aiming quite high
now! I'm looking forward to working with artists that I admire and have
admired for a really long time." The journalist in me asks for hints.
Kinga laughs. "I'm a big fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I think Karen O's
a great performer, but that's aiming very high HAHA and Calvin tell's
me Kylie Minogue is releasing a new album at the end of year, so
....you know, I could get lucky"
She's charmingly self-deprecating while mentioning those names, but
with her recent successes the fact remains that she's in with a shot.
"Sure. I've pitched on Scissor Sisters, Natalie Imbruglia, I've pitched
on Roisin Murphy and there's always that chance your treatment could
get chosen... But ultimately it doesn't matter who you're working with;
as long as you're into the track and you're into the artist and there's
that exciting attraction for you to experiment with."
"For me, one of the best pay-offs in making videos is when you
listen to a track and get that idea in your head and then you find
yourself on set with a group of people who are all there to help you
realise that idea, that is really incredible. I'm so privileged to be
able to say that I love what I do and I love the people I work with.
That is amazing".
by Matthew Sheret, August 15 2007
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