Pincus was a short film maker (her short film Love’s Labour received a Dendy Award nomination for Best Short Drama at the Sydney Film Festival in 2007) before moving into music video. She has worked with Paul Kelly (her work with Kelly on God Told Me To won an IF award back in 2007) Powderfinger, Sarah Blasko, and Missy Higgins as well as, of course, Gotye. Pincus is the founder of a production company, starkravingproductions, which sets out to achieve ‘the creation of unique and important films that tell universal, moving stories’. If recent achievements are anything to go by, she’s fulfilling that promise to the world. Her first full-length feature film, Fell, a drama directed by Kasimir Burgess and starring Matt Nable, Daniel Henshall and Jacqueline McKenzie will be screened in this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival. Two more of her feature films are currently in production.
Has Pincus noticed any trends among the music videos this year? “No particular things come to mind, but it was a while ago since I judged them. You see commonalities, you might notice current aesthetic trends but you don’t remark on them; any comparisons to be made are superficial. We look for bold and interesting work. They’re interesting things, music videos; you can turn them around in a month. They have their own rules. The cycles go faster and faster, a brainstorming breakthrough moment bubbles up but by the time the videos are released they’re reactive.”
As a judge, what does Pincus look for in a music video? “We look at how the video is related to story, that it’s not sitting outside the song, that it’s sympathetic to the music, that its core to the idea,” she answers. “Is the music driving the video or is the video driving the music? You see videos where there’s no obvious integration between the sonic element and the visual landscape. We pay attention to how we experience the music more fully with video than with what the song can achieve on its own. We look for something that has a bold application to a song at the beginning but isn’t purely sensational. It isn’t a cheap medium and there are often budgetary limitations, so we look to see if a film maker has put their money in the right place. We look at sensitivity to craft; we look to see that a concept has been realized for the screen. We’re looking at where the more edgy, innovative ones are coming from.”
Pincus has been a participant in every SoundKILDA competition since 2008. For the moment work on several feature film projects have taken her away from making music videos. “I was a participant in SoundKILDA every year,” she notes. “It’s a happy accident that I’m not a participant this year and so can judge the entries. I miss making music videos but it’s always good to have a break even from something you love. I’ve pushed the medium and myself as much as I could. I love video, but I want to have a lifetime career. Music video is a very good adjunct but you have to be careful you don’t make it your sole practice, it’s not sustainable for your whole life; maybe it was 20 or 30 years ago, but it’s very industry driven now.”
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
