Playlist: Silent Tapes

Stephanie & Francis Lane, aka, Silent Tapes are a dynamic husband and wife duo of filmmakers, specialising in music videos & commercials. During their career, the pair have created work for the likes of Frida Sundemo, J Churcher, Pale Waves and many more...

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

Francis: The Blaze - Territory, because of it’s exploration of masculinity, because in a sea of Islamophobia the Western eye finds that ‘cool’, because it takes certain elements that would typically, be cheesy and makes them cool.

Stephanie : Agreed.

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

Stephanie: Soul Asylum - Runaway Train. I think I was about 7 years old.

Francis: JAY-Z - On To The Next One. A few years ago, when we started making MVs - before that I hadn’t ever really watched any because I was a firm believer that music didn’t need them and was good enough without. Needless to say, I’ve massively come round to the value of the music video art form.

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

Stephanie: Ah! So many. Hmm… Bad Girls M.I.A and Viorar Vel Til Loftarasa Sigur Rós.

Francis: Paolo Nutini - Iron Sky [Short Film]

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

Stephanie: Sigur Rós, Michel Gondry, Joseph Cornell, E.E. Cummings.

Francis: No one, or everyone, anything that speaks to me no matter where it came from, no matter how small.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Stephanie: Keaton Henson

Francis: Recently pulled out Fantastic Mr Fox - Evelyn from my dusty mp3 vault.

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

Francis: WhatsApp - because of the group chats. Or IG because of the doors it can open.

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

Francis: M.I.A because she doesn’t try to be part of the pack.

Stephanie: M.I.A! She is the ultimate bad-ass and embodiment of female empowerment. Huge respect for her.

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

Francis: I don’t think we’ve been in it long enough to comprehend it has a whole.

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

Francis: Levelling of the playing field (if it hasn’t already happened). Exactly the same way the photography industry has had to adjust.

Stephanie: Don’t know where it might go, but hope to see more artists use their influence to shed light on thought-provoking topics and themes through their videos.

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

Francis: I like taking off my glasses and everything being a blur for a while.

Stephanie: My favourite colour is orange, despite always being dressed in black.