Liam Woolmer-Thompson
A Liminal Dreamweaver
Liam is a director whose incredibly refined style is born of a wide range of influences. As a person with a bag of tricks, we couldn't resist digging through it for a peek:
Fabrik: Can you remember some of your earliest influences?
Liam: "I can't really tell how much my early obsessions are showing up in my current work, but back in the day, I was all about those early 2000s anime vibes. And I don't mean the usual suspects – I'm talking Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Perfect Blue/ anything by Satoshi Kon (you can definitely spot this one in the Kulture Klub / Funhouse music videos), and anything had a sense of optimism and crazy surrealism/ color, like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann...Funny twist, though – my first attempts at actually creating something were all mimicking early youtubers who'd animated MapleStory sprites from the MMORPG. I'd basically rip sprites from the game, edit them in photoshop and animate them in flash.. When first getting into music videos I was absolutely hooked on Hiro Murai's collaborations with Childish Gambino. The whole concept of taking one idea and just pushing it to the absolute max really resonated with me."
Fabrik: Where do you find inspiration now?
Liam: "As for what gets my creative juices flowing now, it's all about the people around me. I'm an extroverted person and I thrive on connecting with other directors and crew members, getting a feel for what makes them tick and how they approach their craft. A big chunk of my skills comes from teaming up with fellow directors and weaving their techniques into my own bag of tricks. These days, I'm getting inspiration from wherever I can. Sometimes it's from watching music videos on mute while the track I'm doing a video for is in the background. Pinterest and ShotDeck are like my secret weapons. Director wise; Anton Tammi's directorial work on their music videos is insane, and you can definitely spot the unmistakable influence of Wong Kar Wai in my stuff. Oh, and manga panels.. I read manga like water so I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a huge influence on me – from Takehito Inoue to Naoki Urasawa, Fujimoto Tatsuki, Hayashida Q...
Then finally obviously music itself, the music these creatives make, the music I consume everyday. it's a part of me. "
Fabrik: How would you describe your style?
Liam: "I'm trying my best for this liminal dream- like style, I feel like the editing and editors I work with like Shen Adam - contribute to this speedy flashiness that's probably coming from the anime influences. I find it hard to linger on a shot unless it's for a reason. In my work, I believe that colour and lighting play a significant role. I strive to incorporate colours that effectively amplify the emotions at play in the song. Honestly describing my style is hard because I feel like I'm still trying to find it. "
Fabrik: Your portfolio features a lot of collaborative work with artists and the music industry, how did you come to be involved with that?
Liam: "Following the lockdown, my desire to connect with others grew stronger. I would attend concerts and events solo, approaching artists with the intention of forming friendships and fostering collaborations. I came to the realisation that life is about 'chasing the conversation' and the stories shared by others. Meeting new people truly ignites the passion within me and it took a lot of time for me to realise how happy it makes me. Luckily, my day job back then was at a Music Brand called Focusrite, so I got to team up with artists on various projects. I love asking people about their lives, especially when it comes to their music. It simplifies the toughest part of chatting with strangers - getting the conversation started."
Fabrik: If you could shoot a music video for any artist out there right now, who would you pick and why them?
Liam: "Got to be Joji - Firstly i've followed him for years and secondly I think his current videos are that fever dream aesthetic that I'm aiming for also I think it would be hilarious."
Fabrik: Do you prefer to direct on smaller or larger scale budget projects?
Liam: "No. one's going to say no to a bigger budget - however, the smaller budgets i've worked with have always forced ingenuity. "
Fabrik: What are your plans for the future? Can you give us an insight into any projects that you're currently working on?
Liam: "Looking ahead, my future plans revolve around continuous creation, relishing the creative journey, and forging connections with like-minded individuals. Currently, I have another video project in the works with Lucy Tun, and I'm gearing up to pitch ideas to various commissioners, expanding my presence in that realm. My ultimate objective is to connect with new artists, delve into their creative motivations, and translate their stories into compelling videos."
Fabrik: Final question - what made you decide to set up your portfolio site with Fabrik?
Liam: "It was just so simple to make my content presentable and aesthetically pleasing. Everywhere made me jump through hoops whereas Fabrik seemed like it was all about content first. It's user friendly without making it necessary to have any sort of background when it comes to website building."
Liam uses Calico, a magazine format theme with unique homepage layouts and several project layout options geared towards presenting longer-form projects and blog posts. Creatives with lots of projects will appreciate Calico’s customisation options.