One Last Time - The Interview

February 2020 - New animated video in collaboration with Javier Longobardo Polanco, freelance artist and animator from Granada, Spain.

Javier Longobardo Polanco; tell us who you are, where are you from and what's your background? Have you worked on any music videos before?

I ́m an Spanish visual artist; I ́ve tried many creative fields: sculpture, painting, photography; later, I started making animations for music videos, more than a decade ago, mostly 3D animation. After posting experimental animations on the Internet, I received an email from a music band asking for a music video; that ́s how I started working for music artists. My clients: Arsenal (Belgium), Kanye West (USA), Müm (Iceland), Cult of Luna (Sweden), etc.

The reasons? I have spent my childhood watching TV cartoons; besides, I fell in love with digital environments after watching Tron (1982). One Last Time is my first step into traditional animation, although I mixed it with 3D animation

Can you talk us through how you came to discovered StomptownBrass (via Radar Music) and about the theme of the animated video you thought would work well with the track?

I had a crush with One Last Time song, after spotting the available briefs and songs on Radar (www.radarmusicvideos.com). I ́m not familiar with brass sound but I found that song very catchy; still, I love trumpets.
As far as I remember, Stomptown Brass was after a live action music video: I ́m not into that; still, I knew I was able to pitch for it with an animation proposal, dark and funk enough for the song. I watched the videos they like and saw they were after something related to death, funeral rites and similar stuff. The song sounds to me like some New Orleans funeral march/parade: flies would have reasons to parade on a battlefield carnage.

What's your favourite instrument in our band and why?
My favourite metal instrument has been always the trumpet: jazz, latin, gipsy, in OLT too. When listening to Stomptown I find the mixture in incredible: Trumpet-trombone- tuba, and a touch of saxo...like...there ́s a moment and for each. I mean...I do not know why, maybe the trumpet is the most very versatile metal instrument...Very emotional and very narrative, at the same time. And I love the saxo in the sex moment...yeah!

Can you explain the creative process that you had to go through to create the style in the animated video?

My first drawings were about rotting stuff and supposedly thing happening after death: growing hair and nails, hives on the skin and liquids leaking from body holes (mouth, nose, ears...The parade was also on top of my ideas, the chorus/bridge demanded that, to me. I came up soon with the idea of the flies celebrating...as a parade. Besides, the New Orleans sound was asking for some environment related to that place. That was the cocktail. Not really many drawings. I found the cycle of life in a human corpse was a perfect narrative and environment. And the party-funky mood: sex/food/alcohol.

I have a messy folder with drawings and sketches, feel free to take, crop and show anything you find interesting. I did not think about any style, I was just drawing, happy about not having to deal much with 3D animation.

You've been taking the animated video around the world at various film and animation festivals. Can you tell us more about that journey and what awards you picked up along the way?

I was so satisfied with the video that I decided to apply for some animation festivals. In the end, I got selected at nine: winner at the Feedback Animation Screenplay Festival (best song category, hahaha!); and an Honorable Mention at the Florida Animation Festival. Other selections: Cannes Animation Day; Cut-Out Festival; New York Independent Film Festival; Audio Shoot Unsigned International Music Video Film Festival; Open World Animation Festival; Sick ́n Wrong Festival; and Tokyo Lift- Off Festival. Maybe another prize is on its way...we ́ll see: the cut-out is a very good one in Mexico, I feel optimistic...maybe an award/laurels there.

What's next for Javier Longobardo Polanco? Can you tell us more about the creative projects are you working on now and how we can follow your work?

I ́m currently teaching at an art school; I have a couple of projects in my mind, short movies and maybe some research with videogames environments, not music videos at the moment: most mainstream artists would prefer to be shot in live action videos, and independent bands are more open to animations and experimentation, but have low budgets.

My works are on Behance and Vimeo.

Finally, what is your outlook on the meaning of Life?

A walk through the cemetery puts you in your place

…yes Javier! It has been our pleasure to work with you. Wishing you every success in the future.

Concert in your home town next summer?

The Lads, Stomptown Brass

…and here’s the video for you to take a look. We hope you enjoy!