Nice & Polite are an artistic collective working on visual projects from moving image music videos to printed posters; internet virals to smart phone apps.
It is due to their variety in service and full package in-house operations that Nice & Polite have earned red carpet status. Let’s name drop? The renowned fashion media virtuoso Mathew Donaldson recently collaborated with the Nice & Polite people to create a short film for Louis Vuitton. Then their music video for Memory Tapes ‘Yes I Know’ was nominated for a Grammy in ‘Best Short Music Video’ this year, alongside Adele and Radiohead. The team also worked with Polydor Records for Madonna’s new single ‘MDNA’ and just added a secret weapon by the name of Carsten Windhorst to their roster of talent, whose CV includes work with Lady Gaga, Chris Martin and Björk. Ambition never fails and plans are full steam ahead with TV Development and even a TV Channel in the pipeline. Picking up on the new and using technology and art in perfect synergy, Nice & Polite are quietly carving a multimedia machine. i-D online sat down for a chat with Managing Director Ross Anderson to learn some manners and hear more about their projects.
Where did the name Nice & Polite come from? It’s the ethos of the company, so it made sense for it to be its name.
Do you have a favourite project you’ve worked on? They all have a certain charm, coming up with ideas and surprising people is what we do. We recently shot a film for Louis Vuitton and what seems to be a new and voracious appetite for moving image in the fashion world brings a sense of freedom and a new frontier for creativity.
What inspired you to begin Nice & Polite? A new dawn in how people consume their media.
Do you have a favourite medium to work in? Any medium we can express an idea is good, then joining them together to make a cohesive and pointed campaign is the ideal. The central idea is key, how it is delivered isn’t the primary concern.
Who is the nicest and politest person you have met? The guy in the apple store the other day was lovely, but I worry he had been altered slightly and beneath the smile he was a little sad.
What would be your dream project? We are working on projects for Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Michael Kiwanuka and Willie Moon… So it’s pretty dreamlike already.
If you were asked to recommend three films for i-D online viewers what would they be? Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Enter The Void and Last Days.
Text: Declan Higgins
Films from top: ‘Memory Tapes’. Director Eric Epstein, DoP Aaron Epstein, Editor Eric Epstein, VFX Eric Epstein. / ‘Louis Vuitton Cruise Collection 2012′ Director Matthew Donaldson, Producer Gail Davey, DoP Jason Berman. / The Subways ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ Director: Blake Claridge Animation/Illustration: Robert Wallace. / Michael Kiwanuka Nice & Polite.
