North Londoner and Goldsmiths graduate
Julian Fletcher came across Mancunian layabout Dan Henshaw several years ago
after being introduced by mutual friend, promo and commercials
producer Simon Poon Tip. Both budding film makers, Julian was busying himself
with creating and editing no-budget videos for his friends’ bands in between
assisting on shoots for RSA and Bullet productions, whilst Dan was a young,
disillusioned freelancer working in television, taking researcher and associate
producer jobs at Granada and Carlton TV that would allow him to sneak camera
equipment out of the office at weekends in order to shoot gigs and EPK’s for
bands in Manchester and London.
London’s numerous Pie and Mash shops played host to many lengthy
discussions between Dan, Julian and Simon about both the state of music videos,
and why vinegar with chilies in it did not seem to exist north of the Watford
Gap. It was out of such conversations that the ‘Indica’ collective was born.
Working under this moniker Dan and Julian began to collaborate on video
projects, notably directing well-received promos for the likes of Kano and Roll Deep. A
successful pairing with tearaway Dundonian band The View on the video for their
debut single Wasted Little DJ’s, saw Dan and Julian cultivate a close working
relationship with the band. The directors went on to shoot videos for every
release from The View’s platinum selling album Hats Off To The Buskers.
Eschewing the current trend for cool
sounding pseudonyms amongst directors, Dan and Julian are no longer working as
Indica, preferring instead to adopt the infinitely more complex and enigmatic
sounding ‘Dan and Julian’. Or ‘Julian and Dan’. Whatever, they still work
together.
