in the post 8 2 phil crowe
phil crowe 8 3 in the post
the crowe road
photograph: pete dadds
“My whole lifestyle has changed – I’ve gone from Lucozade to smoothies...”
We all wanted to grow up and be our favourite
mental. The college had strong links with them
meetings way, way up front to steer it in a way
childhood hero – if I’d had my way I’d be down a
and I was the one student they selected for work
so we can do that,” he explains.
rabbit hole playing flamingo croquet right now.
that year. It was a brilliant opportunity.”
Axe’s Chocolate Man with Kuntz was a job just
And for Brit Phil Crowe, moving to LA two and a
Over the next nine years in London, Crowe built
like that. While other directors might have opted
half years ago took him one step closer to his
up his reputation and relationships with directors.
for a 3D look, Kuntz went the whole hog and,
cigar-smoking, smooth-talking idol, everybody’s
Regular collaborators now include such big
together with The Mill, calculated just how they
favourite detective, Columbo.
names as Tom Kuntz, Ringan Ledwidge and
could do it with only prosthetics. Other spots
Now at The Mill LA as joint head of 2D with Chris
Michael Haussman. But his earliest memory, and
Crowe’s lent his craft to recently include Droga5’s
Knight, Crowe worked his way through the ranks
still one of his best, came on Chris Cunningham’s
Lion-winning Tracfone viral (“An utter nightmare,
at the London HQ before jetting across the pond
Portishead video back in 1997. “I was coined the
so many different elements to do!”) and Ivan
with Knight to launch in the city of angels. “Me
bubble monkey, because I just spent three
Zacharias’ Audi Super Bowl spot, starring Jason
and Chris were sat in a Soho pub one cold
months painting out bubbles from the
Statham. “I almost got to be a hand model on
Monday night in January, we’d been to the gym,
underwater scenes,” he reminisces, “but it was a
that shoot,” he laughs. “I had to put a suit on and
and it was pissing down. It was then we realised
brilliant start and working with Chris was a real
have my nails done and everything.”
we were ready for a change – and the only place
eye opener about the way things could be.”
The Mill’s LA base is much more boutique than
I’d ever really thought of going was LA, perhaps
Good friends with fellow Ravensbourne graduate
their London powerhouse, but since launching
because of the Columbo thing,” grins Crowe.
Ledwidge, Crowe was also one of the ingenious
they have built a strong team that mixes Brits
Although he dreamt of detectives rather than
hands who pulled off Levi’s Dangerous Liaisons.
and Americans. But they’ve still got the support
Flame suites, Crowe was always headed down
“For me that was an optimum job. Ringan, Rich
of the squad back home, and work regularly goes
some type of creative route. “I had ridiculously
(Orrick, editor on the spot) and I had worked
back and forth across the wires.
academic older brothers,” he remembers, “and so
together lots before, so it was a proper
But even the promise of a once-in-a-blue-moon
while their heads were stuck in books, I was
collaboration. It was all just down to a bit of chalk,
dry summer won’t bring Crowe back to London
running round the garden with a bucket on mine.”
a stopwatch and a timer, and working out exactly
yet: “LA is fantastic. Ten years in London was
After completing his art foundation in Barnsley,
what we could do.”
kind of unhealthy for me. When I first got to LA I
Yorkshire, Crowe headed to the bright lights of
For Crowe it’s not all about flashy special effects:
was doing big Friday nights out, but after a while
London and to Ravensbourne College to study
“My favourite is working with directors who want
when you’re waking up on Saturday morning
graphic design. But, gripped by the TV module, as
it to look as photographic as possible. Anything
feeling rough and the sun is shining, you think ‘I
soon as he graduated he was straight through
they can do in camera they do, and then we work
have to calm down’. My whole lifestyle’s changed
The Mill’s front door. “I finished on the Thursday
around it. Sometimes on a job people say we’ve
– I’ve gone from Lucozade to smoothies.” We
and I was in there running on the Monday, it was
just done a clean up, but the point is we’ve had
wonder if Columbo would approve…
Phil Crowe dreamt of being a smooth-talking TV detective but is more than happy to be throwing Flame at The Mill in sunny LA. Isobel Roberts meets a Barnsley lad who’s come a long way