Aislinn Lowe Aims to Shake Up Short-Form Storytelling at Clockwork Films

As a child, Aislinn Lowe was captivated by the visual world of music videos, a passion ignited during Saturday mornings spent watching Rage.

"I initially fell in love with music videos as a medium," she recalls.

"I would create pretend music videos in my head to songs that I loved and soon realised I could make them for real by collaborating with local artists."

That early fascination with visuals, rhythm, and performance evolved into a career that now sees Aislinn at the forefront of short-form storytelling.

"Making ads seemed like the natural next progression as they’re short-form, stylised, and generally a lot of fun," she says.

Aislinn recently joined Clockwork Films as a director. She is working alongside Sydney EP Aborah Buick, who she praises for her unwavering support.

"Aborah is the sort of person that goes to bat for anyone she believes in, and I’ve felt like she had my back even before we worked together in any official capacity.

"I love working with energetic, positive, and ambitious people, and it felt like there was a synergy between myself and the team at Clockwork."

Her work combines surreal visuals with deep philosophical questions, a style rooted in her early exposure to art and performance.

"My mum was very into art and poetry, so I spent a lot of time in art galleries growing up," Aislinn says.

"I think the time spent in galleries fused with all those hours watching Rage to create my style, which is driven by design, art direction, performance, and rhythm."

Influenced by artists like Nam June Paik, Bill Viola, and Ryoji Ikeda, Aislinn aims to create work that captivates visually and challenges ideas around identity, intimacy, and youth culture.

"These artists inspire me because they marry stunning visuals with philosophical questions, and I hope to move toward that in my narrative and installation work.”

Her approach to storytelling has seen her work on campaigns for global brands like Google, H&M, and Modibodi.

"The brands I work with share values that align with my vision," Aislinn notes.

"It’s no coincidence that my brand work champions themes like diversity, inclusion, equality, and challenging stereotypes — because those are exactly what I look for when reading a script or brand deck."

She notes that directors now often have lived experience of the themes they’re exploring in their work.

“Advancements in technology have made it possible for people to become directors at younger ages.

“You now have people directing stories about youth, intimacy, and gender identity who are actually living these experiences in real-time or recent memory."

Her approach to directing extends to how she elicits performances, whether working with trained actors or untrained talent.

"There’s this idea that directors need to be bombastic, loud presences, but I find I get my best ideas around performance just from watching," Aislinn says.

"The details  —how someone is breathing, how their eyebrows are moving, whether or not they blink — make a performance feel real."

Aislinn is working on a dream project, a short film titled ‘Transcendence’, which she describes as a collaboration with "incredible actors, creatives, and producers."

"I can’t wait to share it with the world.”

Looking ahead, Aislinn is optimistic about “a shift towards hearing more diverse voices both behind the camera and in front, and that has been great to be a part of.”

For those starting in the industry, Aislinn’s advice is straightforward.

"Make something. Dare to make something, and then do it again and again.”