Flying Lotus Says Thom Yorke GIF Inspired Him to Start Making Films

The 2016 Sundance NEXT FEST will feature the directorial debut of Flying Lotus, under his alias “steve” (yes, lowercase), helming a short film called Royal. Today, he expanded on his turn toward film in a series of tweets, in which he said his label Brainfeeder will now operate a film division. He also said he was inspired to direct after seeing a “pretty awesome” GIF of him and Thom Yorke, which mimicked a fictitious conversation between the two musicians about a just-concluded DJ set. “I was fixated on this for a whole day and thought. Shit. I can make stuff like that,” he wrote. Find his tweets—and the GIF—below.

Happy I’m finally able to share the news. There’s been something brewing….
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

In October of last year there was this pretty awesome gif going around of me and Thom Yorke djing. pic.twitter.com/l09Y48Gvhq
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

I was fixated on this for a whole day and thought. Shit. I can make stuff like that
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

So now after lots of toiling tinkering begging and bothering I’m able to tell u this. Brainfeeder has started a film division
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

It started off with an animation and became something else..@DAVID_FIRTH started teaching me animation. So he was the first person I signed
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

My first thing is called “Royal” it’s an awkward love story that’s definitely not for the kiddies. It will debut at the Sundance /Next fest
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

I know I usually deliver album news around now but look at this face…. pic.twitter.com/ZP7InDfMuo
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

There will obviously be music 🙂
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

There’s so much I wanna say about all this stuff. I knw the world is crazy. I just wanna entertain u
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

Come see my directorial debut “Royal” at Sundance / next fest in LA this August. Let my unfiltered imagination wash over your lovely face.
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

Goddamnit!!!!! Go away!!!!! …. ……. I’ll think about it😔 https://t.co/nkfVGNbLnM
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016

There’s gonna be music in the movie 🙂 https://t.co/621MbuqPo4
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) July 6, 2016
Last year, the Flying Lotus-scored short film FUCKKKYOUUU premiered at Sundance; watch it below.