Michel Gondry, Björk, and Hitchcock: The Work That Made Elisa Baudoin

Elisa Baudoin is a French director and photographer whose work blends cinematic elegance with poetic visuals. Her background spans theatre, fashion, music videos and photography – foundation that shapes her refined visual sensibility and immersive storytelling.

Represented by REVERSE for the US, she works across commercial, editorial and music-driven formats. Known for blending pop imagery with dreamlike atmospheres, Elisa crafts worlds that feel both intimate and bold, from beauty campaigns to artistic music videos.

From ‘Around The World’ to ‘Human Behaviour’, Elisa sat down with LBB to look back on the defining projects of her career, as well as her biggest inspirations.

The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…

Elisa> Michel Gondry’s videos shaped my visual sensibility from a young age. His video for Daft Punk’s ‘Around the World’ amazed me with its precision and playful choreography, but it was Björk’s ‘Human Behaviour’ that truly stayed with me.

Watching it felt like stepping into a dream you didn’t know you were entering: strange, tactile, magical! Every detail feels intentionally crafted, and Björk is impossible to look away from.

That combination of poetry, surrealism and imagination made me realise how expressive and personal a music video can be. It’s one I still return to often.

The ad/music video/game/platform that made me want to get into the industry…

Elisa> I remember the first time I saw Woodkid’s ‘Iron’ so clearly. The sound, the imagery… it all hit me at once! I had never seen anything like it. It felt bold, precise and completely new. And I felt a little burst of pride that he was French, creating something so powerful and universal. It was the first time I understood how a single video could shift your whole idea of what the medium can be. It opened a door for me, creatively.

The creative work I keep revisiting…

Elisa> I watch a lot of films for inspiration, and certain eras show up in my work again and again. When I’m feeling stuck, I rewatch a small group of Hitchcock films and it resets me immediately (‘Spellbound’, ‘Notorious’, ‘North by Northwest’, ‘Vertigo’, ‘I Confess’, ‘Rope’, ‘The 39 Steps’, ‘To Catch a Thief’). Otherwise, I put on Jay-Jay Johanson’s albums. The song ‘Vertigo’, coincidentally, is the one I return to the most.

My first professional project…

Elisa> I was lucky to start working fairly early with Universal Music. It was a while ago now, but I had the chance to collaborate with Maëlle at the very beginning of her career, and a beautiful friendship grew from that first project. We’ve continued working together on her latest album too.

The piece of work that made me vow never to make anything like that…

Elisa> Fully AI-generated campaigns, film or photo, aren’t for me. Using AI to clean up small issues or add playful touches is fine, but creating a whole piece without a creative team behind it honestly saddens me. I love the human part of this job: the craft, the imperfections, the collaboration! Replacing that with something machine-generated feels like losing the soul of the work.

The piece of work that still makes me jealous…

Elisa> Megaforce’s ‘Nothing Beats a Londoner’ is one of those films that makes you sit up a little straighter. It’s bold, inventive and full of life. The creativity behind it is incredible. Watching it reminded me how far you can push storytelling, rhythm and visual ambition in advertising. It’s the kind of work that challenges you, in the best way.

The creative project that changed my career…

Elisa> Definitely ‘Le Coup d’soleil’ by Bon Entendeur, featuring Emma Peters. I remember watching Dino Risi’s ‘L’ombrellone’ and feeling completely inspired, while also being drawn to the photography of Martin Parr and Slim Aarons. I wanted to bring that atmosphere into a film of my own.

At the time, I was only directing music videos and wanted to push myself further. The budget was small, but I approached it like a commercial. My producer partner in France, Loumir Orsoni, and I went all in. That project opened the door for me to direct commercials and shifted the direction of my career.

The work I’m proudest of…

Elisa> The video I directed for Isabelle Adjani, ‘Les Courants d’Air’, is probably the project I’m most proud of. I’ve admired her for so long, and collaborating with her felt surreal and incredibly special.

On the photography side, my editorial ‘Soft Damage’ for Vogue Portugal feels closest to my natural sensibility. It was a very free project, and I leaned into something more sensual and fashion-driven than I’d done before. It opened a creative space I feel very connected to now.

I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…

Elisa> Hahaha, my early music videos are sometimes hard to watch again… I can see every technical limitation, every tiny mistake. I usually don’t make it all the way through.

The recent project that excited me the most…

Elisa> I directed four campaigns for Too Faced over the summer. Working on both film and photography meant shifting constantly between two very different modes, and I loved that challenge. Moving further into beauty and fashion work feels natural and exciting.

I’m also shooting a short film next month – a mix of playful storytelling and character work leaning into fashion, set in a beautiful Parisian hotel. It should be fun, and it feels like it’s letting me expand my creative universe even further.