THE downturn in Jamaica's economy is one of the factors cited by director Jay Will for the fall-out in the quality of local music videos.

He says about eight years ago when there was a more buoyant economy more attention was put into creativity and products which could compete internationally.

Add to this a greater access to technology which has allowed more persons to enter into the field without the requisite training.

"The main problem is a lack of creativity. Creativity does not necessarily come with a cost, so what we are seeing is a lack of effort. Internationally, everyone is facing a financial downturn, yet internationally there is no lack of creativity," he argues.

"Everybody a director now. Everybody hustling and doing a thing, making a little thing with the budget they have been given and we are seeing the fruits," says Jay Will.

This runs contrary to the view he had when he returned to Jamaica 10 years ago to help build an industry and a name for himself after working with cable and network television in the United States.

He directed some of the more popular videos over the period. But Jay Will (who was born Jason Williams) has chosen to take a break from the music video market and set his sights on directing television shows and ultimately crossing over into films.

"Even before the economic plunge I started to back off. I was doing 12-15 videos a year and now I am averaging about three music videos a year. I am now into TV shows such as Wray & Nephew's Contender, Guinness Sounds of Greatness, Claro Cash Cab and more corporate advertising."

However, he still harks back to his start in music videos, having just completed work for American music producer Major Lazer featuring Busy Signal on a track called Watch Out For This, which is slated for release later this month.

He also recently worked for rapper MIA on the video for Boys.

Jay Will is open to giving credit to others. He fingers Delano Forbes' Marshall in Town for Wayne Marshall, Kevin Lee's Impossible Train with Innocent Crew, Kassa's Welcome to Jamrock and Scorpio 21's Happy Heart for Etana among his favourites.

As for his own work, he favours Church Heathen for Shaggy, Endless Summer by Oceana, Voicemail's Wacky Dip, TOK's Footprints and the recent production with Major Lazer and Busy Signal.