Grant Branton, prolific producer and first assistant director in music videos and commercials for nearly two decades, has passed away after a long battle with cancer at the age of 53.

Grant produced numerous successful music videos, for Basement Jaxx, Blur, Katie Melua, Primal Scream, Travis and many other artists, working with top directors such as Mat Kirkby, Dawn Shadforth, Arni & Kinski, Little X, Alex Smith and Shynola. For a three year period in the mid-Noughties he also worked as a 1st AD for the likes of Barney Clay, Simon Henwood, Diamond Dogs and Caswell Coggins. 

His many commercial credits as a producer include PS4's Players with directors Adam Wells and Will Smith, Sure For Men's Snowboard & Footballer with Matt Holland, and ads for Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model with Trudy Bellinger.

Grant's career began in the camera department - his first film job was working on Highlander – before making the jump to production when a short film he produced for his cameraman won an award. He went on to co-run the production company Live From Bermuda with Amanda Girling in the mid-Nineties before establishing himself as a freelance producer.

He was also an occasional performer - showing up in a music video directed by Shelly Love as a heavyweight boxer (recut in the tribute to Grant below). Above all, as his many friends and colleagues know well, Grant was a gentle, thoughtful, lover of life, a man of great integrity.  

A church service in celebration of Grant's life is being held tomorrow afternoon at 12.30pm, Wednesday, February 17th, at St. Peters Church in Firle village, near Brighton, followed by light refreshments at the Firle village hall. 

Grant's family have requested that rather than floral tributes, his friends make a donation to the charities close to Grant's heart: Yes To Life, and Harrison's Fund.