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Mike O'Keefe departs Sony Music with a rallying cry for music videos

Mike O'Keefe departs Sony Music with a rallying cry for music videos

David Knight - 22nd July 2024

Mike O’Keefe has ended his tenure as VP Creative at Sony Music and head of the label’s music video commissioning department, signing off from his remarkable 30 year career at Sony with a celebration that was attended by colleagues, family and friends  from the music video world and beyond. 

The farewell celebration last month included the screening of a video montage of his most celebrated work including messages from artists and colleagues, and a presentation of gifts by Cassandra Gracey, President of 4th Floor Creative at Sony and Kat Cattaneo, a senior video commissioner in his team, who is now assuming the role as Director of Visual Content.

O’Keefe (above left, at the presentation with Jason Iley, Chairman & CEO of Sony Music UK & Ireland) also delivered a speech, which focussed on his favourite experiences and the favourite people he has worked with over the past three decades, then adding a list of various things that he won’t miss, most notably: opinions (“these days each job has at least 3 email threads and 3 WhatsApp groups and everybody has to have a say on absolutely everything”).

He namechecked some of the directors he has worked with including Sophie Muller, WIZ, Michael Gracey, Jonathan Glazer, Joseph Kahn, Dave Meyers and Vaughan Arnell, and added: “There are so many more creatives, directors, producers, DoPs, art directors, editors all the other crew members I’ve worked with… that deserve recognition. They work long hours, put up with a lot of nonsense and mostly do it for love. We need to be appreciative and grateful for the work they do.”

He ended the speech with a heartfelt message about the continuing importance of music videos for the health and prosperity of the music industry in the UK, and the need for creative boldness in the service of breaking new artists.

Now more than ever we need to take risks and believe in what we’re doing.

“What we do is art. Not always high art but art none the less. As we all know it’s much harder to break acts these days, but it’s still all about having great music and great artists - this has always been the focus and always will be. Visuals are still a big part of this development and the music video is still a unique outlet for an artist’s creative expression.

“I know music videos are going through a difficult time at the moment as three minutes is far to long for people to concentrate as we now all have the attention span of gerbils and we need a whole suite of shortform content for different platforms. But I think we also need to remember Music Videos have had a profound cultural impact over the last 40 years. There are very few important global artists that have not had a memorable video campaign and I guess if we want global success that still applies.

“Now more than ever I think we need to take risks and believe in what we’re doing. Let’s face it we’re in a gambling business and it’s become much harder than it was. But when we get something good we need to chase it and we shouldn’t be afraid of failure.

“There is nothing more irritating than something being ‘OK’. ‘OK’ is f***ing pointless. So we need to aim for amazing even if it doesn’t turn out as it should. It’s better to try to be exciting and risky rather than be safe and mediocre. Personally I’ve tried to stick to this principal my whole life and I think we need it even more today when there is so much stuff vying for people’s attention.

“If this sounds like the ramblings of an irritating old git… it is! But I’m secure in the knowledge that there is no right or wrong in creativity. Only an innate feeling on what to do based on intuition, emotion and experience - and that’s what makes creativity in general and music in particular so fascinating and rewarding to work in.

“So on that rather profound philosophical note I just want to say I’m going to miss you all terribly. But hopefully I won’t disappear completely and will see at least some of you in the future.

“If anyone is interested I am available for consultancy work - but I won’t be cheap.”

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David Knight - 22nd July 2024

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