Acclaimed director and choreographer Nina McNeely, who has directed and choreographed music videos for Miguel, black midi, Fergie and the recent Doja Cat video for Paint The Town Red, has now joined the roster of creative talent at UnderWonder Content.McNeely is a multi-talented artist who has gained a stellar reputation for the visceral and vibrant style of her choreography, working with the likes of Björk, Gaspar Noé (on his movie Climax), The Weeknd, Rihanna, Foo Fighters, Sam Smith, Alicia Keyes, Pharrell, and most recently, with Tinashe.She worked as the choreographer for HBO’s The Idol, starring The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, where she also served as on-screen talent, playing the choreographer within the show itself. Her TED Talk, Once There Was III, is a symphony of live-projection mapping set on three dancers to create a unique surrealist landscape.McNally's deep understanding of choreography works to her advantage as a director; her elegant camera work is able to zero in on and capture moments of storytelling within dance and movement-focused film. She was nominated for a UKMVA for her brilliant video for black midi's John L in 2021.“There’s truly no one like her - Nina is a force to be reckoned with in the world of music videos and a thought leader in reconceptualizing what film can do,” says Ivanna Borin, executive producer of UnderWonder. “She’s talented in an immeasurable amount of ways, and we look forward to elevating her voice and giving it an even larger audience at UnderWonder.”Nina McNally adds: “Everyone I’ve met at UnderWonder has been a taste-maker in their own right. I find that forward, boundary-pushing appetite for creativity very exciting and inspiring to work with. With what I want to do in my career and the reach I want, they’re the perfect partners as I take this next step in my creative life.”McNally joins an esteemed roster of directors at UnderWonder, creating award-winning commercials and music videos. The LA-based company is nominated in four categories at this year’s MTV VMAs, with Tanu Muiño for Best Director and Video of the Year for her Doja Cat's Attention video. This marks the third year in a row she’s been nominated for both categories.• Watch Nina McNeely's reel at UnderWonder here

Animation heavyweights Eddy are the latest signing to the roster of creatives at Spindle.Eddy is an award-winning French production company that represents a host of top animation talent from a multitude of backgrounds. Eddy's roster will now be represented by Spindle in London. Eddy was established in 2015 by Jean-François Bourrel and Nicolas de Rosanbo to develop audacious 2D, CGI and stop motion animation films. Since then it's diverse roster of artists have individually been making waves across a wide range of global campaigns.After designing and animating exquisite 2D animation sequences for Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and The French Dispatch, Parisian creative studio Werlen Meyer have recently created a series of stylish, dreamy commercials for Chanel and an award-winning short film 'Do Son’ for luxury brand Diptyque.Clément Soulmagnon’s mastery of fluid animation and stylish transitions make him one of today's most exciting French filmmaking talents. He is equally happy working in watercolour as in full CGI and is able to infuse colour and personality into any universe he creates. He has directed films for Hermès, Jean Paul Gaultier, Apple and Visa and has won awards at the Annecy film festival and the Art Director's Club.Mylène Cagnoli seamlessly combines movement, music and dreaminess in her sensual illustrations. Her films and the powerful characters she conjures often revolve around feminism and queer visibility. She is passionate about Japanese anime and fashion photography - both of these influences are strongly felt in her work. She has already lent her fresh visuals to clients such as Facebook and Gymshark.Alongside commercial campaigns, Eddy’s roster is no stranger to creating entertainment that leaves a lasting impression. Whether films, music videos, VR, character design or gaming, their collective output cuts through the noise and is packed full of creativity and relevance.Turbo Collective employ eye-catching, unexpected humour and razor-sharp attention to detail in their CGI short films ‘Turbopera’ and ‘028’, while both Mathilde Bédouet and Marie Larrivé’s hand-crafted music videos stand out from the crowd. Mathilde’s ‘All I Knew’ for Fastlanes defies the norms of standard rap music videos, and is made up of more than 2000 colour crayon drawings to become a musical outcry against social injustice and violence.While Marie’s psychedelic promo for Sabrina and Samantha ‘Saba’ explodes with joyful energy through hand-drawn felt-tip coloured animation. Working with Lucas Malbrun, the directors imagined a series of metamorphoses from man to beast brought on by a mysterious apocalyptic rainfall. And Olivier Lescot’s obsession with characters has helped receive recognition at the Art Director’s Club and Berlin Music Video awards.On signing to Spindle, Eddy has declared: "The UK advertising market is innovative, risk-taking and exploding with fun and imagination. We’re thrilled to get a foot in the door by joining cutting edge creative production companySpindle."Eddy has always had strong links to the UK, with recent co-productions including QuentinBaillieux’s mixed-media films for Stella Artois and Bentley, Nicos Livesey and Jamie Hewlett’squirky and aloof Tranz music video for the legendary group Gorillaz or the instant classic Nummer 2 directed by Faux Soleil for Anne Müller. We are delighted to build on these foundations and feel confident that Spindle are the mentors to guide our next steps."Our shared taste has its roots in a shared ethos, the starting point of any fruitful creative collaboration. We feel that our directors havea lot to offer the UK market and look forward to bringing our mutual experience of development and production to bear on future projects."Emily Jordan-Wilson, Spindle's Head of Sales adds: "It isn’t a coincidence that Eddy are based in Paris, as France is home to the best animation education and artists in the world. Eddy are trailblazers in this area and work hard to grow and nurture talent from all corners of the globe."They have successfully built a production company that creates outstanding output, who share our values, and I can’t wait for you to meet them. The UK ain't gonna know what’s hit it."

Maxim Kelly, director of videos for acclaimed videos for Black Country New Road, Belief, Black Midi, Shame and more, has joined London-based production company Spindle for music video and commercial representation.Kelly is known for embracing different genres and influences, blending an unconventional and surrealist style with an imaginative approach to mixed-media.He started his career assisting commercial photographers around studying for his MA at the University of Arts London. After graduating, he moved to New York and worked alongside some of the leading names in New York fashion photography. Then later returning to London, becoming Juergen Teller's first assistant for three years.These fine art and fashion worlds led him to finding a new avenue within music videos. His debut promo, made while on a trip to India, attracted attention of various blogs and festivals, and marked Maxim’s arrival as being one to watch. Since then, he’s gone on to make a name for himself as one of the UK’s most original promo directors.During the pandemic, Kelly directed a mesmerising, psychedelic trip through the Victorian technique of the phénakisticope for Django Django's Spirals. That was followed by an unsettling deepfake video for Shame's Nigel Hitter, that repurposes and reimagines archival footage from old research centres conducting questionable experiments around the development of children. The film went on to be nominated for Best Rock Video UK at UKMVAs 2021.He continued this trajectory in 2022, releasing a string of acclaimed promos. His surreal tribute to '90s rave culture for Belief's Dreams was nominated and awarded across UKMVAs, Berlin MVAs, Kinsale Sharks and Creative Circle. The film was included in various Best of the Year lists, thanks to its iconic performance and uniquely original, striking visuals.His unhinged fever-dream of a Western for Black Midi's Eat Men Eat and genre-bending epic for Black Country, New Road's Concorde both received similar levels of recognition, including multiple wins and nominations at Creative Circle, Shark Awards, 1.4 and UKMVAs, as well as taking up two spots in Promonews’ Best of 2022 Rock and Alternative list.Most recently, Maxim released Hot Chip's Broken, that reworks obscure vintage corporate film footage to create an alternative history of computing that sees a robot boyband take the world by storm. Alongside this impressive collection of promos, he has directed successful campaigns for clients including Nike, Valentino, Linda Farrow, Vogue and Sony. He’s also created Fashion Editorials for Red Thread and Hunger Magazine.Spindle Executive Producer Mayling Wong says: "Maxim’s ability to create in such an innovative way has always inspired me. I remember when I first saw his music video for Belief, I was immediately captivated. The way in which the video’s direction held my attention, despite being so simplistic, was truly a credit to Maxim’s craft and focus on the finer details. I am beyond excited to watch him flourish with the team at Spindle and look forward to bringing his unique imagination to life!"Kelly adds: "Spindle is the right fit — they're a young, dynamic crew with a solid growth curve. Their energy and taste drew me in, and I joined because I wanted to be part of that, to contribute and grow with them."• Watch Maxim Kelly's work on the Spindle website here

India Sleem has joined the Somesuch roster, for representation across music videos, commercials and branded content in the UK and Amsterdam.Director and photographer India Sleem’s work focuses on telling human stories while capturing the delicate nuances of everyday life and characters with a cinematic style and distinct palettes. She often shines a light on the diversity of culture. Through her endless curiosity and soothing demeanour, she forms genuine bonds with her subjects, and her ability to capture raw and honest moments translates to emotive and dynamic filmmaking.India’s youthful enthusiasm is evident throughout her body of work and the uplifting and intimate experiences she creates. Her highly personable and inventive spirit has led to meaningful and ongoing collaborations in the advertising space, with an impressive collection of work over a short period of time for global brands including Apple, Nike, McDonald’s, Fenty, Gap, Square, Converse, Chillys, Marie Curie and Vogue.This year, her work for Nike’s AirForce 40th Anniversary campaign was a finalist for Best Advertising Campaign at The AICP Show. In 2019, she was named to The One Club’s prestigious Young Guns 17 winner for her work including her film The Game, a golden hour love letter to New York City’s basketball culture, and photo series Indian Hills for Dazed Magazine.Her films and photography capture human portraits in a real-life context with an emotional connection to the talent and a strong sense of colour and composition.Born and raised in Manchester, India is based in Los Angeles. She is currently in production on a short film, a semi-autobiographical look at growing up mixed race. She is also in development on her first feature film.• Watch India Sleem's work at Somesuch here

Time Based Arts has announced the arrival of Ruth Wardell to their colour grading team, as part of ongoing reorganisation of the department.Previously at Okay Studio, Wardell's recent work includes grading music videos for Björk, Obongjayar, Johnny Marr and Jessie Buckley, joining an impressive back catalogue of work that includes outstanding grades for Lapsley, Sevdaliza, Hak Baker, Greentea Peng and Jorja Smith, among others. “Ruth’s reputation precedes her in all areas," says Dan Kreeger, EP for Colour Grading at Time Based Arts. "She’s done so much in such a short time and her work has covered so much ground.”"Ruth was the obvious choice," adds Simone Grattarola, Head of Colour and partner at Time Based Arts. "She was known to us through friends and before this, her name often came up as someone TBA all admired in terms of work and approach. Meeting her it was clear how much passion and drive she brings to her work. Ruth also brings a real sense of fun and an enthusiasm for all avenues of creativity, which really resonates with the culture we have at TBA." Ruth Wardell adds: “I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the team at TBA. I’ve long been an admirer of the colour team, the company’s ethos, and the incredible catalogue of work that they produce. Meeting Simone and the team really solidified how I felt about TBA, so joining was a no-brainer. I’m thrilled to be working alongside such a talented, hardworking team.”Wardell's arrival is the first of several changes planned for the award-winning colour grading department, who continue to work across the VFX work of Time Based Arts and then a multitude of grade-only jobs for clients across the world.

London-based director, photographer and creative director Claryn Chong has joined the directors' roster at Lowkey Films.Chong has worked with Holly Humberstone, Baby Queen, Thomas Headon, NiNE8 Collective, and more, and her music video credits include Baby Queen's Dream Girl, Holly Humberstone's Scarlett, NiNE8's Noodle Poodle and Crawlers' That Time Of Year Always.Originally from Singapore and raised in Australia, Chong's work is tied to youth culture, nostalgia and the transience of adolescent emotion. She takes a lot of inspiration from her diasporic experiences, the diverse cultures she has grown up with and both traditional filmmaking techniques and DIY and analogue processes."We are so excited to welcome Claryn to the Lowkey family!" says Lowkey Films' Head of Music and EP Tara Bartlett. "She embodies the word creative, with her playful and rich visual ideas stretching across many mediums - video, photography, creative direction and more. Beyond her creative talent, she is a rare gem of a person, with an infectious energy that is infused into every set and into every piece of work she creates! I can’t wait to continue our collaborative journey together."• Watch Claryn Chong's work on the Lowkey Films website here

Somesuch has announced that LA-based director and editor Dan Streit - director/editor of UKMVA-winning video for Joji's Glimpse Of Us - has joined the company's directors roster, and now represented across music videos, commercials and branded content in the US, UK and The Netherlands.Dan Streit (above, centre) has made his mark with trippy, high-octane visuals for artists and brands such as McDonalds x CPFM, Beats by Dre, Adidas, Brockhampton, TNIGHT. Earlier this year he followed the seminal video for Joji - winner of Best edting at last year's UKMVAs - by co-directing A$AP Rocky's Shittin' Me with Cole Kush, his partner in animation studio Grin Machine.Streit's work combines contemporary surreal comedy, energetic narratives, maverick 3D animation and '90s nostalgia. Armed with a DIY attitude and a background in VFX and animation, Streit developed his distinct style working with peers including Zack Villere and Jim-E-Stack in collective TMWRK - where he directed videos for Diplo and Major Lazer. He went on to establish creative studio Grin Machine with frequent collaborator Cole Kush.Other key work includes creating a Stomp-inspired campaign for Kerwin Frost's Adidas SS22 Collection (starring Mac DeMarco, Teezo Touchdown and Tim Robinson) and music videos for artists like Brockhampton, TNGHT and Shakewell.• Watch Dan Streit at Somesuch here

FRIEND have announced the signing of director Alice Kunisué to the company's UK roster. Kunisué is a director, photographer, illustrator, painter, animator and art director, who is known for an irreverent comic style and inspired use of VFX and animation in brand films for the likes of Google, Hermés, Christian Louboutin and Nike, and in music videos for Vladimir Couchemar, Jacques and Franz Ferdinand. Born and raised in Tokyo, Kunisué studied political sciences in Montreal before settling in Paris. Her visual style emerged from her artistic experiments with cut-and-paste techniques, loops, illustrations and the rest; all evolving to a multilayered and multidimensional feast for the eyes - matched by her irreverent, absurdist sense of humour. “I’ve honestly been obsessed with Alice since I first watched her films, but when we finally met it was game over," says Ailie Robertson, Head of Sales at Friend. "What resonated with us all so much was Alice’s self-effacing, utterly original and joyful character that just sings through her work, as that’s who she is. Alice is a rare gem of an artist and person, and Friend are honoured to have her on board.”On joining Friend, Alice says: “Meeting everyone at Friend was like finding a pod of dolphins in the middle of the ocean: magical and exhilarating! I instantly wanted to swim along with them and join their vibrant and playful energy. I’m so happy to embark on this journey together.”Danny Herman, head of music video at FRIEND adds: "Alice is joy personified - an exceptional artist that we’re so excited to work with."• Watch Alice Kunisué's showreel at FRIEND here