Production Company

Academy Films

Directing duo BLACKWALL take a focussed, minimalist approach to their&nbsp;promo for&nbsp;Michael Kiwanuka.The video for Lowdown is deceptively simple at a macro level&nbsp;- a young man&nbsp;riding a bike, executing wheelies and other tricks, on a deserted airstrip as night falls.&nbsp;But within the five-minute runtime, there is a slight sense of a narrative, and a beautiful attention to detail that unfolds in tandem with the lilting track.&nbsp;Following their video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/08/08/jeshi-ft-fredwave-louis-culture-and-j-caesar-disconnect-blackwall/87668" target="_blank">Jeshi's Disconnect!</a>, it's another&nbsp;standout concept from the director duo.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

United Kingdom

Shaylyn Gilheaney

BLACKWALL

Manoela Chiabai

Joseph Dunn

Heza Jalloh

Jennifer Byrne

Nathan M. Legger

Klim Jurevicius

Evangeline Perkins

Blane Pearson

Alex Gregory

Brent Patterson

Mouthpiece

Michael Kiwanuka 'Lowdown (parts i & ii)' by BLACKWALL

Michael-Kiwanuka-'Lowdown'-by-Blackwall

Melbourne's finest punk rock outfit Amyl &amp; The Sniffers team up once more with iconoclastic filmmaker John Angus Stewart to create a gritty monochromatic promo for Chewing Gum.&nbsp;Stewart's visual blends several larger-than-life vignettes, playing out like moving portraits of charismatic Amyl frontwoman Amy Taylor and her band and friends. Then some unexpected wirework moments elevate the visual - quite literally - to a new level, and the brash, confrontational attitude is a perfect match to the punchy track.&nbsp;Melbourne's finest also happen to be one of the&nbsp;most exciting rock bands anywhere in the world right now, and this is a superb vehicle for their distinctive brand of rock'n roll attitude. Absolutely captivating.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;&nbsp;

Australia

Leona Johnson

Amy Taylor

John Angus Stewart

Chandler Yvanna Guzmán

1888 Productions

Simon Cho

Christopher Blauvelt

Stephen Fitzgibbon

Corrine Dye

Ivy Lindsey

Eric Mutz

Mike Blauvelt

Peter Parson

Brennan Barsell

Alt.vfx

Rock

Punk

Amyl & The Sniffers 'Chewing Gum' by John Angus Stewart

Amyl and The Sniffers "Chewing Gum" (Official Music Video)

Just released&nbsp;and already breaking the internet, LISA from K-Pop titans BLACKPINK&nbsp;launches her first solo project in three years with a breathtaking video directed by Henry Scholfield - clocking over 20 million views on YouTube in the first 12 hours of release.The key focus for Lisa was to celebrate her Thai roots, represented in the choice of locations, captured in the fashion of a blockbuster action movie, bullet time shots and all, plus astonishing choreo and VFX, by Black Kite Studios in London. &nbsp;"We shot in Bangkok, shooting in iconic locations like Chinatown," says Medb Riordan, Academy Films MD and the video's producer. "Henry and Lisa wanted to really bring out Thai sub-cultures in the casting (LGBTQ+ representation was really important for her), and all cast, including dancers, were Thai."With choreo from MV legend Sean Bankhead, main styling by Paris-based Georgia Pendlebury, cinematography by DoP Mauro Chiarello and edited by Nik Kohler - and the commissioner/producer was industry legend Camille Yorrick, EVP of Creative Content at RCA.And the characteristic&nbsp;attention to detail on every frame by Henry Schofield makes this a pleasure to watch repeatedly. So not surprising that it's broken the internet.[imgtoken data:1]

South Korea

Henry Scholfield

Medb Riordan

Mauro Chiarello

Nik Kohler

Sean Bankhead

Georgia Pendlebury

Black Kite Studios

Camille Yorrick

Lisa 'Rockstar' by Henry Scholfield

LISA - ROCKSTAR (Official Music Video)

Jackson Forsythe captures the joyful, feisty&nbsp;energy of&nbsp;Sasha Keable in a vivacious video for Hold Up.&nbsp;Forsyth combines performance vignettes with touches of narrative and humour in a charismatic, high-energy affair that's a terrific showcase for the talents of Sasha Keable and her authentic identity as a contemporary&nbsp;Londoner.&nbsp;Playful cinematography by Jaime Ackroyd helps Forsyth's vision to make the video feel fresh and unique, perfectly matching the elevated soundscapes in the track.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

Jackson Forsythe

Olwyn Fagan

Steve Overs

Jaime Ackroyd

Steve Shaw

Trim Editing

Polly Kemp

Studio RM

Myles Bevan

Louis Jones

Oliver Munks

Matthew Bohun

Andreas Pepe

Kate Housh

Luz Giraldo

Jay Doan

Sasha Keable 'Hold Up' by Jackson Forsythe 

Sasha Keable - Hold Up (Official Video)

Talia Beale directs an&nbsp;off-the-wall promo for indie-pop outfit Friedberg - with vocalist&nbsp;Anna&nbsp;Friedberg stuck inside the wall&nbsp;of her room, observing a variety of uncanny situations.In the&nbsp;video for Hello, a series of strange events unfold in front of Anna, who has become part of the furniture, melted into the structure of her 70s-inspired home - then occasionally breaking free for moments of performance with the band. Beale achieves a trippy and whimsical atmosphere within this setting where ideas of romance are explored, according the eccentric, offbeat&nbsp;logic of the 'Friedberg room.'"The song is written from a POV of spending the night living in someone’s head," says Beale. "So the visual somewhat reflects the motion of all our passing thoughts: they can overwhelm, be nonsensical, feel detached, comforting, erratic, tempting yet disorientating. All the while making so much sense."This project's been a dream to work on! Anna’s an artist who takes the risk of thinking outside of the box and pushing creative boundaries. It’s provided a playground to explore our most surreal ideas, the ones maybe we often try to dull down by attaching too much rational thought to in the name of commercialism."[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;

Zuzanna Skurtys

Samuel Parry

Federica Somma

Ellie Walker

Talia Beale

Cara Mills

John Moule

Jed Clist

Carl Matthews

Laura Clayton

Marnz Brown

Francois Earp

Hugo Lai

Alice Howlett

Ollie Thompson

1920vfx

Clouds Hill Recordings

Friedberg 'Hello' by Talia Beale

Friedberg-'Hello'-by-Talia-Beale

Eugen Merher directs an emotional promo for Rudimental's latest release, featuring&nbsp;Charlotte Plank and Vibe Chemistry.&nbsp;We are introduced to an everyday family, consisting of a brother and sister who live with their alcoholic father. After he ends up&nbsp;in hospital with alcohol poisoning, the kids are left to their own devices, and we get to see the rollercoaster of ups and downs that ensues.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Exploring family dynamics and the generational cycle of addiction - and how this threatens to impact the lives of the characters we follow - the video ends up on a much more optimistic track, as they cook, play and spend time together, becoming each other's protectors at the same time.&nbsp;DoP&nbsp;Diego Rosenblatt's naturalistic, gritty cinematography is intimate yet cinematic, and the focus on character anchors the visual in the real-world, whilst offering a glimpse of fantasy and what the future of these characters could look like.Beautiful work.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]

Eugen Merher

Elena Argiros

Jack Meredith

Diego Rosenblatt

Jeff Vine

Matt Bohun

Paulina Rzeszowska

Final Cut

Ella Marafini

Ryan Beck

Electric Theatre Collective

Olivia Jessop

Jason Wallis

Dan Millar

Sony Music

Road Casting

Digital Orchard

Rudimental, Charlotte Plank, Vibe Chemistry 'Dancing is Healing' by Eugen Merher 

Rudimental, Charlotte Plank, Vibe Chemistry - Dancing is Healing (Official Video)

Teenage love fails to run smoothly in Ethan &amp; Tom's excellent take on a high school musical for Tendai.A frosty moment between Tendai and his girlfriend - played by&nbsp;Sephora Parish - is played out in the halls of a London school, in a series of well-crafted sequences that involve a sizeable supporting cast.It's of a piece with the directing duo's facility with experimental camera techniques, with a constantly moving camera, which ends up rotating around the couple.But this is also arguably Ethan &amp; Tom's most sophisticated video so far in terms of execution, with an element of dramatic tension and a proper pop video feel in terms of scale and look. A real step-up for the talented directing duo.

Ethan & Tom

Theo Hue Williams

Ty Hack

Maggie Curwin

Fraser Rigg

Rupert Hornstein

Matt Allsop

Elena Isolini

Riaz Ahmed

Dolly Milkes

Connor Coolbear

Oliver Whitworth

Kodak

Nicola Sheppard

Sephora Parish

Tendai ‘Ughh… Parent’s Evening’ by Ethan & Tom

tendai - Ughh Parents Evening

Candice Lo creates a joyous moment of freedom with Olivia Dean, for the singer's delightful Dive.There's a charming simplicity about this video which strikes a chord with the mood of the song - and makes the most of Olivia Dean as a person and performer. And it looks like it was achieved in just two shots.Firstly, Olivia emerges from a village coffee shop, and conveys her blissful mood directly to the camera as she walks. Then it changes to a wide-open deserted beach. The camera flies free but still engages with Olivia, who now in full pelt, running towards the waves. You sense the joy is real, and that means everything.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Simone Beyene

Candice Lo

Connie Meade

Colum Ewart

Niomi Collins

Will Willis

Liam Reardon

Kane Klendjian

Shamara Roper

Emily Engleman

Leah Burton

Megan Lee

Soul

Olivia Dean 'Dive' by Candice Lo

Olivia-Dean--'Dive'-by-Candice-Lo

<h3>In the latest of our new series asking British music video-makers about their experiences last year and thoughts on the coming year, we talk to Elena Argiros - Head of Music at Academy Films.</h3>Elena reflects upon 2022, the year when she crossed over from label side with Sony Music to production with Academy - and her hopes for 2023, including more concepts, comedy - and a yearning to see more video briefs for classic songs.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2022How would you describe last year in a few words?&nbsp;Lots of change, lots of fun!&nbsp;What was your favourite project or projects you worked on last year?&nbsp;I’ve loved working with Ethan &amp; Tom. Their live film ‘Bad Day At The Office’ for Jeshi was a really special project to be a part of.&nbsp;We had a screening for it’s release in the Everyman Cinema - a real rare treat for a video.[vidtoken data:0]Above: Jeshi's Bad Day At The Office, directed by Ethan &amp; TomAny other project you enjoyed that deserved more attention, or went under the radar?&nbsp;It's a person rather than a project: one of our new directors at Academy, Candice Lo. Her short film called&nbsp;The Tinted Bloom&nbsp;(below) is a beautiful, brave piece of work. I highly recommend watching it.What were the best aspects of the job last year?&nbsp;The people! At Sony the creative team are like family, so working with them was unbelievably fun.&nbsp;And now over at Academy the team here have been a dream, especially the MV producer Cara Mills.<blockquote>&nbsp;I miss the concept-driven dance videos of the past.</blockquote>What were the most challenging aspects of the job last year?&nbsp;I’d have to say budgets unfortunately. I’m sure we’re not alone in that! It’s the classic main music video issue.&nbsp;Ever-changing shoot dates can be tough too!Best or favourite video or videos last year or so that you weren’t involved with?&nbsp;I love Ebenezer Blanche’s work. His video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/09/10/little-simz-ft-obongjayar-point-and-kill-ebeneza-blanche/72741" target="_blank">Little Simz's Point &amp; Kill</a> is amazing. Valentin Petit’s for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/02/06/rosal%C3%ADa-saoko-valentin-petit/79831" target="_blank">Rosalia's Saoko</a>&nbsp;was brilliant too. And Fa &amp; Fon are really talented – I especially like <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/01/31/m%C3%B8-new-moon-fa-fon/74746" target="_blank">their videos with Mø</a>.[vidtoken data:1]&nbsp;Above: The Tinted Bloom, directed by Candice LoWhat were the trends (creative or otherwise) that you thought were most striking last year?&nbsp;It certainly feels as though we’re seeing a lot of performance videos and less narrative/concept driven ideas. I do enjoy a well-made performance vid but it’d be great to see more variety. I miss the concept-driven dance videos of the past!What was&nbsp;other cultural highlight (or highlights) of the year?&nbsp;I got really into Taylor Swift this year, when Midnights came out, which was a little unexpected.&nbsp;What a good album.&nbsp;&nbsp;Any other personal experience that defines 2022 for you?&nbsp;Moving from Sony over to Academy!<blockquote>I’m hoping for a more creative year than 2022 and a&nbsp;hunger for comedy again!&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote>2023What are you looking forward to in 2023 – both for work and for other parts of your life?&nbsp;I plan to do a&nbsp;boat tour in the Everglades to see an alligator. Not for work&nbsp;though!Have you set work objectives for this year and if so, what are they?To keep making videos for&nbsp;strong&nbsp;tracks! I’m very keen to not only work&nbsp;with the music video directors, but maybe get some of the established filmmakers over here like Seb Edwards to dip their toes into promo world again.Who are the up-and-coming talents that you think will break through this year – or at least deserve to be successful?&nbsp;&nbsp;Ethan &amp; Tom.&nbsp;We’re very proud of their recent MVA win with <a href="https://www.academyfilms.com/portfolio/wu-lu-ten" target="_blank">WuLu's Ten</a>. Candice Lo, our recent signing&nbsp;is really talented.&nbsp;And photographer-turned-director&nbsp;Katie Burdon’s short film Blue Tits is&nbsp;doing brilliantly. So more videos with all of them this year would be great.[vidtoken data:2]Above: Trailer for 'Blue Tits', directed Katie BurdonWhat is your prediction for the direction of the industry in 2023? And what will be the big trends for the year&nbsp;ahead?It already feels like a busy start which is brilliant. I’m hoping for a more creative year than 2022 and a little more hunger for comedy again!Any other comments about the current environment for music video production and music video creativity? What are the issues that we should be most concerned with?&nbsp;I’d love&nbsp;to see more creative risk-taking!&nbsp;We’ve had quite a safe couple of years in the industry – lots of traditional performance videos. I’m always keen to see a bit more humour, pushing the boundaries a bit. I loved AntsLive’s recent Number One Candidate&nbsp;video.I’m a little concerned that there’s a move towards quantity over quality with artists content, including official videos. But this is the current climate. So rather than fight against that, we need to keep pushing for quality and interesting ideas where possible! Great creative massively helps artists' campaigns. So I hope that is considered more;&nbsp;quality, not quantity!<blockquote>I’ve always felt that open-brief dance tracks can be brilliant opportunities.</blockquote>If you could ‘make a wish’, and reform or change the environment in which you work in one way, what would you wish for?&nbsp;I reeeeaally want to make some new videos for old catalogue tracks. I’ve seen that happen a little bit -&nbsp;Academy director Savanah Leaf made a great video for What’s Going On&nbsp;by Marvin Gaye (below) - and I’d LOVE for it to take off even more. &nbsp;Another wish would be a little more budget and lead time given to projects. We’re in quite a reactive period where if a track’s doing well - Tiktok can often drive this - suddenly the label need a video for it fast. Which is understandable. It would be great to have longer lead times on the development artists projects. But some labels are great at that already to be fair!&nbsp;[vidtoken data:3]Above: Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, directed by Savanah LeafWhere are the opportunities in the current environment?&nbsp;I’ve always felt that open-brief dance tracks can be brilliant opportunities! The 90’s was an incredible time for that. The good thing about the current industry is there’s a lot being made. Budgets are generally smaller but there are opportunities there for directors to make work if they’re hungry.Have you made any personal New Year resolutions? And if so, how’s it going?I have made some yes and I’m pleased to stay I’ve actually stuck to them…so far.• Elena Argiros is Head of Music at <a href="https://www.academyfilms.com/" target="_blank">Academy Films</a>. The music video roster is represented by <a href="https://www.mouthpiecerep.me/" target="_blank">Mouthpiece</a>.&nbsp;

State of Play: Elena Argiros, Academy Films

Jeshi-'Bad-Day-At-The-Office-(live-Film)'-by-Ethan-+-Tom

THE TINTED BLOOM

Bluetits Documentary Trailer - Academy Films, directed by Katie Burdon

What's Going On - MARVIN GAYE

Candice Lo has joined the directors roster at Academy Films.Lo is a Taiwan-born, London-based director whose work is characterised by a strong visually poetic language. She draws inspiration from female empowerment, day-to-day experiences, and creative culture.Her ability to bring the audience on a journey of intimate connection within themselves is testament to her client list. She has worked with some of the world’s best known brands and artists including: Vogue, Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney, Dua Lipa, HoYeon Jung, Millie Bobby Brown, Zara, Jo Malone and Adidas.She was selected by Showstudio’s founder Nick Knight as ‘Emerging Fashion Filmmaker of the Year’ in 2017.Academy Films say:&nbsp;"Candice draws inspiration from feminism, day to&nbsp;day experiences,&nbsp;creative culture combined with authentic storytelling. We couldn’t be happier to have her as part of our emerging roster."• Watch Candice Lo's work on the Academy Films website <a href="https://www.academyfilms.com/candice-lo#" target="_blank">here</a>

Candice Lo joins Academy Films

Ethan + Tom direct a terrific 25-minute live film for Jeshi.Encompassing several tracks from his new LP Universal Credit, the video sees the artist in an empty office block, performing alongside musicians&nbsp;Tagara, Eardbuds, Wonky Logic and Loner Muaka.The live performances are creatively and intricately staged, and the guest musicians are interwoven into the concept by appearing as office workers, replacing computers and keyboards with their instruments.&nbsp;

Sebastian Chan

Ellie Rimmer

Isabella Culver

Ed Pearson

Rosie Owen

Chris Cole

Tamia Diaz

Tanmoye Khan

Tina Khatri

Because Music

Jeshi 'Bad Day At The Office' (Live) by Ethan + Tom

Ethan + Tom direct an introspective promo for Tendai's&nbsp;Time In Our Lives, where we see a man editing&nbsp;film on an old Steenbeck, taking great care of the material as he watches back the negatives and cuts with trained precision.&nbsp;A sense of yearning nostalgia is created by touching upon&nbsp;the physical traditions of moving image production, whilst hinting at a love story gone astray in a tender performance vignette.&nbsp;The video is refreshingly multilayered and clever in its concept, visualising 'time gone by',&nbsp;not only in a single narrative&nbsp;but by offering snapshots of near-antiquated technology and the traditions that are gradually being lost to&nbsp;the passing of time itself.Great work from the director duo, who won at the UKMVAs&nbsp;this year for their video for Wu-Lu's&nbsp;Ten.&nbsp;

Liam Wallace Cook

Laura Manners

Jess Horne

Will Wills

Daniel Brewster

Tendai 'Time In Our Lives' by Ethan + Tom

Tendai--'Time-In-Our-Lives'-by-Ethan-+-Tom

London-based production company <a href="https://www.academyfilms.com/music-video-directors" target="_blank">Academy</a>&nbsp;has announced that Elena Argiros has joined&nbsp;to&nbsp;head its&nbsp;music video division, arriving from Sony Music where she was a senior music video commissioner.&nbsp;In her career as a commissioner at Sony, Argiros worked alongside some major artists to commission their music videos, including&nbsp;London Grammar, Headie One, Mimi Webb, Robbie Williams, Rita Ora and Beardyman - the latter on a video produced by Academy. She was recognised for her work with a Best Commissioner nomination at the UK Music Video Awards in 2021.&nbsp;Argiros's new role as Head of Music at Academy - a company with a rich history in music video production and behind some legendary music videos, from the 1990s onwards&nbsp;- will be to lead the division, acting as executive producer on projects, while&nbsp;unearthing young directors and finding new opportunities within the music video world.“We’re absolutely delighted Elena has decided to join our Academy team," says Academy’s joint owner Medb Riordan. "I first worked with her on a highly creative and ambitious video [for Beardyman], and I knew immediately she had the passion and drive to really push for a director’s vision. She will bring a fresh, creative energy to Academy’s Music department and champion both new and existing talent. I’m really excited to work with her.”On joining Academy, Elena Argiros adds: “Academy feels like both a logical next step and a career goal. Working at a company with such a history of iconic music videos from a roster bursting with talent and depth is just incredibly exciting to be a part of.”• Academy's music video directors' roster&nbsp;<a href="https://www.academyfilms.com/music-video-directors" target="_blank">here</a>

Elena Argiros joins Academy as Head of Music

Katie Burdon directs a contemplative promo for Bonnie Kemplay.&nbsp;Contained in the four walls of her bedroom, we see the artist contemplate life and past relationships, as she practices self-care and waters her houseplant.&nbsp;Watching memories back on an old TV, the anachronistic vibes perfectly suit the grungey alt-pop sound, and the climactic, neon-tinged ending adds an abstract vibe to the concept.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Phoebe Platman

Katie Burdon

Lexi Kiddo

Owaian Morgan

Afzal Robanni

Harry Coleman

Gordon Wong

Mel Chatelet

Chloe Rose

Tamara Ishida

Assembly Rooms

Karol Cybulski

CHEAT

Dirty Hit

Bonnie Kemplay '19' by Katie Burdon

Bonnie-Kemplay-'19'-by-Katie-Burdon

Ethan &amp; Tom direct a fresh take on 90's nostalgia in their promo for tendai.&nbsp;Viewers of a certain vintage will remember the excitement and anticipation that came with the TV rolling into the classroom on a school day. Regardless of what was being played on-screen, the whole proceeding was an event, and the director duo have used this as their central concept in the video for Pressure.&nbsp;Shot in a white cyc studio, the understated action happens around this TV, which loops Ceefax-style graphics, revealing lyrics and thematical callbacks to the track.&nbsp;It has the multiformat, inventive trademark that the directors are known for, and achieves an awful lot on limited resources.&nbsp;