Agile Films is an award-winning, full-service production company based in Shoreditch.

OB Management

Production Company

Agile Films

Yoni Lappin's return to music videos has been a while coming and it also marks a change of image by the artist formerly known as Koffee, now as Orignal Koffee. And together&nbsp;they make her homeland of Jamaica the real star of the show.In the artful,&nbsp;documentary style of portraiture that was Lappin's signature back in the day, with <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2016/04/11/mura-masa-what-if-i-go-yoni-lappin/40701" target="_blank">Mura Masa's What If I Go?</a> and others, the video for RAPID FYAH was shot over four days in Jamaica following extensive location scouting.&nbsp;&nbsp;Filmed entirely on 16mm by DoP Jermaine Edwards (My Father's Shadow, Ish), the video's main subject are the locals - fishermen, schoolgirls, bikers, a marching band and cheerleaders -&nbsp;placed within&nbsp;a series of jawdropping landscapes on the island.Featured artist Skillibeng is also strongly present in the film - a contrast to the&nbsp;laidback almost anonymous figure of&nbsp;Original Koffee - and the video was shot largely on the artists' home districts:&nbsp;St Thomas Parish and Spanish Town, Kingston.&nbsp;Through the alluring combination&nbsp;of the visuals and the music we become immersed in the authentic&nbsp;sense,&nbsp;atmosphere and rhythms&nbsp;of Jamaican life.&nbsp; &nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

United Kingdom

Yoni Lappin

REPmedia

Reggae

Dancehall

Original Koffee ft Skillibeng 'RAPID FYAH' by Yoni Lappin

Koffee-Ft-Skillibeng--'Rapid-Fyah'-by-Yoni-Lappin

French filmmaker Gil Gharbi continues his collaboration with French singer, producer&nbsp;and DJ Oklou with an atmospheric drama to accompany her collaboration with FKA twigs.The video for Viscus explores a cinematic trope of the domestic space&nbsp;holding a potential threat - or at least a surprise. But while establishing suspense, with a series of steadicam moves through claustrophobic spaces, Gharbi upends the conventions of the horror or thriller genres.The other presence that Oklou senses, as moves from the garage in her house to the kitchen, then back to the garage - turns out to be the mysterious figure of FKA twigs. But the mystery and the suspense does not end there.&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

Gil Gharbi

Oklou ft FKA Twigs 'Viscus' by Gil Gharbi

Oklou-Ft-Fka-Twigs-'Viscous'-by-Gil-Gharbi

Femi Oladigbolu dramatises singer-songwriter Myles Smith's personal story of family breakup&nbsp;in the video for My First Heartbreak.A young man walks through an empty house and finds an old-style phone with answering machine, playing the message from a father to his sons. The man then becomes his younger self, listening to the message for the first time.&nbsp;The memories of the adult&nbsp;and the experience of the child are intertwined, which underscores the traumatic experience of the story of a father abandoning his family.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I was truly moved by the vulnerability in the track," says&nbsp;Oladigbolu. "Its raw honesty wasn't too distant from my own experiences. I felt a deep connection to the lyrics and sought to weave that same truth and relatability into something his audience could genuinely feel."&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

Femi Oladigbolu

Joel Honeywell

Coffee & TV

Singer-songwriter

Myles Smith 'My First Heartbreak' by Femi Oladigbolu

Myles-Smith-'My-First-Heartbreak'-by-Femi-Oladigbolu

Mumford &amp; Sons return to action with an irresistibly joyous video by Charlie Robins in which some of the band's most loyal fans listen to&nbsp;their new music for the first time, capturing their instinctive initial&nbsp;reactions.Fans and friends of the band were invited to hear Rushmere - title track of Mumford &amp; Sons'&nbsp;forthcoming new album and their first release in over five years - at an event in London in December. In a stripped-back studio setting and&nbsp;with multiple cameras, Robins' then focusses&nbsp;on each person, filmed individually or as a pair, and finds them reacting in a range of very personal ways to the song.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Opening with a mosaic-like grid&nbsp;of each person at the start of each take, the video then transitions into a glorious rollercoaster of emotions - the dawning&nbsp;pleasure of hearing a song that revives the band's early sound,&nbsp;turning into&nbsp;dancing in some cases, but also quieter, intimate&nbsp;contemplation&nbsp;and even a few tears.[imgtoken data:1]The genuine reactions of discovery from a group of ordinary people with a shared love of the band&nbsp;- some of whom came a very long way to attend - are fascinating and heartwarming to behold, captured in Jack Exton's cinematography and Ed Cooper's insightful edit. A delightful visual that is both affecting and celebratory.&nbsp;"Humans being humans is such a simple concept," explains Robins. "We decided to run with it and do a bit of a forensic study of Mumford’s fans and friends as they encountered the new music."We shot with eight cameras - perhaps slightly OTT but nothing beats good old-fashioned realness. Everything we captured was of the moment and honest and I think it really shows in the final film."What a lovely bunch of people."

Charlie Robins

David Knight

Rock

Mumford & Sons 'Rushmere' by Charlie Robins

Mumford-&-Sons-'Rushmere'-by-Charlie-Robins

Earth is under attack and only a long-suffering pub barman - who happens to look different from everyone else -&nbsp;can save us, in&nbsp;James Ogram's terrific promo for South London indie-rock outfit Fat Dog.&nbsp;Ogram finds the sweet spot between satire and cartoon capers in the video for the band's rollicking anthem Earth Song, where a very tall, distinctive-looking alien (played by Peter Lidell)&nbsp;arrives&nbsp;for work in a London boozer, to face hostility and abuse&nbsp;by one of the punters. When the TV news channel reports on a UFO in the shape of giant dog&nbsp;hurtling towards Earth, other drinkers also pile in to blame him for the alien invasion. So he decides to act...[imgtoken data:1]Cue a cool change of visual style to mixed media&nbsp;animated montage, when the alien barman goes to confront the Big Dog in a titanic clash among London skyscapers. Vibrant colours and cut-out textures collide&nbsp;in a King Kong v Godzilla-style fight montage, with painstaking animated elements&nbsp;assembled by animation director Evan Lawday.Following his videos for Honeyglaze, including the UKMVA-nominated <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/06/17/honeyglaze-dont-james-ogram/86876" target="_blank">Don't</a>, this is&nbsp;a big step up in scope and ambition by Ogram, and he rises to the challenge. The video is a pleasure from start to finish - to enjoy for fun&nbsp;and also absorb the underlying message.&nbsp; &nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;"When I first received the brief for this video from Fat Dog, there was one major question to answer: how do I make The Man Who Fell To Earth meet Godzilla on a music video budget?" says Ogram.&nbsp;"It was a little tough. But once I saw Peter (our alien) in make-up, I was confident we could make it work."We filmed Peter against greenscreen, getting him to do karate kicks, punches and all sorts of other bizarre things, so our animator, Evan Lawday, would have something to work with. Peter was a great sport and we managed to get a lot in about an hour."We then had to cram all this story into the remaining two&nbsp;minutes of the music video. We focused on hitting beats and not over-shooting. Spending our time on little looks between Peter and the supporting artists and somehow, I think it all worked out."&nbsp;

James Ogram

Alternative

Fat Dog 'Earth Song' by James Ogram

Fat-Dog-'Earth-Song'-by-James-Ogram

Bear Damen directs a charming promo for Royel Otis.&nbsp;The video for If Our Love Is Dead exudes a nostalgic, early noughties vibe, with a central focus on playful camerawork and charismatic performances.&nbsp;Elevated with a grungy yet vibrant grade, it's a great little video that perfectly suits the track.&nbsp;

Bear Damen

Wash

Royel Otis 'If Our Love Is Dead' by Bear Damen

Royel-Otis-'If-Our-Love-Is-Dead'-by-Bear-Damen

Geerten Harmens directs a trippy fever dream of a promo for pop-dance duo Sad Night Dynamite, presented through a frantic montage of mobile phone footage, intercut with social media iconography, garish textures and dynamic animation.&nbsp;The video for Sugabby narratively explores the idea of dating an older woman, with the tale unfolding through a&nbsp;menagerie of media and different screen devices. Slipping from reality into an uncanny valley of fantasy, achieved at&nbsp;a breathless speed Harmens and his team provide a srong addition to&nbsp;the off-kilter and blackly comic aesthetic of previous SND videos.&nbsp;&nbsp;"This video has been extremely interesting to figure out," the director&nbsp;explains. "Together with the crew we had to think about a simultaneous social media storyline that all came together in it's own little hyperactive viral cultured way in the edit."We had to work with about eight hours of iPhone footage to compile it in under three minutes. Together with Anders Mills at Trim Editing and the amazing VFX team at Agile we polished and polished to make this video!"[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Geerten Harmens

Trim Editing

Alt-Pop

Sad Night Dynamite 'Sugabby' by Geerten Harmens

Sad-Night-Dynamite-'Sugabby'-by-Geerten-Harmens

Pietro Biz Biasia directs an explosive, VFX-powered comeback promo for Bree Runway.&nbsp;Celebrating her newfound independence from her record label, the video for Just Like That is a bold reminder of her formidable presence in the industry.&nbsp;Peppered with experimental cinematography, kaleidoscopic effects and the odd stylistic glitch, the video is a true return to form, anchored by the artist's captivating performance style and some truly eye-catching looks.&nbsp;Just like that,&nbsp;Bree is "motherf*ckin'&nbsp;back" - and this is the perfect video to complement the riotous track.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

Pietro Biz Biasia

Bree Runway 'Just Like That' by Pietro Biz Biasia

Bree-Runway--'Just-Like-That'-by-Pietro-Biz-Biasia

Jake Dypka directs his second video for acoustic duo Memorial, and another life-affirming essay of ordinary folk in Britain.&nbsp;In 2021, for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/06/24/memorial-heros-death-jake-dypka/71581" target="_blank">Memorial's cover of Fontaine DC's A Hero's Death</a>, Dypka documented the holidaymakers at Butlin's resort in Skegness, on the East coast of England. Now for Corduroy, Dypka's subject is the South Wales town of Port Talbot - home to the famous steelworks - and its residents.Even more so than for A Hero's Death,&nbsp;Dypka and his small crew, including DoP Spike Morris, are&nbsp;unobtrusive observers of the everyday in a local working class community, creating wonderfully evocative portraits of the individuals and also capturing the almost unique surroundings: a town hemmed in by sea and hills, where the steelworks and the M4 motorway flyover&nbsp;are nearly always visible.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;"Continuing the theme from our last promo, I wanted to combine a loose documentary approach with very pared-back photography - a combination of control and happenstance," says Dypka.&nbsp;"The aim was to see what I could do with the most minimal tools at my disposal: a camera, a place, and just reacting to what I found on the day."Unlike last time, I wanted to keep my distance and observe my subjects rather than engineer the situation, which I felt would better reflect the emotional experience of the song."The idea for Port Talbot came about from trying to find somewhere that had strong visual contrasts to reflect the emotional contrasts I felt while listening to the music. At first, I thought it was a happy song about having good times in the sun until I spent more time with it. Later, I thought the song was wearing a mask - happy on the surface with something darker lurking beneath. What Memorial did so well was to move seamlessly between joy and sorrow, and that was at the heart of what I was trying to do with the video."[imgtoken data:2]The director adds that budget constraints meant that shooting on film was not an option.&nbsp;"So right from the beginning it was about getting the most organic feel from digital," he says.&nbsp;"Being just me Spike and Joe (producer) we knew it needed to be small and workable to the conditions."In the end it was between Alexa Mini and RED Komodo. I probably would have preferred the former but Spike pushed for the RED and he was right to do so. We used Zeiss Superspeeds which we both knew would be spot on for it."

Jake Dypka

CHEAT

Memorial 'Corduroy' by Jake Dypka

Memorial-'Corduroy-'-by-Jake-Dypka

Jesse May Fisher reunites with longtime collaborator Etta Marcus, meditating&nbsp;on friendship in the promo for Girls That Play.With a constrained colour palette and playful camera movement, the video is a bold, confident take on the track, and instantly memorable in the way that it addresses the multiple layers of emotion and meaning that exist within the framework of friendship among girls.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The visual world for Girls That Play is inspired by the complex intimacies of female friendship, as well as cinematic iconographies of femininity," says Fisher."Girls That Play depicts a menacing, mysterious and ritualised version of girlhood."

Jesse May Fisher

Studio RM

Indie

Etta Marcus 'Girls That Play' by Jesse May Fisher

Etta-Marcus-'Girls-That-Play'-by-Jesse-May-Fisher

Jesse May Fisher directs an evocative&nbsp;promo for singer-songwriter-producer Erika De Casier's new track Lucky, taken from her upcoming album Still.&nbsp;Blending abstract coastal shots and beachside performance, the video feels dreamlike and transcendental in its approach.&nbsp;Fisher uses coruscating lights and fog to give&nbsp;the video a photographic, almost surreal style, complementing the experimental vibes of the track.&nbsp;"I wanted to make something euphoric and magical for Erika," she explains. "The imagery for Lucky takes inspiration from the drama and sensuality of perfume ads."[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Erika De Casier 'Lucky' by Jesse May Fisher

Erika-De-Casier-'Lucky'-by-Jesse-May-Fisher

A young woman attends a séance, where events take an even stranger turn than expected, in this riveting cinematic spectacle, co-directed by&nbsp;Emile Rafael and Joe Connor for the pair's own synth-based music project, Supermodel.Set in a grand hotel, with a cast of characters gathered in their finery to engage in the séance, the narrative element of the video for the pulsating Push moves into a dreamlike world, where the participants are engulfed in sensory overload - visally expressed in charged blur of colour and choreography.It's an intense&nbsp;and mesmerizing experience, with superb cinematography (by Michal Babinec), editing (by Liv Ay at Trim) and VFX work (at Agile Studio). It means that Emile Rafael and Joe Connor's first collaboration as directors is easily as successful as their musical partnership.&nbsp;&nbsp;We spoke to the pair to discover more about how they started making music together, and how they made the video.[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>For me it’s a story about grief.</blockquote>&nbsp; PROMONEWS: How and when did you start making music together? And when did it get serious and you wanted to release it as Supermodel? JOE CONNOR: I’d been trying to write another sad folk album (after my first one in 2017), but I was really uninspired. I just wasn't that sad anymore. I started messing around with synths and drums to find a new sound. Emile, I think, was doing a similar exercise, just exploring music that chimed with a kind of post-Brexit decay we both felt. We started passing tracks back and forth and out of that, we got one of our first releases, Have You Forgot. It was a miracle process and we decided to keep going with it.&nbsp;EMILE RAFAEL: Yes, it was Covid and we all were at home and not being able to shoot and we were depressed along with everyone else (I actually secretly enjoyed the lack of any FOMO).&nbsp;This is when I got a few dusty synths out and started working on some sketches. I was a big fan of Joe’s music already. I spent a whole job in Toronto once listening to it on repeat. We had a few chats and then I sent him one of the music ideas and the lyrics that came back were just so right. Then a friend of ours, Steve Spiro liked it and decided to release it on his small label. And suddenly we thought to ourselves: wow, is this thing real? Can it become serious?&nbsp;Then we were at a film party and Joe said “What about SUPERMODEL as a name?” and I said 'yes' right away. Two hours later at the same party I was telling people how I’m in a band called Supermodel.&nbsp;But we still have no memory of how we actually met.&nbsp;JC: I think Sing J Lee introduced us….but then, I can't really remember.[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;Now you’ve made a video for Push, as a directing collaboration. What was the process? Did you come up with the idea together - and did that happen after the song was completed?JC: Emile actually came up with the concept. I thought he was mad. Turns out he is mad. He had the idea of setting the track to a seance, and we just developed the video from there.We both worked on the styling, casting, and storyboarding together - and then the shoot day was unique. I have a different approach to Emile, I like to plan like crazy and then have the space to improvise. Emile, quite rightly, likes to plan and then follow the plan. I can’t blame him. I blame myself.&nbsp;ER: Yes, the song was done, and we knew this was the big one. Co-directing I think was a big interesting event for both of us. I mean Joe is the insane one. It’s like dealing with pure creative chaos to my very intense focus.&nbsp;In music we both occupy a bit of our own space that sometimes intersects. In directing we realized we are very similar in our taste, but we get there in a very different way. I think we learned a lot from each other while seriously putting each other on edge a few times. I think you can definitely feel that in the video and it needed that intensity.It’s a very abstract and dreamlike narrative. How would you explain the story? How does it relate to the song?ER: I had an idea for a bit about a séance after seeing some very old pictures of people with ectoplasm and glowing things. It was all very early manipulation of photography that must have been incredibly hard to pull off. Or was it?&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:3]<blockquote>Creating visuals for our own music...&nbsp;makes total sense. We’re building the whole world.</blockquote>But once we started developing a story I think we injected a lot of things for both of us. For me it’s a story about grief. The main character comes to the séance&nbsp;to try to reconnect with her lover that died in an accident that they’ve been in together. And so is everyone else, trying to connect to people that are gone. And then in this ritual she gains a sense of power over her grief, or at least let’s go in some way letting go. The hugging is all of them giving each other comfort.&nbsp;How does it relate to the song? What’s the song about Joe, again?JC: The song is about being stuck. Grief is a pretty apt vehicle to explore stasis. Stuck in a rut, stuck in stasis, stuck in-between places. I think we've all experienced that post-2020.&nbsp;It looks amazing - a big expensive production. So how did you pull it off? Where (and when) did you shoot it? JC : We’ve both been in the industry long enough that all our friends happen to be exceptionally talented. The technical crew on this film is a list of close collaborators, friends and family who all gave their time to help us realize this vision. We were really proud of what we managed to achieve with the resources we have.Which I must also say, shout out to Agile, Arts &amp; Sciences and Rogue (our respective representatives) who got behind the project and helped us realize it, and in the case of Agile Studio and Agile Post, really gave a lot of time and love to finish the project off.&nbsp;ER: It was mostly me telling Joe “watch me make this happen” and then not taking no for an answer from everyone.&nbsp;JC: You took a lot of ‘no’s’ but…I applaud you.[imgtoken data:4]You’re both solo directors, so what was it like to co-direct this? Did you divide responsibility, so Joe in charge of one aspect and Emile another, or just went all-in collab on everything?JC: We did a bit of both. Obviously, our working practices are different, but the reason we collaborate on music is they kind of complement each other. We can both direct, produce, post-produce, write&nbsp;and compose. So for each project, we divide and conquer some elements and collaborate on others. So in the instance of Push, Emile really led the producing, and budgeting. While I&nbsp;swaggered around drinking coffee and dancing with the cast.&nbsp;Co-directing isn't something I've ever thought about. But in the case of creating visuals for our own music with Supermodel, it makes total sense. We’re building the whole world.&nbsp; ER: I agree, I put this whole thing together and it was very nice for Joe to grace us with his presence on the day. In all seriousness it was nice that at least he wasn’t on his phone the whole time.&nbsp;JC: Let's be honest, I make this whole thing look and sound great.&nbsp;&nbsp;ER: You do. The biggest reason I’ve plunged into this with you.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Emile Rafael

Joe Connor

Rogue Films

Alexa Haywood at Free Agent UK

Electronic

Supermodel 'Push' by Joe Connor and Emile Rafael

SUPERMODEL - PUSH (Official Video)

Charlie Robins directs a tranquil promo for Holly Humberstone.&nbsp;Relaxing next to an indoor pool with a group of her best friends, Humberstone gives a laidback performance that exudes a calm, peaceful energy.Focusing on the&nbsp;minutiae of the moment, the cinematography picks up on dreamy abstract cutaways, intercut with fun clips of the group diving in the pool and having an all-round fun time together.&nbsp;"This was one of the most enjoyable shoots in a long time," Robins mentions.&nbsp;"The aim was to shoot Holly’s performance in a way that felt natural and authentic while also capturing that sense of youthful freedom."Essentially, it’s Holly and her best mates being themselves. The energy was so laid back all day, there were times when I forgot we were making a video. I think it really shows in the final film."

Holly Humberstone 'Into Your Room' by Charlie Robins

Holly-Humberstone-'Into-Your-Room'-by-Charlie-Robins

Maisie Peters laments the toxic cycle of bad relationships,&nbsp;in&nbsp;Avesta Keshtmand's absorbing promo for Run.&nbsp;The video for Run sees the artist sprinting through an endless woodland landscape with several other characters, all trying to outrun their frightful past relationships.&nbsp;The video is simple in concept but executed perfectly, and the themes of the track are perfectly visualised in both the visuals and Peters'&nbsp;intimate performance.[imgtoken data:1]"It was a pleasure to be able to channel Maisie’s message of no more clowning around in love again," says Keshtmand.&nbsp;"I wanted to shoot in the woods and show the immensity of green space rather than distract from it with classic motifs of horror in haze and blue lights."Working with Maisie and Dan [Curwin] at Atlantic always makes me feel good. They’re receptive to challenging traditional approaches and support me in trying to push what a video can be and do for an audience."

Avesta Keshtmand

Maisie Peters 'Run' by Avesta Keshtmand

Maisie-Peters-'Run'-by-Avesta-Keshtmand

Lily Rose Thomas directs a thought-provoking&nbsp;promo for Mr Pash's Midnight.&nbsp;The video for Lonely Man was filmed on location in Margate's Walpole Bay Hotel, and is a profound&nbsp;exploration of good love gone bad, and the fallout of such a relationship.&nbsp;Captured in a one-take performance, the anachronistic location perfectly suits the idea that Ollie Pash (aka Mr. Pash's Midnight) is completely lost in time, and unable to decide what he wants to do with himself. The black and white, timeless aesthetic helps cement this idea.&nbsp;The video is the latest in a long line of collaborations between Thomas&nbsp;and Pash, having made a number of videos for his former band Beach Baby.

Lily Rose Thomas

Indie pop

Mr Pash's Midnight 'Lonely Man' by Lily Rose Thomas

Mr-Pash's-Midnight-'Lonely-Man'-by-Lily-Rose-Thomas

Joe Wheatley directs an idiosycratic and mysterious&nbsp;road movie&nbsp;for Ben Woods, aka The Golden Dregs.The black and white promo for Before We Fell From Grace opens with two characters travelling by foot across a wintry landscape. One of the pair, played by a dancer,&nbsp;is dressed entirely in white, and leads the other in&nbsp;a flamboyant folk-dance,&nbsp;seemingly inspired by some kind of otherworldly force.&nbsp;They reach a lake, and then the&nbsp;other character - played by Woods - pulls out a mysterious object. They walk further across the terrain through woods to a place where this enigmatic journey reaches its climax.[imgtoken data:1]"Ben approached me after Mark Jenkin, my old university lecturer and friend,&nbsp;never got back to him - and I don’t mind that at all," says Joe Wheatley. "He had some key references such as Bait, Paris&nbsp;Texas and True Stereo, my video for Willie J Healey. If there’s anything I might know how to do it’s people wandering around in places."I loved the track. He’s an extremely talented artist and fellow Falmouth graduate. I had some pretty heavy duty darker ideas that he liked but we ultimately settled on this kind of meditation on loss. Initially Ben wanted to find a body but we settled on the thing in the video that I still don’t know how to describe but the amazing prop maker, Rosie Tonkin, seemed to be telepathic and absolutely smashed it.&nbsp;"For the majority of my filmmaking I’m having the most fun dreaming up a project and then executing it. My enthusiasm wanes when I cross the finish line as I’m often worried if it’s any good or not. This project has been the exact opposite for me. Our first shoot day was cancelled midway through. We then waited a month whilst Ben was on tour to complete the shoot."As the sands of time rolled on to our second shoot day we battled with daylight saving hours, some of the worst rain I’ve experienced, a pheasant shoot holding us up and Ben getting an unauthorised haircut. Needless to say I was thrilled to get this one across the line."

Joe Wheatley

The Golden Dregs 'Before We Fell From Grace' by Joe Wheatley

The-Golden-Dregs-'Before-We-Fell-From-Grace'-by-Joe-Wheatley

<h3>How do you copy a classic 40 year old music video shot-for-shot? As the director explains, you have to go back to where they made the original, even if it's at a crazy&nbsp;time of year. On-set photography by Scarlett Barclay.</h3><h3>&nbsp;</h3>As Louis Bhose (above, right) said on Promonews when it was released in September, recreating an iconic Wham! video from 1983, and having Lewis Capaldi (left) playing a young George Michael, was not on people's bingo cards as a video for Forget Me, Capaldi's long-awaited returning single.But they did it. And not just a nod or homage to the original. This is, as near as its possible to be, a shot-for-shot copy of the video for Club Tropicana. But where George Michael or Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! are in shot, you have Lewis: in trunks by the pool drinking cocktails, being splashed in the pool; driving in a jeep around the island; on the beach; and in his airline crew outfit...For those unfamiliar with the original Club Tropicana video, which was directed by the late Duncan Gibbons, just to recap: George and Andrew are airline pilots, on a few days leave in Ibiza, who constantly run into Dee C. Lee and Shirlie Holliman&nbsp;- the backing singers in Wham! -&nbsp;who are air stewardesses on the same crew, with whom they have a interesting&nbsp;'will they, won't they' romantic tension. But that's really a sidenote to the important, iconic&nbsp;stuff - the boys looking very hot indeed; and a young George Michael, in his trunks by the pool, cocktail in hand, performing this early 80s pop classic.[vidtoken data:0]Bhose has worked with Lewis Capaldi before, directing the video&nbsp;for Grace&nbsp;from the debut album,&nbsp;Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, which propelled him to superstar status. And that&nbsp;video itself had a surprisingly leftfield comic premise, with Lewis playing a performer in a Glaswegian poledancing club.&nbsp;We wanted&nbsp;to find out how this new one happened. So we talked to Louis, who spilled the beans on the whole story - and also provided us with the marvellous side-by-side of both videos, that shows exactly how close he came to matching the original.It's an object lesson in how to make a counterfeit&nbsp;of a music video masterpiece...&nbsp;<blockquote>Just listening to Forget Me&nbsp;and watching George Michael on my phone, I was thinking 'this is going to be brilliant'.</blockquote>PROMONEWS: There cannot be much&nbsp;of Lewis's fanbase that are familiar with the original Club Tropicana video. So the first question has to be - why?LOUIS BHOSE: I think that's the most interesting thing. For a contemporary artist it does feel&nbsp;wilfully niche. We're all pretty aware that something like 95% of his viewers are under 30, who will have no idea about the original video. And then to allow a 40 second intro, when people can be so concerned about having any intro at all&nbsp;- I've been asked to cut three seconds before now...So I think the label [originally] had some video ideas bouncing around which were more serious. But Lewis is so good in comic form. It's just that he needs to really buy into a concept&nbsp;in order to go there - and I was lucky enough to do that with him before, with Grace. It just needs to be pretty watertight with him.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Above: Lewis Capaldi and crew on the Forget Me shootAnd then Clive [Cawley], the MD at EMI, said something along the lines of: 'We should do&nbsp;a&nbsp;janky version&nbsp;of Club Tropicana. I could talk to George Michael's management, and we could do something fun with this.' Then the commissioner&nbsp;Caroline Clayton&nbsp;just gave me a call, saying: 'We're exploring this possibility.&nbsp;Do you mind working it up into a little treatment?'.And very quickly&nbsp;I thought that we needed to go shot-for-shot. The best gag&nbsp;is if we go absolutely faithful re-creation. To be honest, this is something that I've wanted to do for a while - and here was the opportunity. So the first thing I did to see if it works is I took Lewis's song, played it on my computer, and then had the Club Tropicana video playing on my phone. And within twenty&nbsp;seconds I was thinking&nbsp;'this is incredible'. It's going to be the best thing I've ever done.&nbsp;Just listening to Forget Me&nbsp;and watching George Michael on my phone, I was thinking - it's going to be brilliant.So I did a treatment where I talked about all the kind of the boring stuff that I feel probably was more for me than anyone else. But at the top of the treatment, I just cut together the song and the Club Tropicana video – about a minute and a half of it – and I suspect that people saw that and said:&nbsp;'yes, let's do this'.&nbsp;<blockquote>Most importantly, Lewis was really on board with doing it shot-for-shot.</blockquote>What did Lewis think about it?He was on board. But most importantly, Lewis was really on board with doing it shot-for-shot.&nbsp;I think it really needed him to be down, to go as faithfully as possible. And to give him his creative dues,&nbsp;he was probably as instrumental as me in going that route.When you’re getting involved in a project as a video director you usually don’t how people are feeling, and you want to give them options, so I was saying we could do a basic homage or a shot-for-shot. But Lewis was dogmatic about it. He said - no,&nbsp;we don't need any of these other options. I will do it, I'll do the costume, I'll do&nbsp;exactly the same as the original. If George does it, or Andrew does it, then I'll&nbsp;do it.[imgtoken data:2]Above: Louis during pre-production for the shoot, on a beach&nbsp;in Ibiza. Look, he's "working"...So that's why we have Lewis, who has sold many millions of records,&nbsp;swimming lengths underwater, while forty-odd people try and get the angle right from a video that was made 40 years ago. And we're saying:&nbsp;'you've been in the water a while,&nbsp;you can go relax for twenty minutes' and he's saying: 'no, no - if George does it, then I do it.'So that is a bit of a long answer as to why. But essentially... why not?You have done a remarkable job in replicating the original. Can you talk a bit about that process?&nbsp;Did you know from that point where you were writing on it that you could, for instance, go back to the same place to shoot it? That’s what you did, right?That's what we did. And I already knew the hotel where they shot the original. When I was a musician who worked for bands, the bands would do this thing called Ibiza Rocks in Ibiza. You get invited, you get to stay in this hotel called Pikes. And the second you walk in the door, they're very keen and proud to tell you that that's where Club Tropicana was shot. So I had already bounced around that pool pretending I was George Michael, and had a bit of a laugh, like ten years previously.But straight off the bat I thought: 'how on earth are we going to shoot this in August, in one of the best hotels in Ibiza? It's an impossibility'.&nbsp;So we had a couple of backup options, where essentially we were going to build Pikes, or at least a few ecent chunks of it, in Bulgaria or augment locations in Majorca - our service company Palma Pictures, who did a brilliant job, are based in Majorca.<blockquote>The further you dig into the detail the harder you work to get it exactly the same.</blockquote>But we wanted to shoot it in Ibiza. It was very tricky to do - everyone said you're crazy to shoot in Ibiza in August, and I discovered why, getting heatstroke -&nbsp;but huge credit to our&nbsp;producer&nbsp;Scarlett [Barclay] and&nbsp;Agile [Films], and Caz [Clayton] and EMI&nbsp;because they realised that if we did go to the original place that wouldn't quite get the same elsewhere.Obviously the Ibiza of now is virtually unrecognisable than as it was 40 years ago. And we had location scouts out like a week before we even arrived on the island. Finding the exact beach, finding roads that are similar, 40 years later. Stuff like the airport was really tricky. So very grateful we shot in Ibiza - but yeah, it was tricky...&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:3]Above: Louis (left) and DoP Spike Morris practice shooting angles&nbsp;at the pool at PikesClearly you spend a few days there and to craft it in a way that would only be possible with lots of preparation?I was there for a week, eight days, before. That was really good because it meant we went back and looked at locations again, and I made this kind of bible document for the shoot – its about 94 pages&nbsp;- of every shot, and every location, and it was about as clear as it could be.&nbsp;It's one of those things where, with an idea like that, the further you dig into the detail the harder you work to get it exactly the same. For example a fleeting shot of airplanes flying overhead - in order to get the shot we needed for the wind to be blowing in a certain way, so the planes were taking off and landing in a certain direction - and they weren't for the whole week, until the day before the shoot. So i have a photo&nbsp;of Spike, our DoP,&nbsp;on the van trying to get this shot before the planes go back to how they were before.It's all the little things that hardly anyone will notice, that the art department spend ages trying to find. There’s one example - in&nbsp;the background of one of the bartender shots, there's like a little rag on a branch. That's in the original. I hadn't even noticed it until Bon [Walsh] our production designer pointed it out on our monitor and it made my day. Loved it.<blockquote>It's eerie when you line up the shot, and realise&nbsp;this is exactly where they must have stood within a couple of feet.</blockquote>What was more difficult to deal with - the number of tourists or the extreme heat, or both?Mainly the tourists. The heat too, but mainly tourists, because the population of the island swells and booking hotel rooms becomes pretty crazy. People are there to party. So you arrive at a hotel, you're stressed, you have to look over locations, casting, props - and there's British tourists passed out in the lobby, absolutely hammered.But the crew were incredibly good at managing to lock down locations. Because essentially what we're really concerned about was while we were filming this, if one person snaps a photo of Lewis in those trunks in Ibiza, then the secret is out. You lose all the fun of dropping it cold.So we were very careful. We were working under a different name, as obviously many productions do now. Everyone was NDA’d up to their eyeballs. Obviously the song was very sensitive because it was first single. But if you do get that surprise element with his fans, how great would that be? In fact, it was slightly scuppered by a major event that happened - the death of the Queen.[imgtoken data:4]Above: On-set monitor with side-by-side of the camera shot and the original video (right)Obviously you’re referencing the original video while you’re shooting the new one, and matching things up…Yes, I broke the original video down into individual shots and then I made gifs out of those shots so they would loop. So we would be on set, just looking at this looping gif for like 20 minutes, really trying to finesse stuff.When you're doubling a location, like for example when he's stood by the Jeep, we're trying to match the skylines, and then we find a house in the corner, so you get that in. We had our video playback guy on it, who's giving us fifty fifty between the&nbsp;original video and our live picture.It's really just trying to finesse everything and showing the cast the action and trying to get that feeling as smooth and as natural as possible. And a big part of that was also the inimitable Supple Nam, who's our choreographer on it.&nbsp;<blockquote>During the recce we realised: they must have just been running around, fast and loose.</blockquote>And we had two girls playing the parts of Pepsi and Shirley from the original - Emily and Georgia, who we cast in London. It was Emily's first job out of drama school. And credit to them, they worked really hard to get it absolutely bang on the original.&nbsp;&nbsp;Isn’t it true that that there are actually different versions of the original Club Tropicana? I remember seeing one a few years ago which is almost like a short film.When we were ripping the video, not surprisingly I wanted to get the highest quality version. I was looking all over the Internet and&nbsp;online&nbsp;I found something like&nbsp;four different versions of the video. I don't remember a short film though!It was&nbsp;directed by Duncan Gibbons, who went on to direct a couple of feature films, but sadly died in a house fire in California in&nbsp;the early&nbsp;Nineties, unfortunately.&nbsp;What was really interesting was when we're looking at the credits, there weren't that many of them. Didn't look like it was a very big crew.[imgtoken data:5]Above: Louis and Lewis relaxing by the pool - and in the pool...&nbsp;What was really interesting was trying to match frames. So we would go on reccies to the locations that they used and try to figure out the angles of the shot that made sense, we would climb up on things to get the shot, and we would always end up with having the tripod at shoulder height, where it was comfortable to operate. It was always in the place that made most sense.&nbsp;So when we went through the recce process, we realised that they must have just been running around. Just popped the camera down and shot something really freely. And that's the sense of the video - it feels so light and fun and loose.<blockquote>When Lewis does put himself in front of the camera for music vid, he's 100% game.</blockquote>There were times when we were at a location and Spike the DP would literally just swing around on the tripod and that would be the frame exactly. It was a really fun process to recreate Duncan Gibbons and the crew's footsteps forty years later.I also found it&nbsp;really eerie, because when you line up the shot you realise this is exactly where they must have stood, within a couple of feet. The hairs on&nbsp;the back of my neck stood up just thinking about that I'm retreading in a director's footsteps, 40 years later, creating this homage to one of the great '80s music videos.You've done a remarkable job. And Lewis is very good in it – as he usually is in his videos…Yes, Lewis doesn't put himself in front of the camera unless he knows it's going to work.I don't think it's a big secret that he doesn't really like making music videos - as he has said so publicly. I think he finds it a bit boring. I totally understand that musicians don't harbour lifelong dreams of lipsyncing in front of a camera for two days. But I think that when he does put himself in front of the camera for music vid, he's 100% game. I have a lot of respect for that.[imgtoken data:6]Above: filming Lewis copying George Michael's iconic poolside pose;&nbsp;Spike Morris in foreground, Louis behind Lewis.We had to move really quickly. We had a lot to shoot in two days - 84 shots - and he loved the speed of it. That was the least boring way of doing it, essentially. I think that's why we got a good performance out of him, because he was moving quick and he was engaged and he knew he knew where he was going with it.And he's a funny guy. Super-smart and funny. He takes direction well. I do really enjoy working with him. But you also have to be sensitive to where an artist is, in themselves. In the lead-up to the shoot, Lewis was talking about having issues with his mental health recently. It was before he went public about his Tourettes diagnosis.&nbsp;I think it's been a tricky two years for him. So I have real gratitude towards Lewis for&nbsp;really turning up and turning it on. And he could easily have not, considering what he's been going through. So I came away feeling very grateful to him to allow us to have so much fun!When you look at the side by side, you have done it shot-for-shot - well, nearly. There's very little change in the not only of the shots the same, but the edit is also fairly consistent. Where and why did you change things?The edit we did massage in a couple of places a little bit. I wanted it to be kind of intriguing for the viewers that didn't know the original video. I didn't want it to be frustrating, for cuts to be off and for new set-ups to arrive halfway through a verse&nbsp;it could end up&nbsp;feeling wilfully obtuse.&nbsp;I don't want someone to watch this and be like, what the f*ck is going on?So just by massaging a little bit, it just meant that stuff landed on the start of new sections. But for the most part we tried to stay as close to the original as possible - and amusing on its own.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:1]Above: Louis Bhose has also put together this video - with side-by-sides of both, so you can see how close Forget Me is to Club Tropicana...You must be pleased with the reaction. And any reaction from those who were involved in the original?Yes! So Shirlie Kemp [née&nbsp;Holliman]&nbsp;posted it on Twitter and said some nice stuff. Andrew Ridgeley was very nice about it too.I think early doors I was a bit worried about copyright issues, that someone was going to twig and say 'hold on, you can't do this!'. And credit where credit's due, it seems that everyone was really happy about it, and cool about it. I&nbsp;guess it's so clearly a love letter to the original, albeit done in an amusing way, and juxtaposing Wham!'s world with Lewis's world.But before it was released we were very careful about security, of course. Then a few days before it came out I get a call from the label saying 'we need a NON-password protected link straight away.' So obviously we wanted to know why, as we were being so careful. And we were told - 'Elton has heard about the video and wants to see it.' So I ripped that password off Vimeo in about 10 seconds.• Louis Bhose is based at Agile Films and represented for music videos by OB Management. More of his work <a href="https://agilefilms.com/directors/uk/music-videos/louis-bhose/" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

Louis Bhose

Louis Bhose on remaking Club Tropicana with Lewis Capaldi: "Doing a faithful recreation was the best gag."

Lewis-Capaldi--'Forget-Me'-by-Louis-Bhose

Lewis Capaldi - Forget Me - Side by Side

Lewis Capaldi 'Forget Me' by Louis Bhose

Agile Films have announced two new signings to their music video directors roster - Aliyah Otchere and Jesse May Fisher.Aliyah Otchere is a multidisciplinary director and photographer. As a British creative who was raised in Turkey, she discovered a new perspective in documenting the music scene when she returned to London.&nbsp;The 22 year old has already directed high-profile artists such as Ravyn Lenae, Rachel Chinouriri, Tora-i and Olivia Dean, drawing inspiration from the display of human interactions through abstract directorial work that explores visual metaphors.&nbsp;“It’s an absolute honor to be able to consider myself a part of the Agile family," says&nbsp;Otchere.&nbsp;"Sana [Khan, executive producer] and Precious [Mahaga] have been an integral part of my growth as a director and continue to be huge anchors in my journey through. I not only dream of the work we’ll create but am extremely excited to continue building our relationship and look forward to our journey together.”Jesse May Fisher is a London-based director, photographer and artist. Her work explores themes such as the body, sensuality and the subconscious.&nbsp;Often utilising elemental and corporeal motifs, her moving images operate within a threshold of softness and darkness. She has directed music videos for artists including Anaiis and Etta Marcus and has been exhibited at various galleries including the Saatchi Gallery.“Considering the strength of Agile’s work and reputation, being asked to join their roster was a privilege and an easy call to make,” says May Fisher. “Precious and Sana understand my motivations and where I want to take my work and have already given me invaluable insight and advice. I know Agile will be able to provide the support and nurturing I need to develop as a director and I am excited to elevate my work alongside them.”Precious Mahaga,&nbsp;Agile's head of music,&nbsp;adds, ‘We're excited to welcome Jesse and Aliyah to the Agile Roster. We've been impressed by their work so far and look forward to working with them as they continue to develop."• Watch Aliyah Otchere's work <a href="https://agilefilms.com/directors/uk/music-videos/aliyah-otchere/" target="_blank">here</a>, and Jesse May Fisher's work <a href="https://agilefilms.com/directors/uk/music-videos/jesse-may-fisher/" target="_blank">here</a> &nbsp;

Aliyah Otchere

Agile signs Aliyah Otchere and Jesse May Fisher

Maisie Peters feels suffocated by an egotistical love interest in the stylish promo for Not Another Rockstar.&nbsp;We all know the type. Beautiful to look at, heart-meltingly charming and exciting - but a real piece of work in every other way.&nbsp;Maisie laments this archetype as she runs around an empty theatre with a guy who just won't stop getting between her and the camera, pushing her aside for a moment in the spotlight.“We need hugs, not a pretty babe that doesn’t care about our feelings!" declares Keshtmand. "This is a real telling off to those trashy lovers and wannabe rockstar heartbreakers."&nbsp;Fashionable, theatrical and fun, it's a brilliant video with plenty of attitude to boot.

Maisie Peters 'Not Another Rockstar' by Avesta Keshtmand

Maisie-Peters-'Not-Another-Rockstar'-by-Avesta-Keshtmand

Etta Marcus' bathtub is a portal to her subconscious, in&nbsp;Jesse May Fisher's arresting promo for Nosebleed.Transitioning to a nocturnal, psychic landscape after bleeding out black liquid in the tub, the video is an ethereal, otherworldly interpretation of emotional turmoil.Complemented by a dynamic, pulsating edit, the video is a brilliant introduction to the artist, and a great visualisation of Marcus' inner world.&nbsp;

Etta Marcus 'Nosebleed' by Jesse May Fisher

Etta-Marcus-'Nosebleed'-by-Jesse-May-Fisher

Jesse May Fisher directs a contemplative promo for Anaiis.Following a rebirth narrative, the video for Be Alright explores themes of&nbsp;entrapment and liberation, whilst proposing nature and movement as tools to self-heal.&nbsp;The cinematography matches the reflective atmosphere, switching between fluid, gentle camerawork and moments of stillness to mirror the absorbing concept.&nbsp;

Anaiis 'Be Alright' by Jesse May Fisher

Anaiis--'Be-Alright-(solo)'-by-Jesse-May-Fisher

Etta Marcus inhabits a dark and dreamy world where potent feminine power unfurls, in Jesse May Fisher's promo for Crown.&nbsp;In a blank studio space, the video starts traditionally enough, with plenty of posing and performance, until Marcus' hair starts to grow, wrap and envelop her body.&nbsp;Darkly tender and intimate, the cinematic visual is a powerful introduction to the artist, and suits the poignant soundscapes of the enigmatic track.&nbsp;

Etta Marcus 'Crown' by Jesse May Fisher

Etta-Marcus-'Crown'-by-Jesse-May-Fisher

Lewis Capaldi returns to action with Forget Me, and teams up with Louis Bhose to show he is up for a crazy, even mind-boggling challenge for its video -&nbsp;a shot-for-shot remake of a classic video from the early 1980s.Many viewers won't have seen the original when it first appeared - it is over forty years old, after all - but the iconic visual of WHAM!'s Club Tropicana&nbsp;is immediately recognisable in the opening frames of Bhose's video for Forget Me. Viewed through a contemporary lens, this is&nbsp;completely offbeat in the best way. Throw in Capaldi's cheeky personality and Bhose's love for whimsical ideas, and you're onto a winner.&nbsp;It's also something of a remarkable feat. And despite being a carefully structured&nbsp;remake, the video is still full of its own energy and vigour, largely down to the creative crew involved.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;"It's not exactly what I imagine most people had on their bingo cards for 'Big Lewis Capaldi Comeback Vid'," reflext Louis Bhose.&nbsp;"But hey, sometimes you gotta kill yourself precisely recreating a classic paean to hedonism for a melancholy song about second heartbreaks. It was really fun though - a week in San Antonio getting carsick and annoying our excellent local art department ('yes! that's almost it!!')."Hard to single out members of our incredible crew, but everyone went absolutely above and beyond to make the vid the best it could be. Big shouts to Lewis for being up for anything and choosing such an odd idea... And am happy to report that I got heat stroke on the shoot and live in hope that any BTS will never see the light of day."&nbsp;

Company 3

Charlie Robins directs a hypnotic promo for The Comet Is Coming.&nbsp;Unabashedly wild and atmospheric, the visual sees a small group of people driven insane by an enigmatic force, visualised in the form of a circle.&nbsp;Kept purposefully vague, Robins combines live action with elements of animation, demanding&nbsp;viewers to come to their own conclusion as to what's happening. One thing's for sure, it's not your everyday scenario.[imgtoken data:1]"This was always going to be pretty nuts," says Robins. "I had a great conversation with the band about the new album called Hyper Dimensional Expansion Beam. That name was enough of a jumping off point, and I just threw a load of crazy shit at it. It felt right to be weird and post-apocalyptic but also disorientating and fucked up. I wanted to make people feel a bit sick in all honesty. "The music is so crazy yet intricately put together, there is something beautifully chaotic about it which fit very well with some post and camera techniques I’ve been developing for a while."I worked very closely with the immense team at Agile (particularly the post guys!) to make this film happen. What a seriously talented, generous and wonderful bunch of humans they are."&nbsp;

The Comet Is Coming 'Technicolor' by Charlie Robins

The-Comet-Is-Coming--'Technicolor'-by-Charlie-Robins

A simple greeting turns into a full-on choreographed dance, in Louis Bhose's splendid promo for The Big Moon.&nbsp;Celebrating the comeback of the alternative indie group, we follow vocalist Juliette Jackson as she wakes up in the middle of a field, eventually regrouping with her fellow band members and running through an increasingly complex routine.It's a refreshingly simple yet punchy concept&nbsp;which feels fresh and timeless, whilst carrying a certain emotional weight to it, as the girls celebrate the start of their next chapter together.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;The use of a black studio environment to represent a fantasy version of the real world heightens the stylish aesthetic, whilst the real emotion drawn out of each member&nbsp;acts as an anchor to the whole project.&nbsp;"I've always been interested in bands returning from the wilderness - updating their Insta after eighteen months away with shadowy images and emojis," says Louis Bhose.&nbsp;"I thought it would be fun to have a band bump into each other, having not seen one another for ages, and start with this little handshake that then gets increasingly elaborate and emotional."That extends from a little fist bump into a big choreographed piece..."&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Big Moon 'Wide Eyes' by Louis Bhose

The-Big-Moon-'Wide-Eyes'-by-Louis-Bhose

Avesta Keshtmand directs a slick, studio-set promo for up-and-coming girl group FLO.&nbsp;With a stripped-back, futuristic vibe, we see the trio perform their track Immature in a black infinity studio, with minimalist art direction that suggests a sci-fi, space-inspired environment.&nbsp;The focus here is on introducing viewers to the new group, and with sharp choreography, inspired styling and an effortlessly cool vibe, it's clear why the girls are already creating such a buzz.&nbsp;"With Immature, I wanted to transport FLO into a new aesthetic realm, showing them in power and prowess for their second video," says director Keshtmand.

FLO 'Immature' by Avesta Keshtmand

Flo-'Immature'-by-Avesta-Keshtmand

Lucy Bridger directs a stirring promo for Tom Chaplin's Midpoint, starring acclaimed actress Niamh Cusack.&nbsp;Acting as a comeback for the Keane frontman, the video&nbsp;tells the story of Joan Day, a 65 year old country singer - played by&nbsp;Cusack.When Joan comes to London for a show, she decides to reconnect with her estranged daughter (Casey Bird). When they meet, Joan tries to come to terms with her choice to choose the romantic life of a nomadic musician over motherhood.Full of tender, poignant moments, the video reflects on family, regret and ageing.&nbsp;The subject matter is handled masterfully by Lucy Bridger, who will make you smile one moment, and then tear&nbsp;up the next.&nbsp;"Often women are made to feel that motherhood is the only path," notes Bridger.&nbsp;"I wanted to tell a story about a complex woman, who imperfectly rejected this to pursue an independence that fulfils her."

Lucy Bridger

Tom Chaplin 'Midpoint' by Lucy Bridger

Tom-Chaplin-'Midpoint'-by-Lucy-Bridger

Eliza prowls the forest at night in the video for Heat Of The Moon - her latest collaboration with Charlie Robins.Shot in a variety of formats, Eliza and her dancers perform in a lushly green setting, spotlit in the darkness, often captured in&nbsp;heat-sensitive 'night vision' as they perform&nbsp;the Noughties-influenced soul number.Other visual techniques add to the sense of mystery, sensuality and trippiness...&nbsp; &nbsp;

Black Kite Studios

Eliza 'Heat Of The Moon' by Charlie Robins

Eliza-'Heat-Of-The-Moon'-by-Charlie-Robins

Brock Neal Roberts's new video for Sam Fender - his second for the South Shields singer-songwriter, after last year's&nbsp;MVA-nominated&nbsp;video for&nbsp;Seventeen Going Under - elevates an everyday story of teenage friendship&nbsp;with a clever visual device.&nbsp;In the video for Getting Started, we see four friends work their way down their tower block, picking each other up on the way as they prepare to head for a night out. And each stage is mainly presented as a three dimensional photo, the camera tracking through the boys as they are caught static,&nbsp;in the moment.[imgtoken data:1]Brock has mainly used&nbsp;in-camera effects to create this sense of hyperreality, with the young actors freezing their bodies in a physical way&nbsp;rather than achieving the effect in post-production - identical twins were used to play the same characters, to bring the complex blocking to life.&nbsp; Imaginative art direction assists to make this work, such as the spray of a deodorant can and smoke from a cigarette created with cotton wool.Sam Fender's performance&nbsp;is the final piece of the jigsaw, walking through the same night-time streets, the unseen narrator of the boys' lives. In the Director's Cut we are featuring here, he is slightly more incidental to the action than&nbsp;in the official release. Ultimately, it is a charming and positive representation of youth and young male friendship.[imgtoken data:2]

Brock Neal Roberts

Semera Khan

Sam Fender 'Getting Started' (Director's Cut) by Brock Neal Roberts

Sam-Fender-'Getting-Started-(dc)'-by-Brock-Neal-Roberts

Charlie Robins directs a mesmerising one-shot promo for Eliza.&nbsp;The video for Straight Talker takes place against a desolate industrial backdrop, with eerie, atmospheric cinematography and a spellbinding performance at its core.&nbsp;The progression from fluid movement to a primal, strobe-lit explosion of dance is inspired, and the camera team - especially DoP&nbsp;Jaime Ackroyd and steadicam op Beau Pritchard-James - deserve a special mention for pulling this one off as smoothly&nbsp;as they have.&nbsp;

Eliza 'Straight Talker' by Charlie Robins

Eliza-'Straight-Talker'-by-Charlie-Robins

Aliyah Otchere directs a contemplative promo for&nbsp;Ravyn Lenae.Using her considerable experience in photography as a foundation, Otchere presents a series of gentle performance vignettes, each with its own distinctive look and feel.&nbsp;Stylistically exploring space, light and texture, the video perfectly encapsulates the soft harmonies in the track, whilst navigating a transition of sorts from hanging in limbo to being grounded and confident.&nbsp;

Ravyn Lenae 'Light Me Up' by Aliyah Otchere

Ravyn-Lenae-'Light-Me-Up'-by-Aliyah-Otchere

Samuel Taylor reunites with Fontaines D.C. to direct a hypnotic near-oneshot video for the intense I Love You.Taylor shot the terrific live promo of the Irish rock band's A Hero's Death for The Tonight Show&nbsp;- nominated for the Best Live Video award at last year's&nbsp;UKMVAs. This follows a similar structure - arguably it could be regarded as something of a sequel to that one - but it takes a more gothic and ghoulish turn, as frontman Grian Chatten performs&nbsp;the song as he walks through a candle-lit church.&nbsp;&nbsp;The combination of the setting and Chatten's characteristically monotone, almost contemptuous delivery of the lyrics help to build a sense of creepiness and forboding that feeds into the film's uncanny, horrific climax: the site of blood spurting spontaneously from the singer's chest, through his T-shirt...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ireland

Samuel Taylor

Fontaines D.C. 'I Love You' by Samuel Taylor

Fontaines-D.c.-'I-Love-You'-by-Samuel-Taylor

A knight&nbsp;in armour returns on horseback to his manor, discovering he is&nbsp;mortally wounded. And then he embarks upon a remarkable ritual in Joe Wheatley's mesmerising new video for TV Priest.Shot by eminent DoP Kristof Brandl, and featuring a stunning peformance by TV Priest frontman Charlie Drinkwater as the wounded knight, Wheatley has drawn on&nbsp;the sense of weariness and smouldering fury in the song One Easy Thing with an unlikely scenario that radiates cinematic gravitas.There is great filmmaking craft at work here. Brandl bringing his unmistakeable skill to bear on this gloomy, pain-ridden world, shooting on black and white film&nbsp;to create amazing images. Wheatley and Drinkwater, working for the third time following the TV Priest videos for Decoration and Press Gang, give the dying knight's last moments&nbsp;transcendent meaning.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kodak

TV Priest 'One Easy Thing' by Joe Wheatley

Tv-Priest-'One-Easy-Thing'-by-Joe-Wheatley

Brock Neal Roberts directs a chilling black comedy about urban youth in his latest collaboration with&nbsp;Jeshi.The video for Generation, the rapper's pin-sharp critique of a troubled society,&nbsp;explores the complex issues facing the youth of today - from drugs to violence&nbsp;to&nbsp;an unhealthy reliance on digital technology -&nbsp;cleverly encapsulated in a fly-on-the-wall aesthetic.&nbsp;From a vantage point high above the ground, the camera settles on a series of&nbsp;unfolding narratives, before quickly panning away and seeking out the next moment, involving one or more early-teen boy engaged in activities more usually associated with young men, or to Jeshi himself as on-the-spot commentator.[imgtoken data:1]The concept is lived out by a group of young boys, who light cigarettes for strangers, throw&nbsp;rocks at takeaway food delivery riders&nbsp;and ignore parents whilst engrossed in their phones.The cyclical nature of the concept is cleverly rounded off in the end scene, where the boys begin to throw rocks at a random neighbour's house, and the perspective switches from third person to first person, proving that we aren't only witnesses to the problems facing society, but very much a part of the tapestry.&nbsp;

Hip Hop

Jeshi 'Generation' by Brock Neal Roberts

Jeshi-'Generation'-by-Brock-Neal-Roberts

Agile Films have announced the signing of Charlie Robins to their music video directors' roster.Robins has created an impressive body of work in music videos over the past few years, reflecting the colourful club culture he grew up in, his love of global adventures and his strong interest in experimental visual techniques.He has directed visceral and kinetic promos for artists such as&nbsp;Rudimental, Bonobo, Yellow Days, Jessie Ware, Rag N'Bone man, Jeshi and Naughty Boy featuring Beyoncé. His work has been honoured with multiple nominations and awards across the industry,&nbsp;including at the UKMVAs, Cannes Lions, Berlin MVF and Kinsale Sharks.At this year's UKMVAs, Robins was nominated in the Best Dance Video UK category for his engrossing video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/01/06/imanbek-goodboys-goodbye-charlie-robins/68847" target="_blank">Imanbek &amp; Goodboys' Goodbye</a>, set among the traveller community."I'm so excited to be joining the roster at Agile," says Robins. "I've been a huge fan of the work they have been putting out for some time now, so it's an absolute honour to find my new home with them.&nbsp;Here's to a new chapter, new work and some very good times ahead!”Head of Music Precious Mahaga adds: "We're really glad to have Charlie joining&nbsp;us at Agile. He has a great body of&nbsp;work and&nbsp;we look forward to working with him on some exciting projects.”• Watch Charlie Robins' showreel at Agile Films <a href="https://agilefilms.com/directors/music-videos/charlie-robins/" target="_blank">here</a>

Charlie Robins joins Agile Films

Nwaka Okparaeke directs an alluring live promo for Olivia Dean's Growth, where the artist performs her EP in its entirety.&nbsp;Backdropped by stunning custom-made sets, Dean is at home in the sunsoaked, nostalgic concept.Incorporating natural elements with elevated structures and decor, each frame of the visual is entirely absorbing, and provides the perfect visual match to the&nbsp;sumptuous pop soundscapes - and the reference to the climactic scene of The Truman Show&nbsp;is wonderfully executed."Working with Olivia on this video felt like the perfect match. We both genuinely connected to the ever-changing journey of emotions within growing," says&nbsp;Okparaeke.&nbsp;"For Growth,&nbsp;I wanted to create a live performance video that looks delicate and beautiful but takes us on a rollercoaster of worlds, reflecting how the songs go back and forth from assured to sombre, vulnerable to optimistic."&nbsp;

Nwaka Okparaeke

Olivia Dean 'Growth' by Nwaka Okparaeke

Olivia Dean - Growth (Live from a Dream) | Breakthrough | Amazon Music

Dumas Haddad directs an impressive conceptual promo for Kojey Radical, featuring Lex Amor.&nbsp;A succinct, introspective synopsis details the world in the film - "Burdened with the foresight of truth, an enlightened Kojey preaches to ignorant souls, hiding in stark black and white from the volatile truth facing them outside. Kojey begins to turn their ignorance around, enriching them into the world’s true colours before impending doom."Masterfully executed, the surreal vignettes clash against with one another, creating a tension which reflects the pressure in the track. The performances are both haunting and assured, tying together the more abstract elements to create one artistic whole.&nbsp;

Dumas Haddad

Untold Studios

Kojey Radical ft Lex Amor 'War Outside' by Dumas Haddad 

Kojey-Radical--'War-Outside-'-by-Dumas-Haddad-

Following&nbsp;their collaboration on Chicken Lemon Rice,&nbsp;Priya Ragu reunites with director Dumas Haddad on the striking promo for Lockdown.&nbsp;The&nbsp;dystopian visual concept highlights two dancers, who are&nbsp;tied to platforms in the vast desolation of an empty quarry. They’re overseen by Priya, who plays two characters: the authoritative Priya, an edgy and charismatic personality who relishes the opportunity to keep the two dancers restrained; and also the sensitive ‘lockdown’ Priya, who is open to other possibilities.The two dancers use the power and imagination of their choreography to help triumph over their differences. It’s a representation of how society can only find unity via compromise and understanding.Dazzingly vibrant and punchy, the video is&nbsp;a brilliant showcase of interpretive movement and slick cinematography, and the location lends itself to the post-apocalyptic tone of the concept.&nbsp;

Dom Mckiernan

Soul

Priya Ragu 'Lockdown' by Dumas Haddad 

Priya-Ragu--'Lockdown-'-by-Dumas-Haddad-

Brock Neal Roberts directs a visual essay on family and music for Berwyn's Vega.The film explores&nbsp;the depth of who Berwyn is,&nbsp;and features all of the tracks contained in Berwyn's debut EP&nbsp; Demotapes - whilst also exploring his self-affiliation with the Vega star system.Effortlessly poignant and reflective, the documentary-style structure and touching vignettes build an engaging&nbsp;narrative of Berwyn's life story so far. When contrasted with&nbsp;images of the inconceivably vast universe around us, it also reminds viewers&nbsp;how important our individual stories are, and how they build the fabric of the world we inhabit.&nbsp;

Stitch Editing

Berwyn 'Vega' by Brock Neal Roberts

Berwyn-'Vega-'-by-Brock-Neal-Roberts

Jamie Whitby takes on a trip to the Psychedelic Views Hotel in his video for Sad Night Dynamite - a hallucinatory POV journey, where logic falters and goats roam free...Whitby references previous SND videos - the ones where they roam around in a stretch limo - and brings a strangeness to proceedings through clever use of visual effects and animation, to enhance the woozy, sleazy atmosphere.

Jamie Whitby

Sad Night Dynamite 'Psychedelic Views' by Jamie Whitby

Sad-Night-Dynamite--'Psychedelic-Views--'-by-Jamie-Whitby

Joe Wheatley directs a precious moment in time for Billie Marten's Liquid Love.&nbsp;Shot in one smooth take, as the singer-songwriter&nbsp;walks to where her friends are hanging out in an idyllic summer scene by the lake, the visual transcends the format, feeling almost like a scene unfolding somewthere between real life and a dream.&nbsp;Meditative in its presentation, the choice to shoot on film and keep things to one take elevates the authentic nature of what is captured in front of the camera - including Billie's subtle performance -&nbsp;and the video already feels remarkably timeless and iconic.&nbsp;Keep an eye out for frequent Wheatley collaborator Willie J Healey - on the tree swing -&nbsp;and Will Taylor from&nbsp;Flyte, among the cast of friends.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Billie Marten 'Liquid Love' by Joe Wheatley

Billie-Marten--'Liquid-Love-'-by-Joe-Wheatley

Dumas Haddad directs a conceptual short film for Lola Young's new EP, entitled After Midnight.Haddad's film is a visual showcase of several different tracks, all corresponding with different times in the early morning. It's also&nbsp;a journey through a whirlwind of raw emotions.&nbsp;Beautifully constructed and cut together - with Haddad working as both director and editor - the video represents a sense of polarity, both in subject matter and more literally in the visuals;&nbsp;inside vs outside, restrained vs free, love vs loss.&nbsp;A terrific piece of art, tied together with powerful spoken-word poetry from&nbsp;Thea Gajic.[imgtoken data:1]

Lola Young 'After Midnight' by Dumas Haddad 

Lola-Young--'After-Midnight-'-by-Dumas-Haddad-

Lily Rose Thomas directs a strongly relatable promo for Bessie Turner's Rushing.&nbsp;In contrast to the title of the track, the first three-quarters of the video is captured in a handful of lingering slow-zooms, with Turner placed at different positions in her flat. The mood is one of someone atuck inside, filling time, and becoming steadily more&nbsp;stir crazy.But then it jumps into a frenzied climax, where the camera is let loose and the artist's performance becomes suitably untethered. The journey of the visuals reflects that of the lyrics, and is captured with a cool cinematic eye by Lily Rose Thomas - heavily pregnant at the time.[imgtoken data:1]

Bessie Turner 'Rushing' by Lily Rose Thomas

Bessie-Turner--'Rushing-'-by-Lily-Rose-Thomas

Tom Haines directs an illusory promo for Hayden Thorpe's Parallel Kingdom.&nbsp;Filmed during the summer solstice in a neolithic stone circle, the action stands in for whatever pagan rites occurred there, be that contemporary, anachronistic or performative. The stones act as a zoetrope, splicing the screen to jump between characters, between time, creating a kaleidoscopic effect. Down is up. Round is round.The surreal, dreamlike quality of the vignettes adds to the enigmatic soundscapes and vibe of the track, and encourages viewers to dig deep into the meaning of each image.

Tom Haines

Hayden Thorpe 'Parallel Kingdom' by Tom Haines 

Hayden-Thrope--'Parallel-Kingdom-'-by-Tom-Haines-

Brock Neal Roberts pieces together&nbsp;an intimate portrait of youth, in his promo for Sam Fender's Seventeen Going Under.&nbsp;Built around the idea of trying to find existence and clarity amongst the chaos of being 17, the video interconnects naturalistic vignettes which touch upon romance, growing up, and fights between friends.&nbsp;The video boasts striking cinematography from&nbsp;Benjamin Wearing, and a bold change in style for Brock&nbsp;Neal Roberts from his last video, the surreal vision for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/04/15/eli-brown-talk-show-trouble-brock-neal-roberts/70411">Eli Brown's Trouble.&nbsp;</a>[imgtoken data:1]

Cinelab Film and Digital

Sam Fender 'Seventeen Going Under' by Brock Neal Roberts

Sam-Fender--'Seventeen-Going-Under-'-by-Brock-Neal-Roberts

Hayden Thorpe - formerly of Wild Beasts - ponders science and nature in Tom Haines' poignant promo for The Universe Is Always Right.&nbsp;Shot in a beautifully naturalistic style in and around Hayden's native Cumbria, the narrative of Hayden as a mysterious figure discovered and brought back to health by a local farmer family, is inspired by the world around us, and the time we have had for reflection across the last year.&nbsp;Anchored by strong performances from the artist and each cast member, and breathtaking countryside backdrops, the entire project is arresting and quietly moving, and well worth a watch.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Hayden Thorpe 'The Universe Is Always Right' by Tom Haines

Hayden-Thorpe--'The-Universe-Is-Always-Right-'-by-Tom-Haines

Louis Bhose directs his second video for Maisie Peters, the fun-filled&nbsp;promo for Psycho.&nbsp;Following his video for&nbsp;John Hughes Movie a few months ago - and his stint as <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1LzYAxUQa1wjphrJthTT6o" target="_blank">a guest on The Promonews Podcast</a> a few weeks back - Bhose presents a twisting narrative punctuated by a handful of Maisie&nbsp;clones, amping up the surreal vibes of his previous collaboration with the artist.&nbsp;As always, (the real) Peters is mesmerising in her performance, and her willingness to take a chance on an abstract vision pays off hugely, in one of her most exciting and engaging videos to date.&nbsp;You can see Louis' pre-vis for the video <a href="https://vimeo.com/567836958/6592d07643" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

Maisie Peters 'Psycho' by Louis Bhose

Maisie-Peters--'Psycho-'-by-Louis-Bhose

Rob Akin directs a&nbsp;melancholic&nbsp;portrait of stifling loneliness&nbsp;within a marriage, in his video for Jorja Smith's Home.&nbsp;The concept of 'home'&nbsp;can mean different things to different people - for some, it's a physical location, for others, it's a feeling of warmth and safety within a relationship.&nbsp;In the video, Akin explores&nbsp;emotional disconnection between a woman and her husband. On the outside, it seems they have it all - a beautiful home, a happy child and a lavish lifestyle. But beneath the surface, deep cracks are forming, and Smith bears witness to the turmoil, in her role as a Nanny within the family dynamic.&nbsp;It's a poignant emotional rollercoaster, with Akin's subtle direction emphasising the role of the unhappy wife, played by&nbsp;Kattreya Smith. Jorja Smith - who was the&nbsp;creative director on the project - also does a top-notch job with her supporting role, flexing her acting chops in an inspired yet naturalistic manner.&nbsp;&nbsp;