Colour grade company

Black Kite Studios

Maxim Kelly has created a fabulous fever dream of a Western - shot in blinding black and white - for&nbsp;experimental rock combo black midi.The song Eat Men Eat - from the forthcoming album Hellfire - is a typically eclectic fusion-jam (Rock meets Flamenco!), with lyrics by vocalist Cameron Picton, about two men and their quest to overcome the cruel captain of a mining facility. That's the starting point for Kelly's interpretation where two prospectors become embroiled a similarly overbearing personality, and their efforts to poison him.That barely does justice to the sense of abandon and euphoria, laced with doom and destruction, that powers the story. It features a compelling&nbsp;performance by Calvin Cornwall as 'the captain', luminous cinematography by&nbsp;Pieter Snyman, a brilliantly unhinged edit by music video editing legend&nbsp;Vid Price.&nbsp;Kelly also incorporates a characteristic&nbsp;multi-media element,&nbsp;which adds to the strange surreal silent movie atmosphere.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The story starts in the desert with two men engaged in a desperate search for missing friends," says Cameron Picton of the song.&nbsp;"Their quest leads them to a strange mining facility which, despite a death of natural resources in the area, opens its door for even stranger hosts to welcome them.”Kelly adds that meant the story was already largely in place when it came to making the video.&nbsp;"I just worked to visualise that narrative whilst staying true to the band’s vision and songwriting," he says.&nbsp;"So, I had this idea in my head of an old silent movie aesthetic with inter-titles. But every now and then it turns into a 'talkie'&nbsp;with parts of lip-syncing."It’s a structurally unusual song, so it’s wonderful when a track like this comes along and forces you to break your usual patterns and habits and push yourself as a director.“I first listened to black midi in 2018 when my friend recorded a live performance in his studio for NTS Radio. I think this might be one of their first-ever recordings, and it blew me away. So I’m thrilled to have the honour of making their latest music video."

United Kingdom

Maxim Kelly

Aisha Kemp

Caviar

Eleri Evans

Phin Shaughnessy-Symons

Pieter Snyman

Oliver Bingham

Charlotte Hayde

Joe Mulvihill

James Duffy

Syd Harmony

Celia Arias

Melissa Davies

Vid Price

Trim Editing

Tom Mangham

Rough Trade

Rock

black midi 'Eat Men Eat' by Maxim Kelly

black midi - Eat Men Eat

Jay Green returns with&nbsp;a hypnotic video for MiniKingz' New Skin Care, playing with viewers'&nbsp;perceptions of what we see in a mirror.&nbsp;Beginning with a woman singing the hypnotic intro to the track, then Benjiflow from MiniKingz is introduced, appearing in a white background in a mirror frame - only to pan through the mirror and reveal him looking into another mirror. As the light strobe blinks, the screen then turns to dark mode; a rave appears in the reflection featuring the other Minikingz members, Ragz and Oscar Worldpeace.&nbsp;The performance-led video then continues this effective in-camera trickery, corutney of Green's clever negotiation of the space and the work of art director&nbsp;Lucy Ashmore. There are a series of skilful&nbsp;transitions, where the viewer&nbsp;is left guessing whether a 'mirror-image' is a reflection or not, and lines are repeatedly blurred of what the visuals appear to be.&nbsp;Ultimately this is a brilliant framing device to present the energetic charm and smooth flows of the trio. But once it ends you will be tempted to rewind it, to figure&nbsp;out how it was done...

Jay Green

COMPULSORY

Kiran Mandla

Lee Fairweather

Amal Solomons

Sam E.H. Hooper

Ada Wesolowska

Andrea Di Franco

Alex Magill

Lucy Ashmore

Andi Chu

Grime

MiniKingz 'New Skin Care' by Jay Green

MINIKINGZ - NEW SKIN CARE (Ft. BenjiFlow, Ragz Originale & Oscar #Worldpeace)

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;

Nat Zangi

Hiromi Toyooka

Bruce Langfield

Jon Johnson

Charlie Robins

Joseph J Goldman

OB Management

Agile Films

Krunal Saadrani

Peter Bishop

Precious Mahaga

Sana Khan

Abbey Valentina

Beau Pritchard James

Orlando Omahoney

Aida García Vega

Tommy Stayton

Molly Portsmouth

Richard Fearon

PIAS

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]

Louis Simonon

Bardha Krasniqi

Holly MacDonald

Brock Neal Roberts

Manoela Chaibai

George Telfer

Semera Khan

Vini Curtis

Smera Kumar

Elle Lotherington

Nick Teulon

Barney Batchelor

Chris Starkey

Katya Bourvis

Kiloh Falby Clark

Ed Cooper

Assembly Rooms

Polydor

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

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

James Slater completes his excellent series of videos for Leeds band Yard Act's first album The Overload with a superb valedictory&nbsp;effort for the album's final&nbsp;track&nbsp;100% Endurance - starring iconic actor David Thewlis.Thewlis wakes up on a street bench, finding himself on a suburban housing estate, surrounded by its residents. They are familiar faces to anyone who has watched the previous Yard Act videos,&nbsp;as most have appeared in one or more, playing the characters that populate the 'Yard Act universe' - created by the band's frontman,&nbsp;James Smith.&nbsp;Smith has played some characters himself in the preceding videos - a dodgy magician (in <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/11/25/yard-act-land-blind-james-slater/73960" target="_blank">Land Of The Blind</a>), a slippery estate agent (in <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/12/15/yard-act-payday-james-slater/74305" target="_blank">Payday</a>), and obnoxious club owner Graham (in <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/09/14/yard-act-overload-james-slater/72771" target="_blank">The Overload</a>). But in 100% Endurance, Thewlis plays Smith, more or less. Appropriately he takes over lipsync duties for the album's least abrasive, most philosophical song, as a world-weary but wise figure wondering among his fellow housing estate inhabitants.[imgtoken data:1]James Slater then delivers an additional delicious curveball. Suddenly, a giant hand drops down into the scene&nbsp;- David&nbsp;Thewlis's. It picks up what turns out to be a tiny figurine of himself (or is it Smith?), from a miniature model version of the housing estate. It's a sudden, comic twist that resonates with the overriding theme&nbsp;of the song: 'what's&nbsp;it all about, anyway?...'<blockquote>[Thewlis] really bought into it all and delivered a brilliant performance, tying the whole thing together.</blockquote>"Prior to shooting 100% Endurance, I'd already been lucky enough to shoot four&nbsp;videos from&nbsp;The Overload," confirms Slater.&nbsp;"It's given us the opportunity to create our own Yard Act cinematic universe, with characters and themes recurring across all the films. With this video we wanted to wrap everything up.&nbsp;"I thought we should have a go at answering (that question)&nbsp;by revealing that&nbsp;the universe (well, the Yard Act universe at least) is in fact a miniature model set, kept atop Thewlis'&nbsp;spare room.[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;"James and David had been chatting for a while, as it turned out he was a big fan of the band. He let us know he'd be up for doing a video and thankfully liked the idea. We shot it in his native Blackpool. He really bought into it all and delivered a brilliant performance, tying the whole thing together. I think he'll go far!"<blockquote>It's testament to James Slater and his vision for bringing our songs to life every time.</blockquote>James Smith adds that&nbsp;his experience of making this video was a combination of enjoyment and disbelief. “It was great shooting this video," he says. "I barely had to do anything, and I didn’t have fake facial hair glued to [my] head for once."I still can’t believe David got involved. I was such a fan of his work from Naked through to Fargo, and when I told James Slater he was interested in working with us, he was so buzzing. A brilliant actor, and an absolute joy to watch work. Equally so, he is a thoroughly decent, down-to-earth person who is funny as fuck, and that goes a fair way I reckon."[imgtoken data:3]Smith&nbsp;also pays tribute to Slater's work across five videos for The Overload. “This video also stands as testament, once more, to James Slater and his vision for bringing our songs to life every time," he says. "I always knew we would revisit the world one last time to bring the whole concept of the album full circle, and I knew the final video would be for 100% Endurance. But once the album came out and touring kicked in, I never knew when we would find the time. Finally we did, and getting all the cast of characters back together felt lovely too."We’ve met so many ace people making these videos and the more you meet them, the easier it is. Bless everyone who was on board throughout. If no one figures it out in the next five years, I’ll do a thorough breakdown of all the videos with every reference, easter egg and narrative hint we&nbsp;stuck in there.”

Ruta Staseviciute

Jack Hartley

Lola Cookman

Jade Denne

Joanne Johnson

James Slater

Rosie Ford

Zomdic Films

Sam Flynn

Chris Sargent

Aaron Dunleavy

Ben Eve

Mihai Virlan

Sam James

Brody Salmon

Lucy Gregory

Bethani Gowland

Emma Tierney

Leanne Bartlett

Louise Hood

Matthew Prickett

Work Editorial

David Thewlis

Island Records

Alexa Haywood at Free Agent UK

Post-Punk

Alternative

Yard Act '100% Endurance' by James Slater

Yard-Act-'100%-Endurance'-by-James-Slater

Directing team SPTMBR create an intriguing video for&nbsp; singer Monday Was Special, elevating a domestic setting&nbsp;with mythic importance through a very skilful&nbsp;use of resources.The video tells of the journey of a young couple - where a feeling of claustrophobia and sense of entrapment is gradually overcome. As well as directing impressive performances from the lead actors, exceptional cinematography by Luke Dryden helps to create a stylish and atmospheric work, divided into three parts given engimatic graphic symbols as chapter headings.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]"With Bespoke, we wanted to create a video that spoke to the themes of unexpected parenthood - that great step into the unknown," say SPTMBR.&nbsp;"This manifested as the idea of a young couple stuck in life’s waiting room - a kind of limbo where they feel their destiny is unclear, as parents and as partners."The three acts of the film link to different Greek and Roman Goddesses. Act 1 features Urania (associated with universal love and the Holy Spirit), Act 2 features Hera and Juno (Goddesses of women and family) and Act 3 features Artemis and Diana (Goddesses of childbirth and midwifery)."Above all, it’s about transformation: the birth and rebirth of the characters."

Macy Trieu-dingle

sptmbr

Luke Dryden

Austin Phillps

Louis Atkins

Arianne Carless

Dajay Brown

Atlas Clarke

Monday Was Special 'Bespoke' by SPTMBR

Monday Was Special 'Bespoke'

The Trash Factory lives up to his director moniker in this excellent video for Dylan Fraser.&nbsp;In the video for&nbsp;Apartment Complex On The Eastside, we see the artist in a sea of trash, getting pushed around by passing pedestrians until he breaks out into a much roomier exterior space.From the custom set design through to the inspired colour palettes, it's a simple concept that is imbued with passion and creativity, which elevates it to a whole new level.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>I wanted Dylan to be physically overwhelmed...</blockquote>"[The video is about]&nbsp;feeling like the world is fucked, that you're just a passing person in an indifferent urban sprawl, but finding some freedom in that pessimism," says James Arden - aka The Trash Factory.&nbsp;"Built around the thought-provoking opening lyric - 'Someday I will lay beneath some new apartment complex on the Eastside'&nbsp;- I wanted Dylan to be physically overwhelmed by rushing pedestrians who don't give a shit about him. So, continuing my fondness for burying musicians in their own music videos, we decided to throw trash at Dylan until he was engulfed completely.&nbsp;"Visually, this video was heavily inspired by 90s Radiohead promos, the absurd films of Roy Andersson, and one specific shot in Spiderman 2 where Peter Parker is bashed around picking up his books on campus, that I became obsessed with and wanted to include in a video. I'm glad it found its home."&nbsp;And so are we.&nbsp;

The Trash Factory

Alessia Lendrum

Reprobates

Lowkey Films

Kim Jarrett

Ronnie McQuillan

Vanessa Mc Donnell

Joshua Jacobs

Eliza Clarke

James Arden

Atlantic Records

Dylan Fraser 'Apartment Complex On The Eastside' by The Trash Factory

Dylan-Fraser--'Apartment-Complex-On-The-Eastside-'-by-The-Trash-Factory

It's a dance to the death in Sophia Ray's blinding promo for Regard, featuring Olly Alexander of Years And Years.&nbsp;The video places Olly&nbsp;as an apprehensive contestant&nbsp;at the centre of a dance marathon, where he has to sweat, pant, dive and dance his way to an exhausted victory - all driven by Meshach Henry's trailblazing choreography. Meanwhile, Regard lingers as a mysteriously sinister driving force behind&nbsp;the&nbsp;scenes of this dark competition."The concept for the video was inspired by the 1969 Sydney Pollack film They Shoot Horses Don't They," explains Sophia Ray. "We wanted to take the themes from this cult classic and then give the video our own creative spin on them, setting it in a contemporary, perplexing, dystopian space."The video is a&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of creativity, wrapped in vibrant layers of choreography, post-apocalyptic styling and futuristic art direction, and emanates a minacious yet playful tone throughout. There is certainly a nod to&nbsp;Squid Game&nbsp;in there too.&nbsp;"It was such a pleasure collaborating with Olly again - as always - and really fun getting the opportunity to work on set with Regard," Ray continues.&nbsp;"It was great to showcase two totally different characters in the video when it came to both artists' involvement in the narrative. It was a labour of love from the whole team to bring this one together - and I am so grateful for the team's hard work."[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Ash Halliburton

Kiera Liberati

Letizia Maria Allodi

Nick Royal

Sophia Ray

Ayomide Alli

Mouthpiece

Partizan Darkroom

Kat Cattaneo

Hélio Ribeiro

Nikita Popkov

Mayling Wong

Aidan Robert Brooks

Karl Hui

Nina Mangold

Max Roach

Meshach Henry

Coco Hirani

Ryo Narushima

Joe Brooks

Sam Allen

Jordan Markov

Immersefx

Ministry of Sound

Regard ft Years And Years 'Hallucination' by Sophia Ray

Regard-Ft-Years-And-Years--'Hallucination-'-by-Sophia-Ray

Balan Evans directs an impressive promo for Irish rock band Just Mustard's Still.&nbsp;Shot entirely in-camera without any visual effects, the video focuses on a close-up eyeball which reflects a series of abstract projections and patterns, and Just Mustard's lead singer Katie Ball.&nbsp;Haunting, unsettling and impossible to turn away from, Evans's video is smart and beautifully executed, creating an&nbsp;enigmatic atmosphere that is utterly absorbing.&nbsp;

Balan Evans

Ella Woollgar

Marija Djikic

Ob Management Production Services

Jake Crossland

Matthew Button

Oliver Schofield

Sam Holmes

Ivan Ivanov

Dylan Friese-greene

Partisan Records

Just Mustard 'Still' by Balan Evans

Just Mustard - Still (Official Video)

Harry Law directs a touching promo for Calum Scott's If You Ever Change Your Mind.&nbsp;Employing a choreography-based approach for the visual, the concept revolves around a couple who are on the cusp of breaking up, but drawn back to each other by their connection.&nbsp;We've seen plenty of interpretive choreography in the music video space, but this video ups the ante with seamless practical effects, which sees the dancers contort, balance and float in a way that feels ethereal and poignant.&nbsp;The movement feels inspired and emotional, whilst the intimate cinematography ensures the focus rests on the characters and the beautiful performance section.&nbsp;

Joshua James Smith

Emma Farnell-watson

Harry Law

Fred Bonham Carter

Just Fred

Targa Sahyoun

William Pope

Simon Plunket

Andrew Rawson

Matt Farrant

Supple Nam

Louisa Thomas

Elyse Raphael

Tenthree Editing

Rich Fearon

B.art.studio

Capitol Records

Performance

Calum Scott 'If You Ever Change Your Mind' by Harry Law

Calum-Scott-'If-You-Ever-Change-Your-Mind'-by-Harry-Law

Luis Hindman directs a late-night meditation on lost love and blurred memories for Joesef's latest promo.&nbsp;The video for It's Been A Little Heavy Lately follows the artist on a hazy late-night drive, reminiscing about better times and missed opportunities.&nbsp;"I drew on filmmakers such as Wong Kar-wai, Kieslowski and Xavier Dolan for their ability to create heightened-realities and&nbsp;dream-like atmospheres," says Hindman.&nbsp;The intimate, understated energy of the piece perfectly matches the downtempo track, and the effervescent cinematography creates a dreamlike world which feels caught somewhere between reality and fiction. All of this paves the way for a shocking finale, which ends in a familiar place...&nbsp;"The video’s finale is a direct tie-in to a previous Joesef video for Comedown," Hindman explains.&nbsp;"So, yep, this is a prequel of sorts. Trilogy on the cards?&nbsp;We'll see..."&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Joesef gave a little background to the song itself, and the inspirations that made their way into the visual.&nbsp;"I wanted the song to feel like a bad trip, there’s a lot of different textures; the tempos are higher, and the drums are slightly swung," he says. "It also features a sample from the film Totally Fucked Up by Gregg Araki: the stories he tells, and how he portrays them visually inspire me every day, and fit the context of the song so well."I had to write to him for the sample clearance and he said 'yes', which was fucking mindblowing to me. He’s a hero of mine.”

Joesef 'It's Been A Little Heavy Lately' by Luis Hindman

Black Kite Studios

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