Production Company

CANADA

The Director's Cut of Marc Oller's video for Arlo Parks' Weightless arrives, and adds weight to the symbolism around a story of a&nbsp;couple falling out of love.Oller employs powerful visual metaphors to tell the tale, which are given free rein in this version: Arlo in a car with no driver, a house breaking apart, cars crashing, and perhaps most powerfully of all,&nbsp;a wild horse having escaped from its captor, running free&nbsp;in the city.Within these scenes, Parks herself comes across strongly, performing the song which is the first release from her forthcoming album, My Soft Machine - the anticipated follow-up to her Brit and Mercury Prize-winning debut Collapsed In Sunbeams.[imgtoken data:1]Shot in Serbia last December, Oller says that ‘’we followed the brief of how a lover gets tethered to the idea of someone, either to how good it felt at the beginning or how close things are to looking up, whilst also wanting to present Arlo in a way that her fans had not seen before." He adds that this presented various challenges on the shoot, particularly due to bad weather affecting the production."We had to recreate the exact same room we were shooting in an apartment, then wreck it with a bulldozer," he says. "The construction team was outstanding."[imgtoken data:2]So was the horse, called Asa - who is a magnificent presence in the video, captured wonderfully by DoP Zach Spiger and his team. "Asa was a great actress - we all fell in love with her and she actually made our lives easy," says Oller. "Unfortunately, it was raining heavily and the shoot was constantly interrupted by the storm. This tightened our schedule and we had to sacrifice many shots that we had planned on shooting."&nbsp;Shot on film, which also presented challenges in terms of finding the right kit for "an old school kind of shoot", Oller adds that he was supported by both familiar and new collaborators to achieve his goals.[imgtoken data:3]"They were all amazingly talented and invested in the project," he declares. "Zack Spiger is an old collaborator - we shot a short film back in the day when I lived in Tokyo; Vicki Viñas is one of my longest time collaborators and she’s an outstanding art director and has the best taste; Alberto Ojeda is one of the best steadicam operators in Spain; and Ana Cano is my oldest collaborator and my ‘go-to’ for hair and makeup."And I loved working with our new Head of Music Videos at CANADA, Callum Harrison, who always challenged me to keep pushing the boundaries of creativity and was a great support."[imgtoken data:4]

Serbia

Marc Oller

Callum Harrison

Sara Renteria

Anna Bacardit

Débora Zhang

Zack Spiger

Vicki Viñas

Lane Casting

Fouad Gaber

William Kjarval

Cyber Few Good Men

Vuk Marjanovic

Lewis Munday

Emilie Louizides

Natalia Vega

Ana Cano

Alberto Ojeda

Arlo Parks 'Weightless' (Director's Cut) by Marc Oller

Arlo Parks - Weightless (DC)

Director and photographer Nicolina Knapp has joined CANADA in the UK, Amsterdam and Spain.Knapp comes from stills photography and has developed into a diverse filmmaker, seamlessly imbuing everything she does with humanity and a touch of magic.Her first music video garnered&nbsp;a nomination at the Swedish Grammys. Since then&nbsp;brands like Yamaha, Spotify and Nike have sought out her unmistakable vision and ability to cultivate authentic performances. Her work extends from award-winning and deeply human choreography found in <a href="https://canadacanada.com/home-with-you/" target="_blank">Home With You</a>, which won a 1.4 Award, to raw, hard-hitting spots like her Amnesty - Land Of The Free,&nbsp;fighting for abortion rights in the US.Marta Bobić, CANADA UK Managing Director, says: “We fell in love with Nicolina's powerful imagery and emotional sensitivity as soon as we laid eyes on her work. From her short films to her commercials and photography, the world she portrays is raw and beautiful, real and magic at the same time. We are delighted to welcome Nicolina's clear, honest and unique voice to CANADA.”Nicolina Knapp adds: “Joining CANADA feels very special, an exciting step for me. Since years back I’ve been following what they do from afar, and they always keep surprising me - which I love. I’ve admired how imaginative and thrilling their work is to watch and still manages to have both feet on the ground. That’s the type of work I want to be doing. I’m so glad to be joining this lovely family of people.”• Watch Nicolina Knapp's work at CANADA website <a href="https://canadacanada.com/directors/nicolina-knapp/">here</a>&nbsp;

CANADA signs Nicolina Knapp

Roger Guàrdia directs a darkly romantic&nbsp;promo for bachata artist Romeo Santos&nbsp;and&nbsp;Rosalía's collaboration with&nbsp;El Pañuelo.&nbsp;Across a series of interconnected vignettes, we see the artists perform individually - and briefly together - intercut with the dramatic interplay of two dancers, who are simultaneously part&nbsp;of and an exception to the world on-screen.&nbsp;Imbued with a contemporary gothic style, the video is washed in a vibrant red and black colour palette, and boasts slick set design, breathtaking fashion and a truly captivating aesthetic.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Guàrdia connects the distinctive vignettes through colour choices, cinematography and an abyss-like backdrop, which is seemingly endless and full of haunting beauty in every direction.He was inspired by a line in the lyrics of the song,&nbsp;El amor ciego te quita poder, which means 'blind love takes away your power.' Guàrdia notes that “it came to my mind the vampiric side of passionate love. It can be really intense, illogical, emotional, until it sucks all your energy away.”

United Kingdom

Laia Ateca

Chino Castilla

Roger Guàrdia

Marco Sroka

Christy Alcaraz

Sara Renterí

Park Pictures

Daniel Fernádez Abelló

Luigi F Rossi

Francesco Rizzo

Justin Pollock

Jackie Kelman-bisbee

Javier Romero

Valentina Carmona

Ignacio Gimenez

Aitor Bigas

Javier Botella

Marina M. Campomanes

Martes Studio

Romeo Santos, Rosalía 'El Pañuelo' by Roger Guàrdia

Romeo-Santos,-Rosalía-'El-Pañuelo'-by-Roger-Guàrdia

<h3>Callum Harrison has produced some iconic videos. Now he has a big new job - Head of Music Videos &amp; Content at CANADA. We talked to him about his achievements so far,&nbsp;and his main objectives in his new role.</h3>From working with Oscar Hudson on groundbreaking music videos for Radiohead, Loyle Carner and others, and with the likes of Yoni Lappin, and Zhang + Knight, Callum Harrison has produced some of the most impressive work in British music videos of the past few years.&nbsp;&nbsp;Harrison was also involved in the start-up of Ground Work, a production company that has since gone on to make award-winning and commended videos too. It was that background that made him the compelling choice to become the new Head of Music Videos &amp; Content at CANADA, the production company based in Barcelona, London and Los Angeles, earlier this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;Harrison is now EP of CANADA's music-based content, working mainly out of the company's London office. He is tending&nbsp;to a roster which contains directors of various nationalities, but also retains a distinctly Barcelonian identity - epitomised by <a href="https://canadacanada.com/directors/lope-canada/" target="_blank">Lope Serrano</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://canadacanada.com/directors/nico-canada/" target="_blank">Nicolás Méndez</a> - aka directing duo CANADA - who co-founded the company with head of production Alba Barneda,&nbsp;and gave the company its name.&nbsp;Whether that proves a cultural or even a linguistic challenge, Harrison's reputation as an effective&nbsp;collaborator of top directing talent comes from years of first-hand&nbsp;experience. Harrison, 32, is from&nbsp;North London, and in tried-and-tested fashion, he got involved in filmmaking early, before making it his career choice.<blockquote>One of the most important things is to create an environment where talented people can have fun and&nbsp;express themselves.</blockquote>"I’ve never really been one to get behind the camera myself," he explains.&nbsp;"But I was surrounded by people with cameras, so there was always someone filming something. I grew up in the era of&nbsp;Jackass&nbsp;and&nbsp;Dirty Sanchez, so we were often trying to recreate stupid stuff like that."As his original ambition was to be involved in recording music, his first serious involvement on a film set&nbsp;was as the sound man - until he realised that being a producer put him at the heart of the creative process.A few years later he was working with Oscar Hudson on some of his innovative music videos and also his daringly-shot short film Joy In People, which involved secretly filming actor/comedian Meredith Colchester among groups of testosterone-pumped males, mainly England football fans, but also at a far-right political rally.&nbsp;Harrison's producing credits also include videos for King Krule, Sigrid, Ashnikko and Jeshi, and commercials for Adidas, Levi's and Google. We asked him about some of this memorable work, and also what he now wants to achieve in his new role at the company which won Best Production Company at last year's UKMVAs.[imgtoken data:1]Above: Callum Harrison, Head of Music Videos &amp; Content&nbsp;at CANADAHow did you get your start in filmmaking as a career? And what was it that prompted you towards becoming a producer?I have a bit of a funny path into filmmaking. I studied Sound Engineering and Music Production&nbsp;[at Point Blank Music School].&nbsp;I wanted to get into music studios and record bands. At the time a lot of my friends were making films and they needed someone to record sound. I happened to know how to use a microphone and a mixer, so I got roped in. I used a broom as my boom on those early shoots!I also started working with <a href="http://www.timandbarry.com/tim-and-barrytv/" target="_blank">Tim &amp;&nbsp;Barry TV</a> on their live stream show JUST JAM. That is actually one of the only times I’ve picked up a camera. I was shit at operating, so I got moved to the sound mixing desk pretty quickly. I have incredible respect for sound mixers, but I found it quite a lonely and thankless task. I wanted to be more involved creatively. The producers looked like they had the director's ear, so I chose that.<blockquote>We all just hustled to get these videos made any way possible.&nbsp;</blockquote>From that point I just got on any set I could get access to to get experience. There was a good group of us all trying to get things made any which way possible.&nbsp;It helps to have that support network.Not that you asked, but my advice to people starting out would be to try and attach yourself to a group of likeminded filmmakers and just make stuff. That way you can all help each other learn and grow. Don’t let budgets or not having access to ‘premium’ kit stop you. People will take notice of good ideas.What was the first music video you produced? Was that with Oscar Hudson?The first music video I produced was for <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BFobIUWKyu2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">one of the blips for the Radiohead album Moon Shaped Pool</a>. It was indeed with Oscar Hudson. Like many of my early projects this was a steep learning curve. The budgets for those blips were £5K, and somehow we managed to pull it off. We were all just super eager to make films, especially one for Radiohead, so we threw everything at it.<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>I did the catering on that shoot. And&nbsp;I also had to drive all of the sand to a local school for them to use, then we all swept up the remaining sand for what felt like an age. We all just hustled to get these videos made any way possible.Name a video that was really important in building experience to becoming a good producer, and why?I’m not sure if there is one specific video that I can point to but I always try to take something from every shoot I do. I’m still learning now of course and it’s a pleasure to get to work with incredibly talented people that I can learn from.One of the most important things for me as a producer is to create an environment where all these talented people can have fun and express themselves as best as possible.[vidtoken data:0]Tell us about Oscar Hudson's short film Joy In People&nbsp;that you produced. How did that project come about? How difficult (and how nerve-wracking) was that to make?Very nerve-wracking, very difficult, but also very fun. This is still one of the most enjoyable filmmaking experiences I’ve had. It was such a different way of working. Oscar came to me with the script, and we had about two months to get everything in place before Euro 2016.We needed to be as inconspicuous as possible, so we kept the crew to an absolute minimum: Oscar, myself, DoP&nbsp;Ruben Woodin Dechamps, soundman Luke David Harris - and of course our actor, Merry Colchester.<blockquote>The far-right Pegida march with Tommy Robinson was particularly nerve-wracking.</blockquote>The script had narrative beats that we needed to hit, and we sent Merry out into crowds with that in mind. But the best stuff we got was not scripted. As a result, the script continually evolved whilst we were filming.There were a few hairy moments when we were nearly rumbled. But overall we were far enough away from the action so as not to rouse suspicion. The far-right Pegida march with Tommy Robinson was particularly nerve-wracking.[vidtoken data:1]You produced Yoni Lappin’s influential Mura Masa video for What If I Go? What do you remember from that production?This was a wild one. We were super-ambitious... or perhaps naive?&nbsp;There was way too much to shoot in two days. We used my small fourth floor flat as a unit base for cast, crew, equipment - and I laid on the catering again. I think I cooked a massive veg curry.<blockquote>It was amazing and strange to see the ripple effect this video had on wider culture.</blockquote>It was a stressful shoot. We set off the fire alarm at the Ace Hotel and then we got kicked out of another location so we had to improvise that set up.But after all that... incredible respect to Yoni for putting together that great music video. It was amazing and strange to see the ripple effect this video had on wider culture.[vidtoken data:2]&nbsp;What was the backstory of Zhang + Knight's&nbsp;film for Eden about a vintage plane being transported across Kazakhstan? What were the challenges on this job?I had worked with Zhang&nbsp;+ Knight on a Sigrid video earlier in the year so it was great to collaborate again.&nbsp;I suppose there are a few ways you can read this film but for me, it is about people and things (inanimate or otherwise) that have passed their prime and as a result society has cast them aside. These subjects still retain an element of beauty but it is clear the weariness and repetitiveness of life has worn them down.&nbsp;I love how Z+K can create so much emotion and empathy for an old piece of metal.In terms of challenges, it is always a bit of an unknown filming in a new country but the Kazak producer, Ali Beisekov, did a good job and managed to find us that beautiful plane. In general the crew were good and Kazakhstan has some incredible locations to offer. One of the main challenges was shooting everything at either sunrise, sunset or night so we were operating on minimal sleep.&nbsp;We nearly missed our plane home - airport security did not want to let us through with the 35mm rushes.[vidtoken data:3]Jamie Whitby's video for Glass Animals' Your Love mixes thermal imaging with motion control. The effect is very cool. How did you manage that? We had a motion control move mapped out, which we repeated on a 'normal' camera and then a thermal camera. The set, and a few other elements, were captured on the normal camera and the band's action was captured on the&nbsp;thermal camera.As the camera move was the same it meant each shot could be layered on top of each other*, so you get that cool effect of thermal imagery on top of normal imagery. *Not actually that simple in practice, lots of fiddling around in post to be honest.Tell us about the challenges of Loyle Carner’s Ottolenghi. Brilliant video - how did you do it?Sadly, I didn’t do the catering on this one, but despite that, we still managed to pull it off.This was such a fun shoot to be a part of. Everyone on set was fully behind the idea and pulling in the same direction. Oscar does a great job of getting everyone involved on some level.[vidtoken data:4]It’s all practical, so&nbsp;as you can imagine, there was a lot of meticulous planning in the pre-production and build stage. We had a big printer on set, and we would choose a frame from the rushes to print, and this became our edit point into the next scene. There was no going back once we had made that decision. It was a really interesting way of working.Loyle Carner is a dream to work with, so that helped as well. But the studio actually had a massive power cut just as we were about to turn over. So after much waiting around we had to leave and come back the next day to start filming. That was fun…But we got there eventually, and the end result is that beautifully hypnotic video. I love in-camera trickery and practical effects. I'm looking forward to doing more of that with CANADA.[vidtoken data:5]You co-founded Ground Work. Did you start it with a specific idea in mind of what it should be or stand for? Name a production from the early days&nbsp;of the company that is special to you, and why?If I was to give one specific idea it would be a love of the craft. We all enjoy technical shoots that involve puzzle-solving. This ethos shows in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLcM3fq6Quk" target="_blank">Will Dohrn’s award-winning video for Idles</a>.I could tell CANADA has the same ethos - that is one of the main reasons that attracted me to this position. Lots of love to Aaron and the rest of the Ground Work team. I’m excited to be up against them on pitches and awards.[vidtoken data:6]You got back together with Oscar Hudson to produce the Slowthai video for Feel Away. What were the challenges of that project?This is another one that involved quite a lot of puzzle-solving and in-depth planning during the pre production phase - which is one of my favourite ways to work. It was a struggle to fit prosthetics, set build and hyper realistic cakes into the budget but we had a lot of the same HODs and crew from the Loyle Carner video which helped things move smoothly.At the time it had just been my birthday and my girlfriend was pregnant with our son - so I couldn’t help but feel Oscar was trying to mess with me! We actually tried to use footage from one of our ultrasound scans for the James Blake singing section, but sadly it didn’t quite work.&nbsp;<blockquote>Directors have my full attention when developing ideas - one of the real pleasures of this job.</blockquote>What drew you to your new job as head of music at CANADA? How do you see your role - and are you still producing?&nbsp;I have always admired CANADA. They are one of the best in the game when it comes to music videos, so it is a huge pleasure to be here. It’s a privilege to join an outfit that won Best Production Company at last year's UKMVAs.I'm not producing anymore. I’m fully focused on my role as an EP, and&nbsp;I’ve adapted pretty well to the change. I want to be creatively involved in the projects I do and being an EP allows me to do that.&nbsp;Not producing the jobs means directors have my full attention when developing ideas. That is one of the real pleasures of this job, I get to work with our wonderful roster of directors and help them fully realize their ideas. I’m excited to be a part of their journey.Alongside music videos I’ll also be heading up the content department, so I will oversee all non-traditional commercials, narrative and docs – all the fun stuff basically!What are you hoping to achieve?Our philosophy when it comes to music videos is definitely quality over quantity. Each music video should make sense for CANADA and be a step-up for the director. We wouldn’t want a director to be churning out music videos for the sake of it.<blockquote>Having established ourselves in the UK, our reputation means we can aim high with local names.</blockquote>We are looking to add a few names to our roster. Having firmly established ourselves in the UK, our reputation means we can aim high with local names - as well as looking to nurture up-and-coming directors that we think have something really special. CANADA takes pride in the longevity of our relationships with directors, so I’m looking forward to continuing that with some new additions.There are always challenges when working in music videos. The ideas are always bigger than the budget allows. It is such a creative and exciting space to be working in, but hopefully one day budgets will fall in line. Watch this space for exciting videos to feature on Promonews!• Check out the showreels&nbsp;of CANADA directing roster&nbsp;<a href="https://canadacanada.com/directors/" target="_blank">here</a>.

CANADA's Callum Harrison: "Each music video should be a step-up for the director."   

JOY IN PEOPLE

Mura Masa - What If I Go? (Official Video)

EDEN - love, death, distraction (official video)

Glass Animals - Your Love (Déjà Vu) - Official Video

Loyle Carner - Ottolenghi (Official Video) Ft. Jordan Rakei

Ashnikko-'Drunk-With-My-Friends'-by-Claire-Arnold

Slowthai-'Feel-Away-Ft.-James-Blake,-Mount-Kimbie'-by-Oscar-Hudson

Rosalía performs a groundbreaking live presentation of her new album Motomami - bending Tik Tok to her will in the process - in a brilliant longform created specially for the app, directed by STILLZ,&nbsp;Ferran Echegaray and Rosalía, in association with CANADA.There are extended performances pieces from each track of the album, with uniquely designed staging and choreography applied to each while occupying the same huge studio space. Most crucially, this project is not hampered by the aspect ratio-related limitations of Tik Tok.[imgtoken data:1]The content is specifically created to be viewed on mobile devices, and is meant to be held with two hands. That will prevent you from dropping that device&nbsp;when the camera moves to another shape - as it does throughout the film.When its vertical, it could be horizontal or upside down. But in fact, the camera (or cameras) are themselves usually moving, rotating, changing the angle and view of the ever-compelling&nbsp;Rosalía - who is indeed performing live.[imgtoken data:2]The piece represents a continuation of CANADA's close relationship with Rosalía, after the music videos for De Plata,&nbsp; directed by MANSON, and her breakthrough&nbsp;hits Malamente and Pienso En Tu Mirá,&nbsp;filmed by Nicolás Méndez aka CANADA, as well as the Grammy’s Best Music Video-winning TKN,&nbsp;featuring Travis Scott, also directed by Méndez.

Spain

Jose Tirado

Mecnun Giasar

Pili Vila

Pepa Salazar

Rosalía Vila

Stillz

Ferran Echegaray

Esteban Zuluaga

Karen Saurí

Christopher Ripley

Agustin Boffi

Alvaro Riesgo

Marta Loza

Sergio Serpiente

Mariona Botella

Estel New Roman

Marc Morató

Álvaro Posadas

David Gómez

Metropolitana

Flamenco

Rosalía 'Motomami Tik Tok Live Performance' by Stillz, Rosalía Vila, Ferran Echegaray

Rosalía-'Motomami-Tik-Tok-Live-Performance'-by-Stillz,rosalía-Vila,-Ferran-Echegaray

Sigrid takes on the space-time continuum in&nbsp;Femke Huurdeman's dazzling video for It Gets Dark.Sigrid is in a very playful version of outer space, incorporating gorgeous, retro-influenced costumes, ingenious set design, and projections and other in-camera effects, in a consciously studio-based set-up. She connects with her surroundings in numerous ways - and in numerous outfits: sitting on top of worlds; exploring alien environments; observing speeding stars from her space rocket cabin, and then growing&nbsp;Alice-style in relation to her room.&nbsp;It's the second collaboration between the Norwegian pop star and Huurdeman, following the acclaimed video for Mirror last year, and with that experience behind her the Dutch director&nbsp;really plays to Sigrid's&nbsp;strengths as a performer on camera.The wonderful art direction&nbsp;(by Laura Santos) and wardrobe&nbsp;(by Ahida Agirre)&nbsp;come with the unmistakeable&nbsp;imprimateur of CANADA, Huurdeman's production company home. The attention to detail is marvellous, which contributes to this being an irresistable showcase for Sigrid and a very cool song.This is a triumph that's really a credit to&nbsp;everyone involved. The&nbsp;perfect way to herald&nbsp;Sigrid's upcoming second album - and the video that shows what&nbsp;Femke Huurdeman is really capable of.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3][imgtoken data:4]

Femke Huurdeman

Aina Salarich

Pepe Gay De Liébana

Laura Ruiz Penacho

Laura Santos

Ahida Agirre

Laura Obiols

Jo Lewandowska

Okay Studio

Laura New Roman

Ruth Wardell

Albert Romagosa

IXYXI

Connie Meade

Island Records

Hands 

Sigrid 'It Gets Dark' by Femke Huurdeman

Sigrid - It Gets Dark

What went into making the surreal rodeo dream for Dua Lipa's Love Again? David Knight went to the horse's mouth,&nbsp;CANADA's Lope Serrano, for the&nbsp;full story.&nbsp;BTS photography by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sophiewilliam_s/" target="_blank">Sophie Williams</a>.Having directed a blockbuster video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2020/02/03/dua-lipa-physical-canada/63072" target="_blank">Physical</a>, the first big single from her hit album Future Nostalgia, Lope Serrano - one half of the celebrated CANADA directing duo&nbsp;- reunited with Dua Lipa during the depths of lockdown for one of the last songs from the record to get a video:&nbsp;Love Again.Here the sophisticated pop aesthetic established on Physical is pared back, and given a cowboy rodeo theme - but something wonderfully magical happens too. Serrano creates a remarkable&nbsp;world with the Love Again video, riffing on his Western theme, bursting with surprising, irreverent surrealism - featuring mechanical bulls, invisible horses, giant eggs... and an iconic Dua Lipa performance.It's a signature CANADA work, and we thought it was high time to find out from Lope Serrano how it all happened. And ask the big question...&nbsp;what does it all mean?[vidtoken data:0]What was the starting point of the creative process for the Love Again video? Did you have a brief for the track that suggested the cowboy/rodeo theme?Yes - Dua called us asking for a new collaboration after Physical. Her only brief was that somehow she pictured herself on top of a mechanical bull, that Love Again&nbsp;was her favourite single, and that the song was about a sort of personal resurgence, not necessarily or just in a romantic sphere.From that visual kick-off - which I personally like - I tried to find a way to escape from literality and clichés. A new rhyme for the old words, let's say.That's basically the core of our creative task: to extend and distort, explore and project, and complete the hints and non-visual insight of the artist in a personal way.[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>I was trying to gather the real elements of the rodeo world...&nbsp;and combine them in an unexpected way.</blockquote>If you have the money and the time, you have the proper elements to go deep into the real world of rodeos, bulls, and cowboys. In that case, you don't need this kind of irony or conceptual humour to complete the invitation.I'd be more than happy to shot a film like The Misfits, you know. With all the respect for the real people who own this world. But with music videos, tight budgets, and time and medium's obvious restrictions... well, it's more effective to work in the world of altered symbols and visual arousal.This might sound random, post-modern, or meaningless, like a drunk joke - but it's not. It's a game, but with rules. These rules are more or less obvious. But we love to play with a pattern of an invisible grid of rules, so each weird piece of the board makes sense when you read the regulations. And then a Horse and a Tower and a Queen can live together with no stridency.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]<blockquote>I can feel a romantic tension in the song... I needed to communicate this tension.</blockquote>How did you come up with the individual ideas for the video? Was the idea of the cowboy-clowns the jumping-off point for everything else?There are two main creative strategies in the making of the writing of the video I think. First of all was, as I said, trying to gather the real and predictable elements of the rodeo world - the cowboy hat, the bull, the horse, the rodeo clowns, the lasso, the line dance -&nbsp;and try to combine them in an unexpected, free and non-conceptual way. So, for instance, I try to find new meanings to these traditional elements and see how things can evolve just as a pleasant visual experience.To make this strategy work, you need to be delicate and subtle in the irreverence: eliminate the horse or the bull completely. Making them disappear was a good way to make things less emphatic and literal. It has been done many times - we did it, for instance, in <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2014/11/21/she-him-stay-awhile-canada/30337" target="_blank">Stay Awhile for She and Him</a>. So although the idea was still valid, it could not be central to the music video.[imgtoken data:3]Another example: I took the make-up element from the rodeo clowns to go for painting strains, as abstract painting, and this allowed me to work with classical paintings as a valuable resource to connect shots.There are plenty of visual motifs that you can effortlessly take from classical painting, like horses, and romantic raptures, and hugs, and gorgeous portraits and hyperdynamic group compositions - and then you can cut clean and smart from these extremely beautiful pictures to Dua's hug dance;&nbsp;to the choreography of the group;&nbsp;to Dua's in the horse/bull or a portrait of her. Finding an apparently alien motif that fits well both conceptually and visually with the rest of the stuff makes me so happy in the editing room….![imgtoken data:4]<blockquote>I've learned to work with Dua... she's straightforward, smart, polite, respectful.</blockquote>And finally, all the egg thing... Well, to be honest, I was looking for an unexpected rhyme to the lasso routine. I thought in the same wrist movement when you are beating eggs trying to make an omelette. I found funny and beautiful the mundane idea of seeing Dua doing an omelette, something you should not expect from a Pop Star. Then, once the egg was invited to the party, I looked for different ways for it to be comfortable at the feast.There was also an intention to illustrate the romantic message of the song. The idea of an unexpected Love that appears again, something so pure and intense that seems to be only possible once in a lifetime, like these delicate flowers or animals that are just designed to blossom and intercourse just once and then they die. Still, no, it's here again and it's good. And bad, we all know that.Anyway, there's a romantic tension in the song - or at least I can feel it. So I needed to communicate this tension, this capture, this tense connection between the humans and their recovered feelings. In this sense,&nbsp;capturing a wild horse was a good metaphor for the idea of Love, not being totally clear who is the feeling and who is the person in the relationship between the cowboys, the ropes, and the horse.[imgtoken data:5]<blockquote>Being in one location... brings a sort of strange cohesiveness to everything.</blockquote>And the egg, of course, because the image of a powerful floating egg being captured, tensioning its delicacy, has a strong effect - something between the adoration of the female reproduction's myth and the weakness of male human violence, always below the truly powerful forces of creation.But I have to confess that this second conceptual approach didn't come at the very beginning; it's not in the treatment. I don't like to go as deep into symbols or conceptual lectures at the start of the trip. This kind of personal digressions become more apparent once you've started the game.Is there an internal logic (or story) within the video that the viewer has to figure out for themselves?Well, not an internal logic in the sense that there's a story, or that everything is symbolic and has the meaning of a secret story. As I said, there was the intention of playing new music with the same notes, a sort of restrictive exercise of distortion and irreverence. I said restrictive because we tried to combine all the elements we have in different declinations (hats and horses and coloured eggs and chickens and make-up brushes and paint stains and classical paintings and group choreographies and the invisibility of feelings) and not expanding beyond our location.[imgtoken data:6]<blockquote>We were in quarantine for a week in the hotel where we shot.</blockquote>I'd like the idea of just being in one location; actually, this brings a sort of strange cohesiveness to everything, as if the characters were more real and belong to the place. I'd love to have the opportunity of explaining a story more conventionally through the boundaries of a music video, but this was not the ideal occasion for it.What did you learn from making that previous video with Dua Lipa for Physical? Did that influence your treatment, and is there a connection between that video and this one?I've learned to work with Dua, basically. She's straightforward and smart and polite and respectful, although she's surrounded by the heavy structure of a Pop Star condition. Sometimes you would like to have just more time with her to work together and decide together and be creative together. But time is really, really, really expensive.And regarding the connection to Physical, not really. The budget was significantly smaller, as well as the window of action, so I was thinking from the very beginning into something lighter in terms of size and less dance-oriented.[imgtoken data:7]<blockquote>Dua's brief was that she pictured herself on a mechanical bull - and that Love Again&nbsp;was her favourite single.</blockquote>You shot in London, and the Grosvenor House Hotel. What were the benefits of shooting in that space?When you are a foreigner, you tend to be more sensitive to what the locals have got used to. It's universal that we all see in the neighbour's walls what the neighbour does not notice anymore. In this sense, I have to admit my enthusiastic excitement towards any detail of the architecture of the Big Dancing Hall. It's just that it looks so average to you, but for me, everything was beautiful and stimulating: the pattern of the carpet, the wood on the walls, the light design, the conception of the space, the amplitude of the stairs... even the smell of the whole place were inspiring.And the dressing room! It's just that I am not used to this, but I appreciate it a lot, so when you got it, you are like a kid in a pastry shop. It was definitely a great decision to shoot there.How did the pandemic and Covid restrictions impact upon the making of the video?We were in quarantine for a week in the hotel where we shot. That was really good, because there was time for work in the location. I remember these days with a strange mix of sadness for the reclusion and the excitement of being in the best place to be confined - a cosy and charming classic hotel. It felt like a pleasant punishment.[imgtoken data:8]How did Dua Lipa enjoy riding the mechanical bull?She enjoyed it, but it was not a crazy, wild experience. Everything was very safe and controlled.Did you really have a horse running through the Hotel?Oh yes. This guy Steve Dent was a great collaborator. He was positive and attentive all the time. The horse was there, dressed with lights and in a green suit.There's a lovely shot in the end credits of the Directors Cut of the horse in a green suit. Was green screen enough to make the horse disappear, or did you need more VFX work?The guys from Eighty4, also in charge of the VFX of Physical, did a great job again. They recreated in 3D all the elements that the horse was naturally hiding. For example,&nbsp;the extension of the body of the stunt jockey - the leg that it's on the other side of the green horse.&nbsp;And they created and animated the hat in 3D for the opening scene too.[imgtoken data:9]<blockquote>[We're] playing new music with the same notes... a restrictive exercise of distortion and irreverence.</blockquote>What were the trickiest shots to achieve in post in the video?The capture of the invisible horse - because it was not clear enough that was a horse when we made the horse disappear. We worked again and again with the tension and the anchor point of the ropes attached to the horse's neck, and we worked a little bit on the natural shadow of the horse cast over the floor as well.What are the main differences between the first version of the video that was released, and the Director's Cut?In the DC there's the initial dialogue following the lyrics of the song - maybe my favourite part! - the edit connections through the classical paintings. There's also less dance, and more shots of the clown cowboys, with a final sequence in the edit with new shots, like the chicken on the TV set, or Dua riding the lighting horse. And the final credits, with the green suit horse, of course![vidtoken data:1]DUA LIPA 'LOVE AGAIN' (THE DIRECTOR'S CUT)Artist:&nbsp;Dua Lipa Label:&nbsp;Warner Production Company:&nbsp;CANADA Director:&nbsp;Lope Serrano aka CANADA Producer:&nbsp;MrMr, Karen Saurí Executive Producer:&nbsp;Marta Bobić Executive Producer: Nicolás Martínez De La Fuente,&nbsp;Eighty4 Cinematographer:&nbsp;Tim Lorentzén 1st AD:&nbsp;Tristan Hefele Production Manager:&nbsp;Ella Knight Production Design Studio:&nbsp;Augmenta Stylist – Dua Lipa:&nbsp;Lorenzo Posocco Costume Designer:&nbsp;Taff Williamson Hair Stylist – Dua Lipa:&nbsp;Luke Hersheson Makeup Artist – Dua Lipa:&nbsp;Lisa Eldrige Makeup Artist:&nbsp;Dorita Nissen Hair Artist:&nbsp;Simon Izzard Choreographer:&nbsp;Charm La’Donna Editor:&nbsp;Carlos Font Clos Post Production:&nbsp;Eighty4 Post Production Coordinator:&nbsp;Marina M. Campomanes, Javier Botella Grading:&nbsp;Marc Morató @Metropolitana Graphic Design:&nbsp;Koln Studio Sound Design:&nbsp;IXYXI Commissioner:&nbsp;Katie Dolan Production Coordinator:&nbsp;Sophie Williams, Noot Coates• More work by Lope Serrano at CANADA <a href="https://canadacanada.com/directors/lope-canada/" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;Thanks to Pablo F. Chocrón for his help with this article.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lope Serrano of CANADA on Dua Lipa's 'Love Again' - "I tried find a way to escape from clichés."

Dua Lipa - Love Again (Directors Cut)

Dua Lipa 'Love Again' (Director's Cut) by Lope Serrano at CANADA

CANADA's Lope Serrano's second video for Dua Lipa takes the colour-coded song-and-dance production of Physical in another sexy, surreal, and Western-themed direction. With the Director's Cut now released, Serrano's full vision is revealed.Cowboy and cowgirl clowns join Dua in a Victorian hall - the Grosvenor House Hotel in London - and ride invisible horses, wrestle gainfully with a giant floating egg, practice their lines - and of course line-dance.[imgtoken data:1]Of course its Dua Lipa who presides over all, memorably from the seat of a mechanical bull, and also donning the clown make-up -&nbsp;more assured and comfortable than ever as a bone fide music video icon.Like it's star, the whole video is stunning to look at - and blissfully enjoyable from start to finish.&nbsp;A gorgeously glamourous, fabulously&nbsp;frivolous fever dream.[imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]&nbsp;

Lope Serrano

MrMr

Marta Bobić

Nicolás Martinez De La Fuente

Oscar Romagosa

Alba Barneda

Ella Knight

Tristan Hefele

Tim Lorentzén

Thomas Nicholson

Jonny Lewis

Brendan Harvey

Justin Denchfield

Studio Augmenta

Lorenzo Posocco

Taff Williamson

Luke Hersheson

Lisa Eldridge

Dorita Nissen

Simon Izzard

Charm La'Donna

Carlos Font Clos

Eighty4

Hands London

Katie Dolan

Homespun

Femke Huurdeman celebrates the power of self-love in her splendid&nbsp;promo for Sigrid's Mirror.&nbsp;Each and every vignette in the video is dazzingly art-directed, and could have easily been ripped from the pages of a high fashion magazine. The visual has a distinctly fashion-forward and dynamic aesthetic, with a fun,&nbsp;idiosyncratic energy.&nbsp;Sigrid is the main attraction here, of course. Her charming personality and passionate performance ties everything together in a polished yet relaxed manner.&nbsp;"This is the journey of finding your core,&nbsp;coming to terms with who you are," explains Huurdeman. "Radiating this from oneself is at the heart of the concept of the video."[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Angela Gomez-alba

Gemma Sellares

Marc Miró

Elena Ponsoda Segura

Luis Murua

Alvaro Posadas, @canada

Laura Clayton

Universal Music Operations

Sigrid 'Mirror' by Femke Huurdeman

Sigrid-'Mirror'-by-Femke-Huurdeman

Irene Moray and co-director Elena Martin introduce us to some proper Girl Power in their video for Spanish singer Rigoberta Bandini's Perra.It's a piece that begins with a sense of forboding, as we approach a desolate house in the countryside and hear the sound of a woman crying - but things change as a group of females, including Bandini, emerge from various hiding places, inquisitive about the sound, and then gather to hunt down the source in an upper region of the house.it may not be immediately apparent, but Rigoberta and her pals are acting as if they're dogs - and the freedom of women is being compared to that of dogs. Perra is therefore a protest anthem for feminism, but as the party move outside, into the sunshine, there is increasing positivity about the women's situation.The collective strength of the women is celebrated, and an&nbsp;elder woman to the rest of the group, dressed in flowing hair, actually appears to transform into a lovely dog. The comparison to dog is revealed as&nbsp;a route to becoming 'freer'.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

Irene Moray

Karen Sauri

Anna Salgado

Carla Celda

Pau Muñoz

Nadia Khairat

Álvaro P. Posadas

Elena Martin

Anna Tabernero

Alternative

Rigoberta Bandini 'Perra' by Irene Moray w/ Elena Martin

Rigoberta-Bandini--'Perra'-by-Irene-Moray.-Co-director:-Elena-Martin

An unassuming old man wanders down to the&nbsp;supermarket - and attracts&nbsp;the avid attention from three outlandish characters of the street, in Rogelio's marvellously wacky video for Madrid punk outfit&nbsp;The Parrots&nbsp;- featuring superstar rapper C Tangana.&nbsp;Rogelio has established himself as a wonderfully exciting new directing talent, with work like his&nbsp;gritty, sexy&nbsp;narrative videos for C Tangana, No Te Debi Besar and Bien Duro. Here he channels the anarchic spirit of The Parrots' Maldito through the half-crazed trio - played by the band, presumably?&nbsp;- who attach themselves to the old guy: the guitar-playing busker-devil, the scary preacher angel... and the dirty tramp.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They follow the old guy around Madrid, who humbly accepts his lot, even when they invite themselves&nbsp;over to his place, which they proceed to wreck. Who knows, maybe they're his kids...&nbsp;And its all as suitably nutty and viscerally exciting as this punk rock banger fully deserves.

Rogelio

Uri Barcelona

Teresa Montanuy

Laura Vandall

Manuela Romero

Heavenly Recordings

Carla Lapiedra

Alex Turrión

Cinelab Film and Digital

Rock

The Parrots ft C Tangana 'Maldito' by Rogelio

The-Parrots-Feat-C-Tangana-'Maldito-'-by-Rogelio

While the parents are away, the girls will play - and, wow, do they play - in directing collective RÉALITÉ's joyously anarchic video for Hot Chip.The video for Straight To The Morning - a track that features Jarvis Cocker on vocals, in the counterintuitive&nbsp;role of disco diva - features a group of early-teenage girls, chomping at the bit to have fun. Given the run of this particular&nbsp;dream family home, they indulge in their own form of hedonism: daft&nbsp;and daring internet challenges, mattress fights, karaoke, and eating all the snacks, all at once.&nbsp;With jawdroppingly&nbsp;destructive consequences.Furniture is rearranged, plates are smashed, vases are smashed, everything is smashed... it's basically the houseproud teen parent's worst nightmare. But it's wonderful stuff for everyone else. Just as the girls never stop, neither does the camera, and the Steadicam movement&nbsp;creates a daydream-style aesthetic.&nbsp;Reminiscent of endless summer days and the innocence - and recklessness - of youth, the video achieves a breezy, upbeat vibe with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;Meanwhile, Jarvis appears on the TV, a cameo&nbsp;on a nameless videogame, throwing shapes as the girls live out their rockstar fantasies.&nbsp;Not only a fun way to incorporate the artist, but an interesting moment shared between generations, in a decidedly unplaceable and almost parallel world-style time period.This is a scintillating&nbsp;work by RÉALITÉ, a Barcelona-based&nbsp;collective founded by Jason Causse and Alba Solé&nbsp;who recently signed to CANADA for music videos and commercials.&nbsp;And the video has all the hallmarks of a classic CANADA production, bursting with visual ideas,&nbsp;exceptional super-colourful&nbsp;art direction, and an unmistakeable&nbsp;joie de vivre.&nbsp;It turns out that the track was originally written by Hot Chip with Dua Lipa in mind for performing the vocals. Then the band worked with Jarvis, when they were DJing together at Paris’ legendary Les Bains-Douches last year.&nbsp;“Straight To The Morning&nbsp;is a disco anthem about going out, for a time when people really can’t, and it features our friend Jarvis Cocker urging us to go 'straight through until the break of dawn.'" say Hot Chip.&nbsp;"Somehow he seems an unlikely figure in this all, and we like it that way.”Jarvis adds: “This was the very last musical session I was involved in before lockdown. It felt very poignant to be singing a song about dancing all night long in a club whilst knowing it wouldn’t be possible to do such a thing for the foreseeable future. We danced around the studio quite a lot in the meantime though. It was fun to be a member of the Straight Through Crew for a day.”

RÉalitÉ

Itsasne Santos

Anna Capdevila

Lucas Casanovas

Pitu Fernandez

Jose Carayol

Lluis Murua

Martí Somoza

Domino

John Moule

Synth Pop

Hot Chip ft Jarvis Cocker 'Straight To The Morning' by RÉALITÉ

Hot-Chip-Feat.-Jarvis-Cocker-'Straight-To-The-Morning-'-by-RÉalitÉ

Rosalía and Travis Scott join forces in Nicolás Méndez of CANADA's video for TKN.&nbsp;Sung in&nbsp;Spanish and rapped in English, the track's hook references the Sicilian law of silence: "No new friends or new wounds".&nbsp;Surrounded by gaggle of children - sometimes anarchic, sometimes dancing, sometimes snoozing -&nbsp;Rosalía is very much the boss matriarch&nbsp;of the concept, protecting the kids as they stick close and hang on her every word. Scott can only watch on as the group tear across Los Angeles... before they get sleepy.&nbsp;It's a simple concept but as ever Méndez makes it special with the meticulous composition of each one of a rapidfire sequence of shots. DoP&nbsp;Stuart Winecoff utilises lots of daylight and practical lights, keeping things authentic and real-world. The performances are top-notch, and the cast of kids thrive in the no-holds-barred, dance-filled concept.[imgtoken data:1]

CANADA

Production Company

Featured Work