Production Company

CANADA

Alex Gargot's video for Spanish reggaeton star&nbsp;Lucho RK&nbsp;imagines a love story between a human and an alien in an extraterrestrial society with which we have much in common.in the video for Aire, by one of the most promising voices in the Spanish scene, Gargot brings&nbsp;an extraterrestrial universe with an unexpected naturalness. The film captures the chemistry between two beings who are attracted precisely by what makes them different.It was achieved in-camera, with Gargot relying on the&nbsp;textures of celluloid - the video was shot entirely on Kodak film - to achieve authenticity.&nbsp;There's also a fantastic use of prosthetics in creation of Lucho's alien love and her friends - created by Clon Factory.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It feels all of a piece with the director's greater body of work in music video. Gargot is well-known for his inclination for&nbsp;narrative and sci-fi-adjacent concepts - present&nbsp;in works such as his trilogy for SAINt JHN completed last year, the award-winning State Of Mind (recognised at the UK Music Video Awards) and his Latin Grammy-nominated music video La Huella."Collaborating with Lucho at this point in his career has allowed us to explore an aesthetic unusual in reggaetón,' says Gargot. "We wanted to move away from the genre's traditional visual codes and build a universe that was unexpected, yet emotionally close."From the beginning, we decided to explore the lack of air both metaphorically and literally. That idea ended up defining Lucho's wardrobe, who wears an inflatable suit that contains the air he needs to survive during his stay in a world where nobody has a nose."We also knew very early on that the film needed to rely on prosthetics and embrace a naturalistic, almost documentary-like approach. Having credible aliens was fundamental, and treating the story with sensitivity, without artifice, helped reinforce that sense of verisimilitude."I was highly amused by the idea of imagining aliens doing parkineo, with the trunks of their tuned cars open and a cubata (drink) in hand. There was something very appealing about recognising completely human behaviours within a society whose anatomy and small rules constantly remind us that we are light-years from home."&nbsp;

Spain

Alex Gargot

reggaeton

Lucho RK 'Aire' by Alex Gargot

AIRE - Lucho RK (Video oficial)

Eseosa Ohen directs a dazzling lo-fi promo for Shayk, inspired by Birmingham's motto - simply&nbsp;'Forward'.&nbsp;The video leans&nbsp;into the irony of a city suspended between progress and decline, its story unfolding through the eyes of a motorbike.&nbsp;Taken, repurposed, and learning to adapt, it reflects Brum itself. Its journey becomes a quiet stand-in for growing up in instability.Opting for a digital, mini DV-style aesthetic, the visual feels incredibly fresh and authored, imbued with a sense of home video nostalgia that ties the project to the city it was born from.&nbsp;Standout work.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Eseosa Ohen

Anna Peduzzi

Underground

Electronic

Shayk 'Forward' by Eseosa Ohen

Shayk-'Forward'-by-Eseosa-Ohen

Renowned K-Pop idol (and lead vocalist of BIGBANG) Taeyang returns with Live Fast Die Slow, and a thrilling promo directed by Alex Gargot.&nbsp;The song is the first release from Taeyang's highly anticipated solo album Quintessence, and the Gargot-directed video is an exhilarating combination of conceptual vignettes, abstract composition and breathless choreography, filmed across Barcelona.&nbsp;With masterful direction from Gargot, blended together by a pulsating edit, it's a visual that feels universally appealing, whilst still capturing the magic of Taeyang's legendary work and videography with BIGBANG.&nbsp;A rousing comeback and return to the spotlight for the artist.&nbsp;"Collaborating with Taeyang on this music video allowed us to push visual boundaries to match the raw energy of the track," explains Gargot."Filming in Barcelona, we wanted to capture that paradoxical balance between burning defiance and grounded focus. Taeyang brings an incredible, commanding presence to the screen.”[imgtoken data:1]

South Korea

K-Pop

Taeyang 'Live Fast Die Slow' by Alex Gargot

Taeyang-'Live-Fast-Die-Slow'-by-Alex-Gargot

Director Celia Giraldo and CAAPSAI collaborate on this transformative promo for Barcelona-based singer-songwriter and composer Maria Arnal.&nbsp;The video for Tictac stars&nbsp;Mia Sala-Patau and Jordi Arnal in a narrative that pushes the boundaries of digital technology. Using Gen-AI and VFX to create a surreal visual language that mirrors the experimental nature of Arnal's music, the visual has ambitious, epic scope, seamlessly blending digital textures with organic realism.&nbsp;It's a stirring experience, showcasing AI's new position in the VFX workflow, with a more contained, inspired usage.&nbsp;Just as significant are the contributions of&nbsp;DoP Pau Mira and art director Laura Santos, the executive leadership from Maria Vives and producer Anna Bacardit. The film's distinct look was further refined through specialised editing by José Ostos and colour grade by Martí Somoza and Max Lainz.The project marks the second major collaboration between CANADA and Maria Arnal this year, following the&nbsp;release&nbsp;of the Que Me Quiten&nbsp;video directed by Jonathan Cremades and recorded during the Grid Sessions by MIRA Festival. Both songs shone at Barcelona’s Paral·lel 62 official launch of AMA, an album that explores the vulnerability and strength of the human voice.[imgtoken data:1]

Celia Giraldo

Alternative

Alt-Pop

Maria Arnal 'Tictac' by Celia Giraldo

Maria-Arnal-'Tictac'-by-Celia-Giraldo

Award-winning visual artist Juliet Klottrup directs a tender and heartwarming promo for Tom Misch's comeback track Sisters With Me.&nbsp;Filmed in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, the film is a celebration of family and relationships, documenting a series of real-life sisters, siblings and friends.&nbsp;Shot in an&nbsp;documentary fashion, the visual is anchored by portraiture and snapshots of real lives, following the style of&nbsp;Klottrup's previous work, including her photography&nbsp;of rural communities and her short films Travelling Home and Youth Of The Rural North.This is lovely work with Klottrup's humane and sympathetic vision&nbsp;perfectly representing the lyrics and feel of Misch's song.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;

Juliet Klottrup

Hands 

Stitch Editing

Singer-songwriter

Tom Misch 'Sisters With Me' by Juliet Klottrup

Tom-Misch--'Sisters-With-Me-'-by-Juliet-Klottrup

Pau Carreté directs an atmospheric promo for 21 Savage.The video for What Happened To The Streets is a&nbsp;black-and-white triptych, following a figure targeted by gunmen in a dark alley.Directed by Carreté alongside creative executive producer Satin Heart, under the vision of creative director Patrick Meynard, the piece features the original intro score by Elise Eriksen.&nbsp;Boasting a nostalgic energy and haunting, anachronistic visuals, it's a rousing piece that leans all the way into its abstract presentation.&nbsp;

United States

Pau Carreté

21 Savage 'What Happened To The Streets?' by Pau Carreté

21-Savage-'What-Happened-To-The-Streets?'-by-Pau-Carreté

Ryan Doubiago's mesmerising video for J.Cole is a continuous tracking shot where we see the rapper's life unfold in reverse.&nbsp;&nbsp;The video for The Fall Off Is Inevitable begins in the present, wih the rapper reflecting upon his life up to this point (it follows a message from J.Cole that flashes briefly on-screen), and then travelling backwards through version of the same room, through the milestones of his life.During the course of this journey through the carefuly composed portraits of life in this single space,&nbsp;Doubiago adds another level by using the room device to alter perspective, and play with the viewer's perceptions. It's a Gondry-esque twist to what is already a beautifully executed&nbsp;technical feat.&nbsp;

Ryan Doubiago

J.Cole 'The Fall Off Is Inevitable' by Ryan Doubiago

J.-Cole-'The-Fall-Off-Is-Inevitable'-by-Ryan-Doubiago

Directing duo and VFX-driven studio Stillkidz have created a riveting video for Barcelona-based singer-songwriter and composer Maria Arnal.Stillkidz blend live-action, design, and postproduction in their working practice, and its all there in the video for Pellizco. Maria's performance of a song where the voice&nbsp;multiplies, repeats, and intertwines with the rhythmic base is reflected in the video through her own multiplied presence in a paper-lined room. Then her performance is replicated through the animation of paper print-outs from the live action.It's a controlled but compelling way to showcase the talents of this artist working in an experimental yet&nbsp;playful oral style.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

Stillkidz

Maria Arnal 'Pellizco' by Stillkidz

Maria-Arnal-'Pellizco-'-by-Stillkidz

Welcome to the Church of JADE, as the Brit Award-winning singer breaks new ground once again in Billy King's hyper-stylised promo for Church.The highly entertaining video plunges&nbsp;JADE&nbsp;into a camp-folkloric universe, boasting an array of gently surreal, fully iconic, and delightfully absurd set pieces.&nbsp;Working with creative director Maximillian Raynor, King creates a gothic, theatrical world, building a non-Christian, queer ritual space and plays into the obsessive nature of the 'cult of pop'.Elevated by creative composition and awe-inspiring outfits by Raynor, it's a carefully considered vision and a complete&nbsp;tour de force.&nbsp;

Billy King

Trim Editing

JADE 'Church' by Billy King 

Jade--'Church'-by-Billy-King-

Days before this year's UK Music Video Awards, celebrating all the outstanding creativity that makes it an enduring and important artform, comes a video shows exactly why its still vibrant, why it must be cherished, as&nbsp;Nicolás Méndez introduces the next era of&nbsp;Rosalía. It's a brilliant and inspiring clash of the mundane and the surreal.The video for&nbsp;Berghain&nbsp;(the&nbsp;lead single from her highly anticipated new album Lux)&nbsp;features the Spanish singer moving through her normal day. And whilst cleaning and&nbsp;ironing in her apartment, walking along the street, and travelling on a bus, she is always shadowed and surrounded by&nbsp;a full orchestra.[imgtoken data:1]Méndez takes us into a world that is still recognisably Rosalîa - as expressed in numerous videos, including the classics he has directed for Malamente, TKN and more. But her new musical direction, with orchestra, elements of opera, the experimentation that sees her involve Bjork and Yves Tumor, has become the path to employ this wonderful device.In a way, its simple. Crucially,&nbsp;its beautifully executed, with peerless attention to detail, in terms of production and with the bare traces of a narrative, involving a piece of jewellry, which leads us back to explore it again and again.[imgtoken data:2]Meanwhile Méndez takes it to the next level. Returning home, as Bjork starts singing, Rosalia's apartment has become a Snow White-esque interior forest, with creatures. An&nbsp;elevation to full-on fantasy. There's humour, and playfulness - and like&nbsp;all good fairytales,&nbsp;a frisson of horror.Shot in Warsaw, CANADA's Nicolas Méndez makes us feel we are in the centre of old Europe, full of history and where a lot of magic is also possible. It's a beautiful way to introduce Rosalia's experimentation&nbsp;in classical music. Méndez is a master of this artform and he makes every frame significant. He has made a classic.&nbsp;

Nicolás Méndez

Rosalía ft Björk, Yves Tumor 'Berghain' by Nicolás Méndez

Rosalía-Ft.-Björk,-Yves-Tumor-'Berghain'-by-Nicolás-Méndez

After his previous videos, like Number One Candidate and Captain Ants, we know AntsLive is up for a serious challenge. But Billy King's video for Billie Holiday still comes as a surprise: Ants is playing the bad guy.King's video is a fast-moving modern tale of pop stardom that's sparked by an unscrupulous act, when Ants effectively steals a&nbsp;dance routine sent to him by a young fan on social media. Then he gets to work in making the&nbsp;routine for Billie Holiday go viral.After several previous collaborations with Ants, including directing the <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/01/13/antslive-cutlery-billy-king/89625" target="_blank">UKMVA-winning Cutlery</a>, Billy King is placing Ants in a different space. There's an element of satire about the craziness of the pop music game. But it also still feels consistent&nbsp;with the sharp wit of the previous videos.And it's very much the AntsLive we've come to know and love - even if he's been a bit naughty.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]

Natalia Maus

Hip Hop

AntsLive 'Billie Holiday' by Billy King

AntsLive - Billie Holiday (Official Video)

Billy King directs a darkly comedic promo for Sasha Keable, who is going to extraordinary lengths to not feel numb any more.&nbsp;The video for Feel Something features Sasha performing from inside her overturned car following an accident. Billy King - who recently signed to CANADA for music videos and branded content&nbsp;-&nbsp;gives this catastrophic scenario another playful twist.Not only covered in cuts and bruises, Sasha&nbsp;may not have made it through the accident alive. No wonder she would like to feel something...&nbsp;&nbsp;With surreal doppelgangers, abstract backdrop vignettes and a tongue-in-cheek approach, it's a visual feast that places Keable front and centre, and is very effective indeed.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;

DOMA

Sasha Keable 'Feel Something' by Billy King

Sasha-Keable-'Feel-Something'-by-Billy-King

Acclaimed director STILLZ is renowned&nbsp;for his striking visual work with global artists such as Rosalía and Bad Bunny&nbsp;- and now he has made a&nbsp;bold leap into the world of sound with the release of his own album of ambient and experimental music, accompanied by&nbsp;a hypnotic longform visual,&nbsp;shot in seven different parts of Japan.The video is a lush, cinematic experience, fusing raw urban energy with a surreal, meditative calm - featuring&nbsp;Japanese icon Yuki Chiba, who acts as a spirtual anchor to the piece that moves&nbsp;seamlessly between realism and dreamy abstraction.&nbsp;Within the shapeshifting narrative, Chiba's presence provides a stoic grace,&nbsp;grounding the visuals in a sense of cultural and emotional gravity.&nbsp;This unquestionably marks&nbsp;a significant artistic evolution for the director-turned-composer. In the project -&nbsp;a collaboration between production houses WeOwnTheCity, CANADA, and PUSH Japan -&nbsp;STILLZ delivers an audiovisual immersion. It’s a raw, honest, and unapologetically avant-garde introduction to his voice as a sonic artist - and completely absorbing.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]&nbsp;

Stillz

Ambient

Experimental

STILLZ, Yuki Chiba 'Separated At Birth' by STILLZ

Stillz,-Yuki-Chiba-'Separated-At-Birth-'-by-Stillz

Rory Alexander Stewart directs a spectacular promo for Squid.&nbsp;The video for Cro-Magnon Man follows a&nbsp;frenetic rollerblader, played by Neil Nelly Ingall, as he carves through a dimly lit cityscape, on a surreal journey combining physicality, distortion, and a puppet made of bones.With a heavily-textured, vintage digital aesthetic and experimental cinematography, it's an inspired concept for an equally strange piece of music.&nbsp;Cityscapes have never looked so weird -&nbsp;another great project from&nbsp;Rory Alexander Stewart.

Rory Alexander Stewart

Squid 'Cro-Magnon Man' by Rory Alexander Stewart

Squid-'Cro-magnon-Man'-by-Rory-Alexander-Stewart

<h3>From the POV of a bullethole, to&nbsp;a jealous robot, to it's reanimated remains...&nbsp;the CANADA director explains how he made three distinctly different videos for the Guyanese-American singer's new album Festival Season, that have a common thread. BTS&nbsp;photography&nbsp;by&nbsp;Alexandra Cepeda and&nbsp;Dani Pujalte.</h3>Alex Gargot is a director who has created meticulously-crafted visions in his music videos and beyond. From his breakthrough with the UKMVA-winning video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2019/11/06/cora-novoa-state-mind-alex-gargot/61743" target="_blank">Cora Novoa's State Of Mind</a>&nbsp;in 2019 and multi-award winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/04/12/fuel-fandango-ft-mj-llergo-mi-huella-alex-gargot/70343" target="_blank">Fuel Fandango's Mi Huella</a> in 2021, there's a command of the medium, from the set-ups to the clever use of visual effects, which suspends reality,&nbsp;creates a sense of wonder, while retaining a dramatic tension.Signed to CANADA in 2023, the Barcelona-born&nbsp;director's work has been more focussed in making commercials, so his return to music videos towards the end of last year&nbsp;was hugely welcome. It was also a case of Gargot taking on a new challenge: making three videos for the same artist, the prolific and&nbsp;eclectic&nbsp;Guyanese-American singer Carlos St. John Phillips -&nbsp;aka SAINt JHN -&nbsp;for his new album, the just-released Festival Season.It&nbsp;meant&nbsp;Gargot and his team at CANADA shooting three videos in four days, presenting the director with a huge challenge, but also the opportunity to build a body of work with a single artist over one intense period. What's more each one has its own distinct character.Circles is vignette-based, it's message conveyed through&nbsp;strong and dark images within the performance music video format; Body In Me, is a sophisticated narrative video, with sci-fi overtones as SAINt JHN plays a robot developing feelings for its owner; and Glitching&nbsp;is the afterstory of the robot, while also returning to a performance video format.&nbsp;So we spoke to Alex Gargot to get the whole story on his SAINt JHN music video trilogy.[imgtoken data:1]Above: SAINt JHN and Alex Gargot (right) on the set of the Body In Me video. Photo:&nbsp;Alexandra Cepeda.&nbsp; &nbsp;<blockquote>SAINt gave me full creative freedom, which instantly got me excited about the project.</blockquote><h3>PROMONEWS : How did the SAINt JHN project begin for you?</h3>ALEX GARGOT: It all started with an Instagram DM. SAINt hit me up out of the blue, and three messages later, we were on a video call. Initially, it was just about connecting on a human and creative level, a kind of chemistry check to see if we clicked. He told me about his artistic vision and the upcoming album he was working on, and I could tell right away how open he was to whatever inspired me. He wanted my genuine interpretation of his work. He gave me full creative freedom, which instantly got me excited about the project.<h3>P : Was it always the plan to make three videos? Or did one thing lead to another?</h3>AG: SAINt sent me the whole album, and I listened to it several times, taking notes as I started picturing scenes and concepts for some of the tracks. The range of genres across the album was insane, which was really exciting.So on our second call, I pitched him about four ideas. I remember how he wanted us to have a fun, free-flowing creative chat first - before 'the adults'&nbsp;got involved. Some concepts came from embryo ideas I keep in my "ideas for a music video" document, while others were born right then, inspired by SAINt’s music.[vidtoken data:0]At some point, he landed on the one track he felt would work best: Body On Me. The contrast between its dark emotional depth and its aggressive, distorted sound really spoke to me. So we locked that in, but then the request grew. It wasn’t just going to be one video - it was going to be three. And the other two were for tracks I hadn’t even thought about yet.So I had to come up with two ideas fast, and in a way that made sense production-wise. Meaning: finding a way to expand the vision without tripling the budget.<h3>P : Can you talk about the symbolism in the Circles video? That seems to work on several levels - the obvious references to circles in the images, but there's also another level of deciphering what each set-up means?</h3>AG: The idea for Circles revolves around both a formal and a conceptual foundation. Visually, using the circle as a self-imposed framing restriction felt like a natural choice for a track with that title. Conceptually, my interpretation of “running in circles for you” was about the endless pursuit of an unattainable ambition - where “you” represents that ideal goal. We chase after this perfect destination that always seems to stay on the horizon, no matter how far we run. The themes of fame, money, and power felt like an interesting take on the concept.One of the key images is SAINt pushing a massive stone over a red carpet while being photographed by the press. That stone represents the sacrifices made in the pursuit of recognition - by the audience, the press, but especially by oneself.Another setup shows him playing Russian roulette with himself, a moment where, no matter where the cylinder stops, he’s forced to pull the trigger. I wanted to explore the idea of being one’s own worst enemy - especially for perfectionists chasing impossible goals.[imgtoken data:2]Above: SAINt JHN, on-set of the Circles shoot. Photo:&nbsp;Dani Pujalte<blockquote>For Circles, I wanted to explore the idea of being one’s own worst enemy.</blockquote><h3>P : For instance, the tunnel vision effect. Everybody except SAINt JHN is fearful of it. Then towards the end it becomes organic - rotten and bloody. What does it represent?</h3>AG: SAINt talks about feeling invincible in the track, and I wanted to visualize that by incorporating the circular gun barrel into the narrative. Everyone flees from its POV - except him. He won’t stop, no matter what. Even after being shot, he keeps singing, and we shift from the gun barrel’s POV to the bullet wound’s POV.Meanwhile, the press is made up of relentless, obsessive photographers who also won’t stop, no matter what. This nightmarish scenario - SAINt walking after being shot in the forehead, still singing, while the press follows him, still snapping pictures - was the climax I wanted to build toward.<h3>P : When and where did you shoot Circles, and what were the biggest challenges?</h3>AG: We shot Circles in a single day - and I had to come up with the concept just as fast. It was the first of four intense shooting days where we filmed all three videos. Definitely a challenging project.Of the three, Circles was the simplest. I’m used to shooting more narrative-driven films, but this time, each setup was like interchangeable puzzle pieces. The biggest challenge was time. Getting an entire music video done in a day felt nearly impossible. Midway through, I realized we had to prioritize shots. We had to cut about a third of what we had planned just to stay on track for the next day’s Glitching shoot.[vidtoken data:1]<h3>P : Where did the idea of SAINt JHN as a robot for the Body In Me video come from?</h3>AG: Body On Me had a gloomy emotional depth, yet its sound was aggressive, distorted, and electronic. I was inspired by this contrast of fragility and strength and started envisioning a sad, lonely android whose intentions to connect were unclear. I decided it was essential to make these opposing forces central to the story, balancing the android’s true feelings with the seemingly cruel actions he appears to take.<h3>P : The scenario is very composed and even quite understated, with the focus on SAINt JHN’s robot character and his/its struggles with humanity. What led you to that approach?</h3>AG: I wanted to approach this sci-fi story in the most realistic and down-to-earth way possible. The packaging, the instruction manual, the battery... everything had to feel simple, sober, and plausible. We wanted a house that didn’t feel like a sci-fi movie, but more like an indie drama with thriller vibes.[imgtoken data:3]Above: SAINt JHN and Gargot, on the set of the Body In Me video&nbsp;It had to feel like the story of a sophisticated home appliance that begins experiencing emotions and questions its identity as something separate from its owner. From production design to VFX, we followed this direction meticulously to create a music video that felt like a short film.<blockquote>We wanted to put both the android’s and the owner’s emotions at the centre.</blockquote><h3>P : Did you draw on cinematic references for the style of your storytelling?</h3>AG: When I first started talking with Dani Borbujo (the cinematographer) and Alexandra Jordana (the production designer), A Ghost Story kept coming up as a reference. We wanted to keep the sci-fi element on a second layer, using sober camera language and stable compositions and letting the characters lead the story. We wanted to put both the android’s and the owner’s emotions at the centre. On one side, there’s the android’s growing curiosity and jealousy; on the other, the owner’s increasing fear and suspicion. It had to feel like a fragment of a larger thriller.[vidtoken data:2]<h3>P : Where did you shoot the video and what were the biggest challenges?</h3>AG: We shot in a large empty house somewhere in Catalunya. I was surprised when we found it - it felt like it could easily be an American home. The challenge was making it feel lived-in while staying within budget, so we kept the story contained to just a few rooms. We also let the location shape the storyboard I had drawn up before knowing where we’d shoot. I wanted to take advantage of the house’s most unique spaces - like that small, sloped-ceiling red room I became obsessed with.<h3>P : Did you know when you made the video that there would be a Part 2?</h3>AG: When I first came up with the idea and played it out in my head, I had no clue there would be a sequel. To me, the image of the android standing in the ditch under the highway, followed by the close-up of his battery - his heart -hanging from the car’s rearview mirror, felt like the perfect ending to this tragic story. But then Glitching happened.[vidtoken data:3]The Glitching video has a different energy. Why did you take this approach?AG: The track itself has a different energy - it’s rhythmic, danceable, and needed a more dynamic visual approach. Faster cuts, a more rhythmic edit, fluid camera movements, and, of course, some actual glitching.<h3>P : Was it always the plan to give the robot a second chance, or is this more of a post-script than a sequel?</h3>AG: Part of the idea came from noticing that the snare in the track sounds like the typing of keys on a computer keyboard. I pulled from this detail and started building from there. What if someone is typing on programming software that can hack into the android’s OS even if it’s damaged and lost its battery? That would allow us to see into its “soul” and have an actual performance video seamlessly integrated into the narrative.Let’s not forget this one had to be shot in one day too. This solution checked multiple boxes: it takes place in the same Body On Me universe; we just needed one more location, and it has a perfect excuse for a performance set -the virtual space where his digital avatar is intact.[imgtoken data:4]<blockquote>Glitching has different energy and needed a more dynamic visual approach.</blockquote><h3>P : Impressive use of VFX has been a notable part of your work (Fuel Fandango’s Mi Huella, etc). Is this the SAINt JHN video that’s most dependent on VFX?</h3>AG: Yes, it definitely was. On one hand, we had the android’s broken body, with some moving camera shots that made the VFX work even trickier for the team at Melt. Then there were all the screens - design, animation, and integration. None of them actually worked on set, which meant a massive amount of work to bring them to life in post.Álvaro Posadas and Marta Ferrero (from the CANADA post team), and I started exchanging references, drawing inspiration from old technologies like the CMD interface for command prompts in early Windows, the first Game Boys, MRIs, and ASCII art. From there, we refined the aesthetic that would run through the screens and even the title credits. We also used AI to give the glitchy performance bits of SAINt JHN a distinct particle diffusion look.<h3>P : The 3 videos are all different in style - even though Body On Me and Glitching are narratively connected. But is there an overall message or theme? What do they collectively say about SAINt JHN?</h3>AG: I’d like to say that an overall message was intended from the beginning, but if there is such a thing, it’s by chance. Looking back, I see a common thread: solitude and the pursuit of connection. But perhaps all stories, in some way, touch on this theme.In Circles, it’s about a connection rooted in admiration - the validation an icon seeks from the masses and from themselves. In Body On Me and Glitching, it’s more about the boundaries between beings, the gap that separates one consciousness from another, whether artificial or organic - and the possibility of love between an AI and a human.• Alex Gargot is based at CANADA in the UK, the US and Spain.

Three videos, four days : Alex Gargot on the challenge of his SAINt JHN trilogy

Saint-Jhn-'Circles'-by-Alex-Gargot

Saint-Jhn-'Body-On-Me'-by-Alex-Gargot

Body On Me (Behind the Scenes)

Saint-Jhn-'Glitching'-by-Alex-Gargot

As with all elements of A Film For The Future, the 44-minute visual companion to Coldplay's tenth studio album Moon Music, the visual for WE PRAY is a compendium of creativity from directors and animators&nbsp;around the globe, in a range of disciplines and styles - brought together in what the project's executive producer (and contributor) Ben Mor has described as&nbsp;“a kaleidoscopic patchwork quilt – a 44 minute multimedia tapestry.”The whole project has involved about 150 filmmakers - and fans have also contributed, invited to remix the film. The WE PRAY visual includes&nbsp;the work of nearly 20: Omar Jones, Taichi Kimura, Aaron Brown, STILLZ, WUKDA, KC Locke, Jonnie Ross, CC Mulligan, Pau Carreté, Marco&nbsp;Braia,&nbsp;Mostafa Heravi,&nbsp;Mazik Saevitz,&nbsp;Balázs Simon &amp;&nbsp;Catia&nbsp;Abreu, jamie Roberts, Shane Fu, Ben Mor and&nbsp;Clara Bacou.&nbsp;Special&nbsp;360-degree screenings of the film are taking place at Lightroom in London and Manchester on selected evenings until March 21st -&nbsp;<a href="https://coldplay.lnk.to/AFFTFtickets" target="_blank">on sale now</a>.&nbsp;Access to the fan-led remix site for the film, powered by Microsoft AI, <a href="https://afftf.coldplay.com" target="_blank">here</a>.<div>&nbsp;</div>

Omar Jones

Taichi Kimura

Aaron Brown

WUKDA

KC Locke

Jonnie Ross

CC Mulligan

Marco Braia

Mostafa Heravi

Mazik Saevitz

Balázs Simon

Catia Abreu

Jamie Roberts

Shane Fu

Ben Mor

Clara Bacou

Partizan

Coldplay 'WE PRAY' by Various

Coldplay - WE PRAY (A Film For The Future)

Alex Gargot directs a rousing promo for SAINt JHN, continuing the narrative of previous video <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/11/20/saint-jhn-body-me-alex-gargot/89138">Body On Me</a>&nbsp;and the Spanish director's third visual for the&nbsp;Guyanese-American rapper and singer's latest album.&nbsp;The video for Glitching opens in an underpass, where the artist's robot form has been abandoned by its owner. Broken and torn apart, he is rescued by a tech-savvy scientist&nbsp;who tries to salvage the pieces.&nbsp;With an absorbing retrofuturistic aesthetic - elevated by anachronistic visual effects and glitchy textures - the video is a gripping watch with plenty of sci-fi inspiration and standout moments.&nbsp;Great work, and another exciting entry into SAINt JHN's videography by Alex Gargot.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

SAINt JHN 'Glitching' by Alex Gargot

Rigoberta Bandini - the music project of Spanish actress and musician&nbsp;Paula Ribó -&nbsp;channels the one and only Pamela Anderson in Rory Alexander Stewart's mesmerizing promo for the eponymous track.&nbsp;Stewart adds comic surrealist touches to the artist's marvellously theatrical performance, as she undergoes a remarkable transformation into a&nbsp;beloved Hollywood icon,&nbsp;bouncing between reversed shots, glitchy lo-fi video cam (a reference to Pam's sex tape notoriety?) and&nbsp;glossier setups.Spiralling into complete ecstasy, as Rigoberta dons the famous red swimsuit in which Pamela became a big star, it's a great execution of a marvellously off-the-wall and thought-provoking&nbsp;comic idea - whether or not you understand the Spanish lyrics - that's absorbing from start to finish.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Rigoberta Bandini 'Pamela Anderson' by Rory Alexander Stewart

Rigoberta-Bandini-'Pamela-Anderson'-by-Rory-Alexander-Stewart

Alex Gargot directs a gripping promo for SAINt JHN, his second collaboration with the artist, putting on a thought-provoking new spin on the threat of artificial intelligence.In the video for Body On Me, the&nbsp;Guyanese-American rapper and singer plays a robot who becomes sentient, and contemplates the dawn of humanity. Guided through the narrative by an instruction manual, we are shown each step of the journey, from the robot being switched on, through to his eventual revolt - driven by a very human emotion.Meditating on themes of technology, the human experience and the morality of&nbsp;androids, the video is a cinematic feat with plenty of fun visual moments.&nbsp;Blended together with seamless visual effects and intriguing narrative threads - with a convincing performance&nbsp;of Lourette Osei as the robot's owner - this superb visual&nbsp;matches the near-future vibe of the track and an impressive showcase for&nbsp;Alex Gargot's abilities as a storyteller through imagery alone.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

SAINt JHN 'Body On Me' by Alex Gargot

SAINt JHN battles with the vulnerability and invincibility in his relationship to fame whilst navigating surreal, circular compositions in Alex Gargot's mesmerising video for Circles.[imgtoken data:1]

SAINt JHN 'Circles' by Alex Gargot

The CANADA director talks about his favourite things this year, enjoying life in Paris&nbsp;and&nbsp;the huge influence of&nbsp;an eccentric&nbsp;babysitter&nbsp;- in the latest Snapshot Q&amp;A.Ryan Doubiago is a&nbsp;Palestinian-American filmmaker who traded in his basketball for a camera while at college in the US. Now based in Paris, he creates innovative and visually arresting films steeped in emotion.&nbsp;Ryan's commercial work includes Adidas films for Paris Basketball and Predator football boots - featuring Jude Bellingham - and JBL. He co-directed a D&amp;AD-winning music video for M83 and has recently worked once again with his old friend, US rapper Bas. He joined&nbsp;CANADA for worldwide representation, except in France, last year.With our latest Snapshot Q&amp;A we&nbsp;caught up with Ryan to find he is more devoted to films and filmmaking than ever - but still making time for basketball - and bringing the two things together.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name: Ryan Doubiago&nbsp; &nbsp;Birthday:&nbsp;Same as Muhammad Ali, Jim Carrey, James Earl Jones, Al Capone, and most importantly Betty White - but in ‘91.&nbsp;Where did you grow up? Paris and San Francisco.Place of further education and course (if any)? Youtube University &amp; NYU (Philosophy).Where do you live now? Split my time between Paris and New York.What were the important first projects for you, in terms of a learning experience and getting noticed?After college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I bounced between internships, but nothing clicked. Luckily, around that time, my close friend Bas started gaining attention for his music. One day, he invited me to join him on tour, so I jumped at the chance and brought along a camera I barely knew how to use. I snapped a few shots, opening the door to becoming a tour photographer for a couple of years.That experience eventually led me to direct music videos. Those first projects were my real film school—filled with struggles and learning curves.<blockquote>I’m pretty sure [the babysitter] is the reason I'm a director today.</blockquote>The first project I felt truly proud of was <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/12/22/m83-my-tears-are-becoming-sea-sacha-barbin-ryan-doubiago/74380" target="_blank">M83’s My Tears Are Becoming a Sea</a>,&nbsp;which I co-directed with Sacha Barbin. It was a real testament to our pre-production planning that we were able to get everything we needed, despite having an incredibly tight budget and a short shooting schedule.It also served as a trial by fire, a reminder that sometimes no matter how hard you prepare there will always be unforeseen obstacles and to remain calm and persevere when things don't go exactly as planned.[vidtoken data:0]Best film you’ve seen this year?&nbsp; The most fun I’ve had at the movies this year was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzY2r2JXsDM" target="_blank">Alien: Romulus</a>. Fede Alvarez did an incredible job and I loved seeing the masterful use of practical effects in the film.&nbsp;I also have to mention Savanah Leaf’s insanely good debut film <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA-Jhu938vY" target="_blank">Earth Mama</a>. I was blown away by how she managed to tell such a powerful and moving story with such minimal coverage. It felt radical and inspiring![imgtoken data:1]Favourite song/album/music artist this year? Saya Gray’s <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0uPxqFTWGfboMKWBpLo9lO" target="_blank">QWERTY II</a> &amp; BAS’s&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3kXP7albhNo2neJAivDwxk" target="_blank">We only talk about real shit when we’re fucked up</a>.&nbsp;Favourite music video/videos you’ve seen this year?&nbsp;I loved <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/04/24/fontaines-dc-starburster-aube-perrie/86239" target="_blank">FONTAINES D.C.’s Starburster</a>, directed by Aube Perrie. There’s an edginess and a playfulness to the video that works so well with the track. It's a kind of meta take on “the world of music videos,” but it still manages to be completely original.<blockquote>I know my work always turns out better when I have the time to dream a little.</blockquote>What has been (or usually is) your favourite night out this year? I always love <a href="https://www.fetedelamusique-paris.fr/" target="_blank">“Fête de la musique” in Paris</a>. The whole city becomes a party with bands and DJs set up on every street corner.&nbsp;Name a film or video or other creative work that had a huge influence on your career choice?&nbsp;When I was 6 years old my 60ish year old babysitter showed me The Shining and Terminator II on the same night. Unfortunately, my parents fired her. But I’m pretty sure she’s the reason I'm a director today.[vidtoken data:1]In college, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQdjxQN4ieg" target="_blank">Dogtooth&nbsp;by Yorgos Lanthimos</a> had a massive impact on me. It combined a unique blend of existential horror and humour in a way I had never seen before.When it comes to music videos, Jonathan Glazer’s UNKLE’s Rabbit In Your Headlights, featuring&nbsp;Thom Yorke had a huge impact. It’s the kind of narrative concept that still inspires me today. I love how simple the idea is and how patiently the story unfolds, slowly building tension all the way up to one of the greatest music video endings ever![vidtoken data:2]In terms of&nbsp;music video-related jobs of the past year or so - what was the most rewarding creatively, and why?&nbsp;I owe a lot to Bas for my early opportunities. Now, over a decade later, we’re still working together, with the latest being his lead single Diamonds, from his last album.&nbsp;Bas and I have built a strong trust over the years, so a lot of our ideas come naturally from conversations about his music, life, and what we’re going through. For this project, he wanted visuals that not only fit the song but also captured the album’s broader themes - especially the growing need for escapism and its hidden pitfalls.[vidtoken data:3]What are your favourite other (non-mv) projects of the past year or so?Probably the one I’m currently working on. It's a&nbsp;kind of love letter to an outdoor basketball court in Paris that I discovered when I moved back in 2016. Over the years it’s become a very close-knit community of eccentrics. And it’s recently gained international prominence due to social media. Shoutout <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@le__144" target="_blank">le 144</a>![imgtoken data:2]Most annoying/irksome thing that’s been going on this year (work-related or otherwise)? Western media coverage on the ongoing genocide in Gaza.&nbsp;Your top suggestion to change and improve how the music video industry works?&nbsp;Mentioning budgets is an obvious choice, but I would also advise labels and artist managers at the very least to allow more time for developing ideas. Often, you’ll receive a brief and be expected to submit a pitch within two days. Personally, I know my work always turns out better when I have the time to dream a little.What are you looking forward to most for the rest of the year?&nbsp;After living in Paris for eight years, I finally got around to signing up for an unlimited movie pass for all the cinemas. I’ve never felt such POWER.• Ryan Doubiago is a director with <a href="https://www.canadacanada.com/contact" target="_blank">CANADA</a>, represented for music videos in the UK by Hands. Check out his work <a href="https://www.canadacanada.com/directors/ryan-doubiago/" target="_blank">here</a>

THE SNAPSHOT Q&A: Ryan Doubiago

M83 - My Tears Are Becoming A Sea (Official Video)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

UNKLE - Rabbit In Your Headlights

BAS - DIAMONDS

Venezuelan experimentalist Arca shows her softer side in a new, long-promised collaboration with Dominican artist Tokischa, teaming up with STILLZ for the intriguing video for Chama.Shot in a forest in Barcelona, Arca and Tokischa are portrayed as heavily pregnant – perhaps as a reference to Arca's previous comments on how the title of the Kick series was chosen to represent a baby kicking in its mother's womb rather than anything violent.This is the first film by Arca since the Kick series outtake 'Яitual' dropped in April 2023. Tokischa has previously collaborated with Rosalía on Linda, and was one of the artists chosen by Madonna a couple of years ago to rework her 2005 hit Hung Up.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Arca and Tokischa 'Chama' by STILLZ

Arca & Tokischa - Chama

Nicolina Knapp directs a stirring portrait of brotherhood in her affecting promo for Sunnan.&nbsp;The video for My Love For You explores deep-rooted&nbsp;love and loss, and how our lives change when we reconnect to the memories we have tried to suppress.&nbsp;Filmed on Fårö island in Sweden, the video evokes the work of Ingmar Bergman, with abstract minimalism and a focus on raw, unfiltered emotion in the performance.&nbsp;Shot by cinematographer Arvid Kornstrand, the video leans into a vintage black and white aesthetic, with only several flashbacks filmed in colour, in a clever subversion of traditional techniques and expectations.&nbsp;

Nicolina Knapp

Sunnan 'My Love For You' by Nicolina Knapp

Sunnan-'My-Love-For-You-'-by-Nicolina-Knapp

The reinvention of Camila Cabello explodes into full view with the dazzling video by CANADA's Nicolás Méndez for I Luv It.<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/932043744?h=59bdd4e6bc&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Camila Cabello - I Luv It (2024) #CND"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>Featuring Greco-Roman wrestling, arrow injuries, finger gun shoot-ups, angry dogs, corner store dance-offs (featuring co-star Playboi Carti), its a cascade of unbridled visual ideas, brilliantly realised in a tour de force of direction and craft.&nbsp;Shot in Miami in February, the music video takes Camila on an increasingly high-octane journey, illustrating the chaos, fun, and feeling of invincibility that comes with the rush of a new love.Referring to the meaning behind the hyper-pop track produced by CANADA’s close collaborator El Guincho, Camila comments, “certain things in our human realm do make me feel like I’m in outer space, and the very rare few times where I’ve had incredible chemistry with someone is one of them.”At its heart this is a hugely exciting ride into a disorientating, off-kilter world - and Camila Cabello owns it.&nbsp;Nicolás Méndez has found a new muse in Camila to rival&nbsp;Rosalía.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Camila Cabello ft Playboi Carti 'I Luv It' by Nicolás Méndez

Pau Carreté directs a meeting of music legends, in this extraordinary&nbsp;promo for Puerto Rican producer&nbsp;Tainy, featuring J Balvin, Young Miko, Jowell and Randy.&nbsp;The multiformat visual for Colmillo is a bold concept, blending performance, narrative, animation and stock footage, intercut with cityscape cutaways.&nbsp;Spanning a wide volume of vignettes and ideas, the video is a daring, unique piece of work, that isn't afraid to cross a few boundaries and deliver a completely captivating vision.It deserves to be watched with an open mind - even as it switches up from live action to sexually explicit anime...[imgtoken data:1]

Tainy, J Balvin, Young Miko, Jowell & Randy 'Colmillo' by Pau Carreté

Tainy,-J-Balvin,-Young-Miko,-Jowell-&-Randy-'Colmillo'-by-Pau-Carreté

Directing duo Pensacola have created a breathtaking spectacle for The Chemical Brothers' latest collab with Beck - featuring stone-skimming champion Kurt Steiner.It's not always advisable to go literal on a songtitle. In fact, it rarely is. But it's exactly the right move here, as the CANADA-signed directors&nbsp;chart the unstoppable path of a perfect skimming stone, delivered from the hand of the enigmatic, cool-looking Steiner, who's every&nbsp;director's dream of what a professional stone skimmer should look like.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;This stone skims across a lake then shoots into the forest and roads beyond like a missile, passing through people's lives, reaching the city to cause considerable havoc and destruction.In fact it appears to have a mind of its own, and an interlude suggests it originally came from outer space - and finally it soars meteor-like over the landscape.Filmed in&nbsp;Lithuania at the end of August, shot by Christopher Ripley, with VFX at Mathematic in Paris, it's a cinematic blockbuster (or rockbuster?) that sits among great Chemical Brothers videos with&nbsp;a real flavour all its own.[imgtoken data:2]And it's release was very well timed to coincide with the <a href="https://www.stoneskimming.com/" target="_blank">World Stone Skimming Championships</a> last month. And <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02954-2" target="_blank">NASA's mission to bring rock dust from an asteroid&nbsp;back to Earth</a>...&nbsp;[imgtoken data:3]&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pensacola

Dance

The Chemical Brothers, Beck 'Skipping Like A Stone' by Pensacola

The-Chemical-Brothers,-Beck--'Skipping-Like-A-Stone'-by-Pensacola

The four mentors who will guide the finalists for this year's <a href="https://yarnsfilm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarns</a> - Stitch and Homespun's prestigious annual short film competition - have been announced.The mentors are Meji Alabi, director at RSA/Black Dog Films; Marta&nbsp;Bobic, executive producer and MD at CANADA London; Ninian Doff, director at Pulse Films; and Keith McCarthy, director at Stink Films. As with previous years, each of the mentors will partner with the four finalists of this year's competition - Tom&nbsp;Gentle and Sam Brain, Holly Hunter,&nbsp;Juliet Klottrup,&nbsp;Doug Redfern and Joe Roberts&nbsp;- to help them navigate the process from&nbsp;script development to post-production, and create the best possible short film.The scripts of the four short films have all been written inspired by the brief for this year's competition,&nbsp;titled The Ends. After they have been shot, each film will be cut by one of four editors on the <a href="https://homespun.tv/" target="_blank">Homespun</a> roster:&nbsp;Luke Anderson, Chris&nbsp;Hutchings, Laura Reyes and Laura Zvarikova.[imgtoken data:1]A former Senior Creative and Director at Channel 4’s award-winning 4Creative, Keith McCarthy is a masterful&nbsp;visual storyteller, with a distinctive style that combines stunning cinematography and a wry&nbsp;sense of humour.&nbsp;His work for C4’s The Grand National&nbsp;struck a chord globally, and recent&nbsp;collaborations have brought wins and nominations at BAFTA, D&amp;amp;AD, British Arrows, Cannes Lions&nbsp;and Creative Circle.McCarthy&nbsp;returns to the Yarns process having&nbsp;been a mentor on last year’s winning Yarns film, Emma Parkinson’s&nbsp;Dishes, Dishes, Dishes.&nbsp;&nbsp;This year, he will be working alongside director Holly Hunter on her film&nbsp;Banana Boat, cut by Homespun editor Laura Zvarikova.“Mentoring a Yarns finalist is always a brilliant experience, and I feel very lucky that I’ve been asked back for another year," says McCarthy.&nbsp;"Getting the chance to be involved with one of the best independent short film competitions in the UK is a special thing, but it’s also great to learn a few things from the amazing talent that has made it through to the final. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully continue the winning streak!”[imgtoken data:2]Marta Bobic is also returning for a second stint as mentor at Yarns. Having joined CANADA in 2015, she has helped&nbsp;to bring an expanding roster of directors to British shores as EP and MD of CANADA London. She will be working alongside Juliet Klottrup on her film ‘Travelling Home’. The short will be edited by Luke Anderson, who cut last year’s winning film.“I’m so excited to be returning as a Yarns mentor for a second time," she says. "It’s a real honour to help support talented filmmakers and I can’t wait to see Juliet’s vision come to life. I've always admired Yarns and its mission to support new talent, not to mention watching the great films that are produced each year. It's such an important project for bringing new voices and ideas to our industry, so I can’t wait to see what gets produced this year."[imgtoken data:3]Meji Alabi&nbsp;is a director and photographer who bridges the gap between African and Western markets.&nbsp;Creating everything from music videos to advertising campaigns, he is also a co-founder of Lagos-based creative production company JM Films. Signed in the UK to Ridley Scott's RSA Films, Meji’s&nbsp;recent work includes music videos for Stormzy,&nbsp; Wizkid ft Burna Boy, and Leigh-Anne ft Ayra Starr&nbsp;as&nbsp;well as campaigns for Disney, Fanta, Guinness and&nbsp;KFC.He will be working alongside Tom&nbsp;Gentle and Sam Brain on their film&nbsp;Do You Have Kids, to be cut by Homespun editor Chris&nbsp;Hutchings. He is also another returnee as a Yarns mentor."It's my pleasure to be working with Yarns again, especially when the filmmakers&nbsp;are as talented as Tom and Sam," he says. "Yarns is a unique opportunity for young directors to get their start,&nbsp;and their short has both an amazing idea and script. To be collaborating with a writer and director&nbsp;has been an awesome experience, and hopefully we’ll see more of these competitions that help&nbsp;filmmakers of all types get their ideas out there!”[imgtoken data:4]Ninian Doff is an award-winning director whose body of work spans music videos, commercials, and&nbsp;feature film.&nbsp;&nbsp;Previously winning Best Director at the UKMVAs, and several awards&nbsp;for his Run the Jewels&nbsp;promo&nbsp;Love Again, he has since created a string of blockbuster commercials for brands such as&nbsp;Apple, McDonald’s, Three, Ikea and Sainsbury’s.Doff is celebrated for his cinematic approach, intertwining comedy with the surreal, his debut feature&nbsp;Get Duked&nbsp;earned the SXSW Audience Prize. He is also returning as a Yarns mentor, and&nbsp;he will be lending his vast&nbsp;experience to Doug Redfern and Joe Roberts on their film&nbsp;Mr. Biscuit.&nbsp;The film will be cut by&nbsp;Homespun editor Laura Reyes.<blockquote>Each of the mentors is an industry powerhouse.</blockquote>“I'm super happy to be mentoring at Yarns again," he says. "It's such a great opportunity for new directors. Doug and Joe wrote a great script and can't wait to&nbsp;see how it turns out and hopefully I'm of some help along the way!"Homespun co-owner Tim Hardy has added that he is delighted to welcome back the four mentors&nbsp;for another year of Yarns. "Each of them is an industry powerhouse, with wins at BAFTA, Cannes Lions and British Arrows to name but a few," says Hardy.&nbsp;"Our young filmmakers are already working hard shooting their films, and getting to work alongside such a talented group of mentors is an experience I know they won’t forget!”Together with the support from their mentors, Yarns also sees the aspiring directors’ partner with some of the industry’s foremost talent to create their film. The finalists will benefit from experts across production and post, including sponsors Kodak and Slingshot Intergalactic, as well as post-production partners Freefolk, nineteentwenty, Absolute and Sine.“We’re delighted that our finalists will again have some of the best in the business working on their films,"&nbsp;says Homespun co-owner Leo King. "From post to sound, our finalists have always worked with the best up-and-coming talent from across the industry."It’s long been a cornerstone of the Yarns mission, and we’re very proud to say that this will be the case again this year. We can’t wait to see Yarns give a platform to another cohort of talented people.”• More information about the Yarns finalists&nbsp;<a href="https://ends.yarnsfilm.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>; and about Homespun's editors&nbsp;<a href="https://homespun.tv/" target="_blank">here</a>

Homespun

Black Dog Films

Pulse Films

Stink Films

Mentors unveiled for finalists of this year's Yarns competition 

Acclaimed Spanish director Alex Gargot has joined CANADA for representation across music videos, commercials and branded content.Having experimented since childhood with illustration, music and animation, and a fanatic for all things audiovisual, Alex Gargot has been winning awards and nominations since the release of <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2019/11/06/cora-novoa-state-mind-alex-gargot/61743" target="_blank">Cora Novoa's State Of Mind</a> in 2019, which took a Newcomer award at the UKMVAs that year.With a strong narrative style and an inclination for the strange, creating original worlds unobtrusively enhanced by VFX,&nbsp;Gargot's gained further recognition with his video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/04/12/fuel-fandango-ft-mj-llergo-mi-huella-alex-gargot/70343" target="_blank">Fuel Fandango's Mi Huella</a> in 2021.&nbsp;His endless curiosity and skilful direction have landed his work on shortlists internationally, with awarded and selected films at Ciclope Berlin, the Latin Grammys, the UKMVAs and 1.4. Awards.In his commercial work, clients he has worked for include eBay, DAZN, Netflix and McDonalds.''I've been following the work of Alex for the past few years, and since the beginning, I saw a creative voice that interested me," says&nbsp;Alba Barneda, CANADA's Global Head of Production. "His music video 'Mi Huella' captivated me. Now that we've gotten to know each other better and we've been able to see up close how he works, we are amused to add someone like him to CANADA's roster. We are very excited to be able to develop his talent and continue growing his reel at both a national and international level.''Gargot adds:&nbsp;"I've been a massive fan of CANADA's work for the longest time. I can still remember how I used to daydream about being a part of all this, consistently being blown away by their stunning videos. Now that I'm here, even in this short while, it's clear how much heart and dedication this whole crew puts into every detail of what they do."It's like a tight-knit family that's both passionate and caring. I'm beyond excited to see where this journey takes us. It's a huge honour.”• Watch a selection of Alex Gargot's work on CANADA’s website&nbsp;

CANADA signs Alex Gargot

<h3>Part of the Circus Maximus film that accompanies the new Travis Scott album, it's also&nbsp;one of the most spectacular music videos of the year. Laura Serra Estorch, executive producer at CANADA in Barcelona, explains why recreating the Catalonian tradition of the Castellers for Sirens was "four weeks inside a production hurricane."</h3>It is just one part of a much bigger project, one that involved some of the biggest (and notorious)&nbsp;names in international film - including Gaspar Noé, Nicolas Winding Refn and Harmony Korine. But the part of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AmjlRjMKsY&amp;t=1s" target="_blank">Circus Maximus</a> - Travis Scott's 75-minute film accompanying his new album UTOPIA - that is devoted to his song Sirens is, by any stretch, a towering achievement.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]In fact one can justifiably say: quite literally a towering achievement. It's not that 'a cast of thousands' usually means exactly that, but in this case, it did take in the region of two thousand extras to bring Scott's vision for Sirens to life. And that vision was to create a human tower, reaching up to the sky.Produced by CANADA in Barcelona, executive produced by Laura Serra Estorch and directed by Scott, the video recreates a remarkable tradition of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell" target="_blank">Castellers</a>, that originates in the Catalonian region of Spain - where teams of hundreds of people combine to build human towers, and compete against other teams to see who can go highest.[imgtoken data:1]Above: Laura Serra Estorch<blockquote>I’d dare say it’s the biggest shoot we’ve ever done at CANADA.</blockquote>As it&nbsp;takes many people - usually built around a whole community, including different generations&nbsp;- to create one of these towers, the video begins with hundreds of people running through the streets of Barcelona, before an even bigger group of people gather&nbsp;in a darkened space to begin the building process - with Travis Scott himself at the heart of it, as Castellers climb to create ever-higher levels, towards a light at the top of the space.We spoke to Laura Serra Estorch, executive producer at CANADA, about&nbsp;making the Sirens video and discovered how her own personal experience of the Castellers gave her a head start in&nbsp;a hugely&nbsp;intense period of pre-production.[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;PROMONEWS: How did the project start for you?LAURA SERRA ESTORCH: We were approached by Kathleen Heffernan, one of Circus Maximus’s executive producers, asking if we could make Travis’s idea for Sirens&nbsp;happen in a very short amount of time. I said 'yes'. And after that, it was four weeks inside a production hurricane.Did the original concept come from Travis, or was this a collaboration between him and CANADA?It came directly from Travis. He had a very clear idea of what he wanted in the video since the very first email.&nbsp;We received a written script for the entire Circus Maximus film, and our chapter specifically was quite detailed.&nbsp;He knew about human towers and about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1HWyUIZ5kk" target="_blank">the Tarragona contest in particular</a>, which is a contest that’s held once every two years, where all the Castellers teams gather together.It happens in a stadium filled with over 15,000 people, every team wearing their own colour and several human towers being built simultaneously. It’s visually spectacular.&nbsp;Travis wanted to recreate it within a&nbsp;utopian&nbsp;world.[imgtoken data:3]The Castells is a remarkable tradition in Catalonia, that started originally in Tarragona. Is there a personal connection to this tradition?I used to be part of the Vilafranca team when I was 10. I didn’t last many years, as many people there do, but I was there long enough to understand the culture, to share their passion, and to be able to connect with them 25 years later to help make this project happen. It has been quite an emotional journey for me.&nbsp;Were Travis and his team aware of your personal connection to the Castellers when they originally approached you about the project? I don't think they knew. They seemed very happy and relieved when I told them I had this connection and would do our best to make it happen.&nbsp;I heard they had a couple of "nos" before contacting us![imgtoken data:4]Where and when did you shoot the video? How many extras did you have?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It was shot in Spain in early July over three shooting days.&nbsp;The first day was the biggest one in Tarragona, inside the Tarraco Arena, where the original Castellers contest is held. We had over 1,200 people involved, including castellers, extras and crew. I’d dare say it’s the biggest shoot day we’ve ever done at CANADA.&nbsp;The second day was in a Barcelona neighbourhood called Ciutat Meridiana. That’s where we had hundreds of people running through streets and over rooftops. Over 600 in total.&nbsp;On the last day, we shot in an apartment and a studio to cover all the corridors and interior shots. We had around 200 extras involved.&nbsp;<blockquote>The tower was the centrepiece of the video... and it is not something that can be repeated over and over.</blockquote>Did you work with an existing Casteller team or club – or more than one?We mostly worked with Castellers de Vilafranca, which is one of the main teams in Catalunya, both for the complexity of their towers but also because of the amount of people they gather in the team. They are the ones who built the big tower in the video and the ones who taught Travis the basics for him to be able to be in one.We also had another four teams -&nbsp;Xiquets de Tarragona, Xiquets del Serrallo, Nois de la Torre and Castellers de Mediona - who were all crucial for Vilafranca to build a bigger tower on the day. The closeness, patience and hard work of all of them made it possible.[imgtoken data:5]What were the big challenges in filming the making of the tower? Did you need to shoot it more than once?&nbsp;The biggest challenge was that the tower was the centrepiece of the video, and that is something that only lasts about 4-5 minutes from start to finish. And because of its difficulty, it is not something that can be repeated over and over until you get the right shot. It’s really a one-off.&nbsp;Hence the multiple camera teams, cranes and drones are located at every angle we could possibly imagine.&nbsp;We were lucky enough to be able to get two of them, though not a hundred per cent completed. You can imagine the tension around them, not only in the castellers but the entire crew.&nbsp;Then the “gralles” started to play, and it became a magic moment.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:6]How many camera teams did you have shooting simultaneously on the video? We had three camera units working simultaneously on the first day with the castellers so we could ensure that we got all the necessary coverage in the very little time we had with the towers—and two camera units on days 2 and 3. &nbsp; Overall, it was a large crew for a music video, with over 200 people on day 1. We're incredibly grateful to every single one of them as it was a very tough day, even crazy at some points, but we managed to succeed as a team. And how many cranes and drones did you have surrounding the tower at any one time? We had two cranes, a Scorpio 45 and an E-Scorpion 45, a drone surrounding the tower, plus a third camera unit at the top of the stands.[imgtoken data:7]Travis appears to be part of the tower - at different levels. Were you able to do this for real? How much training did he need to become part of the team?Not 100% real of course, as being part of a 9-floor tower may take months, if not years of training. But I’d say we were able to do it more real and accurate than we first expected.&nbsp;We had planned for Travis to start at a lower ground first, having castellers climb on top of him, and then once he felt comfortable, maybe having him climb on top of a casteller.&nbsp;But when we came on set, he said he was happy to climb over someone straight away, and we went for it. He did a smaller tower that we combined into the big one; it made the VFX work much less complex than it could have been![imgtoken data:8]I’ve read that building human towers is not particularly dangerous – but it certainly looks it! Did you have any tower collapses – and any injuries?It’s funny you say that because every time I talk to someone about castellers I keep repeating this same sentence, ‘It’s not as dangerous as it looks!’Of course, it is not a joke, but when you see a collapse from the outside, it feels way more spectacular than it feels from the inside. There is some sort of cushioning in the way the towers fall that, most of the time, prevents people from serious injuries.&nbsp;We, fortunately, did not have any collapses nor injuries on the day; it all unfolded very smoothly on that front. During the build-up of the tower, the team’s coach is purely looking after its steadiness and making sure all is progressing safely.&nbsp;I was honestly so nervous that I can’t really remember how, but then I realised we managed to get very beautiful shots.&nbsp;• Laura Serra Estorch&nbsp;is executive producer at CANADA in Barcelona. More on CANADA <a href="https://canadacanada.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. &nbsp;

Laura Serra Estorch

CANADA's Laura Serra Estorch on making Travis Scott's Sirens video with a cast of thousands. "Travis had a very clear idea of what he wanted."

Travis Scott - SIRENS

Travis Scott taps in teo the spirit and enterprise of community in the remarkable video for Sirens, directed by Scott and produced by Laura Serra Estorch at CANADA in Barcelona.The video features hundreds, if not thousands of extras, many drawn from the Casteller clubs in Catalonia, that form the basis of the Casteller tradition in the region, creating incredible human towers, as featured in the video. And hundreds of crew - a colossal production. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Travis Scott

Cinelab Film and Digital

Travis Scott 'Sirens' by Travis Scott

Ryan Doubiago, director of award-winning music videos for M83 and Bas and advertising&nbsp;for Adidas, Marine Serre and others, has joined CANADA for music video and commercial representation.Born in Paris, Doubiago is a Palestinian-American filmmaker with a singular vision. Technical and innovative, his films are carefully crafted through considered cinematic language and meticulous detail, whether rooted in narrative storytelling or a concept-driven idea.An award-winning director who found a route to film via his love of sport, his work has been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New York Times, with his accolades including a D&amp;AD Award for Best Narrative Music Video for M83's My Tears Are Becoming A Sea,&nbsp;co-directed with collaborator Sacha Barbin.“Ryan is a passionate and outspoken director,” says Marta Bobić, MD of CANADA London. “He uses his art to challenge and inspire viewers, and we are excited to bring his elegant and powerful filmic sensibility to CANADA.”Doubiago adds: “Words can't fully capture my gratitude for becoming a part of CANADA. In the little time I've been here I've gotten to meet and work with some incredibly talented people, and witnessed their passion for each project and the incredible support they provide to one another. I am beyond excited to be here, and I can't wait to dive into some exciting things together.”• Watch Ryan Doubiago's work on&nbsp;CANADA’s website <a href="https://canadacanada.com/directors/ryan-doubiago/" target="_blank">here</a>

CANADA signs Ryan Doubiago

Superstar couple&nbsp;Rosalía and&nbsp;Rauw Alejandro express their undying love for each other in STILLZ's supercool video for Vampiros - taken from the Spanish and Puerto Rican duo's joint EP RR.Shot in Barcelona in February,&nbsp;Rosalía and&nbsp;Rauw parade on the deserted moonlit streets of the city's Raval district, before entering the legendary Bar Marsella - said to be the city's first bar, frequented by the likes of Picasso and Hemingway - where they find some unsuspecting potential victims.And then, after a long night, these Vampiros lovers&nbsp;drive off to their delightful country retreat to chill... It's a perfectly pitched showcase for the&nbsp;pair from STILLZ, working with&nbsp;Rosalía once again, following the groundbreaking, and multi-award winning&nbsp;Motomami - TikTok Live Performance that&nbsp;he directed last year.And the video extends the Spanish superstar's close relationship with CANADA, the production company where the Miami-based director now calls home.&nbsp;

Rosalía, Rauw Alejandro 'Vampiros' by STILLZ

ROSALÍA, Rauw Alejandro - VAMPIROS (Official Video)

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

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.”

Roger Guàrdia

Park Pictures

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>.

Callum Harrison

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.

Rosalía Vila

Ferran Echegaray

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

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

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;

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]