Director of Photography

Courtney Bennett

Jesy Nelson and Charlie Sarsfield take a bold step into serious territory, and pull off a remarkable feat in a dramatic story of love, betrayal and domestic abuse in 1960s London for Bad Thing.&nbsp;Made in collaboration with Women's Aid UK and based on real events, Jesy plays a girl in London's East End, who falls for a sharply-dressed young man - played by Sid&nbsp;Ellisdon. Love blossoms, and marriage follows. Then Jesy finds herself becoming the perfect 60s housewife - while her young husband is still out on the town...If the milieu in which the video is set, recollecting cinematic recreations of the world of The Krays,&nbsp;offers a suggestion of what eventually happens to Jesy, the climax is genuinely powerful - and painfully realistic. People have put real thought into this video and it shows. It deserves to get attention and really positive response.A huge round of applause to Jesy Nelson - who is great in this - and to Charlie Sarsfield. It's up there with the very best things he's done.[imgtoken data:1]

United Kingdom

Dre Spisto

Natalie Wilkins

Charlie Sarsfield

Shabana Mansouri

Untold Studios

Marisa Garner

Krunal Saadrani

Mike Heath

Tilly Gerrard

Jack Green

Beau Pritchard-jones

Pete Muncey

Dan Deighton

Nicolas Di Matteo

Elizabeth El Khadi

Nuriye Sonmez

Anna Wild

Tom Herring

Alex Gregory

No.8

Sid Ellisdon

Jesy Nelson 'Bad Thing' by Charlie Sarsfield

Jesy-Nelson-'Bad-Thing'-by-Charlie-Sarsfield

Otis Dominique directs a captivating promo for ENNY, all about the difficulties finding Mr Right.&nbsp;Taking us into her day-to-day through a series of stunning vignettes, the video for No More Naija Men matches the conversations in the track, about finding the right person to date, and what a healthy relationship looks like from both the inside and outside.&nbsp;"This song is a processing of things observed and felt - conversations on interracial and intercultural&nbsp;love," explains ENNY. And this concept is explored through quick-fire conceptual setups, absorbing performance and a witty dialogue-only section that succinctly sums up the problem.&nbsp;This sees ENNY and Otis Dominique collaborating again after the excellent Peng Black Girls video, putting&nbsp;a lighthearted, romcom-influenced spin on the important matter of Love, and it's very nicely done. But also a great introduction to those who haven't yet heard of the talented ENNY.&nbsp;&nbsp;

El-shaddi Nyagodzi

Otis Dominique

Liz Adeleye

Mouthpiece

Yan Murawski

Luke Philippou

Akay Delano

Sebastien Joly

Ollie Cipres

Jaclyn Popplardo

Cassandra Abolaji

Nancé Katende

Phoebe May

Stef Kolosi

Tk-fx

Kode

ENNY 'No More Naija Men' by Otis Dominique 

Enny-'No-More-Naija-Men'-by-Otis-Dominique-

Following their collaboration on <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/11/07/louis-tomlinson-out-my-system-charlie-sarsfield/79113" target="_blank">Out Of My System</a>, Charlie Sarsfield reunites with Louis Tomlinson&nbsp;for a&nbsp;second video, this time for latest release Silver Tongues.&nbsp;The nostalgic promo pays homage to a lost youth through a series of powerful portraits and setups, with Louis as the focal point who connects each story.&nbsp;Threads of a narrative run through the video, but the heart of the concept is in the evocative vignettes, which exude raw emotion and universally relatable situations.&nbsp;Aside from being gorgeously shot and crafted, the casting is spot-on, and these characters feel like people that you may know, leaning into the powerful nostalgia of youth and the feelings of time gone by.

Mathias Gilay

Faye Purcell

Joe Munroe

Johnny Tully

Indie

Louis Tomlinson 'Silver Tongues' by Charlie Sarsfield

Louis Tomlinson - Silver Tongues (Official Video)

Charlie Sarsfield directs a compelling promo for George Ezra's Dance All Over Me, which sees George in a large studio space, performing as a group of dancers begin to multiply behind him.&nbsp;Transitioning from wide shots to extreme close-ups, the camera glides around the space smoothly, capturing a hypnotic amalgam of movement and performance.[imgtoken data:1]"Since watching his early videos, I’ve always wanted to work with George and actually doing so has been quite surreal," says Sarsfield.&nbsp;"The idea stemmed from taking inspiration and techniques traditionally used in hip hop videos from the likes of Kendrick Lemar and Pa Salieu, where people in the background begin to multiply."We wanted it to feel like George had walked onto the wrong set, surrounded by dancers. As the track progresses, the choreo really comes to life, almost as if the music inspired them to move."George liked the idea of having line dancing, featuring LOTs of dancers and the routine was masterfully put together by Suzzette Brissett. Huge thanks to everyone involved in bringing this to life. It’s great to see it out in the world.“I’m really proud of this video. It was an ambitious set up and the team executed it beautifully."

Toby Tomkins

Holly MacDonald

Michael Lewin

Vini Curtis

Nkem Egbuchiri

Tia Varnnard

Beau Pritchard-James

Sam Bishop

Daniel Deighton

Suzette Brissett

Vaneza Londono

Columbia

Singer-songwriter

George Ezra 'Dance All Over Me' by Charlie Sarsfield

George Ezra - Dance All Over Me (Official Video)

Charlie Sarsfield directs a boisterous&nbsp;visual for Yungblud’s latest release, Tissues.Shot in the striking Porchester Hall, the video sees the&nbsp;megastar perform to camera as carefully crafted scenes of mayhem break out around him, frozen in time.Harnessing the singer's unremitting energy, the concept explores what it feels like to be in love, and the whirlwind of emotions that come with the feeling.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>I wanted to represent that moment of holding your breath before taking the plunge.</blockquote>“Yungblud is one of the most interesting artists I’ve worked with for a number of reasons,"&nbsp;says Sarsfield&nbsp;"He’s infectious, and such a lovely human being, but also an artist that strives for perfection throughout every process.&nbsp;We spoke everyday in the lead up to the visual, tweaking certain bits, and introducing new vignettes as we went."I wanted the visual to portray that scary but beautiful moment of falling in love. It’s beautiful because of how special love is, but scary because you become so vulnerable. By having everyone in the video static throughout until the release for the last chorus, I wanted to represent that moment of holding your breath before taking the plunge. "The focus of the video is on Yungblud and his captivating performance but we also had to craft a bespoke and intriguing world around him without taking away from that epic performance. You could watch this video several times and notice something different which adds an extra layer of fun.”

Hanan Cher⁣

Jake Buckley

Ari Rissotti

James Lahaise

Aubrey Woodiwiss

Interscope

Yungblud 'Tissues' by Charlie Sarsfield

YUNGBLUD - Tissues (Official Video)

Charlie Sarsfield continues his collaboration with Mabel&nbsp;with a lavish 35 minute 'album experience' - including live performances from her hit new album About Last Night.This tour de force&nbsp;of creativity boasts a whirlwind of luxurious vignettes, soaked in golden light and dripping with opulent styling.&nbsp;Shot at the Waldorf Hotel in London,&nbsp;the film takes viewers on a dynamic journey mixing choreography and behind the scenes moments with live recordings of her new tracks.[imgtoken data:1]Taking inspiration from the sumptuous interior of the hotel as well as Hollywood icons such as Marilyn Monroe, the film has a rich&nbsp;filmic aesthetic, and&nbsp;was commissioned by Amazon Music to build anticipation around the album release and give fans exclusive access to Mabel's new music.Mabel's presence feels fresh and well-rounded throughout, and the contrast between full performance and understated movement highlights her multifaceted talent.&nbsp;

Jamie Hitchens

Chantal Gold

Kevin Cheung

Sophie Barrott

Ruth Wardell

Okay Studio

Amazon Music UK

Mabel 'About Last Night' (Album Experience) by Charlie Sarsfield

Mabel--'About-Last-Night-'album-Experience'-'-by-Charlie-Sarsfield

Charlie Sarsfield reunites with Kojey Radical to direct&nbsp;a super slick and colourful performance promo, featuring Cashh and King Promise, that is perfect viewing on a day with record-busting temperatures...Following Sarsfield's videos for Kojey's GANGSTA and Payback,&nbsp;the video for the Born remix is a full-on celebration of Ghanaian and Jamaican culture, and presents the artists amongst a sea of partygoers, chilling out under a warm sunset glow.&nbsp;Saturated lighting and fluid camerawork interweave in the dynamic vignettes, creating a laidback, atmospheric vibe throughout.[imgtoken data:1]“Coming back for a third time working together with any artist is an honour, but with Kojey this one felt special," says Charlie Sarsfield.&nbsp;"Having spent a lot of time in Jamaica myself, and with Cashh on the track, I really wanted to harness the feeling of the parties on that side of the world.”[imgtoken data:2]

Bevan Agyemang

James Duffey

Nkem Ggbuchiri

Joe Munro

Kojey Radical ft Cashh & King Promise 'Born (Remix)' by Charlie Sarsfield

Kojey-Radical-Ft.-Cashh-&-King-Promise--'Born-Remix-'-by-Charlie-Sarsfield

Charlie Sarsfield captures a raw and emotional live performance of Go&nbsp;by Cat Burns and Sam Smith, for Amazon Music UK.&nbsp;The promo was shot at the beautiful St John Church in Hackney, and captured through one fluid, continuous take.&nbsp;Paired with atmospheric lighting and poignant performances, the video is an emotional ride and a memorable watch.&nbsp;A naturalistic grade elevates the intimate aesthetic, creating a heightened version of reality that perfectly fits the vibes of the concept.&nbsp;

Edward Dilnott Cooper

Thomas Hannan

Megan Lee

Electric Theatre Collective

Annie Ayres

Cat Burns & Sam Smith 'Go' by Charlie Sarsfield 

Cat-Burns-&-Sam-Smith--''go'-Performed-Live-For-Amazon-Music-Uk-'-by-Charlie-Sarsfield-

Trailblazing London jazz outfit Ezra Collective hit the ring in Femi Ladi's joyous video for Victory Dance.Customers of a cornershop receive a mysterious invitation by the shopkeeper, leading them downstairs into the basement and a magical space. Suddenly we are in&nbsp;a big hall, a boxing ring in the middle - not to witness a boxing bout, but the moves of jazz dancer Jay Allen, and a thrilling performance of the individuals of Ezra Collective, and then the group as a whole.[imgtoken data:1]This is the band's first ever music video, reflecting their position at the heart of London's resurgent jazz scene. Femi Ladi achieves a sense of wonder and real occasion by keeping things based around the performances, and top and tailing the piece with the narrative element involving the audience. It really works.&nbsp;"I’m a big fan of the Ezra Collective, I find their music so refreshing and unexpected," says Ladi.&nbsp;"I had a personal experience of hearing the band's music for the first time when I stumbled into a performance of theirs by accident a few years back. I instantly became a fan. So, we went with an Idea that had similar journey of discovery with the band playing a secret gig somewhere quite unexpected."

Femi Ladi

Jake River Parker

Somesuch

Maëva Demurger

Andre Reid-McKinley

Rowan Mackintosh King

Oliver Bingham

Scarlett Gardner

Jay Gomez

Philips Nortey

Rosie Taylor

Katie South

Jenny Glynn

Jay Allen

Kaz Ove

Yoomin Lee

Chris Anthony

Company 3

Shivam Solanki

Jazz

Ezra Collective 'Victory Dance' by Femi Ladi

Ezra Collective - Victory Dance (Official Video)

Charlie Sarsfield and FILFURY join forces to deliver this&nbsp;outstanding promo for Mabel and 24kGoldn.&nbsp;Shot across London and LA, the video for Overthinking captures Mabel at a houseparty&nbsp;struggling to connect with the atmosphere, her mind elsewhere and focused on internal struggles. Meanwhile, 24k is shown on the streets of LA at sundown in a vintage BMW, shot against the iconic skyline.&nbsp;"Overthinking is an ambitious project, one that I was super excited about," says Charlie Sarsfield. "When pitching on the video I really wanted to push Mabel out of her comfort zone, leaning into the meaning of the song which is about wild nights out, but the anxiety and vulnerability which can come with that. This meant that Mabel had to act and perform in a way we haven’t really seen her do.<blockquote>I really wanted to push Mabel out of her comfort zone.</blockquote>"We knew we wanted this performance to exist in a colourful world, surreal at points, taking inspiration from Euphoria and Skins - but also Mabel’s own personal experiences. Although the track expresses the more vulnerable side of Mabel, she really came out of her shell and killed the performance and made the whole shoot extremely enjoyable.[imgtoken data:1]"As soon as Mabel and I started talking, we clicked. Being able to talk to artists about visual ideas really helps to add more layers to the whole project."The addition of FILFURY's impressive talents helped provide even more scope to the concept, and follows a fruitful collaboration on <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/03/10/fanatix-ft-idris-elba-lil-tjay-koffee-davido-moelogo-vroom-filfury-charlie/75347">The Fanatix promo for VROOM</a>,&nbsp;where Sarsfield assisted the LA-based director, shooting the London setups.)&nbsp;"I knew what I wanted to capture and FILFURY’s style was perfect for it," adds Sarsfield.&nbsp;"He has an extremely graphic eye, focussed on symmetry and great performance. The whole UNTOLD team over in LA smashed it and it was great for me knowing we were in safe hands out there."And special shout out to my DoP here in England Courtney Bennett, who really brought this world to life. He did a great job of leaning into the beauty elements but also made it gritty at the same time, which is something Mabel and I spoke a lot about throughout pre-production."

Simone Beyene

FILFURY

Kem Ekundayo

Ben Mealing

Clyde Goins

Lisa Foo

Kevin Cho

Emaad Elhardouzi

Erin Dusek

Rio Sreedharan

Vaneza Lopez

Andrada Rusu

Karol Young Moses

Herring

Mabel, 24kGoldn 'Overthinking' by Charlie Sarsfield, FILFURY

Mabel, 24kGoldn - Overthinking (Official Video)

A story of going 'out out' - in all its glory, ecstasy, and some agony - superbly told by Femi Ladi.

Lane Casting

Joseph J Goldman

Matt Bohun

Emily Mulkerrins

Luke Morrison

Saskia Whinney

Dance

Chase & Status 'Mixed Emotions' by Femi Ladi 

Chase-&-Status-'Mixed-Emotions'-by-Femi-Ladi-

The Ricky Gibb-directed visual for Cat Burns's Go portrays the highs and lows of four complex love stories combined with a captivating performance from&nbsp;the artist.&nbsp;Otis Dominique created the concept for the video,&nbsp;which uses hidden cuts to create the impression of one seamless move between the dramatic set-ups and Cat Burns's heartfelt&nbsp;performance. Unfortunately Dominique contracted Covid just before the shoot, and Ricky Gibb stepped in, taking over directing duties on the video.

CBA Casting

Isabelle Landicho

Ricky Gibb

Marion Solheim

Danielle Wright

Nuno Rodrigues

Jack Goodwin

Nathan Killham

Sam Katz

Tom Wynborne

James Burgess

Osman ‘tekko’ Tekdemir

Jaclyn Pappalardo

Topaz Knight

David Arshadi

Stef Colosi

Cat Burns 'Go' by Ricky Gibb

Cat-Burns-'Go'-by-Ricky-Gibb

Sheena Brobbey directs a 90's inspired promo for Tiana Blake's Interruption.Flipping through an endless stream of outfits and looks, we see Blake trying to decide what to wear to impress her love interest, before settling on something that is authentic and true to her.&nbsp;The bedroom set is an editorial fantasy, washed in blue and pink colour palettes, which add to the aspirational vibes, and the lo-fi DV footage leans into the nostalgic aesthetic.&nbsp;

Sheena Brobbey

Ash Teague

Nicola Sheppard

Cameron Sealby

Jolade Olusanya

Jade Adeyemi

Leah Abbott

Rohmarra Kerr

Grace Sinnott

Samuel Marr

Meg Lee

The Mill

Tamara Naomi Freeman

Lost Ones

Virgin EMI

Filmco.

Tiana Blake 'Interruption' by Sheena Brobbey

Tiana-Blake-'Interruption'-by-Sheena-Brobbey

Shan Phearon follows&nbsp;his impressive brace of videos for Ocean Wisdom with this slick and fast-moving&nbsp;visual for London Afrobeat star and rapper One Acen.In the action-packed video for Nigeria, One Acen confronts a gang of white-boilersuited intruders to his plush countryside pad, attempting to dodge death with&nbsp;enhanced powers and cool aplomb. And he does this&nbsp;again, and again, with a slight variation each time.&nbsp;This repetition comes within a framework of chapters, which follows the pattern of all successful movie franchises going through a range of iterations: Orginal, Sequel, Prequel, Remake and 'Interquel'.&nbsp;&nbsp;In each case, things become more sophisticated, more futuristic&nbsp;- until we reach the Reboot, and then things get seriously off the wall...Shan Phearon explained to us about how he came up with the idea for One Acen's Nigeria, and&nbsp;the making of the video.[imgtoken data:1]SHAN PHEARON ON MAKING ONE ACEN'S 'NIGERIA' VIDEO:How did you come up with this&nbsp;intriguing concept? SP: I think I just ended up down an IMDB rabbit hole one evening. And the most dangerous thing that can happen after that is an OPEN brief landing on the desk…!I’ve toyed with elements here for some years in my head and it only takes one vehicle to prototype.&nbsp;There may be analogies around ‘battling your demons’ in the piece, and the overarching [concept] here speaks to the theme of ‘time’ - we can try to bend it, but it endures, it destroys, it births, it cycles. I find myself cycling back to that every so often.<blockquote>We can try to bend time, but it endures, it destroys, it births, it cycles.</blockquote>And how did you convince One Acen that it would work? We talked on the phone one-on-one, late, a Sunday night. We both had appreciation for progressive hip-hop filmmaking from the last 25 years. We spoke about Marvel's Cinematic Universe, Fast &amp; Furious, Star Wars and the last decade of film trends too. I shared with him my intrigue with some thoughtful lines in his writing: “...suicidal, so depressed”, personal demons the artist may have battled in his past. Acen also takes a big interest in the craft of film.&nbsp;The chemistry just clicked.Following that, the amount of trust Acen, his team, the label, our commissioner Nicola Sheppard and our executive producer Kareem Adeshina invested - they empowered me to do my thing for everyone with a high-level of creative freedom and captain the team, so I’m thankful for that dynamic.[imgtoken data:2]Are you referencing a particular movie or movies? Growing up I absorbed Spike Lee, Hype Williams, Wong Kar Wai, Gaspar Noé, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, amongst others. Those are some heroes, so maybe something from each of their schools of filmmaking ebbs into my processes now and again.I feel also deeply influenced by musicians, like Timbaland and J-Dilla, borrowing their philosophies.&nbsp;So there’s a few cross-pollinations in this video, whilst fusing some post-Covid world textures. On every project I ultimately set out to design something that sits in the modern world and speak to it now and to what might come next. Nostalgia’s fine, but my heart’s in futurism.<blockquote>We shot economically and with precise intent, whilst leaving room for lightning-in-a-bottle moments.</blockquote>Did you manage to do it all in one night? Where as it filmed? It was a strategic 2pm till 2am operation! Plus copious pre-production, my storyboarding, etc., and Avengers assembled. We shot economically and with precise intent, whilst leaving just enough room for sporadic lightning-in-a-bottle moments that can never be foreseen in pre-production.I have to show love to the streamlined but deeply dedicated crew on this one as well, for their respect, and for exemplary support and production from Greatcoat Films. Pulling this humble production off in a post-Covid climate, we’re all proud.We also filmed somewhere in England… and the rest is movie magic ;-)[imgtoken data:3]I guess it could be seen as&nbsp;a satire on movie franchises. So are you pro- or anti-Franchise? That’s interesting, I am a big fan of satire in a world that takes itself quite seriously. Everything is some sort of construct, everyone has their version of the truth, so maybe that’s a subtle nihilism.I do want to speak to modern cinema though; I love big blockbusters as much A24 arthouse and I don’t believe very much in divides between high culture, or low culture, or film elitism, or pop trash. There's craft in it all. Especially in Europe and in video culture, film pretension lauds those trying to be Bergman, but what if you just feel a bit Michael Bay?<blockquote>I don’t believe in divides between high culture, or low culture, or film elitism, or pop trash.</blockquote>So whilst franchises have been painted as the death of mid-budget cinema, the writing and structural craftsmanship that goes into building one is undeniable and they can be fun as f**k. The gift and the curse. A cheeky side-note, like any good franchise - there are actually 'Easter Eggs' hidden in the certain frames of 'Nigeria'. If anyone spots them…[imgtoken data:4]And what's going on with the 'Reboot'? Well, I guess it’s a metaphor for anyone who ever felt like they needed a real second shot. But by all means, if anyone wants to help us expand our cinematic universe, holla. &nbsp;

Courtney Bennett

Director of Photography

Videos featuring Courtney Bennett

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