Executive Producer

Danny Herman

Noel Paul directs a suitably uncanny promo for Baxter Dury - the first of a series of videos ffor the lugubrious singer-songwriter.The video for&nbsp;Aylesbury Boy is a feverish, super-vibrant trip into Dury's subconscious. In the song, he is recounting moments from his own youth; in Paul's nightmarish&nbsp;approximation,&nbsp;he's terrorised by a devil, some goblins and a bunch of school kids.&nbsp;With cinematography by Ramzi Hibri,&nbsp;this has an otherworldly atmosphere, in the vein of Paul's&nbsp;UKMVA-winning video for Black Midi's Sugar/Tzu. Abstract imagery clashes head-on with a soft, almost romantic aesthetic, which creates an&nbsp;uncomfortabl yet riveting atmosphere, which seems to reflect a certain personal version of Hell.“Wes Anderson, The Shining, Jabberwocky...&nbsp;Noel has made something so intuitive and beyond my expectations," says Baxter Dury of the video for Aylesbury Boy. "It reminds me of how inventive and creative video making used to be and still can be.”[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Charlotte Brason

Sholto Price

Noel Paul

Manoela Chiabai

FRIEND

Ramzi Hibri

Rose Esme Lucas

Syd Harmony

Lucy James

Alternative

Indie

Rock

Baxter Dury 'Aylesbury Boy' by Noel Paul

Baxter-Dury-'Aylesbury-Boy'-by-Noel-Paul

<h3>In the latest of our new series asking British music video-makers about their experiences last year and thoughts on the coming year, we talk to Danny Herman - Head of Music Videos at FRIEND.</h3>Danny reflects on his first year in the job, having previously worked as a talent agent, and making an impact with some ambitious projects - and how he is setting himself some big goals in 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;2022How would you describe last year in a few words?Pretty eye-opening! I hadn’t worked in production since my running days, over ten years ago... fml I'm getting old!&nbsp;What was your favourite project or projects you worked on last year?Our experience making the video for Black Midi's Sugar/Tzu&nbsp;was truly amazing. Our crew was absolutely magical, going above and beyond what was required.Noel Paul, Manoela Chiabai and I spent endless evenings casting, while our two incredible producers in Beirut and London moved&nbsp;heaven and earth to make sure we had the best tools possible: Manoela travelled&nbsp;across England to find rogue lenses and wrangle monkeys; Ayo Gohsn in Beirut organised&nbsp;43 biker couples to show up at midnight under a highway.[vidtoken data:0]Above: Black Midi's Sugar/Tzu, directed by Noel PaulOur amazing DoP's&nbsp;proved their credentials as two of the most badass music video DoPs, with Jake Scott jumping on the back of a motorbike with his Alexa Mini circling our boxing ring and Ramzi Hibri throwing cables from up the highway down to the crew in Beirut shooting in the middle of a bike ring of death.The whole experience was one of the most collaborative I've&nbsp;ever seen on any set. Our whole team, including our beautiful ‘Hulks’ and our sweet kid protagonist would help move our ring across East London studios and clean fake blood from the studio. We all left the shoot knowing we had created a fantastic video.<blockquote>I thought that Music Video EPs&nbsp;were pulling my leg with the deals they were offering for crew... I totally understand now.</blockquote>I [also] had the pleasure of being a small part of Noah Lee’s video for 070 Shake’s Skin and Bones&nbsp;and I think it's truly special. It was my first time shooting in LA and with Noah. We ended up shooting all over the place, including ranches and LA staples like Canters and the Swans. We had a huge array of snogging cast members and Marilyn Monroe impersonators, and we finished the shoot at the iconic Palace Theatre with a truck outside drenching Shake with a rain machine.This video was an absolute hustle from start to finish, and we almost missed the deadline as Noah had spent sleepless nights finishing the edit and passed out an hour before delivery. He absolutely smashed it. But my girlfriend won't miss my and Noah's 4am calls.[vidtoken data:1]Above: 070 Shake's Skin and Bones, directed by Noah LeeAny other project you enjoyed that deserved more attention, or went under the radar?Despite having around 1.6 million views, it feels like our video for Def Leppard went slightly under the radar. Helmed by the iconic Anuk Rhode, who directed the video seven months pregnant during a freezing February in Cambridge, and lensed by her boyfriend Pat Aldinger (talk about a power couple), her intrinsic attention to styling, makeup and production design was really inspiring.We had models and actors travelling from all over the world&nbsp;and received the funniest first round of feedback that I sadly won't be able to repeat. It was definitely one of the most hardcore shoots we did last year, but it was really energising.What were the best aspects of the job last year?I really wasn’t sure what I was walking into when I decided to make the move over to FRIEND. But I don’t think I’ve ever met so many legends in such a short space of time.[vidtoken data:2]Above: Def Leppard's Kick, directed by Anuk RhodeWhat were the most challenging aspects of the job last year?Having spent six years on the other side as a talent agent at Lux Artists I always thought that Music Video EPs&nbsp;were pulling my leg with the deals they were offering for crew...&nbsp;Hot damn - I totally understand now.Best or favourite video or videos last year that you weren’t involved with?I really loved Ebeneza Blanche's video with <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/09/10/little-simz-ft-obongjayar-point-and-kill-ebeneza-blanche/72741" target="_blank">Lil Simz and Obongjayar</a>,&nbsp;and as always Frank LeBon never disappoints. His link up with <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/07/24/pretty-sick-human-condition-frank-lebon/79842" target="_blank">Pretty Sick</a> was dope.What was other cultural highlight (or highlights) of the year?One of the best parts of this job is meeting people from all over, and I’ve worked and travelled with icons in Beirut, Kiev, Nairobi and Burundi to name a few.Any other personal experience that defines 2022 for you? Realising although I love it, I’m f**king shit at bowling.<blockquote>We need to do all we can to keep such a creative industry flowing,&nbsp;inspiring new generations of filmmakers.</blockquote>2023What are you looking forward to in 2023 – both for work and for other parts of your life?I kicked off this year doing a really special charity project in Burundi with one of my directors <a href="https://friendlondon.tv/directors/dawit?cat-musicvideos#cat-musicvideos" target="_blank">Dawit</a>. Really hope to do more of these.Have you set work objectives for this year and if so, what are they?WIN EVERY PITCH.Who are the up-and-coming talents that you think will break through this year – or at least deserve to be successful?We’ve just signed the magnetic <a href="https://friendlondon.tv/directors/india-harris?cat-liveaction#cat-liveaction" target="_blank">India Harris</a> who I really believe is going to make waves in music videos. <a href="https://friendlondon.tv/directors/chirolles-khalil?cat-musicvideos#cat-musicvideos" target="_blank">Chirolles Khalil</a> is developing into an absolute machine of a director. <a href="https://friendlondon.tv/directors/paul-herrmann?cat-liveaction#cat-liveaction" target="_blank">Paul Herrman</a> made his first music video last year for Lava La Rue,&nbsp;immediately notching a UKMVA nom and is producing more and more magic.Last but not least,&nbsp;<a href="https://friendlondon.tv/directors/bleu-d%C3%A9sert?cat-liveaction#cat-liveaction" target="_blank">Bleu Désert</a>, nominated as Best New Directors at last years UKMVAs,&nbsp;will make the jump to Best Director(s).&nbsp;[vidtoken data:3]Above: Lava La Rue's Hi-Fidelity ft Biig Piig, directed by Paul HerrmanWhat is your prediction for the direction of the industry in 2023? And what will be the big trends for the year ahead?The death of TikTok (sadly never going to happen). I think there will definitely be more long form-esque videos and my hope, especially for small budget stuff, is that artists engage directors to do their whole campaign instead of just one video.<blockquote>It'd be great for directors to get paid for their&nbsp;pitches.</blockquote>Any other comments about the current environment for music video production and music video creativity? What are the issues that we should be most concerned with?This is a question that I think will generate the most similar answers, but as budgets shrink so do young creatives incomes and we really need to do all we can to make sure were able to keep such a creative industry flowing and&nbsp;inspiring new generations of filmmakers.If you could ‘make a wish’, and reform or change the environment in which you work in one way, what would you wish for?Going back to my answer above about budgets – more transparency on actual budgets and how many people are pitching on certain jobs. It'd be great for directors to get paid for their&nbsp;pitches.• Danny Herman is Head of Music Video at <a href="https://friendlondon.tv/" target="_blank">FRIEND</a>

State of Play: Danny Herman, FRIEND 

Black-Midi--'Sugar/tzu'-by-Noel-Paul

070 Shake – Skin and Bones (Official Video)

Def Leppard - Kick (Official Music Video)

Lava-La-Rue-'High-Fidelity'-by-Paul-Herrmann

Colin Solal Cardo follows his <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/11/21/kimbra-replay-colin-solal-cardo/79358">hypnotic promo for Kimbra</a> with something much more down to Earth, in this breezy, uplifting&nbsp;piece&nbsp;for&nbsp;Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.&nbsp;The video for Easy Now features Milly Alcock (of&nbsp;House Of Dragons fame), and sees her character move from despair to euphoria, as she tears up the streets of London.Watched over by Gallagher himself - who chills on the sidelines, in a brief yet very welcome cameo - the video is anchored by a wonderful performance from Alcock, as she jumps on cars, disrupts groups of pigeons and eventually does a victorious run down the middle of the road, full of glee.&nbsp;A poignant concept which cements the fact that music has the ability to transcend, elevate and pull you out of yourself on the darkest of days.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Ellie Kowslowski

Maeva Berthelot

Ellie Walker

Colin Solal Cardo

Alessia Lendrum

Emily Tedrake

Greg Probert

Jeremy Valender

Lily Ashton

Rose Lucas

Rick Woollard

Jess Saunders

Mark Gee

Amelia Tavenner

Amy Brandon

Lucy Berry

Final Cut

Kaytlin Battisheli

Ethos Studio

Wash

Jon Evans

Milly Alcock

Ignition Records

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 'Easy Now' by Colin Solal Cardo

Noel-Gallagher's-High-Flying-Birds-'Easy-Now'-by-Colin-Solal-Cardo

Ruth Hogben directs a feisty, witty and hugely stylish&nbsp;promo for Bree Runway's That Girl.&nbsp;A&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of conceptual fashion setups and hypnotic editing, the video echoes Noughties hip-hop videos with a contemporary pop twist.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Boasting Runway-ready styling and a standout performance, it's another hit for the artist which will no doubt hold its own in an already iconic videography.&nbsp;Exceptional work from Ruth Hogben, best known for her work in fashion photography and film work, and her long creative partnership with Lady Gaga. And this collab with Bree also looks like a match made in heaven...&nbsp;

Anna Trevelyan

Ruth Hogben

Arabella Kemp

Robin Brigham

Natasha Duursma

Matt Gyton

Josh Jacob

Esther Adushi

Seraiah Hair Artistry

Tomi

Lydia Chan

Bree Runway 'That Girl' by Ruth Hogben

Bree-Runway-'That-Girl'-by-Ruth-Hogben

Pavel Brenner’s buoyant, sun-soaked promo is the perfect accompaniment to Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs' latest indie banger.In the video for Never Seen You Dance,&nbsp;we follow two girls who are studying at&nbsp;‘TEED University’, listening to the track Never Seen You Dance through shared headphones. One of them starts dancing, egging on the&nbsp;other to join her, and then it develops and builds, into a roaming dance-off the university library,&nbsp;until they are perfectly in sync.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]From a realistic premise, Brenner and his team provide a delightfully cinematic execution which takes this into somewhere special. The library location&nbsp;turns out to be the ideally spacious environment&nbsp;for the dance adventure, adding a touch of reality, and a place where the sequence can play out in a series of long takes, choreographed by Bret Easterling and shot by DoP Emmett Sutherland.Most importantly, Brenner captures the personality of&nbsp;the two girls - played by Zen Waterford and Sophie Frilot - and the palpable chemistry between them. So you are invested. Lovely work.&nbsp;

United States

Camilla Gai

Krissie Torgerson

Pavel Brenner

Dagger

Emmett Sutherland

Connor Lambert

Bret Easterling

Terezka Fras

Daniel de Vue

Zen Waterford

Sophia Frilot

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 'Never Seen You Dance' by Pavel Brenner

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Never Seen You Dance

Noel Paul teams up with math rock tyros black midi to create an&nbsp;extraordinary visual for the latest release for their new&nbsp;album Hellfire - released today -&nbsp;bringing the outlandish lyrics of Sugar/Tzu to life as&nbsp;a brutal, utterly surreal&nbsp;boxing match.Visceral and colourful in equal measure, with pulsatingly textural cinematography by Jake Scott, Paul has created a scenario that places the&nbsp;action within&nbsp;the untethered logic of a dream - or nightmare. It's a mesmerizing visual accompaniment to an&nbsp;intense&nbsp;stream-of-unconsciousness from vocalist Geordie Greep, that's tied closely to the lyrics' off-kilter, wildly random subject matter.[imgtoken data:1]Greep makes as close to an appearance in the video as you get from the band themselves - providing lipsync to the&nbsp;rhesus monkey that acts as master of ceremonies for the contest. And in the song, this lurid display of pugilistic&nbsp;prowess&nbsp;is interrupted by the actions of a young boy who approaches ringside, and pulls out a shooter.The campaign for the new black midi album has already produced two videos that are blinders - Gustaf Holtenäs's video for Hell; Maxim Kelly's for Eat Men Eat - and this is just as good. It really packs a punch.[imgtoken data:2]

Bon Walsh

Tom Travis

Krunal Saardrani

Jake Scott

Alisa Tritenko

Sam Rawlings

Steph Hornby

Joe Youens

Belal Hibri

Joey Dallas Cowboy

Osh Veda

Martha West

Christabel West

Rough Trade

black midi 'Sugar/Tzu' by Noel Paul

Chirolles Khalil directs a reflective promo for Dermot Kennedy.&nbsp;Sat at a piano in the middle of a jet black studio environment, we see Kennedy perform as the camera moves fluidly around the space.&nbsp;At the first chorus, the walls are suddenly covered in white cloth, with a sea of images projecting over them - including footage from previous videos, narrative snapshots and graphic typography.&nbsp;It's a beautifully executed project, anchored by a heart-rending performance from the artist.&nbsp;

Chirolles Khalil

Theo Hue Williams

Katie Dolan

Fola Abtan

Akay Delano

Sebastian Jolly

Eyaz Chishty

Marissa Yessin

Vanessa Reynolds

Edit Egg

Andi Chu

Island Records

Singer songwriter

Dermot Kennedy 'Dreamer' by Chirolles Khalil

Dermot-Kennedy-'Dreamer'-by-Chirolles-Khalil

Lava La Rue heads out for a trippy night out in London&nbsp;with her friends, in Paul Herrmann's absorbing video for the blissful High Fidelity.The Berlin-based director creates a colourful, soulful mood, populated by a riveting cast of supporting characters, that is both super-cool and super-lovely. And that is very much in keeping with the style and&nbsp;vibe of Lava and her associate artists in the Nine8 Collective in the past few years.There's even a sweet cameo&nbsp;by fellow Nine8 creative Biig Piig, sultrily appearing on TV screens during the course of this memorable, mesmerizing evening.&nbsp;

Paul Herrmann

Scarlett Anderson

Nicola Sheppard

Shaun Waldie

Nathalie Pitters

Tommy McMahon

Anil Duru

Nastya Cherkasyuk

Molly Hackney

Tsuyoshi Tamai

Dasha Taivas

Emma Regan

Josh Mannox

Trim Editing

Denis Reva

Lucid Post

Soul

Electronic

Lava La Rue ft Biig Piig 'High Fidelity' by Paul Herrmann

Noel Paul directs a gritty yet heartwarming promo for Ezra Furman.&nbsp;The video focuses on an unlikely pickup after a rough night at a rowdy dive bar. We see the main character - played by Elizabeth Scopel - dazed and confused, attempting to lose themselves with macho boozers&nbsp;on the dancefloor, before getting accidentally whacked on the head and knocked to the floor by an overenthusiastic patron.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Elizabeth is picked up by NY cabaret personality and actor Daphne Always, who drives her to a hotel, cleans her up and sees the sunset in with a cigarette.&nbsp;This is terrific work by Noel Paul, beautifully shot by DoP&nbsp;Gabe Harden. The cinematic aesthetic and use of colour evokes vintage arthouse fare, and perfectly encapsulates the narrative concept.&nbsp;

Luke Carr

Elena Lark

Raven Jensen

Graeme Dempsey

Gabe Harden

Logan Quarles

Elizabeth Scopel

Daphne Always

Ezra Furman 'Forever In Sunset' by Noel Paul

Ezra-Furman-'Forever-In-Sunset'-by-Noel-Paul

Noah Lee reunites with&nbsp;Danielle Balbuena - aka&nbsp;070 Shake - to make his second mesmerizing&nbsp;and dreamlike video&nbsp;for the New Jersey-born rapper, following their marvellous collaboration on <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2019/08/01/070-shake-nice-have-noah-lee/60087" target="_blank">Nice To Have</a>.In the video Skin &amp; Bones, Lee deconstucts the process of making the video for Skin &amp; Bones, with meta-fictional layering of 070 Shake's own part of the process, and those of the extras that populate the set.After the initial photographic studio set-up - inspired by The Master?&nbsp;-&nbsp;Shake engages in the big video set-piece, symbolically assuming weighty NFL-style shoulder-pad gear, and becoming drenched in studio rain. The extras of all shapes, sizes and ages take up their positions in different scenes as couples.[imgtoken data:1]And then Lee brilliantly defies expectations again, in unexpected ways - both heartwarming and chilling.This is his first video since signing with FRIEND in London for UK representation for music videos and commercials. The video, shot around Los Angeles is a co-production between FRIEND and HPLA.&nbsp;

Tyler Evans

Harper Slate

Juliana Bassi

Juliann McCandles

Noah Lee

Ryan Hahn

Hpla

Patrick Golan

Janelle J Lee

Tomislav Culina

Karim Belkasami

Mackenzie Myers

Angus Bernsen

Holly Sillius

Kaitlyn Battistelli

Def Jam Records

070 Shake 'Skin & Bones' by Noah Lee

070-Shake-'Skin-&-Bones'-by-Noah-Lee

French-Cuban sister duo Ibeyi scale the desert with Jorja Smith, in&nbsp;Lucrecia Taormina's captivating promo for Lavender and Red Roses.&nbsp;We see the artists trek through the midst of a sandy landscape, following the line of a rope to a well in the middle of the desert. They pour a jug full of lavender and red rose petals into the well - where, at the bottom a&nbsp;mysterious masked man digs further downwards.&nbsp;Arguably this&nbsp;abstract narrative explores themes of femininity and divine energy, suggesting it is time to 'cut the cord', and stop relying on women to pull up men who are not actively helping themselves or looking for ways to improve their own situation. But&nbsp;the&nbsp;beauty of the visual, the magic of Taormina' concept,&nbsp;lies in the various ways in which to read the unfolding action.[imgtoken data:1]Taormina weaves this ambiguous and metaphorical&nbsp;tale in her characteristic&nbsp;hyperreal style - not in a real desert, we suspect, but a very convincing studio and VFX-created approximation of one. A certain episode of&nbsp;Squid Game&nbsp;may also springs to mind while watching this too.[imgtoken data:2]Once distracted by the petals, the man stops digging, and grabs the rope.&nbsp;Initially, the women&nbsp;pull with all their strength, to help&nbsp;him to climb up, but... then the rope is cut.[imgtoken data:3]

Francesca Di Mottola

Holly Shearn

Joshua Gochez

Oliver Whitworth

Holly Wood

Lucrecia Taormina

Joshua Noon

Luke Tierney

Aliyah Otchere

John Lynch

Jack Green

Cassius McCabe

Jeffrey Vine

Max Lincoln

Joseph Taylor

Assembly Rooms

Luke Morrison

Electric Theatre Company

Michelle Kruger

Wicked Pixels

Carl Jeppe

XL Recordings

Lane Casting

Ibeyi ft Jorja Smith 'Lavender And Red Roses' by Lucrecia Taormina

Ibeyi--'Lavender-And-Roses'-by-Lucrecia-Taormina

Noel Paul directs an alluring ghostly&nbsp;fantasy for Let's Eat Grandma.&nbsp;Following up his previous collaboration with the indie-pop duo on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/01/06/lets-eat-grandma-happy-new-year-noel-paul/74465">Happy New Year</a>, the video for Levitation depicts Jenny Hollingsworth from the band on a train&nbsp;ride, peering out of the window on a journey and seeing her reflection - played by&nbsp;bandmate Rosa Walton, mirroring her every move.As&nbsp;the train speeds on, Rosa develops an increasingly separate identity, and the dreamlike quality of the video begins to transcend&nbsp;the material world. Paul develops the train carriage vignette into an exhilarating scene of the pair flying through the skies together, hand in hand.Noel Paul has done a marvellous job with this strongly conceptual performance piece that&nbsp;dares to cast Jenny and Rosa as heroines in the tradition&nbsp;of classic English literature and film - an aesthetic also championed&nbsp;by artists such as&nbsp;Kate Bush and directors like Sophie Muller. It also carries forward the surrealism of the previous visual for Happy New Year - and encapsulates the haunting quality of the song.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Aisha Kemp

David Bird

Dan Henderson

Charlotte Hayde

Matt Nolan

Stephen Allwright

Teme Samuel

Lauren Webster

Let's Eat Grandma 'Levitation' by Noel Paul

Let's Eat Grandma - Levitation (Official Video)

Anuk Rohde directs a&nbsp;death-defying promo for iconic rockers Def Leppard.&nbsp;The video for Kick centres on&nbsp;a Wall Of Death carnival show, intercut between bikers' stunt driving and the group performing in the centre&nbsp;of the cylindrical structure.&nbsp;A cast of eccentric characters make up the supporting crowd - who watch on and celebrate the high octane event - and&nbsp;a series of portrait vignettes&nbsp;outside of the venue showcases the distinctive styling and makeup.&nbsp;The cinematography jumps between a grimy, shabby&nbsp;aesthetic and slow shutter black and white setups, which adds a textural, raw vibe to the&nbsp;concept.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

Anuk Rohde

Dominik Braz Bittrich

Def Leppard 'Kick' by Anuk Rohde

Danny Herman

Executive Producer

Interviews featuring Danny Herman

Videos featuring Danny Herman

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