Production Company

FRIEND

Baxter Dury observes the absurdities of love and courtship as characters from classic romanticist paintings come to life, in Noel Paul's impressive promo for Celebrate Me.&nbsp;In a dreamlike&nbsp;world which Paul established in his first Baxter Dury video for Aylesbury Boy,&nbsp;we see the whimsical, playful vignettes unravel with Baxter in the centre of it all, playing both narrator and spectator to the chaos.&nbsp;Slowly getting more and more enveloped by the dreamlike scenes, Baxter doesn't get a happy ending in this one, but the journey is certainly a lot of fun.&nbsp;Another great&nbsp;visual feast from Noel Paul - including&nbsp;a cameo from Friend EP&nbsp;Danny Herman.&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Charlotte Brason

Sholto Price

Noel Paul

Manoela Chiabai

Ramzi Hibri

Danny Herman

Alisa Tritenko

Rose Lucas

Syd Harmony

Lucy James

Belal Hibri

Heavenly Recordings

Indie Rock

Baxter Dury 'Celebrate Me' by Noel Paul

Baxter Dury - 'Celebrate Me' (Official Video)

Noel Paul directs an uncanny, bizarre and hilarious promo for Portland-based rock band Portugal. The Man - featuring unruly team mascot Tank Dog.&nbsp;Filmed (mostly) in Alaska - where the band originate - the video follows the all-pink character's anarchic progress through a snowbound community, bouncing between causing a nuisance and trying to find a sense of belonging in a series of eyecatching&nbsp;vignettes - including, most ominously, strapped to the roof of a moving monster truck, firing a machine gun.As the freezing conditions, and a group of young boys, get the better of Tank Dog, the climax of the video sees a sudden change in location -&nbsp;to a carnival in Colombia. It's quite possibly the most 'Noel Paul' video ever... a&nbsp;high compliment indeed.

United States

Rich Hutchins

Poormans Productions

Rock

Alternative

Portugal. The Man 'Dummy' by Noel Paul

Portugal. The Man - Dummy [Official Video]

FRIEND&nbsp;have&nbsp;announced the signing of India Harris to the production company's directors' roster, for representation in the UK and Netherlands.A self-taught director with a background in design and creative direction, India Harris has brought her punchy,&nbsp;colourful, tongue-in-cheek style to campaigns for Tinder, Nike,&nbsp;England's Women Euros 2022, Adidas, Puma and more.“We’re thrilled to have India join the FRIEND family,"&nbsp;says&nbsp;Managing Director/EP&nbsp;Luke Jacobs. "She’s been making waves in the industry with her creative and innovative approach to filmmaking and we’re so excited to get rolling.”&nbsp;India Harris adds: “Meeting the FRIEND team was like linking with old mates. Their work and roster has always been wicked and I felt like they fully understood my vision. I know we are going to be making some seriously spicy work together. Obviously a no-brainer and I’m so happy to be a part of the family.”• Watch India Harris’s reel at FRIEND <a href="https://friendlondon.tv/directors/india-harris#cat-liveaction" target="_blank">here</a>

FRIEND sign India Harris

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;

Rose Esme Lucas

Indie

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

Bleu Desert direct an exceptional promo for Ziak, exploring the duality of man and machine in a rain-slicked dystopia.The video for Même Pas is a&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of creativity, boasting experimental vignettes which unravel&nbsp;in a thrilling, unexpected way.&nbsp;The visual effects work here is also truly noteworthy, using realistic cutaway models to peek inside different mechanisms, including guns, cars and motorbikes - and in one poignant scene, a pregnant woman's stomach, packed with gears and cogs&nbsp;instead of a child.&nbsp;Condemned to withhold their feelings, men are condemned to become machines in this world, and Bleu Desert's stunning direction brings the concept to life in vivid detail.Absolutely brilliant.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

France

Till Duca Studio

Bleu Desert

Ocurens Content

Robin Germain

Valentin Petit

Mathieu Pérez

Antonin Bronès

Arthur Paux

Square Paris

Hip Hop

Ziak 'Même Pas un grincement' by Bleu Desert

Bleu-Desert-'Meme-Pas'-by-Bleu-Desert

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

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

Colin Solal Cardo directs a spectacular&nbsp;promo for New Zealand singer-songwriter Kimbra, blending movement and intimate expression to create a powerful performance montage.&nbsp;Moving at a breathless pace, the video for replay! sees the artist explore an empty studio space as she flips, bends and&nbsp;crawls, externalising a sense of primal instinct and self-discovery. It's breathtaking, it's brazen,&nbsp;and it's completely mesmerising.[imgtoken data:1]Centered on physicality and Kimbra's ownership of the space she inhabits - and the emotions that come with her performance - the video is a&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of dynamic cinematography and razor sharp editing, and will no doubt create a buzz for a long time to come.&nbsp;Stunning and standout work - and a brilliant return to the medium from the marvellous Colin Solal Cardo.&nbsp;

Candy Hagedorn

Nolwenn Grall Jaubert

La Pac

Théodore Hugonnier

Lola Idounda

Ernest Bouvier

Lucile Bertrand

Jenneke Croubels

Marco Novoa

Cutaway

Kaitlyn Battistelli

Kimbra 'replay!' by Colin Solal Cardo

Kimbra - replay!

A&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4nW5iKQghCxclMyavvfJQ8?si=eec77b41d074480f&amp;nd=1">new episode of The Promonews Podcast</a>&nbsp;is out today, featuring Noel Paul, a director who has made a stunning return to music videos over the past 18 months, talking about his UKMVA-winning video for Black Midi, the MVA-nominated video for Ezra Furman, and lots more, in a riveting chat with David and Rob at Promonews.On the Podcast - created in association with&nbsp;<a href="https://looptalent.co.uk/" target="_blank">Loop Talent</a>&nbsp;- Noel reveals the backstory of these and other recent projects, including a videos for Father John Misty, Lets Eat Grandma, a series of videos for Irish&nbsp;electronic artist Eden&nbsp;shot in Beirut, and reviving his longterm collaboration with singer-songwriter Rae Morris.The Brooklyn-based director - signed to <a href="http://friendlondon.tv/" target="_blank">FRIEND</a> in London&nbsp;- also talks about the early days of his career, when he was in the directing team That Go with Stefan Moore, as well as solo directing.&nbsp;And he discusses his period living and working in Beirut in the 2010s - where he returned recently&nbsp;to make the new videos for Eden.<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4nW5iKQghCxclMyavvfJQ8?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius:12px" width="100%"></iframe>This is the latest episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" target="_blank">The Promonews Podcast: Talking Music Videos, sponsored by&nbsp;Loop Talent</a>. The past year has seen the Podcast interview a range of creatives who are active making music videos right now,&nbsp;including KC Locke, Ali Kurr, Milo Blake,&nbsp;Fred Rowson, Rick Joaquim and Nathan James Tettey.Other recent interviewees include Aoife McArdle discussing her path from music video director to director and producer on Apple TV+'s&nbsp;Severance;&nbsp;pioneering music video&nbsp;director Andy Morahan discussing his wild times with Guns 'n Roses, on the 30th anniversary of his video for November Rain; and director Sam Brown talking about working with Adele.&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Promonews Podcast interviewees include Kasper Haggstrom, Olivia Rose, Sam Davey, Rik Burnell, Sophia Ray, Mayling Wong,&nbsp;Lee Fairweather, Lucrecia Taormina, Salomon Ligthelm, RUFFMERCY and&nbsp;Louis Bhose.• Listen to&nbsp;The Promonews Podcast&nbsp;with Noel Paul on&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4nW5iKQghCxclMyavvfJQ8" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, and other platforms.

The Promonews Podcast: new episode with Noel Paul out now!

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

It's the countdown to the Year 2000 in this otherworldly promo for Toro Y Moi by&nbsp;Kid. Studio -&nbsp;aka&nbsp;Glenn Michael and Vincent Tran.In an ordinary&nbsp;hospital, we see a group of inpatients anxiously waiting for the clock to hit twelve, but just moments before the big celebration, they turn to see an alien version of Toro Y Moi - aka&nbsp;Chaz Bear - ready to perform.&nbsp;Cue a bizarre performance in the main room, as the two nuns nominally running the place hang about in the halls smoking, play fighting and being unholy, eventually joining in with the party.&nbsp;The brilliant SFX makeup and strange colour treatments - e.g. having the band performance super desaturated as opposed to the rest of the room - help elevate this feeling of peculiarity.&nbsp;Extraterrestrial entertainment at its finest, this would probably be a best-case scenario for alien invasion - and is endlessly enjoyable and fun to watch unfold.&nbsp;

Kid. Studio

Alex Dall’orso

Colossale

Patrick Golan

Christian Tyler

Vince Tran

Redrik Barbaza

Toro Y Moi ft The Mattson 2 'Millenium' by Kid. Studio

Toro-Y-Moi-'Millenium'-by-Kid.studio

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;

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

Sam Rawlings

Steph Hornby

Joe Youens

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

London-based production company <a href="http://friendlondon.tv/" target="_blank">FRIEND</a> have announced that Noah Lee has joined their commercials and music video roster.Lee is an award-winning film and music video director, born in London and dividing his time between his birthplace and Los Angeles.&nbsp;His second video for US rapper 070 Shake has just been released - Lee and 070 Shake are pictured above on the set of Skin &amp; Bones&nbsp;- which was co-produced by FRIEND and LA-based company HPLA.&nbsp;Lee wrote, directed and edited his first short at the age of 23 - which was then nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest - and he has gone on to win widespread acclaim and awards for subsequent work, being featured at festivals worldwide and gaining enormous credibility online, including several Vimeo Staff Picks and Best of Month selections.&nbsp;In 2020, his&nbsp;video for Nice To Have, his first for 070 Shake, won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW. He has also garnered&nbsp;numerous UKMVA nominations in the past few years, winning a Best Newcomer&nbsp;award in 2016, as then Best R&amp;B/Soul Video UK in 2021, for his video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/06/14/celeste-tonight-tonight-noah-lee/71428" target="_blank">Celeste's Tonight Tonight</a>."It's an overused phrase, but Noah truly is a visionary filmmaker with the awards to back it up," comments FRIEND MD Luke Jacobs.&nbsp;"We're thrilled he's joined FRIEND."• Watch Noah&nbsp;Lee's showreel at FRIEND <a href="http://friendlondon.tv/directors/noah-lee#cat-liveaction" target="_blank">here</a>

Noah Lee

Noah Lee signs to FRIEND for UK representation

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

070 Shake 'Skin & Bones' by Noah Lee