Greatcoat Films produce stand-out work for brands, creative agencies and musicians. We represent a diverse and eclectic family of writers, directors, animators and producers, bringing a rich range of perspectives and expertise to our work. We tell stories on-point, in a unique and visually dynamic way.

Production Company

Greatcoat Films

Dir. Lx directs a contemplative&nbsp;promo for UK Garage icon Craig David, follows the artist and his younger self through a journey of self-reflection.&nbsp;The video for In Your Hands opens&nbsp;with a fun VFX scene of Craig splitting into the two version of himself, and proceeds with&nbsp;sun-kissed performance setups and breathtaking landscape shots - and references the artist's most famous video from back in the day. It's a lovely complement to the late summer track.&nbsp;"Having grown up listening to Craig David getting to work alongside him feels like an incredible full-circle moment," says Dir. Lx.&nbsp;"From paying homage to his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5lmb5-tnM0" target="_blank">7 Days&nbsp;video</a> through little Easter eggs to collaborating on the idea and coming up with a narrative following a younger version of him and his love for music, it’s been an honour to work with Craig and his team."We wanted to make this video vibrant, nostalgic and youthful. A young child discovering their favourite song that they can’t get enough of. Something we can all resonate with till this day."&nbsp;

Joe Munroe

Vivian Nwonka

Dir. Lx

Michelle Smith

Pierre Hall

Tom Nowell

Sam Mayer

Simon Oxley

Michael Grant

Michael Vega

Adam Fox

Scarlett Gardner

Maisie Boyd

Pyro

Tom Mangham

Black Kite Studios

Ethan Bywater

Believe

Craig David 'In Your Hands' by Dir. Lx

Craig-David-'In-Your-Hands'-by-Dir.-Lx

Kims Mihailovs blurs reality, refining the use of AI to create a subtly magical visual for Paul White.Mihailovs' video for Surreal follows the similarly AI-generated promo for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/08/23/paul-white-glory-stories-kims-mihailov/87839" target="_blank">Glory In Stories</a> for the electronic artist. Again it creates a dreamlike space around a female protagonist, and the craft is such that the combination of 'real'&nbsp;and surreal is smoothly realised, with any drift into the uncanny reduced to fine margins.Mihailovs explains the process began with an experiment to&nbsp;embrace the deformations&nbsp;and irregularities of AI models, and then working to erase the 'AI-ness' of the resulting imagery.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp; &nbsp;"The initial concept was to depict a person's fragmented memories, with the distorted imagery symbolising how details fade over time," says&nbsp;Mihailovs.&nbsp;"However, the resulting visuals ended up looking more like the generic AI-generated content often seen on social media. To avoid this, I took a different approach, focusing on quick cuts and simple shots to reduce the AI's presence."The final concept evolved into a play between the environment and the woman featured in the video, blurring the line between reality and illusion. Is it the creases in the duvet or her body? A flock of birds or her dance? A grapefruit or her lips? The video leaves these questions open, exploring the fluid boundary between past and present.[imgtoken data:2]"Creating a fully AI-generated video was a new and tedious process. Unlike traditional creative processes, where you can get lost in the act of creation, working with AI involves a lot of waiting. You generate images, wait, select the best ones, run them through video AI, and wait again. This interrupts the creative flow, though the technology's speed and results are rapidly improving."While generating images for each shot, I noticed a stop-motion effect when scrolling through similar images. Intrigued, I produced hundreds of images which resulted in the creation of the effect featured during the song's chorus."

United Kingdom

Kims Mihailov

R&S Records

Electronic

Paul White 'Surreal' by Kims Mihailovs

Paul White - Surreal (R&S Records)

AyChibs directs a strong and slick performance piece for Afrobeat star Yung Filly.Working on a tight schedule - there was less than a week from sign off to delivery - AyChibs creates an intiimate space for Yung Filly to deliver a heartfelt performance of Tempted, then creates a series of set-ups to build momentum until a climactic&nbsp;party scene.There's an astute use of colour in different scenes to create simple but classy backdrops. And&nbsp;ultimately its all&nbsp; working to highlight&nbsp;Yung Filly's charismatic performance.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

Maureen Kargbo

Ola Christian

Belle Mcleary

Danyal Nwajiobi-deacon

AyChibs

Mic Grant

André Reid-McKinley

Nathan James Tettey

Jordan Young

Tristan Chenais

Priscilla Babin

Ismah Ansari

Murray Boden

Hermes Contreras

Bradley Panda

Ibrahim Kanu

Patricia Kerry

Samuel Maton

Charlie Williams

Henry Howard

ELMNTL

Warner Music

Afrobeat

Yung Filly 'Tempted' by AyChibs

Yung-Filly-'Tempted'-by-Aychibs

Director and animator Kims Mihailov directs an atmospheric animated promo for producer Paul White.&nbsp;The video for Glory In Stories explores&nbsp;the relationship between inner joy and space, and how one can create a sense of freedom in a claustrophobic environment.&nbsp;Boasting a surreal yet dreamlike aesthetic, the video follows the protagonist s her desire to break free overwhelms her suffocating surroundings, and she is transported away from the city.&nbsp;Blending imaginative collages of spacious landscapes with ethereal textural elements, it's an absorbing video with a distinctive, singular style, with Mihailovs employing AI to generate the lead protagonist in the video.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I created 3D environments while maintaining a collage style for the characters, chopping up AI-generated photos of limbs in Photoshop to animate body parts separately," explains&nbsp;Mihailovs.&nbsp;"I used transform tools and distortions to simulate movement, ensuring that the environment's lighting matched the characters."This project also marked my first use of Video AI for close-up and dancing shots. The AI performed well for minimal movements, creating natural hair and head tilts, and its distortions during more intense motion perfectly complemented the video's blend of reality and imagination."[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Dance

Paul White 'Glory In Stories' by Kims Mihailov

Paul-White-'Glory-In-Stories'-by-Kims-Mihailov

Central Cee shows his sensitive side in Dir. Lx's lowkey but rewarding video for I Will, filmed in a wintry Brighton.Shot&nbsp;on 16mm, Cee's understated performance in a hotel room, is countered with vignettes&nbsp;of a girls' night out, including a girl who may be the object of his heartfelt lyrics.&nbsp;Lx uses the interplay of the performance and narrative to amplify the feeling behind Cee's words. It's a cinematic,&nbsp;fly-on-the-wall approach focussing on small moments, and its all the more impactful as a result. Very nice work indeed.&nbsp;

Billie Skuse-denley

Natasha Robert

Shaznay Bond

Lea Ogumlami

Daniel Millar

Sachin Parmar

Henry Gill

Renee Saliba

Marnz Brown

Harry Coleman

Oona Eloranta

Joe Munro

Aja Toylo

Sam Hardy

DOMA

Vlad Barin

CHEAT

Aurora Wintz

Sony Music

Hip Hop

Central Cee 'I Will' by Dir. Lx

Central-Cee-'I-Will'-by-Dir.-Lx

Larry June and The Alchemist head to Amsterdam, in Dir. Lx's promo for Turkish Cotton.Keeping things slick and pared back, the video features a series of breezy performance setups, blended with carefree city shots and innovative cutaways.&nbsp;It's imbued with Dir. Lx's trademark carefully crafted,&nbsp;glossy vignettes, and has a fresh, contemporary feel throughout.&nbsp;

United States

Emily Davis

Dayo Moshood

Achille Patou

Toby Leary

Micheal Newton

Thijs Van Geenhuizen

Lee Delves

Job Reuten

Larry June & The Alchemist 'Turkish Cotton' by Dir. Lx

Larry-June-Ft-The-Alchemist--'Turkish-Cotton'-by-Dir.lx

Dir.Lx directs an impressive&nbsp;promo for M Huncho's Crazy Titch.&nbsp;In a montage of inspired performance vignettes, we see Huncho celebrating his life and the hustle that got him to where he is today, with plenty of creative flair and striking imagery.&nbsp;Lx imbues the visual with his trademark camera movement, smooth transitions and an ever so slightly offbeat vibe to the whole concept - and it's brilliant.&nbsp;It's a new era for M Huncho, and a collab with Dir.Lx is the perfect way to kick it all off.&nbsp;

Levile TV

Emily Davies

Orlando Riches

Arran Green

Georgia Rae Stering-grant

Ayokunle Delano

Marcus Albertsen

Eyaz Chishty

James Huthwaite

Joe Monroe

Kaz Ove

Trapwave

M Huncho 'Crazy Titch' by Dir.Lx

M-Huncho-'Crazy-Titch-'-by-Dir.lx

As part of a series of 'micro music videos' created for U2's new album Songs Of Surrender - where the band have revisited some of their biggest songs, interpreting them afresh - Shan Phearon has given I Will Follow a visual that subverts expectations, and offers its timeless theme&nbsp;contemporary relevance: a powerful snapshot of inner-city drill culture.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;U2 frontman Bono's lyrics for the song - from their debut album Boy, and their first ever hit -&nbsp;were written from the&nbsp;perspective of his mother Iris, who died when he was 14.&nbsp;Bono's slightly revised lyrics ("A boy tries hard to be a man, His mother lets go of his hand, A gift of grief will bring a voice to life.") form the basis of his new performance of the song, more than 40 years since the original.[imgtoken data:1]Meanwhile Phearon's fiercely energetic 60 second visual stands as a counterpoint to Bono's reflective delivery, showcasing boys performing the Drill dance style known as Sturdy. The&nbsp;seeming clash of styles and cultures&nbsp;quickly recedes as the lyrics start to chime with the lives of the young&nbsp;males of today - and their dancing fits smoothly into the rhythm of the track.It stands within the whole <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL80sr_OFD9CEFSpXyOd9ePokYOzxIUdOO" target="_blank">Songs Of Surrender&nbsp;one minute video series, by over 40 Creators</a> -&nbsp;in portrait&nbsp;mode only. It appears on YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnHNzqAvudQ&amp;list=PL80sr_OFD9CEFSpXyOd9ePokYOzxIUdOO&amp;index=35" target="_blank">like this</a>, but you can enjoy the 'full-frame' version here.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;&nbsp;"UK drill has been one of the most influential youth music movements in the world," says Phearon.&nbsp;"It’s born from teen nihilism, disenfranchisement, low income areas, violence, trauma, alienation. Like rebellious punk and grime before, UK Drill is a response to broken British politics. UK Drill culture has codes: mythos, uniform, language, hand gestures, environment, dance. The Drill dance style - like Hip-Hop adjacent 'conflict styles' Breakdancing or Krump battling in eras past - is known as Sturdy."I was thinking about themes behind U2’s debut Boy&nbsp;LP... adolescence, teen angst, coming of age, etc. I thought: let’s reframe these through a modern European inner-city youth lens.&nbsp;I saw natural connections between U2's early themes and alienation, parenting, childhood trauma, teen behavioural issues, other deeper ideas around UK Drill and modern street culture youth.[imgtoken data:3]"It felt visually unexpected from U2 and uncommon in rock/alternative. UK Drill, integrated into the thematic universe of one of the great universal bands of all time, in an organic crossover moment - we hadn’t seen this cross-pollination done yet."More than anything though, I think it’s cool to see modern Rap and Rock n’ Roll ideas find common ground."

Shan Phearon

Jordan Rowley

Terrence O’Connor

Kevin Kloecker

Interscope Records

Rock

U2 'I Will Follow' by Shan Phearon

U2 - I Will Follow

Two music genres&nbsp;battle for supremacy&nbsp;in Sau Ali's stylish yet gritty promo for Jords and Lil Sykes' Drill Vs Grime.&nbsp;The narrative follows the artists as they&nbsp;enter an abstract simulation, in which the two genres go head-to-head in a high-energy showdown.Sau Ali recreates a street environment, in which both types of music emerged, in a studio environment - a rather brilliant move.&nbsp;It was also shot by DoP Henry Gill on black and white 16mm film - Kodak Double-x 7222&nbsp;-&nbsp;that adds another layer of texture to the visual.&nbsp;"The track is militant and explosive. I wanted to complement that by exploring the iconography of the two genres," says Sau Ali. "The ‘Street Monolith’ (concrete wall) that Jords &amp; Lil Sykes stand either side of; the huge speaker cone that pulsates above it; and the severed island street scenes... they all speak to these British genres’&nbsp;cultural kinship and shared DNA.[imgtoken data:1]"I wanted to create an experience that emphasised the retrospective theme but leaned towards a surreal tone to match the abstract narrative. DoP Henry Gill bought that to life. Shooting on 16mm and heading down a moody and nocturnal direction that I wanted the world to exist in."Production designer Jade Adeyemi essentially created the entire world. I wanted everything to look like we’d lifted it from real places. Jade understood and accomplished that beautifully."I worked closely on this concept with talented VFX artist Lee Delves before the job was even commissioned. We wanted to achieve an exaggerated visual that still maintained its authenticity. The ‘Genre Morphing’ shot (Jords &amp; Lil Sykes standing on either side of the street monolith) was intended to be achieved ‘in camera’ but budget limitations meant Lee was tasked with creating the shot in post - which actually accomplished the otherworldly&nbsp;sentiment that I was looking for, and is an example of how limitations can lead to great creative solutions in a music video."

Jade Adeyemi

Andrew Patrick

Sau Ali

Benson Udia

Conrad Russell

Georgia Rae Sterling-grant

Danny Rumbelow

Gordon Wong

Daniela Rotaru

Glassworks London

EMI Records

Kodak

Grime

drill

Jords ft Lil Sykes 'Drill Vs Grime' by Sau Ali

Jords-Ft-Lil-Sykes-'Drill-Vs-Grime'-by-Sau-Ali

Dir. Lx&nbsp;directs a slick performance promo for Unknown T featuring Knucks.&nbsp;The video for Right Hand blends dreamlike art direction with opulent locations and playful performances, creating an effervescent energy that bursts off the screen.&nbsp;Dir. Lx channels his frenetic, textural style into every scene of the video, jumping between narrative and conceptual snapshots with flair.&nbsp;

Leah Abbott

Lucky Light

Quinn Titsworth

Ferencz Radnai

Sandra Spethmann

Oriane Playner

Nadym Benbakar

Antonin Rubagotti

Salome Carlsen

Daniel Afonso

Lamine Diakite

Stéphanie Villey

Island Records

UK Rap

Unknown T ft Knucks 'Right Hand' by Dir. Lx

Unknown-T-Ft-Knucks-'Right-Hand'-by-Dir.lx

Thea Gajic directs a second promo for singer-songwriter Mychelle, exploring how we deal with the emotional turmoil of a breakup.&nbsp;The concept sees a young woman set up a camera in the corner of her house, just in time to capture her ex-boyfriend collecting the last of his things. From there, we see a montage of different moments - from dinner with friends through to arguments on the phone - all from the fixed vantage point the character set up herself.&nbsp;"I wanted to take the typical break-up story and use it to explore our self-obsession and what it might look like if we set up a camera to record ourselves in our worst moments," Gajic explains. "How self-aware are we? How self-aware do we actually want to be?"This question runs through the video, helping to give context to the narrative moments on-screen, and the eventual reset of the character's life, and her readiness to move forward.&nbsp;With a gentle, realistic aesthetic, it's a new spin on the breakup video, with plenty of engaging visuals throughout.&nbsp;

Elena Muntoni

Manni Kaur

Thea Gajic

Erin Corrian-Alexis

Ivor Alice

Shaka Agina

Lara Olutunmogun

Michael Baugh

Jak Waughman

Ethan Turner

Amy Dang

Andi Chu

Kieran Taylor-ford

Abi Corbett

FAMM

Singer songwriter

Mychelle 'Hurt' by Thea Gajic

Mychelle-'Hurt'-by-Thea-Gajic

<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 Micheal Newton - Head of Music at Greatcoat&nbsp;Films.</h3>Having established himself as a freelance producer, Micheal&nbsp;looks back&nbsp;upon a busy first&nbsp;year at the helm at Greatcoat, and sets out a wishlist for improvements in the way music videos are made.<blockquote>Working with all the directors we have at Greatcoat has been special and exciting.</blockquote>2022How would you describe last year in a few words?Joyful and educational.What was your favourite project or projects you worked on last year?There were two: Dir Lx's video for&nbsp;Yung Filly ft Chip's Day 2 Day, and Thea Gajic's for&nbsp;Mychelle's Tightrope.[vidtoken data:0]&nbsp;Above:&nbsp;Yung Filly ft Chip's Day 2 Day by Dir. LxAny other project you enjoyed that deserved more attention, or went under the radar?Sau Ali's video for Stay Flee Get&nbsp;Lizzy x Lancey Foux x SL's Simple was severely under-looked. And also <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/05/05/knucks-ft-sl-nice-good-dir-lx/76247" target="_blank">Knucks's&nbsp; Nice and Good</a> by Dir Lx was a super-sick video.What were the best aspects of the job last year?Working with lots of super-talented producers and pairing them up with the right directors so each would bring the best out of the other. Also meeting and working with some lovely commissioners.[vidtoken data:1]Above:&nbsp;Mychelle's Tightrope by Thea GajicWhat were the most challenging aspects of the job last year?Managing budgets and expectations of both director, client, prod company and artist, while still trying to deliver a quality project you can be proud of.<blockquote>Music videos are wonderful... but sometimes it's like squeezing blood from a stone to make them.</blockquote>Best or favourite video or videos last year that you weren’t involved with?That <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/06/13/pharrell-ft-21-savage-tyler-creator-cash-cash-out-francois-rousselet/76822" target="_blank">21 Savage and Pharrell one [for Cash In Cash Out]</a> was spectacular. Refreshing to see a super creative project. In fact, pretty much anything that came out of France. Those lot&nbsp;are smashing it!!What were the trends (creative or otherwise) that you thought were most striking last year?Good question. I don’t look for&nbsp;trends, so it's a hard one to answer. But I think the addition of VFX into micro budgets has helped elevate videos quality much more.&nbsp;What was other cultural highlight (or highlights) of the year?Kendrick and Ab-Soul coming back out with music and visuals. On the UK front, Knucks having a strong year with visuals - and winning at the MOBOs. Dir Lx has been Knucks'&nbsp;partner-in-crime with all the super creative visuals he has provided.Also - Shan Phearon dropped one of the most mental videos I have seen in music videos recently with his Zack Snyder-inspired&nbsp;CGI work on Jazmin Bean's Carnage&nbsp;video.[vidtoken data:2]Above: Jazmin Bean's Carnage by Shan PhearonAny other personal experience that defines 2022 for you?Joining Greatcoat Films as Head of Music was a new challenge that I welcomed and think I did pretty well for my first year. Meeting and working with all the directors we have at Greatcoat has been special and exciting.<blockquote>Our industry needs more open and honest conversations, and for us to stick up for each other more.</blockquote>2023What are you looking forward to in 2023 – both for work and for other parts of your life?I look forward to trying my best like&nbsp;I did last year, with more quality work and exciting creatives that push me and the directors to grow. And as always, I'm&nbsp;trying to find the balance between work and my time. I want to invest more into myself this year as equally as I invest into work.Have you set work objectives for this year and if so, what are they?I am in the middle of thinking about that, and what I want out of this year for myself and the company.Who are the up-and-coming talents that you think will break through this year – or at least deserve to be successful?At Greatcoat - everyone!! Haha. But seriously... I think <a href="https://greatcoat.film/director/sau-ali/" target="_blank">Sau Ali</a> is a hot one to keep an eye for. <a href="https://greatcoat.film/director/thea-gajic/" target="_blank">Thea Gajic</a> is also someone that can do special things if given the opportunity like she has so far. Her second video for Mychelle, for Hurt, has just dropped.&nbsp;<a href="https://greatcoat.film/director/sannchia-gaston/" target="_blank">Sannchia Guston</a>&nbsp;is&nbsp;making some amazing ad work, but all the promo treatments she has written thus far are on the ball and special. She will be a big star to break through once she gets into her promo bag.Finally,&nbsp;I think <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bBKn4QXUqc" target="_blank">AyChibs</a> is another great newcomer to the scene that will flex his creative talent, Chibs has made some great individual work with little to no resources, and now with our backing, I think we will see even more incredible work from him.Sannchia and Chibs are both on CURATED which is the development roster&nbsp;we’ve been working on this past year and we'll be launching very soon.[vidtoken data:3]Above:&nbsp;Stay Flee Get Lizzy x Lancey Foux x SL's Simple by Sau AliWhat is your prediction for the direction of the industry in 2023? And what will be the big trends for the year ahead?Hopefully some more overseas shoots! I think the UK has used up most of their locations. You can spot a location and know where it is.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?Music videos are wonderful, and they allow us to be so creative - but sometimes it is like squeezing blood from a stone to make them.Here are my&nbsp;bullet points of my concerns with music video production:<ul><li>Not enough lead time in pre-production/not enough time in post-production.</li><li>Not enough money to demand fast and high-quality turnarounds - although we still make them happen.</li><li>There needs to be a rate card for the crew, even if this is broken down into budget criteria (eg, £5k-£15k, £16k-£25k etc). Each criteria has a rate card, as a producer haggling crew for favours and the rate is taxing.</li><li>Directors and Production Company needs more incentive for the work they put into these videos, some royalties or other form of profit.</li><li>Producers deserve to be paid better fees in music promos.</li></ul>&nbsp;This is just to name few of the things I see that could be improved.<blockquote>There needs to be a rate card for the crew,&nbsp;even if this is broken down into budget criteria.</blockquote>If you could ‘make a wish’, and reform or change the environment in which you work in one way, what would you wish for?&nbsp;Greatcoat has a great atmosphere around it and is very supportive. More generally, I think in our industry needs more open and honest conversations, and for us to stick up for each other more. Help welcome new talent into the industry with ease.&nbsp;Have you made any personal New Year resolutions? And if so, how’s it going?I have and it isn’t going so well at the moment! Work has taken over my life, the industry started off with a super bang. It's&nbsp;so busy at the moment, but I will get it back on track. Still got 11 months left in the year to get back on track...• Micheal Newton is Head of Music at <a href="https://greatcoat.film/" target="_blank">Greatcoat Films</a>

State Of Play: Micheal Newton, Greatcoat Films 

Yung Filly - Day To Day Ft. Chip (Official Video)

Mychelle-'Tightrope-'-by-Thea-Gajic-

Jazmin Bean - Carnage ft. Lucy Loone

Stay-Flee-Get-Lizzy-X-Lancey-Foux-X-Sl-'Simple'-by-Sau-Ali-

<h3>How did Shan Phearon make the remarkable CGI-fired ode to auto-destruction that is his second video for controversial alt-pop artist Jazmin Bean? David Knight quizzed the Greatcoat Films director to find out.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;In making his music videos, Shan Phearon has become renowned for his drive for perfection for his music artists. It has resulted in a series of beautifully-crafted music videos&nbsp;for the likes of Potter Payper, Nines, Rimzee, Tiggs Da Author and Jvck James.&nbsp;Often the&nbsp;videos of Phearon's featured&nbsp;on Promonews have&nbsp;been the Director's Cut&nbsp;- another function of his perfection. But late last year, his latest video arrived which showed Phearon reaching a new level of achievement, and also his vision fully aligned with that of the artist.Phearon's video for Jazmin Bean's Carnage is a brilliantly conceived evocation of the dark fairytale world of Jazmin Bean, via Phearon's encyclopedic knowledge of music culture, and movies from blockbuster to arthouse, over the past 30 years. Crucially, the director has set the bar high - to somehow match the sensibility of one of those era-defining sci-fi fantasy blockbusters in a British music video. And he has triumphantly achieved his objective.From Jaz and companion Lucy Loone&nbsp;speeding down a city freeway, to flying through the night, post collision,&nbsp;to arriving on a floating rock&nbsp;in space, Phearon places Bean's nihilistic rebellious tendencies&nbsp;in spectacular fantasy setting.&nbsp;It looks like a big, expensive production, as might be made by a top American star.&nbsp;And Bean is not quite that. So how did they do it?The director and his team managed to achieve this by other means, including his&nbsp;vision, incredible dedication, and another valubable commodity - time. Carnage was the result of Phearon being on the Jazmin Bean project for a year. It was by no means all plain sailing, but as he&nbsp;points out, it may offer pointers in how British music videos can kickstart the creative juices in the important year ahead.&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Above: Shan Phearon (right) with Jazmin Bean on the set of Carnage.<blockquote>We need to work better - and this is down to the conditions given to work in - if we want&nbsp;world class respect.</blockquote>PROMONEWS: So Carnage&nbsp;was your 11th music video piece in 3 years and part of a year-long project?SHAN PHEARON: It grew to become a double-bill video campaign: first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMCBrIOV1pk" target="_blank">Puppy Pound</a>, which led later to Carnage. A year invested, from 2021, concluded 2022. Ever seen ‘Heart of Darkness: A Filmmakers Apocalypse’? I’m joking. But it’s the end of one era, start of another.What did you have to work with when you got the brief for Carnage?SP: Jaz wanted to drive. They needed a car crash. And a flowery field at some point. Just top-line to decipher. By then, I’d spent months studying the artist and cult fanbase for Puppy Pound. Immersed like ‘method’ Christian Bale in the Jaz metaverse, I had enough to work with.The label had set us up with healthy time to nurture artist-to-director creative rapport, where I could coach artist development, as well as develop the videos. Getting results, the very supportive Island label team (Holly Williams, Emily Jefferies, Max Creswell and co) and artist manager Donny Tourette, whom I worked closely with, trusted the process.Now I had to bespoke tailor the next chapter in the artist’s arc and I could identify what was going on in their mind with all my insights as: an emotional joy-ride.[imgtoken data:2]What was the key aspect in your treatment that Jazmin and the label loved?&nbsp;I think they were surprised at how I’d become an extension of the artist’s psyche, maybe. I always try to respond to the interior of an artist. I want to understand them as human beings as well as a cultural avatar, so I show that.<blockquote>The subtext and journey of this video... has been a redemption arc.</blockquote>I’d written in solutions too for endless creative spec obstacles: car crashes (how the f*** we doing that?), flowery fields (unavailable in winter), lambs (unavailable in winter), out of this&nbsp;world fantasy road trip routes (ffs).We’d used Puppy Pound to warm up and test CGI expansion of Jaz’s distinct world-build, but now we were really going to architect a whole metaverse beyond with Carnage.[imgtoken data:3]What were the main references across the project?A vast library. Like sampling culture almost, I view it like my fave music producers (i.e. Dilla, Madlib, Burial, Fly-Lo, Premiere, Timbaland, Metro Boomin etc.), that approach. Many cultural fusions.It’s like crate-digging: David LaChapelle, Vivienne Westwood, TLC, Soundgarden, Slipknot, Nirvana, Busta, Portishead, Stefani, Gaga, Britney, Lil’ Kim, Devon Aoki in Fast &amp; Furious 2, the Disney+ Channel, 1994’s Natural Born Killers, 1995’s Ghost In The Shell, 1996’s Twister, 2000’s era Zack Snyder, Frances Lawrence’s 2006 Constantine, Wachowski Sisters’&nbsp;2008 Speed Racer, Lars Von Trier’s 2011 Melancholia, Malibu Barbie, rap mixtape culture GOAT iconography, essays on BPD, bi-polarity, autistic savants, depression, suicide, nihilism, doomers, and so on.Everything shares a dot-connection, even if unrealized before through other’s lenses. You layer the samples, sometimes in a single composition. Visual musicianship, visual symphonies.No idea’s original. Originality is only a sum of its un-original parts. I think we’re all just striving to unearth something novel in that.[imgtoken data:4]What attracted you to the song, and to Jazmin as an artist?I actually DM’ed Jaz in Autumn 2019 after seeing their wtf video for ‘Saccharine’. Nothing, air. Understandable. Two years later a brief from an instinctive commissioner lands in my inbox… cosmic.I admire what Jaz symbolizes, their composite influences, the freedom of expression. I’m magnetized to artists whose output and framework for seeing things is outside of the norm - outsiders, misfits, outcasts, outliers – new age thinkers offering to shift paradigms. Felt I was living my Bjork, Manson, Arca, Kate Bush, The Cure, Linkin Park fantasies.True story… Jaz’s mum Angie, as a drummer, of Filipino heritage, was in a ‘90s all-girl UK Metal band called Fluffy – whose ’97 single ‘Black Eye’ is directed by Floria&nbsp;Sigismondi. Bloodline’s mad.I’ve also done a few music video pieces that interplay with takes on psychological health, or mortality. Repeat motifs. I like exploring powerful ideas with my artists in unexpected ways.[imgtoken data:5]Above: The Shan Phearon workstation, and creative inspiration.Is it true you went into self-imposed exile for the Carnage post-production phase?Sort of. I was locked away in a studio for a while, with limited outside contact, except my lead VFX Artist Gino Fernandez 24/7, and the artist/label remote.To hibernate and meditate with the material, shaping step-by-step. Flow-state. Musicians do it whilst recording albums. Directors are kinfolk. Label, artist and management wanted to empower us, to trial more progressive processes. Everyone appreciated commitment.[imgtoken data:6]Is it fair to say this is a departure for your work in music videos - both musically and in the style of the video?&nbsp;Maybe. It makes its statement. But it’s probably also a spiritual successor.I’m very proud of my roots, and my video foundations, in Alt Rap, R&amp;B, Soul etc. I carried one ethos at the start of my MV journey – to help elevate the cultures I was codified by in youth. That’ll continue. It’s a Hip Hop-centred attitude and we carry some of that energy.<blockquote>I did over a year of CGI VFX filmmaking historical research - the ‘90s, the ‘00s and in the ‘10s.</blockquote>But I’m an eclectic head too. Always loved Electronic, Alternative, Experimental Pop, etc. Same with visual languages. Many others like me, yet they’ve become caught in the conditions of the current British commissioning glass ceiling, or stifled by their digital environments and own audiences.So this video asserts for directors of similar heritage that they deserve a shot at other music genres too. Can cross-pollinate worlds. Bring alternate perspective.There’s a controversial debate raging in our circles that the UK music video scene has been flat-lining in the last period. If stagnation and a self-regurgitative tribal visual culture, here’s at least one recipe to discovering innovative angles eventually. Eschew pigeonholes. Open minds.[imgtoken data:7]There are some beautifully conceived and executed sequences in the final video. Can you explain how you prepared and then achieved the main set pieces in the video?• The artists in the speeding car on the highway:&nbsp;Ghost In The Shell/Manga inspo. I devised a giant green-screened rotating turntable to put the physical car on. I did over a year of CGI VFX filmmaking historical research, the ‘90s, the ‘00s and in the ‘10s, three key eras of advancements, so I could better direct workflow. Think I picked this one idea up after watching some BTS for The Fifth Element (1997). It’s all exploration of artifice.I’d been thinking about how people at times say some CGI “looks dated”. But I feel like, if the CGI in a 1999 film looks like 1999, that’s unavoidable for those people in 1999 – so really it’s part of the charm. Their CGI artistry is an endearing sign of those times.This led me to thinking more about the idea of retro CGI nostalgia. To purposely have one or two elements feel almost like retro 2000s CGI VFX, because the 2000s decade was the first real era of CGI overload creeping into cinematic culture. Hypothesis test.[imgtoken data:8]<blockquote>I got my team to build a big green screen trampoline and paired that with Phantom cameras.</blockquote>•&nbsp;Jazmin and Lucy Loone floating, post-car crash:&nbsp;Melancholia/Watchmen/Donnie Darko/Portishead kinda inspo. I got my team to build a big green screen trampoline and paired that with Phantom cameras.What’s mad is that I wrote this idea as a scene in an unrealized Pa Salieu/slowthai treatment a long time ago. Jaz’s chorus just hit me emotionally and all I could visualize is what you’re seeing. Lucid dreams recycled from the vault.[imgtoken data:9]•&nbsp;The main tornado sequence with the falling car and the flying goat:&nbsp;Twister inspo. The most complex VFX and a few experimental touches. To me it’s the absolute power of CGI as an artform, one often maligned, disrespected as ‘low culture’, misunderstood. Some cineaste are caught in the ‘practical VFX’ myth - too many Chris Nolan YouTube fan essays.<blockquote>When was the last time we saw a big natural disaster tornado going wild in a UK music vid?</blockquote>Both practical or CGI can be respectable solo, or often ultra-powerful when combined. So that’s the moment I’m proudest of. Gino (proud of him too) worked on that for weeks, whilst literally on a Covid deathbed, as a bunch of other things were falling apart around us both in our lives.I remember its earliest draft landing in my WhatsApp whilst I was flat-out on the floor and I realized we’d just reached transcendence. Eureka. Like, when was the last time we saw a big natural disaster tornado going wild in a UK music vid? Did they manage that in the UK MV scene during ‘90s / 00’s golden age? And we’re doing it now in these austere times?!I hoped it would be symbolic, defiant and bombastic, lol.Also, the flying goat easter egg is inspired by the iconic flying cow in Twister. No animals harmed.[imgtoken data:10]The piece has a unique aesthetic. What’s the 35mm and digital image fusion idea?I’d discovered over time that the theme of artifice – maybe response to the virtual simulation-style hyperreality of internet culture - is a big one in Jaz’s metaverse.So I designed a ‘synthetic-analogue’ appearance. We formulated a special and more complex than usual process so the CGI became 35mm.Modern CGI-driven videos are nearly always too polished. And most 16mm / 35mm-driven videos are aping a nostalgic / timeless simulacrum idea.I wanted us to bridge two seemingly opposing schools of thought. Hyper-digital and analogue marriage.[imgtoken data:11]Above: Shan Phearon (foreground, back to camera) supervises the positioning of Jazmin's crashed car, on set of the Carnage shoot.What were the biggest challenges in making this?Any project can have these if going in with ‘elite mindset’. We do our best to educate those around, to uplift them. We don’t try to encourage mediocrity. New worldviews, are the biggest challenge.Some feel in our UK music video scene culture, it’s a more and more for less and less era. But if tight budget, offer time. If tight time, offer budget. Here Film Creatives are often denied both tools. Which is why many UK directors, EPs and commissioners are suffering, as is the art.But label,&nbsp;artist and management equipped us more time to craft on Carnage, they believed in optimal. That super-powered us, over a common industry challenge.<blockquote>Maybe there’s a 15 year old fan somewhere and we saved their life last night. That’s our hope.</blockquote>We’re in a phase where even at our UKMVAs, parts of our scene get slept on. Output from international, outboxes ours. Briefs go to overseas directors and our UK pool of talent isn’t nurtured. We need to work better - and this is down to the conditions given to work in - if wanting world class respect. Reform and new frameworks are healthy convos for everybody’s benefit in ’23 on.I guess tricky junctures included first draft with pre-viz jpegs keyed into backgrounds and everyone looking at it like “wtf is this Blue Peter sh*t”? Haha. And then it’s Director’s job to encourage imagination, combat over-thinking in the abstract. Delicate psychological processes that&nbsp;I’ve learnt to handle.Also the artist wasn’t always in the best of health. With resources, we were punching above our weight. As well as over 100 shots of VFX to be crafted out and made fluid - an insane feat. But all of us together as a collective unit, we were on a mission for our artist’s next era.In the end, everyone was overwhelmed, as were those most important that we all really do this for: the music fans.[imgtoken data:12]And what was the most satisfying thing about making this?Well, this is public info, but the artist sadly had to spend the summer in rehab for addiction. They’re very open about these things, it’s part of their art. We all had to manage that, with strength, collectively.Addiction in a variety of forms is a deep-seated epidemic, especially amongst the creative community, exacerbated by this current socio-political and digital climate. Directors feel there’s a growing mental health crisis in the UK music video realm at the moment that’s going ignored and will reach a tipping point. Musicians I know are experiencing a similar epidemic in their scenes. Artists can understand each other.So I feel like the subtext, as well as the journey of this video to release, has been a redemption arc.We’re very proud of the artist, who is doing better. We’re proud of the video, because it’s healthy when this medium is an outlet for expressing the troubled weight of the creative psyche. Unbridled expression can save lives.Maybe there’s a 15 year old fan somewhere and we saved their life last night. That’s our hope.[imgtoken data:13]What were the key decisions that made the vision all come together as well as it does?Translating the artist, playing the orchestra, incepting vision, etc. It was a coach procedure.I give flowers to my holy trinity: DoP Nathalie Pitters approach with lighting, production designer Anthony Hensman’s practical art direction, and indispensably our ride-or-die Lead VFX Artist Gino Fernandez who saved my life. They lived on this whole other planet with me and Jaz.Plus the whole gang: super-producers Mel Massey, Talor Hanson, Maneet Sandhu, legendary EP Simon Oxley, 1st AD Paolo De Battista, Becky Seager on Wardrobe and Sofia Sjöö on MU.All were about craftsmanship and worked with heart, some for extensive periods. This lot were my heart.It starts with character first, an assembly of people with it. If the assembly ‘believes’, the mosaic of creativity will follow.[imgtoken data:14]What did you learn that you didn’t previously know, or your biggest take away, from making this video?I feel like we cracked another code and Walter White formula.Imagination… nothing is impossible now.I’m thankful for everyone that has shown us love and support for our effort in these current bleaker times for the UK music video scene right now. Hasn’t been easy for some of our peers. We’re just trying our best to keep this culture and our people energized. Journey continues.[vidtoken data:0]• Shan Phearon is based at Greatcoat Films. Watch more of his work <a href="https://greatcoat.film/director/shan-phearon/" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

Shan Phearon on Jazmin Bean's Carnage: "I feel like we cracked another code... nothing is impossible now."

Jazmin-Bean-'Carnage-(feat.-Lucy-Loone)'-by-Shan-Phearon

Shan Phearon directs a hypnotic fantasy for Jazmin Bean, featuring&nbsp;Lucy Loone.&nbsp;Combining clever practical elements, novel visual effects and imaginative CGI world-building, the video follows the two artists as they cruise around an otherworldly environment, causing carnage at every turn.[imgtoken data:1]The unique aesthetic is achieved through an innovative hybrid of digital and 35mm fused into one image, which heightens the surreality of the eccentric concept.&nbsp;A pastel-pink nightmare with huge ambition, it's a brilliant piece of work from Phearon and team.[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;

Anthony Hensman 

Lewes Bridson

Rebecca Seager

Talor Hanson

Melissa Massey

Emily Jeffery

Holly Williams

Richard Johnson

Nathalie Pitters

Maneet Sandu

Paolo De Batista

Lou Macnamara

Rebecca Richards

Sofia Sjöö

Gino Fernandez

Island Records UK

Jazmin Bean ft Lucy Loone 'Carnage' by Shan Phearon

Thea Gajic&nbsp;directs a heartwarming promo for singer-songwriter Mychelle.The video opens with a single dad - played by Michael Balogun -&nbsp;juggling the cooking and washing up on his birthday, appreciative of the well wishes via text message, but obviously lacking the social excitement he is longing for.That all changes when his friends shop up and throw a surprise birthday party, helping lift the mood and celebrate the day the way it should be. It's a simple concept done well, and offers an optimistic and joyful message. Plus what we all need right now... a&nbsp;happy ending.Thea Gajic explains that her idea for the video was the result of combining two separate briefs that Mychelle had in mind. "We wanted joy to be a through thread of the video to match the feeling the song evokes while also leaning into the lyrics - which actually have a more sombre meaning," she says.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]"I wanted to focus on community and the joy we create when we show up for each other - amidst this though, we can still feel quite lonely. Especially if we are going through a transition period. I spoke to Michael, our lead, about imagining if this was the first birthday he was celebrating without his partner - as a single dad - and what feelings they may evoke."I have a lot of close male friends - lots who are fathers too - and so wanted to explore that narrative as opposed to it always being a single mother situation. How do men deal with parenting pressure? And feelings of aloneness? It’s something we either don’t see or don’t feel they have a right to because of how hard mothering might be. I wanted to dip into that a little and see what came out of it.&nbsp;"In the end though, when Michael sees his son asleep - he realises he isn’t actually alone and a piece of him is with him all the time - despite how difficult things might get. Ultimately, the tightrope he is on, isn’t walked on alone."&nbsp;

Mychelle 'Tightrope' by Thea Gajic 