Director's Representation

Hands London

Chrissi's marvellous takedown of an unworthy lover in Lipo gets a charming and witty treatment by Denisha Anderson.Lipo is Chrissi’s ode to body positivity, self-love and the trials of getting to the point where you believe you deserve it. And although the subject is serious&nbsp;she treats it in a smooth, laidback fashion, addressing her ex with an 'this is your problem, not mine' attitude. That makes it all the more impactful.Anderson gets the mood exactly right, by putting Chrissi in a naturalistic situation with her friends, echoing some classic R&amp;B videos along the way. Chrissi and her pals&nbsp;are enjoying each other's company, and aided by the choreography by Claudia Lois, and some fun set-ups, this is playful as it spreads it's serious message.[imgtoken data:1]“When I initially heard the song, I was gassed at the bar 'Fxck your feelings'," says Anderson.&nbsp;"I really felt that, and knew I had to create something which was full of energy yet super empowering."Drawing inspiration from Destiny’s Child’s Bootylicious and Janet Jackson’s That’s The Way Love Goes, I wanted a similar home environment, where we see Chrissi and her friends vibing and enjoying each other’s company, dissecting F-Boys, and saying goodbye to that energy and hello to an evolved version of self."Utilising a variety of set-ups and working with a choreographer for the first time, I think we pulled it all together with smiles, energy and charisma to make a film I am really proud of.”&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Denisha Anderson

Liam Wallace-Cook

Caviar

Nisha Mullea

Eleri Evans

Sachin Chande

Ffon Kunz

Jed Darlington-Roberts

Stephen Ofori

Jecelnena Gubatan

Sachin Parmar

Claudia Lois

Bethan Dadson

Jasmine Hamilton

Samelle

Rose Moya

Florence Kennard

Ollie Thompson

Olivia Jessop

Electric Theatre Collective

Quinn Titsworth

Island Records

Soul

Chrissi 'Lipo' by Denisha Anderson

Chrissi - Lipo (Official Video)

Directing duo Machine Operated deliver an intimate documentary-style music video for Loyle Carner's Georgetown - shot in the eponymous capital of Guyana.The pair travelled with Loyle to the country of his father, documenting his&nbsp;relationship with identity, community and belonging, with cinematographers&nbsp;Dan Landin - making a rare return to music videos -&nbsp;and Ola Pontakos.It starts with the words of Guyanese playwright/poet&nbsp;John Agard reciting his poem 'Half-Caste', and from that intriguing point, the film interweaves striking portraiture with understated performance vignettes, captured in a breathtakingly cinematic way, with gorgeous composition, colour palettes and textures.&nbsp;It's&nbsp;stunning work.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Coralie Rose

Joshua Gochez

Machine Operated

Theo Hue Williams

Pulse Films

James Hackett

Ula Pontikos

Daniel Landin

Nnena Nwakodo

Nacho Munoz De Leon

Orlando O'Mahoney Morris

Olly Fawcett

Jack Williams

The Assembly Rooms

Connor Coolbear

Loyle Carner 'Georgetown' by Machine Operated

Loyle Carner - Georgetown feat. John Agard (Official Video) Prod. Madlib

Taichi Kimura has teamed up with dance behemoths Lewis Thompson and David Guetta to create a cinematic Tokyo-set comedy - incorporating ingenious dance moves -&nbsp;to accompany their infectious summer anthem Take Me Back.The delightful&nbsp;concept for the video sees a collective of intoxicated salarymen (and woman), rising from their alcohol-induced stupors - from roadsides, flowerbeds, and wherever else they happened to&nbsp;drop -&nbsp;to&nbsp;move&nbsp;in choreographed&nbsp;formation&nbsp;through the nighttime streets of Tokyo, in the manner of zombie-like sleepwalkers being pulled by an invisible force.It's a warmhearted, funny, and beautifully-shot vehicle for the&nbsp;team-up of Thompson - one half of successful DJ/production duo Just Kiddin' - and legendary&nbsp;producer Guetta.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;“At first, I thought it was going to be a challenge for me to make a visually cinematic music video with a sense of humour," admits Taichi Kimura.&nbsp;"But I believe we were able to pull it off on this one!&nbsp;I am very proud to make a video with such a unique concept in my home country and ever so grateful to make the visuals for these artists.&nbsp;"Finally, I would also like to thank the Japanese businessmen who have a weak tolerance for alcohol and pass out in the street. This would have never been possible without them.”

Taichi Kimura

Cekai

Taro Mikami

Shin Ohira

Miki Sakurai

Seiya Uehara

Koichi Kitamura

Kakeru Sudo

Wataru Sugimura

Risa Chino

Tim Smith

No.8

Michael Lewin

RCA Records

Dance

Lewis Thompson, David Guetta 'Take Me Back' by Taichi Kimura

Lewis Thompson, David Guetta - Take Me Back (Official Video)

Maxim Kelly creates an off-kilter tribute to '90s rave culture for Belief&nbsp; -&nbsp;the experimental dance music&nbsp;project of Stella Mozgawa&nbsp;and Boom Bip - featuring an impish dance elf who finds himself in an empty office. With a birthday cake.&nbsp;The video for Dreams, sees this intriguing&nbsp;character - played by Mark Crawley - break into expressive moves, as he confusedly comes to terms with his surroundings, and begins to sense&nbsp;the nearby presence of another figure: his somewhat hairier döppelgänger.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]In keeping with the era and the mood that he and DoP Arthur Loveday were trying to evoke, Kelly chose to shoot the video on MiniDV - the domestic format that was state-of-the-art back in the early 90s. But it is also composed and lit to make the format look as professional&nbsp;as possible, which gives the footage a&nbsp;distinctive&nbsp;high-end lo-fi quality.Kelly says that the video was inspired by watching rave footage from the 90s, and marvelling at "people looking their worst but feeling their best, and dancing the night away" - and also a certain kind of video from the era.&nbsp;"There’s a sub-genre of music video which became very popular for a time. It’s just one person dancing in a pertinent space. I wanted to make my version of that video. Almost like a parody."[imgtoken data:2]He adds that the&nbsp;decision to shoot on MiniDV was an aesthetic choice, and a homage to 90s rave footage. "Early on, Arthur Loveday and I decided to imagine that we were making a music video with the best technology we had available - and work to make it look as good as possible," he says."People today, when they shoot MiniDV, try to make it look bad, jerky and add glitches. But the technology is still great, and you can get some stunning results if you take the time and care to shoot it appropriately. And, it doesn’t hurt if you have Tom Mangham at Black Kite grading it too!”

Maxim Kelly

Victor Shikhatov

Arthur Loveday

Pearce Crowley

Syd Harmony

Georgia Olive

Esme Horn

Arran Green

Mark Crawley

Vid Price

Trim Editing

Thomas Mangham

Black Kite Studios

Zoe Davis

Lex Records

Electronic

Belief 'Dreams' by Maxim Kelly

BELIEF - DREAMS (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

LOOSE brings the Y2K vibes for new girlband FLO's debut video.&nbsp;The video for Cardboard Box captures the girl's personalities and playful energy, as they take on roles as both artist and director in the concept.&nbsp;Against a bright white cyc background, the mixture of performance, choreography and faux-BTS shots create a dynamic and nostalgic energy. And some viewers may&nbsp;also celebrate the parallels between this and an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVG4Ix9GgFg">early Noughties video for the Sugababes.</a>[imgtoken data:1]

Kirsty Stewart

LOOSE

Shea Coleman

Stink Films

Conrad Russell

Henry Gill

Dom Mckiernan

Hannah Bellil

Joe Mulvihill

Mitchell Collins

Teresa Adamson

Remi Black

Kadi Salon

Bléu Ribbon Salon

Chaniqwaa Brown

Jemima Boateng

Beah

Saba Khan

Dom Q

This And That Media

Megan Lee

FLO 'Cardboard Box' by LOOSE

Flo-'Cardboard-Box'-by-Loose

Cyprien Clément-Delmas directs a thought-provoking promo for Moderat.&nbsp;Consisting of artists&nbsp;Sascha Ring (Apparat) and Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary (Modeselektor), the track&nbsp;contemplates the relationship between love and independence, lamenting how vulnerable we become when the balance between the two tips too far forward towards the former.The video for Easy Prey was shot across two days in Barcelona, and&nbsp;explores our heavy reliance on technology and its consequential fragilities and interconnectedness. The abstract narrative vignettes create a palpable energy, which bubbles with mystery and intrigue, whilst developing the aforementioned themes in a fresh and&nbsp;exciting way.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]“The idea of the music video is to talk about our dependence on technology,&nbsp;the vulnerability of our ultra-connected societies,"&nbsp;says&nbsp;Clément-Delmas.&nbsp;"We think we are stronger today but we are somehow weaker. Most of the essentials are now based on technology.&nbsp;"This main character represents the essential workers that make all this happen but are also fed up with society, with what we are expected to be. This is a sort of close dystopia I wanted to create in this film. I think this scenario is not too far away and we might experience something similar sooner or later.”Strikingly executed, with a darkly futuristic vibe and tonnes of atmosphere.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;

Cyprien Clément-Delmas

Slime TV

MAGICK

Joceline Gabriel

Laia Vidal

Júlia Bas Anglès

Carlos Feher

Dominique Aizpurua

Riki Prat

Otti Ramirez

Carlos Font Clos

Marc Morató

Martes Studio

La Metropolitana

Frame 24

Cinelab Film and Digital

Sergi Lafuente

Moderat 'Easy Prey' by Cyprien Clément-Delmas

MODERAT - MORE D4TA - EASY PREY

Jocelyn Anquetil directs a sizzling showcase for the return of Sudan Archives - aka US singer/violinist Brittney Denise Parks - with Home Maker,&nbsp;in an unlikely setting.&nbsp;Sudan Archives struts into an indoor&nbsp;second-hand flea market to check out the furniture - dressed to kill and ready for action - with a few mesmerized males meekly in tow.&nbsp;The guys are prompted join her provocative,&nbsp;high-energy performance, and when the lights go down low, a pillow fight ensues under strobing UV lights.A diverse range of recording equipment - including&nbsp;CCTV footage and camcorders - captures the action,&nbsp;to create a world that feels anachronistic and playful, and heighten a saucy sense of voyeurism and tongue-in-cheek sexiness.With the&nbsp;inspired styling and atypical choice of location, and a terrific edit by Charlie Von Rotberg, it's a brilliantly orchestrated work by Anquetil. And as it&nbsp;marks the release of Sudan Archives' first original release since 2019, it represents&nbsp;a wonderful&nbsp;comeback.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

Ellie Koslowsky

Ella Lucia

Jocelyn Anquetil

Arabella Kemp

Dragos Czinjepolschi

Kai Blamey Nguyen

Marc Hill

Tanmoye Khan

Laura Flack

Suzette Brissett

Vodka

Alice Dodds

Charlie Von Rotberg

Homespun

Myles Bevan

Time Based Arts

Stones Throw

Rik Green

Sudan Archives 'Home Maker' by Jocelyn Anquetil

Sudan-Archives-'Home-Maker'-by-Jocelyn-Anquetil

Sigrid takes on the space-time continuum in&nbsp;Femke Huurdeman's dazzling video for It Gets Dark.Sigrid is in a very playful version of outer space, incorporating gorgeous, retro-influenced costumes, ingenious set design, and projections and other in-camera effects, in a consciously studio-based set-up. She connects with her surroundings in numerous ways - and in numerous outfits: sitting on top of worlds; exploring alien environments; observing speeding stars from her space rocket cabin, and then growing&nbsp;Alice-style in relation to her room.&nbsp;It's the second collaboration between the Norwegian pop star and Huurdeman, following the acclaimed video for Mirror last year, and with that experience behind her the Dutch director&nbsp;really plays to Sigrid's&nbsp;strengths as a performer on camera.The wonderful art direction&nbsp;(by Laura Santos) and wardrobe&nbsp;(by Ahida Agirre)&nbsp;come with the unmistakeable&nbsp;imprimateur of CANADA, Huurdeman's production company home. The attention to detail is marvellous, which contributes to this being an irresistable showcase for Sigrid and a very cool song.This is a triumph that's really a credit to&nbsp;everyone involved. The&nbsp;perfect way to herald&nbsp;Sigrid's upcoming second album - and the video that shows what&nbsp;Femke Huurdeman is really capable of.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3][imgtoken data:4]

Femke Huurdeman

Karen Saurí

CANADA

Aina Salarich

Pepe Gay De Liébana

Laura Ruiz Penacho

Laura Santos

Ahida Agirre

Ana Cano

Lane Casting

Laura Obiols

Jo Lewandowska

Okay Studio

Laura New Roman

Álvaro Posadas

Ruth Wardell

Albert Romagosa

IXYXI

Connie Meade

Sigrid 'It Gets Dark' by Femke Huurdeman

Sigrid - It Gets Dark

LOOSE reunites with IDLES, and also collaborates with animator Edie Lawrence to direct an eye-popping&nbsp;claymation epic for the piledriving Crawl.&nbsp;In classic claymation style, the fun is how the malleability of the form leads to a jawdropping, often grisly transformation. That is certainly the case here, as a claymation version of IDLES' vocalist Joe Talbot hits the road on his chopper&nbsp;motorbike, riding down a Route 66-style highway.It's not long before the transformation begins, as he ventures further into the unknown. The flesh is slowly being stripped away from his body...Exploring the lyrical themes of addiction&nbsp;and having to face your demons head-on, the video is a brilliant achievement. Not for the faint of heart, maybe, but it is IDLES after all.&nbsp;LOOSE and animator&nbsp;Edie Lawrence, supplemented by&nbsp;VFX wizard&nbsp;Jordan Chappell, echo the work of the real masters of the artform, and it's very good to see claymation having a moment once again.

Dominic Mckiernan

Holly Greig

Jordan Chappell

Ellie Rumbold

Partisan Records

Edie Lawrence

Anna Peduzzi

Rock

IDLES 'Crawl' by LOOSE & Edie Lawrence

Idles-'Crawl-'-by-Loose

We spoke to Maxim Kelly about his post-modern version of a classic adventure movie -&nbsp;featuring an alien ant - for experimental rock outfit Black Country, New Road, and discovered how it came&nbsp;from the band giving him creative freedom, and from cutting himself a bit of slack.Kelly has become known for some beautifully crafted videos anchored in a strong visual concept - such as his video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/01/13/shame-nigel-hitter-maxim-kelly/68968" target="_blank">Shame's Nigel Hitter</a>, released a year ago. Since then, he's experienced&nbsp;big changes in his personal life, moving from London to Barcelona - and he's just become a father for the first time.The track Concorde comes from Mercury-nominated London band Black Country, New Road's forthcoming second album <a href="https://music.apple.com/gb/album/ants-from-up-there/1586070259" target="_blank">Ants From Up There</a> - hence the hero of Kelly's video, who is certainly an 'ant from up there'. And much like the band's music, it has a style all of its own.This is a classic narrative that has been through the mixer of at least a couple of well-known movie genres, from war film to pre-blockbuster 'B-movie' sci-fi to post-war 'kitchen sink' drama and satire. It&nbsp;sees the heroic ant from another planet - or perhaps just from another country - held prisoner and sentenced to death in a&nbsp;retro-futuristic Orwellian&nbsp;Britain, under attack from an unknown enemy - represented at the start with vintage&nbsp;stock footage.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]As Kelly tells us, he thought he had missed his chance to make&nbsp;Black Country, New Road's first 'proper video', and the process to finally make it happen required qualities of tenacity and decisiveness that did not appear to be in his armoury before now. The recent advent of fatherhood, it appears, has brought him new focus in his work.He also provides us with insight into the creative process, sharing his storyboards, and the designs for the ant hero character&nbsp;by makeup prostethics designer Georgia Olive - as worn by actor Finbar Varrall (pictured above, with video commissioner John Moule, right).Promonews: You mentioned (in our <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/01/10/black-country-new-road-concorde-maxim-kelly/74507" target="_blank">review of the video</a>) that you were inspired by the band’s various musical influences. But what were your specific influences in making the video?MK: In the beginning, 'walking' music videos&nbsp;like The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony or Coldplay’s Yellow were the primary references. But&nbsp;once I have a precise genre or topic for a music video, I do an IMDB keywords search and look at as many references as possible.So&nbsp;there were loads. B-movies like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054330/" target="_blank">Assignment Outer Space</a>,&nbsp;war films like 1918 and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091251/" target="_blank">Come And See</a>, and a Japanese melodrama I found which I don’t remember the name of. There was a scene I ripped from <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064040/" target="_blank">Army Of Shadows</a> by Jean Pierre Melville that didn’t get shot.<blockquote>Tom Hardy in&nbsp;Dunkirk&nbsp;inspired the Ant's character, and look.</blockquote>When I make a video, I like to start with a "Frankenstein's Monster" edit in Premiere, where I just place clips, images, text, etc. over the song and try to get a feel for how the imagery will work. Then I storyboard it, if I have the time. It can be quite an intensive process.[imgtoken data:1]Above: A page from Maxim Kelly's storyboard for the videoTell us more about your lead character – the Alien Ant. Did you create a backstory for him? Is he modelled on any existing character?Tom Hardy in Dunkirk inspired the Ant’s character and costume. There was backstory that didn’t get shot. I realised that in movies where soldiers become P.O.W.’s there was a tendency to feature flashback sequences where you see them excelling at 'track and field'&nbsp;events. So that was the genesis of the idea for this music video - because it tied in with the lyrics in the song of being a “gentle hill racer”.There was an un-shot scene based on the Loneliness Of A Long-Distance Runner, where the Ant is winning a road-race and then at the end, rather than crossing the finish line, he goes off into the hills and that’s when he meets his lover at the lake.[imgtoken data:2]Above: Georgia Olive's character design for the ant hero characterThe makeup design of your alien hero is unmistakeably ant-like.&nbsp;How much time did you and your designer have to develop the character?It took time to get the right person onboard. And then, by that point, we had to move fast. For the prosthetics, we looked at catalogues from SFX companies in LA. We had four hours to decide on what the character was going to look like, because we had to make sure that we would receive the prosthetics in the post, in time for the shoot.So we narrowed it down to the most 'ant-like'&nbsp;and then Georgia adapted it, chopped a bit off, filled a bit and added the antennae to turn it more into an ant.<blockquote>I’ve never consciously made a political, social or cultural point in a music video.</blockquote>I have a newborn baby at home, so my entire process has changed. I don’t have time to overthink things like I used to. And I’ve realised that making a decision is the only important part&nbsp;anyway. So&nbsp;I try to be way more instinctive with my decision-making.I think it goes hand in hand with just being a more confident filmmaker. Because it’s hard to get to this point - it’s difficult to shoot enough. It’s like trying to learn to surf when you don’t live by the sea. By the time you get back into the ocean, you’ve forgotten what you learned the last time.[imgtoken data:3]Above: Maxim Kelly (right) on the Black Country, New Road 'Concorde' video shootHe finds himself in a world (or a version of Britain) that’s repressive, war-like, paranoid and rather incompetent. What deeper meaning, or significance, should we read into that?The pandemic made me think, why do I live in London?&nbsp;I’m fortunate that I’m able to live anywhere I choose. So I moved. I’m now in Barcelona. It’s clear skies and sunny, I’ve just returned from the beach, had a couple of beers and patatas bravas on a charming plaza. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.<blockquote>The band had some great ideas but mostly they just let me get on with it.</blockquote>But I’ve never consciously made a political, social or cultural point in a music video. What excites me is a symbiosis between lyrics, melody, tone and the visuals. I’m searching for a hook. What I find appealing is how the music changes when the Ant shuffles out to the firing squad. Or when he says “I was made to love you...”, to the priest giving him his last rites.Which is why I find it complicated to pinpoint what my style is. I’m always led by something external to myself and my style changes from film to film. But I guess it doesn’t matter. Or maybe that is my style?[imgtoken data:4]Above: Ant alien transformation - actor Finbar Varrell&nbsp;having 'ant' prosthetics applied (left) and on set between takes, in completed makeupHow much were the band involved in developing ideas in the video? Do any of them appear in it?They changed the song and originally I wrote a concept for Chaos Space Marine. That&nbsp;idea was based on The Creature From The Black Lagoon, winning a war against the humans and nonchalantly strutting passed dead marines whilst singing the song.That video fell through because of timings. But I called John Moule, the commissioner, and just told him if there’s a chance to do something else with the band then please get in touch with me first. I never would have done that before, but becoming a father makes you stop sweating the small stuff.<blockquote>The idea to have the firing squad wearing Black Midi jumpsuits&nbsp;was a winner.</blockquote>They were the perfect client. They had some great ideas but mostly they just let me get on with it. This is the first time the band have ever made a 'real'&nbsp;music video. So they were like - “Hey it’s your video, do what you want...” Which was nice - but it’s one hundred percent their video.Tyler, Luke, Charlie and Lewis [from the band] came to the shoot. They were all amazing actors and so excited and fun to work with. And their idea for Black Midi jumpsuits&nbsp;was a winner. With many people online trying to get their hands on one, I could sell you one for the right price![imgtoken data:5]Above: Shooting the firing squad scene - with the squad in Black Midi jumpsuitsYou were shooting in winter, with a lead actor who presumably needed to be in makeup for ages. How much time did you get to shoot the video? Where did you shoot? Did everything go to plan?We shot at a farm near Gatwick. And we only had twelve hours. We actually didn’t get to shoot the backstory and Army Of Shadows scene. It’s easy to get hung up on that kind of stuff, but you just have to move on.Directors are always too hard on themselves. We need to learn to be more self-compassionate. Because the response to the video has been amazing, and that’s because the band are great and the song is great. So I probably should’ve predicted that.<blockquote>With a newborn baby at home, I don’t have time to overthink things like I used to.</blockquote>Like nearly all Black Country New Road songs, it's a long one - over six minutes. How did that impact on the shoot and the edit?We tried to get a radio edit, but that’s not what the band is about, and we had to respect that. So we went in knowing the extent of what we had to achieve.I broke it down to buy us the time with the long tracking shots for the verses, and then top and tailed with archive footage. So in reality I only had to shoot close to a traditional three to four minute music video - which is a struggle in twelve hours&nbsp;anyway.• Maxim Kelly is based at Caviar and represented for music videos by Hands London.

Maxim Kelly on making Black Country, New Road's Concorde video: 'I tried to be more instinctive.'

Black Country, New Road - 'Concorde' (Official Video)

Black Country, New Road 'Concorde' by Maxim Kelly

Oden &amp; Fatzo stumble into a Flat Earth Society meeting and proceed to debunk all manner of daft conspiracy theories, in Kinopravda's beautifully-crafted comedy (with a killer punch) for the worldwide hit Lauren.Is your co-worker a reptilian? Has the moon landing been faked? And above all, is&nbsp;the Earth flat? The debate heats up when the house trio - comprised of producer duo Oden and DJ Fatzo - engage with the various nutjobs at their annual convention. They eventually attempt to prove the stupidity of their warped world view, taking the main Flat Earthists on a drive around the world.&nbsp;The video brings to the fore&nbsp;Kinopravda’s distincitve aesthetic -&nbsp;great casting and art direction, impeccable wit and visual flair, and matches it with the DNA and style of Oden &amp; Fatzo. It's a joy to behold - and then comes the brilliant twist...[imgtoken data:1]“It’s been a joy working with the band - they brought the same energy, fun and devotion to their acting as to their music and live act," says&nbsp;Bálint of Kinopravda.&nbsp;"We clicked instantly, probably thanks to having the same off-beat sense of humour - which indeed reflects in the video."As with every music video, you’re trying really hard to make your budget go as far as possible, constantly shooting, trying ideas, make the most of your time, which can be quite grinding. But with them, it didn’t feel like work for one minute, it was a blessed, super fun shoot.”&nbsp;

Hands London

Director's Representation

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