Casting director

Hannah Ashby Ward

In a 20th anniversary celebration of Christina Aguilera's classic ballad Beautiful, Fiona Jane Burgess delves into what is plaguing the youth of today in a series of striking tableaux that focus on the threat of social media and 'influencer' culture on the wellbeing of the impressionable young.The video starts with a series of children blankly staring at their phones, their eyes lit up by their phone screens. Burgess brings each character’s insecurity to life as the camera pans from different perspectives. Young girls stare at themselves in the mirror, covered in cosmetic surgery incision lines, not convinced by the song’s powerful lyrics.&nbsp;But ultimately, as with Aguilera's classic song, this is ultimagely a message of hope.&nbsp;The video ends with a powerful shot of kids playing hopscotch and climbing trees. It is a reminder that should be instilled in every child; it’s okay to just be a kid.[imgtoken data:1] FIONA JANE BURGESS:“This film is a love letter to young people in 2022. It’s an acknowledgement of the fact that social media has totally transformed our relationship with our bodies, and in turn, our mental health."Young people are constantly fed images of unrealistic beauty standards, and with more images and influencers than ever circulating online, it’s virtually impossible to control what information young people consume. This in turn has created an online world which can be as positive as it is volatile. This film explores the tension between progression versus regression in terms of beauty standards and how our cultural relationship to it has evolved in the last twenty years, specifically in relation to the impact it’s having on children and young people.[imgtoken data:2]<blockquote>My hope is that this film opens up a conversation around... images and messages children are consuming.</blockquote>"Research suggests that time spent on social networking sites is associated with body image issues and disordered eating in teens. According to emergency room trends, there’s been a 50% increase in reported self-injury among teenagers since 2009."According to a paper published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, more than half of girls and one-third of boys ages 6 to 8 are unhappy with their body weight. And more than 80 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of being “fat.” This is heartbreaking. This needs to change. And this film aims to be part of that change.[imgtoken data:3]"This film is an act of resilience. A celebration of courage and self love. A love letter, a signal for change in the way we perceive beauty. My hope is that this film opens up a conversation around the potential harm associated with what images and messages children are consuming, if it’s not spoken about and discussed."I think a lot of children and young people feel suffocated by the online world but don’t know if they’re alone in feeling this way, so for me this film is about acknowledging that they aren’t alone, that it’s normal to have insecurities and to try to have a balanced view of social media and not let it dictate the way we think of ourselves.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

United States

Fiona Jane Burgess

Blair Smith

SMUGGLER

Elizabeth Doonan

Chanel Parkinson

Robert Diment

Andreas Bjørseth

Josh Brooks

Ola Austad

Seth Crosby

Max Bellhouse

Natalie Wilkins

Josh Knight

Grace Ellington

Jo Lewandowska

Okay Studio

Julien Alary

Untold Studios

Lane Casting

Kodak

Digital Orchard

Christina Aguilera 'Beautiful (2022 Version)' by Fiona Jane Burgess

Christina Aguilera - Beautiful (2022 Version)

Floria Sigismondi returns to music videos with a theatrical blockbuster for Sam Smith's chart-topping Unholy,&nbsp;featuring Kim Petras.Shot in London, this eye-popping extravaganza&nbsp;is a musical set-piece packed with flair, pizzazz and sexual energy - with Sam as the charismatic MC of a small army of show-people at&nbsp;The Body Shop, the LGBTQ+ cabaret where lustful dreams come true.&nbsp;With cameos by Gottmik and Violet Chachki from RuPaul's Drag Race,&nbsp;and porn star Paddy O'Brian, the film follows a husband who ducks out on his wife and sneaks off to his favorite sex club cabaret, where he soon finds his guilty pleasures revealed in a very public manner. After discovering her husband’s unfaithful ways, the film concludes with the wife character becoming liberated by her own sexuality, rather than a victim to the scandal.A modern retelling of the spectacle of cabaret, Sigismondi&nbsp;has drawn upon her&nbsp;upbringing for this - she was born to Italian opera singer parents, and grew up amid the theatrical and the avant-garde&nbsp;- and applied her&nbsp;trademark cinematic style previously seen in her award-winning work for the likes of Gucci, Rihanna, David Bowie, and Justin Timberlake.Choreographed by French dance collective (LA)HORDE, who are famed for their ability to develop scenarios and actions that take up radically contemporary themes and questions, the seductive music video is a visual feast led by a diverse and queer cast.With references to French surrealist photographer Claude Cahun and noted corset maker of the late 20th Century, Mr. Pearl, the video’s costume designer Lisa Jarvis created an impressive range of otherworldly looks for the enormous ensemble, who were cast&nbsp;by Hannah Ashby Ward at Lane Casting (an LGBTQ+ owned company) to showcase&nbsp;real, diverse and unapologetic bodies.&nbsp;Floria Sigismondi, Director, comments: “I grew up in the world of theatre and opera. This film presented the platform for me to reach deep into that history. It was important to me to bring the theatrics and drama to the film while also giving it a modern feel. We were not interested in creating a period piece. We wanted to create our own world. The theatre and setting gave us the history of cabaret but the costumes broadened that and injected a modern element. For me it's a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and creating that celebration was the most important and joyous experience."Jannie McInnes, Executive Producer at Scheme Engine, adds: “The creative excellence and expression across departments on this project completely blew my mind. Floria sets a high bar, inspires people to bring their most creative selves and she wants everyone to have fun doing it. We are really grateful to Sam and the label for affording us the luxury of real prep time and we used every second of it!”Lisa Jarvis, Wardrobe Stylist, continues: “I've been a fan of Floria's work for quite a while, and as soon as I saw the mood board and heard A Clockwork Orange, Claude Cahun, Mr. Pearl, Crazy Horse, I knew it was right up my alley and would be hella fun to dive into. Taking the references in mind, I wanted to create a world where there was a huge range of visual looks and everyone embraced them. It needed to be otherworldly, opulent, sensual, and a little bit intoxicating to watch with more than a strong twist of naughty.” &nbsp;

United Kingdom

Arthur De Boreman

Blake Rice

Ben Reardon

Lisa Jarvis

Floria Sigismondi

Fred Bonham Carter

Maurizio Von Trapp

Scheme Engine

Just Fred

Tom Nowell

Jannie McInnes

Alexa Haywood

Aidan Robert Brooks

Amanda Tuckwell

Chris Kelly

Jac Hopkins

Lami Okrekson

Anna Barnett

Marine Brutti

Arthur Harel

Jonathan Debrouwer

Ilham Mestour

Sienree Du

Anna-maria Negri

Parker Jarvie

Stefan Sonnenfeld

Company 3

Bonch

Frender

Maren Bjorneseth

Henry Davis

(LA) HORDE

Alexa Haywood at Free Agent UK

Joel Honeywell

Sam Smith ft Kim Petras 'Unholy' by Floria Sigismondi

Sam-Smith,-Featuring-Kim-Petras--'Unholy-'-by-Floria-Sigismondi

The second release from The 1975's forthcoming album Being Funny In A Foreign Language, Happiness is also the second collaboration between the band, director Samuel Bradley &amp; production company Amelia Studios -&nbsp;creative directed by lead singer Matty Healy and Patricia Villirillo."A music video made from sleaze, second hand cigar smoke and 100% real horse," says Bradley. &nbsp;

Liv Lockwood

Holly Shearn

Patricia Villirilo

Patricia Villirillo

Samuel Bradley

Matty Healy

Ghandi El-Chamaa

Jamie Glydon

Amelia Studios

Ed Blow

Alex Edyvean

Michal Babinec

Rachel Bashford

Ellicia Lotherington

Marco Alonso

Leo Winslow

Suzanne Beirne

Matt Mullhall

Elaine Lynskey

Toby Heard

Pundersons Gardens

John O'Riordan

Dirty Hit

The 1975 'Happiness' by Samuel Bradley

The-1975-'Happiness'-by-Samuel-Bradley,creative-Director---Patricia-Villirillo,creative-Director---Matthew-Healy

Maxim Kelly directs a genre-bending epic for Mercury Prize-shortlisted rock band Black Country, New Road.&nbsp;Cleverly&nbsp;balancing&nbsp;an abstract narrative with anachronistic imagery, the focal point of the story is an alien who has crash-landed to Earth, who gets a less-than-welcoming treatment from the humans who capture him.Spanning a six-minute runtime, the video is peppered with a vast array of references, from vintage sci-fi films through to low budget B-movies and classic drama films. And the Concorde plane is in there too.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Flanked with archival footage, the video is ambitious and wide-ranging, but never once feels stretched too thin, which is a remarkable achievement for a concept that covers so much ground in it's comparably short runtime.<blockquote>We took the 6 minute-plus runtime as an asset.</blockquote>“On the surface, the concept was straightforward," says Kelly. "But&nbsp;for a band who namecheck everyone from Scott Walker to Kanye West, and the pronounced mix of genres in their music, it felt right to take an analogous approach with the visuals. Throw as many references together as possible and see if we, too, could get it all to hold together as a piece."We took the 6 minute-plus runtime as an asset. It gave us the time needed to weave as much as possible into the film. A walking video in parts, but also with a narrative running through...&nbsp; combined with miniatures and VFX.&nbsp;"The band were so supportive and amazing. They gave us the encouragement to just go off on one! And being a massive fan of their music, it was a genuine pleasure to work with them on this film.”

Maxim Kelly

Caviar

Eleri Evans

Zoe Travica

Conor Joyce

Will Akbar

Nick Cooke

Pete Swinford

Mike Simpson

Kieran Brown

Laura Little

Georgia Olive

Jared Behl

Charlie Reddie

Homespun

Kirsty Oldfield

Butterscotch

Connor Coolbear

Jason Wallis

Electric Theatre Collective

Hands London

Rock

Alternative

Black Country, New Road 'Concorde' by Maxim Kelly

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

Anne Marie and Little Mix celebrate in style, in the epic video for Kiss My (Uh-Oh), directed by Hannah Lux Davis.&nbsp;There’s a lot of fun to be had, as the&nbsp;gang travel on a party plane, do shots, dress up in wedding attire and get serenaded by a group of strippers.&nbsp;Shot whilst Leigh-Anne and Perrie were pregnant, the group are split between the hotel room and the club, and it leads to a series of hilarious events.&nbsp;Bold, vibrant and action-packed,&nbsp;this has Hannah Lux Davis' glossy trademark style written all over it, and proves why she is one of the most in-demand music video directors of this generation.&nbsp;

Hannah Lux Davis

COMPULSORY

London Alley

Kiran Mandla

Brandon Bonfiglio

Luga Podesta

Andrew Lerios

Dan Curwin

Kim Jarrett

Joseph J Goldman

Steve Wingrove

Ben Keswick

Joe Mulvihill

Carlos Veron

Hugo Holford

Tilly Gerard

Hoody Fx

Cal Laird

Ivan Ovalle

Tanner Jackson

Beau Leon

Framestore

Steve Cameron

Beaumont Pritchard-James

Ollie Hogan

James Middleton

Neil McCarrick

Dani Vitale

Anne Marie x Little Mix 'Kiss My (Uh-Oh)' by Hannah Lux Davis 

Anne-Marie & Little Mix - Kiss My (Uh Oh) [Official Video]

Filmawi returns with a surreal journey for Mansur Brown’s new single My Prayer.With Mansur leading as the main character accompanied by the cast of non-actors, Filmawi creates an alternate reality where the gritty urban setting is visited by mysterious forces, and the inhabitants are transfixed by the glowing mysterious phenomena that have started appearing.[imgtoken data:1]Hypnotic in it’s pacing and startling imagery, Filmawi’s docu-style approach is enhanced with impressive VFX work. A great middle ground between the everyday with an otherworldly atmosphere.The track lends itself very much to the mesmerizing imagery with soothing guitar, haunting melodies matches the energy of the dreamlike sequences making this one that will resonate with the viewer long after it’s finished.[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;

Filmawi

James Dyer

Jake Gabbay

Jamie Hodgson

Ben Tomlin

Work Editorial

Luke Morrison

Oliver Whitworth

Lee Fairweather

Cinelab Film and Digital

Jazz

Mansur Brown 'My Prayer' by Filmawi

Mansur Brown - My Prayer (Official Video)

Taz Tron Delix brings East and West together for Joy Crooke's deeply soulful Feet Don't Fail Me Now.Joy celebrates her Bengali roots and London upbringing, with the elements of East, West, tradition and modernity all drawn together with considerable flair and wit by Taz and team, in a series of eye-popping visuals.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Perhaps most importantly, this is a cultural melting pot defined by colour and character. The bright colours of the East pop from the staid objects of the West, while&nbsp;Joy's performance in various scenes is aided and abetted by a huge cast, from her gang of girl moped riders, to the Bengali boys, and the clubbers and dancers.[imgtoken data:2]The&nbsp;song has an infectious, Motown-esque bass-driven vibe&nbsp;with&nbsp;thought-provoking lyrics about how society is afraid to speak up on delicate topics in fear of being dismissed and ultimately cancelled - and in the midst of everything, Joy Crookes always comes across as the central focus, the person in the midst of the crazy world, with the lovely voice that raises goosebumps, calmly making sense of everything.[imgtoken data:3]

Taz Tron Delix

Heba Elgamal

Ruben Woodin Deschamps

Richard Savage

Joshua Dadson

Ty Hack

Miles Lacey

Bill Rae Smith

Ciaran Beale

Supple Nam

Mata Marielle

Issac Poleon

Matthew Josephs

Natalie Roar

Ed Cooper

The Assembly Rooms

Alex Gregory

The Mill

Kat Cattaneo

Holly Dawkins

Luca Chirico

Joy Crookes 'Feet Don't Fail Me Now' by Taz Tron Delix

Joy Crookes - Feet Don't Fail Me Now (Official Video)

British singer and producer&nbsp;Wesley Joseph self-directs the mesmerising video for his track Patience, with featured artist Jorja Smith as his co-star - in his first outing since signing to the directing roster at Stink Rising.As with his excellent self-directed videos for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/03/24/wesley-joseph-thrilla-wesley-joseph/70135" target="_blank">Thrilla</a> and <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/05/21/wesley-joseph-ultramarine-wesley-joseph/71001" target="_blank">Ultramarine</a>,&nbsp;Joseph creates a visually striking world with a dreamlike quality, comprising of&nbsp;apparently disconnected&nbsp;scenes - teenagers united in grief, two young boys happy on their bikes, an outburst of violence, and so on - which gain meaning when taken as a whole.&nbsp;Wesley and Jorja witness these hyperreal, humanist&nbsp;scenes as they drive&nbsp;through their hometown in a white vintage Mercedes. And while distracted by the visions they see, they are involved in a&nbsp;head-on collision.[imgtoken data:1]In the aftermath of the wreck, both artists perform in the carnage of the accident, and then into a metaphorical 'heaven-like' space. The dramatic subnarratives that they saw earlier outside the car come to an emotive conclusion at the end.Joseph performs from within an expanse of flowers as if he is visiting his own graveside, while Jorja Smith arrives as a presence in the video as the mortally injured victim, hurled away from the flaming car.[imgtoken data:2]The video,&nbsp;shot over two days in&nbsp;Surrey, is redolent of Kendrick Lamar's videos, particularly the video for Element, and the work of David Lynch. It's&nbsp;the latest and most substantial work yet from the Birmingham-born musician, producer and filmmaker, who originally came to London&nbsp;in 2016 to study film, and then began making music, and is now proving to be successful in both fields.Joseph now joins the Stink Rising roster, and will be globally represented by the new talent division of Stink Films, the production company with offices around the world.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:3]“I’m really excited to be joining forces with the visionaries at Stink Films," he says. "This first collaboration with them was a game changer in terms of facilitation and pushing boundaries. I’m really appreciative to be in the company of like minded, eccentric creatives, and for having the opportunity to work on more progressive and ambitious projects together.”&nbsp;Hannah Bellil, Global Head, Stink Rising &amp; Music Video&nbsp;adds:&nbsp;“We’re so happy to have partnered&nbsp; with&nbsp;Wesley&nbsp;on his latest single and video&nbsp;for Patience. I’m delighted to welcome him into the fold and join the Rising family. Major talent and a really bright future ahead.”&nbsp;

Hannah Ashby Ward

Casting director

Videos featuring Hannah Ashby Ward

2022 (4)

2021 (6)

2020 (3)

2019 (1)

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