Production Company

Intergalactic Studios

Lucy Rose finds a very capable stand-in performer in the&nbsp;video for Sail Away: none other than&nbsp;Danny Dyer.Dyer - who is a big fan of Lucy's - offered to be in the video, and director Dylan Friese-Greene has responded to the challenge by providing a marvellous showcase for both the artist's song and in revealing a previously unseen side of one of Britain's best-loved 'hard men' actors.Friese-Greene's video&nbsp;features an impressive lip sync performance from Dyer at the beach, as he floats above the water and leans into the surreality of the moment.&nbsp;With relaxing sunset vibes and a calming, transcendent concept, it's a&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of creative experimentation, and works brilliantly alongside the track.&nbsp; "I wanted to put Danny in a setting that felt a bit different and incongruous to places we’d seen before," explains Friese-Greene."We discussed playing it like he was on some mad trip, taking in the world in a really sensory way. Kudos to him for lip-syncing someone else’s song at double speed over the side of a boat."[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

United Kingdom

Dylan Friese-Greene

Rhory Danniells

Jed Darlington-Roberts

Steve Wells

Darius Williams

Adam Clarke

Singer-songwriter

Indie

Lucy Rose 'Sail Away' by Dylan Friese-Greene

Lucy-Rose-'Sail-Away'-by-Dylan-Friese-greene

<h3>Ja&nbsp;Humby has established&nbsp;a reputation for directing live music videos driven by idiosyncratic concepts. Now he's made&nbsp;a superb live film for Yard Act, by exploiting the potential of virtual production to place the band's performance in an ironic, lo-fi animated 'Utopia'. We talked to Humby to find out more about the project.&nbsp;</h3>It's been the hallmark of James 'Ja' Humby's Molten Jets series to build a multi-song performance by a band&nbsp;around an intriguing, off-kilter concept. And that itself has usually pushed the artists&nbsp;he's worked with to new heights.Like, for instance, King Krule performing in spacesuits on the Moon; or Franc Moody in the crowded 'lift to the stars' of a strange&nbsp;hotel, accompanied by aliens; or a mock-doc about Shame's return to action, where they play a show in the nearly empty Brixton Academy.&nbsp;Humby builds intriguing visual worlds around the bands' live shows - and draws out authentically great performances from them in the process.He also takes great care about the recording of the music itself. It's so well done, in fact, that&nbsp;XL released the recording of his&nbsp;Live on the Moon&nbsp;film for King Krule as a limited edition picture disc vinyl LP.Now Humby has welcomed the Mercury Prize-nominated rock band Yard Act into his Molten Jets universe - and pushed the envelope creatively and technically on the live video concept with Live From Utopia,&nbsp;a live performance of six songs from Where's My Utopia?, the band's acclaimed new album.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]It places the band within a version&nbsp;of the album's cover illustrations, created&nbsp;by artist Tom Robinson, which subtly changes through the course of session. Established with the first song, An Illusion, the band are caught between painted waves and an apocalyptic landscape - crashed plane, crumbled tower blocks, dead tree&nbsp;- against a blue sky, elevated above the look of a small theatre stage show with elements of animation, such as the motion of the waves.With the next track&nbsp;Fizzy Fish, the sea in front of&nbsp;the band comes alive with flying fish; in Dream Job the sky begins to turn pink, with blue hands reaching out of the waves; then&nbsp;in Grifter's Grief the cartoon sun, sinking in the sky, gets ever larger, redder and angrier.&nbsp;In the confessional&nbsp;Down By The Stream, it's nighttime, and lightning strikes before falling into complete darkness, illuminating only singer James Smith's face.Finally for Vineyard Of The North, it becomes a more benign illuminated nighttime scene where lighter flames illuminate the foreground and background.&nbsp;And none of this&nbsp;detracts from the performance itself, which captures a band at the top of their game, revealing the increasing sophistication of their sound and musical ambition.&nbsp;It was achieved by shooting the session on a virtual production stage, MARS Volume in West London,&nbsp;with Humby introducing new unexpected ways&nbsp;to utilize the state-of-the art screen technology, employing Unreal Engine for real time animation&nbsp;and a good old-fashioned studio set build, to create his own charming and leftfield&nbsp;version of Utopia.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yard Act - Live From Utopia&nbsp;has just been&nbsp;released in full, so we&nbsp;spoke to Ja Humby about the project, about the future of live videos, and more...[imgtoken data:1]Above: Ja Humby (second right), plus crew and band, on the set of 'Live From Utopia'<blockquote>I’d wanted to do a virtual production... so I attempted a modern twist&nbsp;on a DIY set build.&nbsp;</blockquote>How did the Yard Act project begin? What was the brief?JA HUMBY: They wanted me to bring the Where's My Utopia? album artwork to life with a Molten Jets-style live film that was inventive and striking, but not overly polished. There was a suggestion of taking inspiration from early film set builds for a DIY feel.&nbsp;How did you end up using a virtual production studio? Tell us about that process.JH: I attempted a 'modern twist' on a DIY set build, because I’d wanted to do a virtual production for a while. Rather than creating the photoreal environments conventionally displayed on LED screens, we applied slapdash 2D animation to illustrations pulled from the&nbsp;various forms of album artwork created by Thomas Robinson. He even gave&nbsp;up some evenings to do bespoke illustrations for our environment before the shoot.[imgtoken data:2]Above: Production designer Lyndon Ogbourne's plan for the 'Live From Utopia' setThese artwork&nbsp;assets were animated in Unreal by my friend Tom Flavelle at No Ghost and printed for the physical set by production designer Lyndon Ogbourne.&nbsp;I’d already used Unreal Engine in a weird/wrong way for the backgrounds&nbsp;in a spoof Chabuddy G music video I directed for Kurupt FM&nbsp;with the guidance of VFX don Simon Legrand. He’s&nbsp;full time at a production company I work with a lot, but kindly gave up some free time to help me out as a virtual production supervisor on this one.That’s how we ended up shooting at the MARS Volume, so it could’ve been entirely different without Simon. He'd never seen this much animation in a VP shoot before and that's down to our Terry Gilliam-inspired approach of simple jerky movement, allowing Flav to get loads done without trying to perfect anything.[imgtoken data:3]Above: Yard Act frontman James Smith (right) with producer Rhory Danniells (second left), and VFX supervisor Simon Legrand (third left) on set of the 'Live From Utopia' shootIt’s hard to tell where the physical set build ends and the digital world begins. Your art department and VFX artists must have worked closely together?JH: Although they were using the same source material, they actually barely spoke. Flav&nbsp;is massively overqualified for this style of animation, but&nbsp;he had loads to do in just a few days. We’ve known each other&nbsp;since our teens, so to avoid dwelling on pointless nostalgia, I just tried to let him get on with it.The set designer Lyndon had a clear vision and made clever use of limited funds to arrange the physical set in a way that really complimented the virtual environment.&nbsp;We knew any inconsistencies between the virtual and physical sets&nbsp;would help ensure&nbsp;it wasn't 'overly polished'. Colourist Adam Clarke did a great&nbsp;job of giving DoP Jed Darlington-Robert’s digital footage a warm 'film' aesthetic too.[imgtoken data:4]Above: Stage at MARS Volume, shooting 'Live From Utopia'There’s a very visual narrative happening around the band through the six songs, can you elaborate on what’s going on?JH: The progression from morning to night informed the colour changes for each track. There’s also some album theme references within the virtual environment, particularly with stuff like the fire and the behaviour of the confident sun getting charged up and angry, while the&nbsp;anxious moon reflects on mistakes.James Smith [frontman of Yard Act]&nbsp;wanted a glimmer of hope to remain, so I left one surviving leaf on the tree after it was struck&nbsp;by lightning. The sea is a bit like a festival crowd, with more hands gathering around the rocky beach stage as the performance progresses, although you might just think it's people drowning.Much like the album artwork, it’s open for the audience to decipher meaning from it. But you're meant to look at the band anyway!<blockquote>XR/VR seems like the future, with opportunities for more immersive experiences for fans.</blockquote>How was&nbsp;working&nbsp;with Yard Act?JH: They’re really friendly and easy to work with, exactly as you'd expect from [a band from] up north. James's&nbsp;lyrics are a treasure trove for music video ideas. But after slipping down an ‘ancient Greek&nbsp;orator's platform’ rabbit hole for a few hours, I had to rein it in and focus on the decent performance capture they were after.Their mix of cynical humour and sometimes serious themes allowed contrasting looks throughout and the upbeat music was asking for an energetic cut.[imgtoken data:5]Above: Still from 'Live From Utopia'High concept live&nbsp;videos are a staple of the music video landscape now. What do you think the future of live videos is?JH: XR/VR definitely seems like the future. It's still early days, but with real-time rendering offering the ability to broadcast VFX-heavy productions live, there's definitely&nbsp;opportunities for more immersive experiences for fans. The main hurdle is always budget. The&nbsp;possibilities are endless, but kids seem happy with&nbsp;TikToks, so I'm hardly counting on Elon Musk's investment.&nbsp;Your music video for Shame was brilliant and nominated for a UKMVA last year. Will we see you directing more music videos alongside live projects?JH: Thanks a lot. Yeah I was really chuffed with that nomination. Music videos have a clear advantage over live films when it comes to storytelling. The Fingers of Steel vid allowed the kind of social commentary I can't quite shoehorn into a live performance, so I'll definitely be doing more of that.&nbsp;• Ja Humby is represented by Intergalactic Studios. Check out more of his work <a href="https://www.intergalacticstudios.com/directors/ja-humby" target="_blank">here</a>

Ja Humby

Ja Humby on Yard Act's Live From Utopia: 'They wanted something inventive and striking.'

Yard-Act-'Live-From-Utopia-'-by-Ja-Humby

Ja Humby directs a hypnotic live session for Yard Act, as part of his noteworthy Molten Jets series.&nbsp;Surrounded by real-time visual effects based on the original album artwork, the immersive session is a&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of performance and innovative filmmaking.&nbsp;A playful, eccentric and fun concept, anchored by delightful performances all-round.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lyndon Ogbourne

Massimo Filippi

Henry Heffer

Krystian Winszewski

Ari Priede

Dakota Blacklaws-lacy

Island Records

Rock

Alternative

Yard Act 'Live From Utopia' by Ja Humby

Rhory Danniells and the band's vocalist Clari Freeman-Taylor direct an eerie live promo for up and coming alt-rock trio Mary In The Junkyard.&nbsp;Following the imaginative lo-fi promo for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/03/22/mary-junkyard-ghost-clari-freeman-taylor-rhory-danniells/85787">Ghost</a>&nbsp;- also co-directed by Danniells and Freeman-Taylor -&nbsp;the video for Marble Arch sees the group perform in a pitch black basement, captured in night vision in a continuous handheld one-shot.&nbsp;It's an arresting visual, evoking horror films such as Rec. It's&nbsp;also a fun spin on the live video format and a testament to the creativity of the director and band.&nbsp;Don't be afraid of the dark - unless you come across this lot playing in your basement!&nbsp;

Nellie Blake

Clari Freeman-taylor

Ciaran K. Walker

Connie Meade

Charlie Relph

Amf Records

Alt Rock

Mary In The Junkyard 'Marble Arch' by Clari Freeman-Taylor, Rhory Danniells

Mary-In-The-Junkyard-'Marble-Arch'-by-Clari-Freeman-taylor,rhory-Danniells

Ja Humby returns to his inventive Molten Jets live series - previous subjects have included King Krule, Franc Moody and shame - with a highly&nbsp;entertaining live performance&nbsp;by Yard Act&nbsp;in an&nbsp;unusual set.The Leeds band play&nbsp;A&nbsp;Vineyard For The North - from just-released new album Where's My Utopia? - amid a virtual set build which&nbsp;takes inspiration from vintage animation, surrealism and the album cover. The group perform with confident gusto within this setting, establishing an atmosphere that's captivating - both vibrantly live yet also slightly uncanny.&nbsp;This is&nbsp;an ambitious marriage of technology, creativity and performance craft, and the result is a&nbsp;very distinctive, even unique, live video.[imgtoken data:1]

Jed Darlington Roberts

Sonnie Day

Georgia Llewelyn

Murs Topham

Vladimir Woodham-smith

Yard Act 'A Vineyard For The North (Live from Utopia)' by Ja Humby

Yard-Act-'A-Vineyard-For-The-North-(live-From-Utopia)'-by-Ja-Humby

A strange tale of transformation&nbsp;unfolds in an imaginative video for alt-folk&nbsp;trio Mary In The Junkyard, co-directed by Rhory Danniells and&nbsp;the band's vocalist&nbsp;Clari Freeman-Taylor.The whimsical video for Ghost follows the journey of an intrepid moth&nbsp;into the lives of the band as they chill out at home, his invasion of Clari's body, and the&nbsp;resulting metamorphosis within the house.With a range of lo-fi techniques, including shadow puppetry, Danniells and Freeman-Taylor find a charming space between reality and fantasy, childlike wonder and something darker, as the themes of&nbsp;Kafka and David Cronenberg's The Fly arrive in leafy London suburbia...&nbsp;

Edie Lawrence

Brook Williams

Alex Mellbye

Adam Clark

Mary In The Junkyard 'Ghost' by Clari Freeman-Taylor, Rhory Danniells

Mary-In-The-Junkyard-'Ghost'-by-Clari-Freeman-taylor,rhory--Danniells

2023 was a year of award-winning work and roster expansion for Intergalactic Studios. Now the London-based company has kicked off 2024 by announcing the addition of three new directors:&nbsp;Jasmine De Silva, Lulu Vicedomini and Duncan Lewis.Jasmine De SilvaJasmine De Silva (above, centre) has directed music videos for Ellie Dixon, Lyza Jane and Luxury Goods and the fashion film How To Build Your Human, in the process creating immersive worlds in a playful pop-art style.&nbsp;She studied fashion photography at the London College of Fashion, and has won awards for emerging talent in both photography and directing.“Jasmine’s sparkly feminine worlds and concepts are so captivating,"&nbsp;says Intergalactic co-MD&nbsp;Rhory Danniells. "We’ve worked on a number of projects with her now and it’s always fun to walk onto a set that’s instantly recognisable as a Jasmine De Silva shoot - not just in look, but energy too. Her good vibes are infectious.”&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]“I'm super excited to join the Intergalactic roster!" adds De Silva. "When I first saw their work a few years ago, I instantly loved the playful range of directors they team up with and the vibrant projects they get their hands on. Having collaborated with them a few times now, I've always felt so supported&nbsp;creatively right from the start and can't wait to see what the next year brings as we work together more.”• Watch Jasmine De Silva's work on Intergalactic Studios' website <a href="https://www.intergalacticstudios.com/directors/jasmine-de-silva" target="_blank">here</a>.Lulu VicedominiRecent Italian transplant Lulu Vicedomini (above, left) caught the attention of Intergalactic with her (literal) bird’s eye view video, Sud Italia for Giovanni ti Amo. She has also directed acclaimed videos for D-Ross and Delicatoni in her native Italy.The director and production company have now collaborated on her first UK-shot video, building a miniature village theme park and a life-sized funhouse for indie supergroup FIZZ's The Secret To Life, where the band discover they are starring in a sitcom against their will and subsequently escape their film-set-prison through a magic wormhole discovered on their smoke break."I’ve never read anything as complicated as Lulu’s scripts, and I got through most of The Da Vinci Code," comments Intergalactic's other co-MD, Tom Ringsby. "You have to fully immerse yourself in her vision and leave conventions behind. Her films feel hand-made and free. She’s indifferent to music video trends and is more likely to reference Japanese arthouse and Italian soap operas, which is why we consistently hear from commissioners that she delivers the most unique interpretations on briefs."We’re super excited to sit on more calls with Lulu acting out her scripts to clarify which shots are flashbacks and which ones are dream sequences.”[vidtoken data:1]“I am very grateful for Intergalactic’s unwavering support and guidance in my creative journey," adds Lulu&nbsp;Vicedomini.&nbsp;"I am excited to join their roster and looking forward to work on more fun, surreal projects together. In the words of ‘the man from another place’ let’s rock.”• Watch&nbsp;Lulu Vicedomini’s work on Intergalactic Studios’&nbsp;website <a href="https://www.intergalacticstudios.com/directors/lulu-vicedomini" target="_blank">here</a>.Duncan Lewis&nbsp;Since starting out filming his friends performing Jackass-stunts in their teens, Duncan Lewis has progressed to&nbsp;working with some of the world's leading brands and publications, including Motorola, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Barbour&nbsp;and Vogue.His energetic visual&nbsp;style has also translated from fashion and commercials into music videos, with Lewis directing promos for rapper p-rallel's Can't Get Enough and Get Down.&nbsp;“Duncan’s a director we’ve been circling for a while now," says Danniels.&nbsp;"Each video he's put out, be it for brands or musicians, raises the bar on his previous&nbsp;work and that's what's so exciting about&nbsp;having him with us at this stage. Watch this space.”[vidtoken data:2]“I’m really excited about starting 2024 by joining Intergalactic," adds Lewis. "After meeting them it was clear that we shared a strong passion for making stand-out films. Intergalactic had an excellent year in 2023 and I can’t wait to get started with them and join their journey while also being able to take my projects to the next level!”&nbsp;• Watch Duncan Lewis's work on Intergalactic Studios’&nbsp;website <a href="https://www.intergalacticstudios.com/directors/duncan-lewis" target="_blank">here</a>. &nbsp;

Jasmine De Silva

Lulu Vicedomini

Duncan Lewis

Directors Jasmine De Silva, Lulu Vicedomini and Duncan Lewis join Intergalactic Studios

Ellie-Dixon-'Swing!'-by-Jasmine-De-Silva-

Fizz-'The-Secret-To-Life'-by-Lulu-Vicedomini

p-rallel - Get Down (Official Video) ft. Kasien

In her first video since arriving at Intergalactic Studios, Lulu Vicedomini directs an unhinged fever dream for indie-popsters FIZZ.in the promo for The Secret To Life,&nbsp;Vicedomini creates 'Fizzville', a tabletop-sized themepark, before introducing the band as characters within this setting.&nbsp;But this scenario soon unravels, lines between fiction and reality blur, and things start to get supremely silly.&nbsp;When the band take a ciggie break, they&nbsp;begin to realise they are appearing in a video when they find the storyboards. After that the crew need to do everything to keep them within the video.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Studio Gaas

Rubina Marchiori

Tom Ringsby

Chloe Anderson

Nicola Cattelan

Laura Flack

Kirstin Hogg

Giuseppe Stelitano

Georgia Olive

Lulu Videcomini

Nicolo Bassetto

Decca

Asya Peker

Gabriel Healy

FIZZ 'The Secret To Life' by Lulu Vicedomini

Dylan Friese-Greene directs an effervescent promo for Lucy Rose.Incorporating abstract art and textures into the performance setups, the video for The Racket&nbsp;has a vintage vibe with an anachronistic, ethereal&nbsp;aesthetic.&nbsp;The dazzling vignettes feel inspired by&nbsp;vintage photography and experimental art, with offbeat cutaways that add an eccentric je ne sais quoi&nbsp;to the concept.&nbsp;

Duane Jay

Matt Wong

Lucy Rose 'The Racket' by Dylan Friese-Greene

Lucy-Rose-'The-Racket'-by-Dylan-Friese-greene

Tom Ringsby disrupts&nbsp;the conventions of capturing classical music&nbsp;performance in an ambitious promo for one of the world's greatest young pianists, Yunchan Lim.&nbsp;The video for Franz Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 "Love Dream" was shot using&nbsp;a thirty-panel lighting rig, transforming the studio space into an atmospheric setting fit for Lim's breathtaking performance.&nbsp;Captured in a single take, with a constantly moving camera&nbsp;and flickering lights - often in sync with the performance - the video is a fresh, unique take on classical music promos, and is a perfect balance of traditional and contemporary vibes.&nbsp;

Cassidy Conway

Karin Kavanagh

Michael Fennelly

James Rhodes

Vlassis Skoulis

Julie Steyaert

Joseph Bicknell

Company 3

Classical

Yunchan Lim 'Franz Liszt: Liebestraum No. 3 "Love Dream" (Live Performance)' by Tom Ringsby

Yunchan-Lim-'Franz-Liszt:-Liebestraum-No.-3-"love-Dream"-(live-Performance)'-by-Tom-Ringsby

Sahra Zadat directs an extravagant and ambitious live promo&nbsp;for pop singer-songwriter&nbsp;Griff's return - featuring performances of five new songs: Vertigo, Into The Walls, 19th Floor and Astronaut - all shot on 16mm at a stunning palatial location.&nbsp;The live performances for&nbsp;Vert1go Vol. 1 opens&nbsp;with a low-angle perspective of a winding staircase for the first song, and moves through the grand building to an outdoor space. It&nbsp;is well-executed in its progression, and the changes in location allow Griff to showcase her multifaceted talents as a performer.&nbsp;Textural and intimate, the video contrasts the location with a personal performance, allowing the music and concept to co-exist in a gentle yet alluring way.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Kamran Raiput

Sahra Zadat

Femi Bello

Matt Bohun

Sam E H Hooper

Stephen Ofori

Griff 'Vert1go Vol. 1 (Live Performance)' by Sahra Zadat

Griff-'Vert1go-Vol.-1-(live-Performance)'-by-Sahra-Zadat

Dylan Friese-Greene directs an abstract performance promo for Lucy Rose.The perpetually-dynamic video for Could You Help Me features the artist performing at a piano, appearing at different positions in a blank studio space via the help of&nbsp;camera trickery&nbsp;and edit effects.&nbsp;Experimental and fun, the video features cutaways of a zoetrope - and similar style graphics - to create a dizzying rhythm of endless revolutions in the space.&nbsp;Hypnotising and stirring, and a perfect match to the track.&nbsp;

Lucy Rose 'Could You Help Me' by Dylan Friese-Greene

Lucy-Rose-'Could-You-Help-Me'-by-Dylan-Friese-greene

Dylan Friese-Greene pays homage to classic horror cinema in his hypnotic promo for Felixthe1st.&nbsp;Taking place at a spooky, blood-soaked prom, the video sees the artist perform amongst a cast of horror icons and mysterious masked guests.&nbsp;Intercut with stylish freeze-frames and conceptual photography, the video is an otherworldly trip just in time for Halloween.&nbsp;

Stephen Dunn

Chenai Nduru

Felixthe1st 'Friday 13th' by Dylan Friese-Greene

Felixthe1st-'Friday-The-13th'-by-Dylan-Friese-greene

Dylan Friese-Greene directs a captivating multi-format promo for Chartreuse.The video for All Seeing All The Time interweaves gritty exterior portraits with stark document scans, which relate to eye diagrams&nbsp;and highlighted words from the lyrics.&nbsp;Blended together with&nbsp;eye-test performance setups, it's the perfect example of an abstract concept elevated to its full potential, and is hugely watchable.&nbsp;The relatively everyday visuals are cut together in&nbsp;an offbeat, eerie way, which matches the enigmatic soundscapes in the track, and creates a haunting vibe throughout.&nbsp;

Andi Chu

Electric Theatre Company

Cinelab Film and Digital

dark pop

Chartreuse 'All Seeing All The Time' by Dylan Friese-Greene

Chartreuse-'All-Seeing-All-The-Time'-by-Dylan-Friese-greene

Biig Piig wakes on the morning after the night before and stirs her buddy Kojaque by unconventional means in Dylan Friese-Greene's highly enjoyable visual for WOOF.&nbsp;Emerging from a slurry of hungover friends and party leftovers, the Irish rapper and Anglo-Spanish singer quickly return to the mood of last night's festivities. The pair dance around the messy living room, before the flashbacks begin - snatches of last night's party in full swing under strobe lights.It's a classic concept executed perfectly, putting&nbsp;a more fun spin than&nbsp;usual on the 'morning after' experiences with playful performances from both artists and solid art direction. An impressive addition to Dylan Friese-Greene's work in music videos over the past couple of years.

Georgia Marshall

James De Winton

Maxence Ewers

Tommy Taylor

Georgia Hope

Kojaque ft Biig Piig 'WOOF' by Dylan Friese-Greene

Kojaque-Ft.-Biig-Piig-'Woof'-by-Dylan-Friese-greene

Sarah Dattani Tucker directs an atmospheric video for Puma Blue which sees the artist - real name Jacob Allen - running away from a mysterious force.The gritty monochromatic promo for Dream Of You is captured in a single shot, filmed at dusk, from a low angle body rig attached to Allen as he moves across a beach, attempting to evade this force. And it turns out with good reason:&nbsp;when the silhouetted character finally catches up with him, we realise he is in the unmistakeable clutch of Death.&nbsp;It's a stirring vision, and one that comes with a lot of subtext to unpack. Whilst the details of what are&nbsp;going on are left quite abstract, the overall concept explores acceptance in a beautifully rich way.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]"Jacob had this idea about running away from Death until Death eventually catches up with him," says Sarah Dattani Tucker.&nbsp;"I wanted to create a visual that evokes a dreaminess in the narrative and the song. The angle, rig and frame-rate we chose to capture the running were all designed to create a sense of lucid dreaming, a consciousness in a dream state, forcing a movement that feels slow and unavailable."The moment the camera spins around Jacob is an exploration of this dreamlike environment, adding unexpected movement in the one shot video to capture the surreal-ness of it - like in&nbsp;Enter The Void&nbsp;when the camera POV almost becomes its own character.""This is one of my favourite videos we’ve ever done," says Allen. "I’m always trying to say more with less, but it’s much harder in practice than in theory. Working with Sarah and her team was such a positive experience, everyone was so sweet to each other during this tempestuous, coastal downpour as we were losing light&nbsp;and Mia Gill chased me up and down the grey dunes as Death."This video hurt a lot. Physically, the rig was heavy enough that I had bruises on my ribs and sides the next day; everyone was shivering and soaked through by the end of the night. But I also experienced a painful loss when I returned home, and seeing the video back for the first time brought me to tears. It was almost too real."

Sarah Dattani Tucker

Gordon Wong

Miles Young

Mia Gill

Puma Blue 'Dream Of You' by Sarah Dattani Tucker

Puma-Blue-'Dream-Of-You'-by-Sarah-Dattani-Tucker

Directing duo&nbsp;NWSPK create an effortlessly slick promo for Ragz Originale.With a breezy, nostalgic aesthetic and a focus on pure performance, the video feels filmic and intimate, which is reflected in both the shoot style and format, as explained below:"We wanted to create a flowing endless movement to reflect the smooth vibe of the track," say NWSPK."We eventually settled on a mix of slowly spinning camera moves, taking inspiration from classic Spike Lee films such as 'Mo' Better Blues&nbsp;and his signature dolly shots."Ragz is always adamant on shooting 16mm film which is a joy when the artist&nbsp;pushes for this as much as we do. This helped us create a classic New York/Brooklyn 90s/00s feel which there are nods too in the track, but still felt uniquely UK R'n'B."

Alex Carswell

Shannon Kelsey Ann

NWSPK

Reece Selvadorai

Grade A

Joel Breakwell

Klim Jurevicius

Christopher J Orr

Glen Travis

Danyal Kadir

Electric Colour

Experimental

Ragz Originale 'Pay Ur Bills' by NWSPK

Dylan Friese-Greene presents a hallucinatory analogue promo for Pale Blue Eyes.&nbsp;Framed by the contours of a vintage TV set, we see a vibrant, distorted montage of performance vignettes, blended with pixellated textures and overlays.&nbsp;Harking back to the nostalgia of early music videos, the whole thing feels delightfully abstract and experimental, and the trippy vibes build to a mesmerising climax.

Full Time Hobby

Pale Blue Eyes 'Takes Me Over' by Dylan Friese-Greene

Pale Blue Eyes - Takes Me Over [Official Video]

Tom Ringsby directs a striking monochromatic promo for pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason.With sweeping camera movement, a stripped-back colour palette and a focus on pure performance, the video for Children's Corner is a stunning two and a half minutes, made under extreme time pressures - as explained by Tom Ringsby below:"[The video was]&nbsp;put together in five days following an email chain with the subject line 'urgent music video request'," he explains. "[We]&nbsp;only had 90 minutes with classical pianist superstar Isata, so focused everything into capturing a few key angles, subtly bringing the themes of time and memory to life by setting her Steinway Grand between the camera and key light as they revolve around her."Job done. It's a beautiful piece of work that doesn't hint at the time constraints in any way, and showcases&nbsp;Kanneh-Mason's immense gift with style and grace.

Jenny Stewart

Pete Musgrave

Henry Gill

Harry Coleman

Maria Molsa

Decca Classics

Isata Kanneh-Mason 'Children's Corner' by Tom Ringsby

Isata-Kanneh-mason-'Children's-Corner'-by-Tom-Ringsby

Devon Kuziw allows the inner joy of a proud father&nbsp;to express itself in dance, in this heartwarming promo for the latest single from alt-popster grentperez - the follow-up to his clever video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2023/04/06/grentperez-us-without-me-devon-kuziw/81083" target="_blank">Us Without Me</a>.In the video for When The Day Is Done, a Dad - played by Patrick Loh - lets himself be literally&nbsp;moved by his son's song, breaking out into a joyous dance in his suburban home.It all builds to a magical climax, where the feelings come to life via a beautiful barrage of floating white feathers.&nbsp;A really&nbsp;celebratory, charming video for a feelgood track.&nbsp;

Australia

Giorgia Joseph

Devon Kuziw

Austin Gomez

Kia Fern Little

Oliver Robbins

Awal

Fast Friends

grentperez 'When The Day Is Done' by Devon Kuziw

Grentperez-'When-The-Day-Is-Done'-by-Devon-Kuziw

Dylan Friese-Greene riffs on the mortal thoughts of Skinny Pelembe&nbsp;- with the help of AI.The video for Deadman Deadman Deadman features over 500 AI-generated faces, but Friese-Greene uses the technology quite subtly, to reflect the musician/producer's&nbsp;musings on the big question: what's it all about?From the 'real' Skinny Pelembe, aka Doya Beardmore, in a photographic studio set-up,&nbsp;we get machine-created spin-offs of the artist, intercut with numerous older, craggier faces, that repeat and multiply. And throughout, there is the symbol of our inevitable destination -&nbsp;the skull -&nbsp;rendered in different forms and illustrations, including being cradled, Hamlet-like, by Pelembe.Friese-Greene's clever use of the technology gets to the heart of the matter - and it also does a great job in presenting Skinny Pelembe in an impactful&nbsp;way.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Harrison Newman

Matt Wilson

Arthur Attenborough

Holly JJ Brown

Partisan Records

Skinny Pelembe 'Deadman Deadman Deadman' by Dylan Friese-Greene

Skinny-Pelembe-'Deadman-Deadman-Deadman'-by-Dylan-Friese-greene

Devon Kuziw explores life after heartbreak&nbsp;from a new, lighter perspective, in this playful&nbsp;promo for Aussie indie-pop artist grentperez.&nbsp;&nbsp;The video for Us Without Me follows the adventures of a red baseball cap, discovered by a variety of different characters as they go about their day-to-day lives.&nbsp;Utilising practical, in-camera techniques - placing the body of the camera in the mouths of each cap-wearing cast member - the video has a distinctive look. It places the hat centre-stage in frame and switching up the energy of the video with each different wearer.&nbsp;Kuziw's clever approach gives a&nbsp;easygoing but charismatic energy to the visuals, and fits nicely with grentperez's sweetly downbeat song.[imgtoken data:1]

Ciaran Walker

Caitlin Ricaud

Thomas Kumeling

Indie pop

grentperez 'Us Without Me' by Devon Kuziw

grentperez - Us Without Me (Official Music Video)

<h3>In the latest of our series asking British music video-makers about their experiences last year and thoughts on the coming year, we talk to Tom Ringsby (above right)&nbsp;- co-founder and EP at Intergalactic Studios.&nbsp;</h3>Having founded Intergalactic with Rhory Danniells (above left) just over two years ago, Tom reflects on the return of travelling overseas to shoot in 2022,&nbsp;and predicts that 2023 will be a big&nbsp;year... for lyric videos.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2022How would you describe last year in a few words?Less masks, more laughs.What was your favourite project or projects you worked on last year?Shame's Fingers of Steel&nbsp;- any reason to be around Ja Humby and baby oil.[vidtoken data:0]Above: Shame's Fingers Of Steel, directed by Ja HumbyAny other project you enjoyed that deserved more attention, or went under the radar?Depzman's Life Cut Short&nbsp;went viral, all the way to BBC News, but still deserved more attention. Also Jasmine De Silva’s wig-design for Ellie Dixon's Swing!What were the best aspects of the job last year?Three continents in one week.[vidtoken data:1]Above: Depzman's Life Cut Short, directed by BRIGHTNIGHT<blockquote>Depzman's&nbsp;Life Cut Short went viral, all the way to BBC News, but still deserved more attention.</blockquote>What were the most challenging aspects of the job last year?Getting stuck in a crawl-space with Anupam Tripathi.Best or favourite video or videos last year that you weren’t involved with?<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/06/16/joji-glimpse-us-dan-streit/76856" target="_blank">Joji's Glimpse of Us</a>.What was other cultural highlight (or highlights) of the year?Cate Blanchett&nbsp;in Tár.Any other personal experience that defines 2022 for you?Shot an experimental documentary project in Ghana that’s out soon. Watch out for&nbsp;Dragon Boys.<blockquote>[I expect to see]&nbsp;more lyric videos with set-builds and three-arc narratives.</blockquote>2023What are you looking forward to in 2023 – both for work and for other parts of your life?The Spanish desert.Have you set work objectives for this year and if so, what are they?Shoot in more exteriors with no signal.Who are the up-and-coming talents that you think will break through this year – or at least deserve to be successful?Dylan Friese-Greene, Claryn Chong, Caleb Johnson, NWSPK, Emalea Jones.[vidtoken data:2]Above: FelixThe1st's Who's On What, directed by&nbsp;Dylan Friese-GreeneWhat is your prediction for the direction of the industry in 2023? And what will be the big trends for the year ahead?More lyric videos with set-builds and three-arc narratives.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?Artists picking the lamest treatment.If you could ‘make a wish’, and reform or change the environment in which you work in one way, what would you wish for?Artists picking the best treatment.Have you made any personal New Year resolutions? And if so, how’s it going?Not letting Rhory win a single game of ping-pong.• Tom Ringsby is co-founder and MD of <a href="https://www.intergalacticstudios.com/" target="_blank">Intergalactic Studios</a>.

State of Play: Tom Ringsby, Intergalactic Studios

Shame-'Fingers-Of-Steel'-by-Ja-Humby

Depzman-'Life-Cut-Short'-by-Bright-Night

Felixthe1st-'Who’s-On-What?'-by-Dylan-Friese-greene

Dylan Friese-Greene directs the video for Cian Ducrot's I'll Be Waiting - the poignant story of two children of separated parents expecting their absent father to collect them for a day out. They are waiting - but will he show up?Friese-Greene sets the story in an undefined past, a time of home phones and answering machine messages, giving the sense that he is recalling Ducrot's own personal experience - intensified by him&nbsp;performing the song from the same family home.Stephen Dunn's nostalgic cinematography is among the contributions that make the Friese-Greene's latest video a accomplished work.&nbsp;