Irish Director of Photography. Based between London and Belfast. NFTS Cinematography alumnus. Working across film, TV drama, documentary, and music videos.

Director of Photography

Jake Duncan

Jake Duncan directs a thought-provoking and highly personal promo for Belfast-based singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The video for It's Not Going To Be Okay is a character study of a middle aged man - played by Duncan's father - living an isolated existence in the countryside, taking us through his daily routines, captured&nbsp;in cinematic scenes and lo-fi cutaways. And this intimate portrait through everyday moments also offers&nbsp;hints&nbsp;at a troubled past.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]"When (my Dad) was younger he trained as an actor, but through various forms of self-sabotage, most notably an addiction to hard drugs, opportunities were repeatedly disrupted," explains Duncan. "The film looks at some of the song’s broader themes through the intimacy of one person’s life: regret, resilience, isolation and the possibility of change."He spent some time in Bosnia at an addiction retreat and eight years in India, where he converted to Hinduism. He then returned home and converted an old horsebox that he’s been living in for the past thirteen years. He now works as a taxi driver, a livelihood that has become increasingly difficult to sustain amid the rising cost of living and declining hourly earnings.[imgtoken data:2]"Rather than trying to match the song’s scale, I wanted to locate its themes within one life. I made the project largely alone over three separate trips, directing, shooting and editing. I cast an actor to play his daughter in one short scene, but much of what appears in the video comes directly from his everyday life. Some sequences are entirely documentary, while others are slightly dramatised."The process has been extremely cathartic for both of us. For most of my life we lived in separate countries, and I only really began building a relationship with him as an adult. I’m glad that we were able to make this together and that such an incredible piece of songwriting gave me the impetus to explore his life, and our relationship, through the film."

United Kingdom

Singer-songwriter

Joshua Burnside 'It's Not Going To Be Okay' by Jake Duncan

Joshua Burnside - It's Not Going to be Okay

Jordan Coolbear directs an emotionally-charged promo for Jimmy Herrity.The video for Simple Things explores love, loss and loneliness.&nbsp;Trapped under a sea of grief, we see Jimmy fantasise&nbsp;about a chance to meet his brother just one more time.The&nbsp;focus on water and fluid textures parallel the waves of emotion Jimmy is experiencing, and the dramatic performance perfectly encapsulates the effect the loss has had on the artist.&nbsp;A brilliant grade acts as a final polish to the concept,&nbsp;by top colourist (and Jordan's brother)&nbsp;Connor Coolbear.&nbsp;

Jordan Coolbear

Jimmy Herrity 'Simple Things' by Jordan Coolbear

Jimmy-Herrity-'Simple-Things'-by-Jordan-Coolbear

Jordan Coolbear's notable video for Owen Hackett plays with the idea of time with reverse motion, different formats and time-lapse photography in which the singer-songwriter is apparently captured in a lightning storm."This track is about letting go of your past and moving on to a new chapter," says Coolbear.&nbsp;"Owen is cleansed under the power of the natural world, ridden of his sins."

Owen Hackett 'Dive' by Jordan Coolbear

Owen-Hackett-'Dive'-by-Jordan-Coolbear

London-based artist King Charles releases a hybrid video directed by Tom Clover for two&nbsp;tracks, Deeper Love and Freak.&nbsp;Opening in a grand room, full of eclectic art direction and luxury furnishings, Charles wakes up from the remains of a high-end party. He journeys through the house looking for answers, in this first part, as he performs Deeper Love,&nbsp;before a shift in tone and style at the halfway mark sees the artist in&nbsp;a Lynchian pub, for Freak.It's a surreal and unexpected visual, and DoP&nbsp;Jake Duncan's use of heavy red lighting and unusual composition in the latter half of the video builds upon this offbeat aesthetic.&nbsp;

Jake Duncan

Director of Photography

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2020 (2)