Director of Photography

Jeff Leeds Cohn

Precociously talented director Phillip Youmans made his music video debut for Michael Kiwanuka's Interlude (Loving The People) in 2020, after the release of his acclaimed debut feature Burning Cane. His second collaboration&nbsp;with Kiwanuka, for Beautiful Life, has now finally seen the light of day, and it&nbsp;is very powerful work indeed.The setting is a house party, where four teenagers are playing the most dangerous game of all - Russian roulette - observed by their friends. In fact, Youmans'&nbsp;main purpose is not to focus on the extreme tension built-in to the scenario.&nbsp;This is also an exploration of what happens in a life-or-death situation, and the real phenomenon of having your life flash before you in moments of extreme danger - caused by the hormonal release of DMT.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]“This story is a cautionary tale about our nation’s easy access to, and fascination with, guns," Yeomans has explained.&nbsp;"We follow teenagers playing Russian roulette with a parent’s revolver. As each player holds the gun up to their temple, their lives flash before their eyes."When we die, our bodies release DMT; as the chemical fills our bloodstream, it’s said that a person experiences their life flashing before their eyes. So close to their possible death, I wanted to explore these characters through their memories. With each pull of the trigger, the chance of death rises and each player deals with varying levels of fear."Overconfidence and recklessness underline the core themes of this film: life is beautiful and precious, and conformity and exhibitionism can be deadly. Though they’re fearful, they pull the trigger anyway, bowing to the pressure of the moment.”[imgtoken data:2]Shot on 16mm, Youmans’ raw immersive approach creates both bold, dynamic and claustrophobic scenes, while the kinetic camera during each flashback brings a nostalgic and alive feel. Through striking storytelling carried by authentic performances from the nuanced and diverse cast, Phillip Youmans entwines his craft and the powerful single from Kiwanuka into a matter of life and death celebrating the real strength in the human spirit.&nbsp;And the final shot, after the inevitable outcome of the ultimate gamble, is possibly the most pointed of all, puncturing the moments of sentimentality before it. Don't try this at home, kids.&nbsp;

Phillip Youmans

Manny Caston

SMUGGLER

OB Management

Stray Dogs

Pancho Ortiz

April Rivera

Liz Toonkel

Ryan Silber

Dara Hamidi

Michael Kiwanuka 'Beautiful Life' by Phillip Youmans

Michael Kiwanuka - Beautiful Life

Phillip Youmans directs a cinematic&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;for Fana Hues.The promo for Pieces&nbsp;is set during&nbsp;a surreal talent show hosted by Hues herself. Introducing one act after the other, the artist leaves the audience both excited and mesmerised by the diverse set of acts.The sophisticated, filmic aesthetic grounds the offbeat nature of the concept, whilst Hues' performance is captivating in its intimacy and theatricality.&nbsp;

United States

Elizabeth Doonan

Phillip Soulliere

Mckay Todd

Pierre Habib

Marquise Miller

Jarad Reed

Makeup By Nimai

Bright Antenna Records

Fana Hues 'Pieces' by Phillip Youmans

Fana-Hues-'Pieces'-by-Phillip-Youmans

Nelson De Castro directs a&nbsp;story of self-reflection for Waze &amp; Odyssey's Always, that toys with viewer's perceptions - and is not diminished by referencing the&nbsp;classic video for the original track.&nbsp;Utilising a seamless blend of practical and digital mirroring effects, the concept for De Castro's video for the remix of Always - written by Stevie Wonder in the '70s, covered by George Michael and Mary J Blige in the '90s - takes place in a diner, where De Castro playfully switches between different types of doubles. At first it's mirror FX, and then the mirror breaks down,&nbsp;interweaves and disconnect (literally) at cleverly timed moments.The beauty of the video lies in how the skill&nbsp;of the choroegraphy, and the&nbsp;cast - led by the Huber twins, Allison and Veronica&nbsp;- gently emerges.&nbsp;Eddie Inda's wonderful art direction helps hide the subtle transitions, creating brilliantly surreal copies of clocks, sprawling menus that overlap corners and intricate coffee stains.Combined with DoP Jeff Leeds Cohn's complex yet striking cinematography, De Castro has orchestrated&nbsp;one of his most successful videos - particularly in this director's cut. Here, he also includes excerpts from George Michael and Mary J Blige's own remarkable video for Always - by directing duo Big TV!"We designed, built and cast a perfectly mirrored world, down to the last drop of spilled coffee." he says. "It allowed us to intercut simple digital-mirror effects like an on/off switch." It's a mesmerising, thoroughly entertaining&nbsp;trip.

United Kingdom

Nelson De Castro

Briana Goldberg

Little Ugly

Kimberly Stuckwisch

Jesse McClung

Tim Kerigan

Michael Coursey

Daniel Ajemian

Tessa Kier

Eddie Inda

Meredith Peebles

Kimtsy Sanchez

Taylor Brusky

Jacob Mckee

Naheem Adio

Bryan Fugal

Kat Cattaneo

Ministry of Sound

Sony Music

Waze & Odyssey, George Michael, Mary J. Blige & Tommy Theo 'Always' (Director's Cut) by Nelson De Castro

Waze-&amp;-Odyssey,-George-Michael,-Mary-J.-Blige-&amp;-Tommy-Theo-'Always-(director&#039;s-Cut)'-by-Nelson-De-Castro

Longtime collaborators Harry Israelson and Toro y Moi are back with a beautifully simple performance promo for You And I.Beginning tightly cropped on a glass of water, the camera floats around the details of Chaz Bundick&#39;s (aka Toro y Moi) airy, light studio. The single take shot on film pans out to become wider and wider until we see the entire space, having been informed of the minutiae already. A great simple performance from Bundick lets the camera do all the choreography.

Harry Israelson

Flathead Films

Mikey Rossiter @ The Mill

Ilia Mokhtareizadeh

Phillip Matarrese

Joseph Matarrese

Jerome Stolly

Anders Ericsson

Ashley Valenzuela

Greg Szilagyi

Toro y Moi 'You and I' by Harry Israelson

Toro y Moi - "You and I" (official music video)

Chaz Bundick, better known as Toro Y Moi, has teamed up with identical twin jazz duo The Mattson 2 for Star Stuff, and Harry Israelson, who helmed last year&#39;s Toro Y Moi: Live from Trona is back as the video&#39;s director.Set between a bowling alley and an infinite world of orange-peach hues, the surreal and psychedelic video has a hypnotic pacing that is bizarrely soothing to watch. With quirky character moments played against a cool performance and pitch-perfect colours, the clip goes more for a &#39;feeling&#39; than a narrative, although it&#39;s a feeling that quite difficult to name.

Jeff Leeds Cohn

Director of Photography

Videos featuring Jeff Leeds Cohn

2022 (1)

2021 (1)

2020 (1)

2017 (2)

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