Telling human stories through a cinematic lens. Having grown up working in theatre as an actor, Joel’s work is performance led, with human stories at the core of everything he makes.Previous Clients Include: Nike, The North Face, Under Armour, Axel Arigato, Vans, Dickies, USC, FLANNELS, Lyle &amp; Scott, Just Eat, Arlo Parks, Royal Blood and Tom Walker among others.www.joelbarney.com joel@sonder.london

Director

Joel Barney

Joel Barney directs a kaleidoscopic, 90's-inspired skate film for&nbsp;Sigala Feat. 24kgoldn &amp; Trevor Daniel.The video for It's A Feeling is set against the bustling streets of London, and captures a group of friends as they navigate the city, surrounded by infrared trees and greenery in a surreal visual twist.&nbsp;Inspired by the vibrant artwork of Billy Babehkul and Richard Mosse, it's a love letter to the&nbsp;rebellious spirit of 90s skate culture with a visual style that transports viewers into an otherworldly realm.&nbsp;Aesthetically switching between elevated, glossy camerawork and lo-fi Mini DV, the video is imbued with the DIY spirit of the skate scene.[imgtoken data:1]"The brief called for the video to incorporate the albums infrared/psychadelic visual identity in some way, taking reference from the single artwork, we decided to invert the green elements of the frame to a Richard Mosse-like vibrant pinkish red," says Sonder."While aiming for a cinematic feel, it was crucial to maintain authenticity in representing skate culture, which is often portrayed superficially in popular media. To achieve this, we collaborated with a crew of real skaters, allowing them to operate much of the Mini DV footage themselves."This approach ensures that the film captures the genuine spirit and energy of skateboarding, resulting in a dynamic and “alive” video that resonates with authenticity."

United Kingdom

Amanda Jenkins

George Traynor

Liam Wallace-Cook

Ozzi Sanderson

Carrie Sutton

DOGEATDOG

Michael Lewin

Jed Darlington-Roberts

Natalia Maus

Oscar Ginn

Fabio Olgiati

Lluc Mestre

Lily Purbrick

Matt Dilworth

Avenues

Jon Dobson

Wash

Sony Music

Sigala ft 24kgoldn & Trevor Daniel 'It's A Feeling' by Joel Barney

Sigala-Feat.-24kgoldn-&-Trevor-Daniel-''it's-A-Feeling''-by-Joel-

Joel Barney's latest video for singer-songwriter Henry Moodie is a&nbsp;performance video shot on an East London rooftop, featuring some gorgeous dramatic skies, shot on 16mm."In the third collaboration between Henry and myself, the brief was to create a dramatic, bold performance video. We decided to lean into the feel of classic, iconic pop rock videos, looking for reference within simple yet effective music videos that go back to basics: a stunning location, strong visuals and a captivating performance to lead the video."We shot the video with almost entirely natural light, so we were working to the mercy of the sun as our gaffer on this one! We had sun, clouds, rain and rainbows show up during the shoot and we were banking on a golden sunset, which thankfully we got."The changes in weather throughout the shoot lead to an eclectic array of backdrops for the video. Shooting on Super16mm gave the video a timeless, textured aesthetic and was a further nod to iconic pop rock videos of the 80's and 90's."[imgtoken data:1]

Harry Clements

Kat Cattaneo

Oscar Ferguson

Danny Rumbelow

Adam Fox

Rebecca Hampson

Sonder

Henry Moodie 'Bad Emotions' by Joel Barney

Henry-Moodie--'Bad-Emotions'-by-Joel-Barney

Joel Barney directs a captivating&nbsp;video for Lana Lubany, filmed in Jordan.The first of several visuals shot in the country, the video for Another Year&nbsp;sees Lana thrust into a perpetual, mesmerising fever dream.&nbsp;Navigating a kaleidoscope of surreal scenes scattered through the cityspace, we see the artist transported to a new realm.With bold, vibrant cinematography and dreamy art direction, it's a beautiful piece and a perfect introduction to the London-based Palestinian American musician."The video aims to create a bold, captivating performance piece that subtly tells Lana's story through unique symbolism," Barney explains."Flowers are a recurring motif we decided to use pretty early on in the process, appearing in strange places within the rugged cityscape where they realistically could never grow. The idea being that is symbolizes that beauty will prevail in any circumstance."&nbsp;

Lamis Haddadin

Karine Lubany

Faris Halaseh

Rashid Abdelhamid

Ali Raymond

Sally Hijazeen

Leen Awad

Chris Reyn

Firas Yateem

Tania Manasi

Beatnik Creative

Lana Lubany 'Another Year' by Joel Barney

Lana-Lubany-'Another-Year-'-by-Joel-Barney

Joel Barney directs a cinematic performance promo for Arlo Parks's cover of the&nbsp;Jai Paul track Jasmine, shot at Coney Island beach, using the iconic backdrop to provide a wistful and nostalgic vibe.Playing out in a transcendent, relaxed way, the video is dreamlike in its presentation, and is elevated by the evocative cinematography.&nbsp;"We wanted to create a video in which Arlo's performance was at the centre," Joel Barney explains. "She is such a captivating performer, we wanted to really allow the audience to take in an intimate performance from her, creating a space in which her performance shines through."[imgtoken data:1]Barney adds that he and Parks wanted motion and movement to be&nbsp;at the core of the video."Arlo and I spoke a lot about the way Wong Kar Wai uses motion in his work, which was something we wanted to explore in the video. Using in camera techniques like dropped shutter, long static zooms and also having the subway almost acting as a character in some ways, creating this constant sense of movement."We were up at the crack of dawn catching sunrise, but the stunning gradient sky we got down on the beach made the early morning well worth it."

Lewis Munro

Mayer Chalom

Molly Scotti

Emilie Louizides

Transgressive / Beatnik

Indie

Arlo Parks 'Jasmine' by Joel Barney

Arlo Parks - Jasmine (Official Video)

Joel Barney directs a breezy performance promo for singer-songwriter Henry Moodie.&nbsp;In the video for Pick Up The Phone, we see Henry make&nbsp;his way through various&nbsp;landscapes, coming across telephone boxes in increasingly surreal locations.The placement of the iconic red phone box in such unusual contemporary locations creates an anachronistic style, which&nbsp;is heightened by the styling and dreamy cinematography.&nbsp;It's a powerful track with an important message, and the balanced focus on concept and performance ensures that none of that is lost in the visual. Great work.&nbsp;

Mudro Hepburn

Zak Maoui

Dulcie Menzie

Dan Millar

Kelly Murray

Scarlett Gardner

Chloe Rose

Sony

Singer songwriter

Henry Moodie 'Pick Up The Phone' by Joel Barney

Henry-Moodie-'Pick-Up-The-Phone'-by-Joel-Barney

Joel Barney and Ali Raymond co-direct a claustrophobic promo for Arlo Parks' Devotion.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the tight confines of a lift, we see Arlo and her band perform with a riotous, upbeat energy.&nbsp;Sharing screen-time between solo portraits of each musician and absorbing, cramped group shots, it's a stripped-back yet punchy concept, and one that perfectly suits the energy of the track.&nbsp;

Mike Harounoff

Eliot Morris

Eno Enefiok

Simeon Leeder

Owen Lawes

Emile Louizides

Transgressive Records

Arlo Parks 'Devotion' by Joel Barney, Ali Raymond

Arlo Parks - Devotion (Official Video)

Chris Breheny&nbsp;- aka Moncrieff -&nbsp;plays a tormented taxi driver in Joel Barney's video for What Am I Here For?He gets a fare from&nbsp;a young couple - who turn out to be an ex lover and her new partner. As the journey progresses, it takes an increasingly surreal turn, as&nbsp;we begin so see fleeting flashbacks of Chris slow dancing with the girl. It's unclear whether he is imagining the scenario or if it is a real memory.At the end of the video when Chris turns to reveal no one is in the back of the cab, he spots himself in the headlights, dancing alone.[imgtoken data:1]"We wanted to narrative to feel a little confusing and non-linear," says Joel Barney. "The track is about a breakup.&nbsp;Chris drove from London to Ireland to try win a girl back. When he got there, she was with a new man and had moved on. That left Chris feeling pretty lost. So we wanted to try and communicate that story in an interesting way."It would have been easy to just take the true narrative of the track and turn that into a video, but we wanted to push it toward somewhere a little more interesting. As if he is driving in a never ending loop, alone."

Eliot Moris

Paddy Cartwright

Oscar Feguson

Singer-songwriter

Moncrieff 'What Am I Here For?' by Joel Barney

Moncrieff-'What-Am-I-Here-For?'-by-Joel-Barney

The best is certainly yet to come in Joel Barney's tender promo for Tom Walker.&nbsp;The black and white video for Walker's The Best Is Yet To Come is interspersed with real stories from some of his fans, shining the spotlight on their journeys and their connection to the track.&nbsp;Beautifully composed and emotionally affecting, the video is an important piece of work with an incredible message.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;"Tom posted a clip of this track on TikTok a few months back, with no intention of releasing it as a a single," Barney explains.&nbsp;"Instantly, fans connected with the song and began posting videos of themselves sharing their stories and how the song had resonated with them. We invited Tom's fans to come in and share these stories with us and how the song had connected with them and their experiences."

Becky Leigh

4th Floor Creative

Ollie Riches

Cameron Sealby

Charlie Clinton

Tom Walker 'The Best Is Yet To Come' by Joel Barney

Tom-Walker-'The-Best-Is-Yet-To-Come'-by-Joel-Barney

Joel Barney directs a moving promo for Man-Made Sunshine - the new solo project from Nothing But Thieves frontperson&nbsp;Conor Mason - presenting&nbsp;an ever-evolving scrapbook, exploring the unique and beautiful relationships shared between sons and fathers."We shot with pairs of real fathers and sons in this video, to delve deep into the complex relationships they experience together," says Barney of his video for Big.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]"Every single frame in this video was shot digitally and then hand-printed and scanned to create an analogue, ever evolving scrapbook," he explains.The&nbsp;handmade aesthetic creates a textural, tactile&nbsp;feeling, which&nbsp;lends a certain relatability to the footage - we have all seen similar photo albums and books with our own family members, and this adds to the viewer's emotional investment into the concept.&nbsp;

Declan Price

Philly Felton

Frankie Noller

Will Churchill

Sony Music Uk

Rock

Man-Made Sunshine 'Big' by Joel Barney

Man-made-Sunshine-''big''-by-Joel-Barney

Cian Godfrey - aka&nbsp;Somebody's Child - reflects on childhood aspirations in the sombre promo for Broken Record.&nbsp;Shifting between a young version of the artist in his childhood home, and an apathetic,&nbsp;beaten-down present day version, the video explores Cian's disappointment in the way his life has turned out.&nbsp;The vibrant, colourful aesthetic of youth soon turns grey and blue, reflecting the change in mood and loss of hope, instead presenting life as a dull cycle of misery and regret.&nbsp;Interestingly, however, it could be argued that one of his&nbsp;dreams has come true, in the form of Godfrey being a fully-fledged musical artist. Indeed, when the visual intercuts between the performance setup and&nbsp;his younger self rocking out to an untold track, things start to feel much more hopeful and less depressing than might have been suggested.&nbsp;

Murdo Hepburn

Daniel Temple

Molly Fenn

Hara Spyrou

Somebody's Child 'Broken Record' by Joel Barney

Somebody's-Child-'Broken-Record'-by-Joel-Barney

Joel Barney directs an unconventional studio performance promo for Himalayas.&nbsp;Set in an illuminated underworld, the video sees the group rock out whilst a cluster of haunting figures claw at screens behind them.&nbsp;With&nbsp;an emphasis on creative lighting techniques such as silhouettes and shadows, the video suggests a surreality lurking beneath the surface, which creates a gripping, stirring atmosphere.&nbsp;The performance at the centre of the concept is a breathless, rip-roaring affair, which amplifies the punchy track.&nbsp;

Inuka Bacote

Matthieu Livingston

Nettwerk

Himalayas 'Alone' by Joel Barney

Himalayas-'Alone'-by-Joel-Barney

Joel Barney directs a dramatic narrative promo for Ellauro.&nbsp;In the video for No Mind, we see Eloise and her lover travelling from day into night, as their relationship deteriorates in front of our eyes.The concept highlights the slowly fading spark of their relationship by match-cutting scenes with increasingly apathetic interactions and uncomfortable silences, until they go their separate ways at the end.&nbsp;Barney keeps the video fresh by interweaving portraits of the couple in with the travel set-ups and performance vignettes.&nbsp;

Sam Barnham

Elliot Eason

Island Records UK

Ellauro 'No Mind' by Joel Barney

Ellauro-'No-Mind'-by-Joel-Barney

Alfie&nbsp;Templeman is on the run from a gang of blue morph-suit hitmen, in Joel Barney's whimsical promo for Colour Me Blue.In a surreal game of cat and mouse, Alfie is chased through the sleepy streets of his hometown, Bedford, in a concept inspired by Edgar Wright&nbsp;and early Noughties music videos.&nbsp;The laidback&nbsp;style is a perfect match to Templeman's playful persona, and encapsulate the summer vibes of the track.&nbsp;

Emma Holt

Freddie Kemp

Cheyenne Miller

Joe Harvey

Arthur Attenborough

Rebecca Doctor

Vlad Barin

CHEAT

Eddie Hooks

Sam Preeves

Awal

Indie Rock

Alfie Templeman 'Colour Me Blue' by Joel Barney

Alfie-Templeman-'Colour-Me-Blue'-by-Joel-Barney

Joel Barney directs a distorted&nbsp;mirror room performance for UK rock legends Royal Blood.Shot in high-contrast black and white, we see the group captured with slow-shutter cinematography, creating a haunting, claustrophobic vibe.&nbsp;The head-spinning concept has an otherworldly style which feels simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic, with dark cinematic moments which linger in the mind long after the video ends.&nbsp;

Joel Barney

Director

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