Wardrobe

Kashmir Wickham

Shan Phearon exercises his love of the medium, doffing a fanboy cap along the way, with his super-slick monochrome affair for Jordy, featuring Louis Rei - paying homage to that indispensible part of hip hop vids in the MTV age: the 'Video Vixens'.&nbsp;The&nbsp;video for Too Much is a deconstructed, minimalist concept, paying homage to 2000's-era B&amp;W aesthetics - with nods to videos for&nbsp;Puff Daddy, Q-Tip, Nas and Mariah -&nbsp;in a thoughtful manner. It will have viewers of a certain age nostalgic for the videos from&nbsp;their youth - but there's also a&nbsp;contemporary spin.&nbsp;Shot by DoP Courtney Bennett, it&nbsp;boasts a nostalgic, monochromatic style and plenty of visual energy, and comes as a healthy palate cleanse after the intensity&nbsp;of Phearon's recent work for&nbsp;U2 and Jazmin Bean. And also gives the Video Vixens - the girls who featured regularly in those classic promos - some overdue kudos and respect."Soulful activity this one, with Day 1 film friends," says Phearon of the experience working with Bennett and others on making the video.&nbsp;"[We were] Re-exploring cultural ideas we grew up on, through the shifting lenses of our later years. He adds that for the video he cast girls that often appear in the videos of the grassroots British rap scene today, and immortalised them on pristine 35mm.&nbsp; Shan: "I guess it's not a music video with just Video Vixens in them. It's a music video about them. An open-minded honouring of an influential sect."

United Kingdom

Jade Adeyemi

Nilla @ Onset Agency

Bella Baillie

Shan Phearon

Christina Toppin

Plus Another One

Courtney Bennett

Clara Grace Stewart

Conor J. Hutton

James Lahasie

Dani Rotaru

Glassworks

Hip Hop

Jordy ft Louis Rei 'Too Much' by Shan Phearon

JORDY FEAT. LOUIS REI - TOO MUCH (OFFICAL VIDEO)

Nicolee Tsin directs a nostalgic, sparkling promo for Amun's Mesmerised.&nbsp;Imbued with an on-trend 90's aesthetic, the video takes viewers from the car park to the roller rink, as Amun takes centre-stage in a flurry of vibrant performance vignettes.&nbsp;DoP&nbsp;Miguel Carmenes' glossy cinematography encapsulates the carefree vibes of the time period, whilst the graphic text adds a sense of authenticity to the aesthetic.[imgtoken data:1]"The video is a homage to '90s sitcom shows, further taking inspiration from film scenes from ATL," explains Tsin.&nbsp;"We wanted to make the visual as if it was a themed opening to Amun’s very own TV show but with a twist from&nbsp;Spring Breakers&nbsp;and&nbsp;Enter The Void."A vignette of life, culture, and community of the skating rink come together, topped with cute, customized rolling titles and bloopers."

Nicolee Tsin

Alessia Lendrum

Lowkey Films

Vanessa Mc Donnell

Isabel Pritchard

Isla Considine

Miguel Carmenes

Dominka Besinska

Kristiana Zhekova

Sachin Parmar

Tiyana Henriques

Chaniqwa Brown

Nina Robinson

Amy Dang

Megan Lee

Electric Theatre Collective

Oliver Whitworth

OB Management

Elena Argiros

Lea Ogunlami

Sony Music

Tomasso Colelli

Candy Botendo

Amun 'Mesmerised' by Nicolee Tsin

Amun-'Mesmerised'-by-Nicolee-Tsin

Zak Abel shares the love in B2's fun-filled promo for Be Kind.&nbsp;The breezy video takes place on a beautiful day in the middle of a luscious green field - not a world away from the iconic Window XP desktop background - and features a flurry of feel-good movement and performance.&nbsp;Different characters pop up in mini-vignettes, before forming a dynamic ensemble for the climax, whilst Abel sings through a vintage microphone dangling from offscreen.[imgtoken data:1]

Ben Pengilly

Dmnd Clr

Dijian Eccles

Danny Rumbelow

Arran Green

Natalie Anderson

Ayse Gonen

Max Ferguson-Hook

Sean Ewins

Andre Reid-McKinley

Gary Kent

Zak Abel 'Be Kind' by B2

Zak-Abel-'Be-Kind'-by-B2

Dir. Lx is making waves online with his playful performance promo for Russmillions' Big Shark.&nbsp;The eagerly awaited track is paired with a mesmerisingly colourful visual, featuring the artist in several different vignettes - one of which depicts a child with Russmillions' full-sized head, and a penchant for everything shark-themed.&nbsp;Featuring cameos from&nbsp;DJ Cuppy and Stefflon Don, the video encapsulates the frenetic energy of the track with pulsating blue lights and restless camerawork, and more than a hint of absurdist fun splashed within the concept.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Dir. Lx

Melissa Massey

Greatcoat Films

Kareem Adeshina

Talor Hanson

Paolo De Battista

Toby Leary

Dan Deighton

Mark Stewart

Jakob Gierse

Kaz Ove

Chris Bell

Creep Post

Denova Media

Las Bandas Be Brave

Olivia West

drill

Russ Millions 'Big Shark' by Dir. Lx

Russmillions-'Big-Shark'-by-Dir.-Lx

Chloe Hayward pays homage to iconic director&nbsp;Michel Gondry in her roller skating extravaganza&nbsp;for Public Service Broadcasting.&nbsp;Creating a visual dichotomy from the first frame, the contrast of dizzyingly vibrant costumes and gloomy post-industrial backdrops takes viewers on a hallucinatory trip through a choreographed fever dream.Evoking memories of classic Chemical Brothers&nbsp;and&nbsp;New Order&nbsp;promos, Hayward experiments with movement and colour,&nbsp;intermittently surreal and mesmerising with masterful flair.&nbsp;The video is an anachronistic dream that leaves an immediate impression - and a burning desire to hit the repeat button.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

Chloe Hayward

Hugo Holford

Sandra Spethmann

Luke Goodrich

Howard Mills

Daniel Svilenov

Dimi Vakrilov

Anna Thompson

Piers Bartlett

Hannah Clark @ Metal Edit

Arthur Graham-Maw

Christian Parton

Emanate Studios

Sean Mayo

Dance

Indie

Public Service Broadcasting 'People Let's Dance' by Chloe Hayward

Public-Service-Broadcasting-(psb)-'People-Let's-Dance'-by-Chloe-Hayward

Georgina Cammalleri digs deep into the intricacies of British folk tradition, and sends Sports Team spinning into a&nbsp;Wicker Man-esque frenzy, in her video for Happy (God's Own Country).The song - it's the band's first since the release of their Mercury-nominated debut album Deep Down Happy - is a scattershot vision of Post-Brexit Britain, and Cammalleri uses that as the jumping-off point for an irreverent metaphor, transporting viewers back to a&nbsp;"Merrie" old England, that is really not merry at all.After a crop failure, things move quickly down a path where old superstition and rituals take control. And when you have a ritual, you generally need a sacrifical lamb. Or in this case, a bear.[imgtoken data:1]The band play their part in these proceedings with rumbuncious energy and vigour -&nbsp;led by uninhibited frontman Alex Rice as the on-his-uppers squire (ostensibly playing the Christopher Lee role in&nbsp;The Wicker Man) and keyboardist Ben Mack, playing the 'straw bear', who's purpose is to bring back good fortune.DoP Pieter Snyman&nbsp;creates a surreal, dreamlike energy to this fastmoving narrative&nbsp;through a heavy use of zooms and handheld camerawork, replicating the mood of the cult 1973 British film. And it all&nbsp;builds to a chaotic&nbsp;finale, as the band and the Morris dancers - led by the shamanistic Phoenix Man - and head towards a big bonfire for the final ritual.So if anyone asks you if you want to wear a Straw Bear outfit, you should definitely refuse.GEORGINA CAMMALLERI ON MAKING THE SPORTS TEAM 'HAPPY (GOD'S OWN COUNTRY)' VIDEO:What was the process after you heard the song? Did you want to make a&nbsp;Wicker Man-style video, and then started going deeper into British folk culture? Or the other way around?GC: When I listen to a song, I try to find a world that resonates with the band or the song, lyrically or musically. When I heard Happy, the idea of our small island – isolated post-Brexit and further isolated by the pandemic - came to mind.&nbsp;This idea of our world being reduced to our borough, village, street… made me think of that village-type mentality. It made me think of that song&nbsp;Village Green Preservation Society&nbsp;by the Kinks, as well as&nbsp;The Wicker Man,&nbsp;and how they receive an outsider (the detective). They’re all tongue-in-cheek observations of that British village mentality which drew me to it, especially as the band are also somewhat dry-witted and tongue-in-cheek, so tonally those worlds felt right.[imgtoken data:2]<blockquote>This idea of our world being reduced to our borough, village, street… made me think of that village-type mentality.</blockquote>Once I had found my grounding and setting, I started to look at how I could give it a twist or an angle to elevate it further. That’s when I began watching countless archive clips of English folklore traditions on the BFI database and also the documentary Arcadia by Paul Wright. People have asked me if I’m referencing Midsommar and to my shame, I haven’t seen that film!What is the origin of the Straw Bear character that Ben plays in the video? Is that actually a thing?During that research, I came across a quirky tradition from Whittlesea called the Straw Bear Festival. This was rooted to a 15th century agricultural practice called 'Plough Monday,&nbsp;which involved parading a man dressed in a straw costume to raise money around town before they end up burning an effigy of it. I thought it’d be interesting to add this to the story about what sacrifices are made in the face of a ‘bad harvest’; in our modern case, the bad harvest being Brexit and Covid.I saw the photos of the costume from this tradition and it looked iconic - strange but also quite amusing. I’d noticed that in previous Sports Team videos Ben was quite deadpan in his expression, which I found very funny. I thought it’d be amusing to put him in the costume because it’s so rurally outlandish and yet he’s so deadpan.So was a Straw Bear expert involved in making the ‘straw suit’ for Ben? &nbsp;I reached out to the Straw Bear Festival organisers to see if they could create this costume – thought it’d be a neat idea to have it properly, traditionally weaved. The main organiser was extremely helpful but declined into being directly involved, as they felt it would cause a stir in their village. Apparently, they had fought quite hard to re-instate the festival which was deemed pagan by the church and my treatment’s heavy Wicker Man reference would certainly 'reignite debate', in their opinion.[imgtoken data:3]<blockquote>I wanted to put Ben in the costume because it’s so rurally outlandish&nbsp;and yet he’s so deadpan.</blockquote>At that point I was reassured that idea was perfect for the song as the themes from ST’s lyrics were almost playing out in real life. But I was also slightly stressed not knowing who could pull off such an intricate costume made with flimsy straw. Luckily Kashmir Wickham came to the rescue and, with guidance from the Straw Bear organisers, was able to create it. We did find that various other countries around the world also have a similar tradition involving men in ‘straw suits’ and that it’s not unique to the UK.There’s the Morris dancing element - with Sports Team joining in, and looking like they know what they’re doing. How did you make that happen?I also noticed was how much Alex likes to move and perform. Rather than keeping it rooted in narrative alone, I thought finding a dance that belonged to this world would be good for Alex and&nbsp;the band, and would also inject the video with an energy that goes with the tempo but still keeps it in that folklore world.I sent about 20 emails to various Morris sides in London and only two got back to me. The Phoenix Morris group [based in Rickmansworth] were so generous and game for anything, so they became part of our team. Then the band learned the steps via Zoom before the dress rehearsal. There was a moment during the shoot when we had finished a take of the dance and we kept saying&nbsp;“Cut” -&nbsp;but they all kept dancing, as if they had been possessed by the spirit of Morris.[imgtoken data:4]<blockquote>We said “cut”&nbsp;but they all kept dancing -&nbsp;as if they had been possessed by the spirit of Morris.</blockquote>Where did you shoot the video, and what was the key to getting everything you needed for the storyline?We shot the video in Amersham and in a charming place called The Chiltern Open Air Museum where they have medieval barns, cottages and a small church kept and preserved there. The locations were perfect because they struck that right balance between an arcadia feel against that small-village mentality – it felt very&nbsp;Wicker Man.Is this a comedy, or a horror – or something else entirely?Depends how much it made you chuckle… I’d say it’s a dark folk comedy.&nbsp;

Georgina Cammalleri

Lucy May Miles

Monica Georgieva

Pieter Snyman

Ethan Lodge

James Taylor

Conrad Russell

Louise Burhai

Matthew Prickett

Adam Clarke

David Knight

Island Records

Sam Knight

Alternative

Sports Team 'Happy (God's Own Country)' by Georgina Cammalleri

Sports-Team-'Happy-(god's-Own-Country)'-by-Georgina-Cammalleri

Shan Phearon's stunner of a video for Tiggs Da Author draws us into a darkly comic world of a quartet of roadmen, who also happen to be vampires.If it's Top Boy meets What We Do In The Shadows, with a dash of '90s movie Tales From The Hood,&nbsp;Phearon has certainly created his own distinct world for this bunch of reprobates, who process blood like a valuable drug, feed their unfortunate victims to their harem of vampiric vixens, and seek some form of redemption, via the hand of the book-toting Tiggs.The fast-moving action takes place within a typical house on an everyday street, but it&nbsp;is anything but mundane. It's the colour palette&nbsp; - lurid, almost terrifyingly bold - that stands out more than anything. As in previous videos, Phearon goes hard for the primary spectrum, then dials it up more than ever. A remarkable look for a very cool piece of work.

Efosa Osaghae

Quinn Skelton

Jake Gabbay

Marcus Albertesen

Jomar O'Meally

Sarah Cotterell

Shireen Kadhim

Isaac Whittingham

Caroline Morin

Wash

Steve Rose

Tiggs Da Author ft Nines 'Fly Em High' by Shan Phearon

Tiggs ft. Nines 'Fly 'Em High' (Directors Cut) by Shan Phearon

Shan Phearon follows&nbsp;his impressive brace of videos for Ocean Wisdom with this slick and fast-moving&nbsp;visual for London Afrobeat star and rapper One Acen.In the action-packed video for Nigeria, One Acen confronts a gang of white-boilersuited intruders to his plush countryside pad, attempting to dodge death with&nbsp;enhanced powers and cool aplomb. And he does this&nbsp;again, and again, with a slight variation each time.&nbsp;This repetition comes within a framework of chapters, which follows the pattern of all successful movie franchises going through a range of iterations: Orginal, Sequel, Prequel, Remake and 'Interquel'.&nbsp;&nbsp;In each case, things become more sophisticated, more futuristic&nbsp;- until we reach the Reboot, and then things get seriously off the wall...Shan Phearon explained to us about how he came up with the idea for One Acen's Nigeria, and&nbsp;the making of the video.[imgtoken data:1]SHAN PHEARON ON MAKING ONE ACEN'S 'NIGERIA' VIDEO:How did you come up with this&nbsp;intriguing concept? SP: I think I just ended up down an IMDB rabbit hole one evening. And the most dangerous thing that can happen after that is an OPEN brief landing on the desk…!I’ve toyed with elements here for some years in my head and it only takes one vehicle to prototype.&nbsp;There may be analogies around ‘battling your demons’ in the piece, and the overarching [concept] here speaks to the theme of ‘time’ - we can try to bend it, but it endures, it destroys, it births, it cycles. I find myself cycling back to that every so often.<blockquote>We can try to bend time, but it endures, it destroys, it births, it cycles.</blockquote>And how did you convince One Acen that it would work? We talked on the phone one-on-one, late, a Sunday night. We both had appreciation for progressive hip-hop filmmaking from the last 25 years. We spoke about Marvel's Cinematic Universe, Fast &amp; Furious, Star Wars and the last decade of film trends too. I shared with him my intrigue with some thoughtful lines in his writing: “...suicidal, so depressed”, personal demons the artist may have battled in his past. Acen also takes a big interest in the craft of film.&nbsp;The chemistry just clicked.Following that, the amount of trust Acen, his team, the label, our commissioner Nicola Sheppard and our executive producer Kareem Adeshina invested - they empowered me to do my thing for everyone with a high-level of creative freedom and captain the team, so I’m thankful for that dynamic.[imgtoken data:2]Are you referencing a particular movie or movies? Growing up I absorbed Spike Lee, Hype Williams, Wong Kar Wai, Gaspar Noé, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, amongst others. Those are some heroes, so maybe something from each of their schools of filmmaking ebbs into my processes now and again.I feel also deeply influenced by musicians, like Timbaland and J-Dilla, borrowing their philosophies.&nbsp;So there’s a few cross-pollinations in this video, whilst fusing some post-Covid world textures. On every project I ultimately set out to design something that sits in the modern world and speak to it now and to what might come next. Nostalgia’s fine, but my heart’s in futurism.<blockquote>We shot economically and with precise intent, whilst leaving room for lightning-in-a-bottle moments.</blockquote>Did you manage to do it all in one night? Where as it filmed? It was a strategic 2pm till 2am operation! Plus copious pre-production, my storyboarding, etc., and Avengers assembled. We shot economically and with precise intent, whilst leaving just enough room for sporadic lightning-in-a-bottle moments that can never be foreseen in pre-production.I have to show love to the streamlined but deeply dedicated crew on this one as well, for their respect, and for exemplary support and production from Greatcoat Films. Pulling this humble production off in a post-Covid climate, we’re all proud.We also filmed somewhere in England… and the rest is movie magic ;-)[imgtoken data:3]I guess it could be seen as&nbsp;a satire on movie franchises. So are you pro- or anti-Franchise? That’s interesting, I am a big fan of satire in a world that takes itself quite seriously. Everything is some sort of construct, everyone has their version of the truth, so maybe that’s a subtle nihilism.I do want to speak to modern cinema though; I love big blockbusters as much A24 arthouse and I don’t believe very much in divides between high culture, or low culture, or film elitism, or pop trash. There's craft in it all. Especially in Europe and in video culture, film pretension lauds those trying to be Bergman, but what if you just feel a bit Michael Bay?<blockquote>I don’t believe in divides between high culture, or low culture, or film elitism, or pop trash.</blockquote>So whilst franchises have been painted as the death of mid-budget cinema, the writing and structural craftsmanship that goes into building one is undeniable and they can be fun as f**k. The gift and the curse. A cheeky side-note, like any good franchise - there are actually 'Easter Eggs' hidden in the certain frames of 'Nigeria'. If anyone spots them…[imgtoken data:4]And what's going on with the 'Reboot'? Well, I guess it’s a metaphor for anyone who ever felt like they needed a real second shot. But by all means, if anyone wants to help us expand our cinematic universe, holla. &nbsp;

Kashmir Wickham

Wardrobe

8 videos featuring Kashmir Wickham

2023 (1)

2021 (6)

2020 (1)

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