Director's Representation

Las Bandas Be Brave

Nashville-based&nbsp;duo Maddy &amp; Tae are free like Thelma &amp; Louise in Lewis Cater's breezy performance promo - shot in their home state of&nbsp;Tennessee.&nbsp;The video for Free Like sees the duo play two rebellious girls,&nbsp;wanted by authorities for living life on their own terms and not giving a damn. The sun-soaked promo features several absorbing performance vignettes, shot in a carefree, cinematic way, on location in the Volunteer State.&nbsp;"We had a lot of fun shooting this out in Nashville," explains Lewis Cater. "The girls were troopers delivering this incredible performance in that Tennessee summer heat."A vibrant, laidback promo with plenty of visual appeal.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]

United States

Kate Wilson

Harmony Joy Arthur

Lewis Cater

Alex Pescosta

Contrast Visuals

Grace Jones

Barrett Depies

Luke Holliday

Troy Jackson

Trent Millspaugh

Chase Lochamire

Amber Cannon Guarino

Kendall Hudson

Ryan Berger

Zebrafish Media

Aurimas Kislius

Universal Music Nashville

Country

Maddie & Tae 'Free Like' by Lewis Cater

Maddie & Tae - Free Like (Official Music Video)

Charles De Meyer directs the debut music video for his musical alter-ego The Chuck,&nbsp;putting him simultaneously behind and in front of the camera for the very first time.The video was shot during a recent trip to Los Angeles, where he met a bunch of&nbsp;young talent who enthusiastically came on board to help him out with this low-budget, toy-instruments performance video.Boasting an idiosyncratic style, peppered with strange props and art-direction elements, the video is a charismatic intro to the project, and a brilliant showcase of De Meyer's talents.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;&nbsp;“I had met Cameron Thistle – who plays the drums in the video – at one of his gigs in a bar in West Hollywood," the director explains. "I was so impressed by the band he shares with his brother Devin (aptly named the Thistle Brothers) I wanted to propose my services as a director should they need a video, but instead asked him to feature in one of mine a week later. He graciously agreed; his contribution lifted the result above and beyond my expectations! That was such a cool experience."De Mayer's output of music videos over a number of years includes acclaimed clips for the likes of Shinedown, Gojira, Amon Tobin, Raveyards, invariably incorporating&nbsp;inventive VFX. - but the video for Mind Over Matter marks a tonal swerve from his previous work.[imgtoken data:2]"The video is something quite different from what I'm usually accustomed to making, my work mostly being known for atmospheric and moody narratives, which attracted more projects in the same vibe," he confirms. "This time around I wanted to make things more light-hearted, a bit absurd, funny without it being a gag-reel."The brief I gave myself was: 50% cool, 50% ridiculous. I hope it shows! I did try to stay on brand by sprinkling just enough VFX to keep people guessing."

Charles De Meyer

Carter Nowak

HK Corp

Chuck Eklectric

Leslie Yang

Justin Perez

Charlie Capp

Lorne Hiltser

David Gitlis

Ariel Lonstein

Cameron Thistle

Kasie Renee Yu

The Chuck 'Mind Over Matter' by Charles De Meyer

The-Chuck-'Mind-Over-Matter'-by-Charles-De-Meyer

Bryan Schlam directs a faithful love letter to the spaghetti western, in this captivating promo for Michigan-born virtuoso guitarist Billy Strings.&nbsp;The video for Seven Weeks In County boasts&nbsp;plenty of style inspiration and iconography from the classic 1960s movie genre: gunfights, jailbreaks and campfire theatrics&nbsp;abound, every frame ramping up the chaos and pulpy drama in a satisfying fashion.&nbsp;As the video starts Billy is locked up in the sheriff's office, then narrowly escapes a hanging - and that's just the start. It's an ambitious feat, and perfectly captures the nostalgia of this&nbsp;cinematic era, including the shooting style adopted by Sergio Leone in his classic spaghetti westerns.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]"We shot at Luck Ranch, which is at Willie Nelson’s house," Bryan Schlam explains of the production.&nbsp;"It actually was the set from <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091834/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_1_in_0_q_redheaded%2520stranger" target="_blank">[Willie Nelson '80s movie]&nbsp;Red Headed Stranger</a>. The interior from the bar was renovated so I had our production designer Dakota and his art team recreate the bar from RHS. We even matched the original wallpaper. And&nbsp;we used an amazing stunt coordinator who was a stunt man in Red Headed Stranger. "For super close up shots, we used a filter called a split diopter, which puts both the foreground and background into focus. The most noticeable shot is when Billy tries to get the guards key’s with his guitar. It’s an effect that really isn’t used too often but it’s a technique that I’ve really grown fond of."Schlam adds that everything in the video was filmed as practically as possible, which led to some ingenious solutions by the production team.&nbsp;"The guns had CO2 cartridges and powder, so there were actual pops from the guns," he says. "The close up where the rope breaks was a firework that split it in half. The camera mounted on the gun was practical too - the rig was hilarious. I think it was attached about 6 feet away from the camera on rails. It did the trick but it was a really unique set up that our crew had to figure out how to make from scratch."The close ups of the horse riding with Billy were shot on a saddle rig on the back of a stunt truck. Billy had to practice while we were filming with the other cast members so they would just drive him around the ranch as he learned how to ride a fake horse. It was really funny. "The gunshots - which were really intense - were added in post and our VFX artist Jack even figured out a way to put bullets in the chamber of the gun when it comes out of the bushes in the ambush scene. Then we put together a cut and sent it&nbsp;off to a lab to print it to film. So what you're watching was shot on an Alexa 35, but then was transferred to film, giving it that vintage look that would match Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns in terms of aesthetic. We wanted to stay away from any American western references and keep everything Italian. "The intro credits were our names but I made fake italian versions to make it more authentic. Maybe it was a bad call having it say in big letters “directed by Bruno Sclavi” instead of my name but I had to stay committed. And the audio in the credits scene where Billy plays live was recorded on my iPhone."

Dakota Millett

Melina Perez

Bryan Schlam

Whitney Wolanin

Ghost Robot

Devin Sarno

Ben Oliver

Douglas Porter

Mark Depace

Alexis Kaplan

Zachary Mortensen

Stacy Claye

Brian Murphy

Larkin Mclaughlin

Jesse Wolter

Brooks Birdsall

Erin Mainwaring

Wesley Falk

Cat Lane

Dan Edwards

Jack Sheahan

Americana

Billy Strings 'Seven Weeks In County' by Bryan Schlam

Billy-Strings-'Seven-Weeks-In-County'-by-Bryan-Schlam

In our latest Snapshot Q&amp;A, the CMN PPL director reflects on a very busy year so far with Soft Play, getting the call from&nbsp;hip hop legends, loving Edgar Wright's cult TV classic, and why the music video pitching process needs fixing.Thomas (or Tommy) Davis picked up a camera when he discovered skateboarding at 12 and hasn't looked back - but his work still holds true to his roots. Davis directs music videos that are bursting with raw energy, colour and humour, creating great vids for the likes of Frank Carter &amp; The Rattlesnakes, Willow Kayne, NOISY and the band fka Slaves, who he has been working with this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;He is also an accomplished live video director, working with Beabadoobee, Sam Fender and others. And with a few year's experience under his belt now, his skillset also includes creative direction, commercial directing and documentary making. And&nbsp;photography - so it's great that Tommy could do another kind of Snapshot for us...Name: Tommy DavisBirthday: May 1997Where did you grow up? Essex, UKPlace of further education and course (if any)? London Southbank Universty, BA HONS Film PracticeWhere do you live now? Essex, UKWhat were the important first projects for you, in terms of a learning experience&nbsp;and getting noticed?I think the important first project would have had to be the video I directed at the start of my career with my good friend RAT BOY. At the time I had never directed&nbsp;anything more than a few kids rapping/spitting bars at the local skatepark. So after&nbsp;building my relationship with RB and the commissioner at Parlophone [Sam Seager], I directed my debut video - for Get Over It - in the&nbsp;middle of the desert in Spain.It was very exciting - a mental experience for me. And then a few months after its release it got&nbsp;nominated for Best Music Video at the NME Awards in 2017. So that's what kicked it&nbsp;all off.[vidtoken data:0]Best film you’ve seen this year? A24’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0uS3t6nFgY" target="_blank">Maxxxine</a>&nbsp;- or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQlr9-rF32A" target="_blank">Despicable Me 4</a> (ha)Favourite song/album/music artist this year? Fontaines D.C. - Romance;&nbsp;Beabadoobee - This Is How Tomorrow Moves; SOFT PLAY - Heavy JellyFavourite music video/videos you’ve seen this year? The favourite&nbsp;from me has&nbsp;to be <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/04/24/fontaines-dc-starburster-aube-perrie/86239" target="_blank">Aube Perrie for Fontaines' Starburster</a>. Surreal narratives - always so much fun to be explored with videos like this.What has been (or usually is) your favourite night out this year? Corrr, anything spontanious with friends. Or any evening at Glastonbury.<blockquote>Too many directors pitch on videos and just get completely ghosted on their ideas.</blockquote>Name a film or video or other creative work that had a huge influence on your career choice?This is a hard question. But in terms of television, it would have to be <a href="https://www.channel4.com/programmes/spaced/on-demand/26708-001" target="_blank">Edgar Wright’s debut TV series Spaced</a>,&nbsp;from the early 2000s. It was the production that put Edgar, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on the map.The show is amazing, but <a href="https://www.channel4.com/programmes/spaced/on-demand/26708-006" target="_blank">Season 1 Episode 6</a> in particular. If you’re new to music videos or already making them, pay close attention the relationship between the sound and image in this show. You could learn something[vidtoken data:1]In terms of&nbsp;music video-related jobs of the past year or so - what was the most rewarding creatively, and why?Over the past year, I took on the role of creative director for the punk band SOFT PLAY, formerly known as SLAVES. I led the entire rebranding process, including bringing their name-change to life. In addition, I directed four wildly unique music videos for each of the singles on their album: Punk's Dead, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPmbtbuzDks" target="_blank">Mirror Muscles</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0WqeDa5ihE" target="_blank">Act Violently</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6IVRizF-iw" target="_blank">Everything &amp; Nothing</a>.[vidtoken data:2]<blockquote>I led the entire rebranding process, including bringing their name-change to life.</blockquote>My work also involved creating a one-hour album documentary, photographing the album artwork, and managing two press campaigns, along with capturing moments from multiple festivals and two tours. It was incredibly challenging work with tight budgets, but thanks to my amazing team, we were always able to push the boundaries as far as possible.What are your favourite other (non-mv) projects of the past year or so?Directing the commercial for the long awaited KORN x Adidas clothing collection. We shot it in Vegas in two days with the band. So dope.[vidtoken data:3]Most annoying/irksome thing that’s been going on this year (work-related or otherwise)? TIK TOK &amp; AI… HA! Nah, but the amount of hate in the world is obviously something that is just beyond too far. Palestine, the UK riots. We all gotta start coming together and spreading more love across the world xWhat’s the most surprising thing that’s happened this year?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/07/25/eminem-dr-dre-forgot-about-dre-thomas-davis/87471" target="_blank">Getting the dial-up to shoot Dr Dre, Snoop &amp; Eminem all performing together in London</a>.[vidtoken data:4]Your top suggestion to change and improve how the music video industry works?Fix the pitching process. Directors write a short pitch/ bio. Commissoners/Artist pick two or three to meet with. Then the all directors agreed to bid write on the video. Cancellations on the chosen video will incur a late fee. Too many directors pitch on videos and just get completely ghosted on their ideas.What are you looking forward to most for the summer and/or the rest of the year?Summer has been awesome. Live music has been pretty damn spectacular. Now I’m looking to focus get writing &amp; make some non-music related projects too.• Tommy Davis is a director at <a href="https://cmnppl.com/" target="_blank">Common People Films</a>, represented for music videos by Andy Roberts at Las Bandas Be Brave - check his showreel <a href="https://cmnppl.com/directors/thomas-davis" target="_blank">here</a>.

Thomas Davis

Common People Films

THE SNAPSHOT Q&A: Tommy Davis

RAT BOY - GET OVER IT

spaced s1-6 part 1

Soft-Play-Feat-Robbie-Williams-'Punks-Dead'-by-Thomas-Davis

KoRn x Adidas Originals [Official Collab]

Eminem-'Forgot-About-Dre'-by-Thomas-Davis

Jake Nava directs a thrilling monochromatic promo for Quavo and Lenny Kravitz.&nbsp;Shot in Krakow&nbsp;between stops of Lenny's European tour,&nbsp;the video for Fly - a cover of the artist's 1998 classic - boasts some instantly iconic performances, in a slick, hypnotic package.&nbsp;Contrasting the empty industrial space the artists perform in, the video is packed full of energy, from the FPV drone shots to handheld camerawork and mounted GoPros. The stunning footage has been crafted in a breathtaking edit by Jarrett Fijal.Brilliant work from legends both in front and behind the camera.&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Jake Nava

Benedict Cooper

Cherry Films

Emmanuelle Cuny

Faye Purcell

Jarrett Fijal

Bonch

David Johnson

Rock

Hip Hop

Quavo, Lenny Kravitz 'Fly' by Jake Nava

Quavo,-Lenny-Kravitz-'Fly'-by-Jake-Nava

Lewis Cater directs an optimistic summertime promo for teen sensation Freya Skye.&nbsp;The video for Walk Over is an upbeat showcase of performance and good vibes, peppered with dance, animation and fun art direction flair.&nbsp;Using the city as a backdrop, the video is a love letter to the strength of the human spirit, packaged in a colourful, endlessly watchable visual.&nbsp;"Embracing that start of British summer energy, this video is all about turning setbacks into celebrations: when the bus breaks down, we dance in the smoke!" Cater says.&nbsp;

Laura Little

Ethan Atkinson

Dan Hills

Clementine Brown

Sam Nutt

Emily Clifford

James Dearden

Tuff Contender

Blindeye Films

Craig Cox

Jon Wong

Callum Collins

Miguel Carmenes

Max Rose

Djay Brawner

Jack Lightfoot

Affy Robani

Murray Boden

Adam Fox

Max Bent-marshall

Marcos Gurgel

Peter Oppersdorf

The Mill

Jace Hardwick

Hollywood Records/ The Walt Disney Company

Freya Skye 'Walk Over' by Lewis Cater

Freya-Skye--'Walk-Over'-by-Lewis-Cater

Oliver Jennings directs a Noughties-inspired video for the UK’s newest girl group Say Now. The song Bitch Get Out My Car is about finding the confidence to stand up for yourself, and Olly and the team showcase the girls in various art directed and VFX-based set ups highlighting the theme in a fun and clever way.Featuring playful nods to other girlband videos such as Pussycat Dolls and TLC and other nods to Spice Girls and Britney Spears, it's&nbsp;a great introduction to the trio from London - and also features a cameo from&nbsp;House of the Dragon&nbsp;star Emily Carey.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Jade O’Connor 

Jai Durban

Aga Dziedzic

Phoebe Butterworth

Independent Talent

Oliver Jennings

Alex White

Jealous Films

Kim Jarrett

Ollie Riches

Billy Kendall

John Mouratis

Sam Barnham

Ben Eeley

Jamie Lai

Alice Fleur

Lola Beckers

Alan Kitrell

Daniela Alves

Daniel Levy

Rascal

Justin Hwang

Emily Carey / Myles Thomas / Feliciano James

Say Now 'Bitch Get Out My Car' by Oliver Jennings

Say-Now-'Bitch-Get-Out-My-Car'-by-Oliver-Jennings

Foster The People are back with their first album in seven years, and the marvellous video by Austrian director Rupert Höller for brilliant lead-off single Lost In Space could not be a better - or handier - way to announce their return.For a band whose initial success came with brilliantly chaotic videos directed by DANIELS, this represents a completely new visual direction. Höller places FTP frontman Mark Foster in a designed studio space with dancers where graphic composition and movement dictate every frame. And the clever visual impact of the dancers' use of their&nbsp;hands and fingers is a delightful central motif.It all works beautifully, as the director's command of graphic elements and human shape and movement is brought to the benefit of an absolute banger of a tune.&nbsp;"The original brief was for two videos and I wrote two treatments," explains Höller.&nbsp;"One had more focus with abstract body formations, surreal images with hands, etc. The second one had more focus on dance. After the first call they asked if I can combine both treatments to one for the main single. So that's what we ended up doing."Having directed videos in Europe for a number of years - and picking up UKMVA recognition&nbsp;in the process - this is&nbsp;Höller's first proper US-based&nbsp;project. And he has grabbed this opportunity with both hands.&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

Cody Fusina

Illaria Urbinati

Rupert Holler

Jami Arceo

Evan Thicke

Glia Productions

Trevor Joseph Newton

Vatche Giragossian

Jay Swuen

Sofie Warshafsky

Rj Collins

Dennis Pires

Ben Hernandez

Saori Kinai

Teresa Barcelo

Julie Dinh

Manuel Portsch

Rainer Maly

Foster The People 'Lost In Space' by Rupert Höller

Foster-The-People-'Lost-In-Space'-by-Rupert-Höller

Jake Nava returns to music videos to helm the impressively bold and vivacious launch of ex-Little Mixer Perrie Edwards'&nbsp;solo career.The video for summer anthem Forget About Us features Perrie tearing it up through a sumptuous Californian home, before hitting the road in an expression of freedom that is notable for the details that make it a particularly impressive vehicle for first solo outing.The unabashed, determined performance by Perrie, choreographed by Claudimar Neto; her fresh and natural look, a real departure; the gorgeous locations and above all, the direction by Jake Nava - 30 years into his video directing career and demonstrating he is a master in his field. It's all here.A pop video that delivers on all counts - to be best enjoyed on a big screen.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Orange Films

Michael Lewin

Ben Rogers

Gramercy Park Studios

Claudimar Neto

Jordan Kelsey

Aaron Carlo

Cassie Lomas

Perrie 'Forget About Us' by Jake Nava

Perrie - Forget About Us (Official Video)

Oliver Jennings creates another surreal and entertaining world for Dizzee Rascal, continuing his collaboration with the legendary UK rapper.The video for Switch and Explode sees&nbsp;Dizzee as a literal punching bag for David Haye, at a fitness class, and back in his classic debut album artwork - the Boy has become the Old Man In Da Corner - amongst a series of other playful vignettes.A blend of old-school ideas and modern technology, the video ponders the rise of robots and drones&nbsp;whilst keeping things cheeky and relaxed - classic Dizzee.&nbsp;It's the third hugely impressive&nbsp;collaboration between Oliver Jennings and Dizzee, packed full of big visual moments,&nbsp;on tracks from the new album&nbsp;Don't Take It Personal.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;

Jakob Grierse

George Blomiley

Jermaine Robinson

Talor Hanson

Melissa Massey

John Moule

Sachin Parmar

Sam Fullerton

Gary Kent

Harry Coleman

Felix Wildey

Kailey Walker

Alexandre Nerzic

Creative Outpost

Gino Fernandez

Ben Imber

Grime

Dizzee Rascal 'Switch and Explode' by Oliver Jennings

Dizzee-Rascal-'Switch-And-Explode'-by-Oliver-Jennings

Nicholas Lam returns to music videos with&nbsp;an R-rated cyberpunk anime western, where Samurai meets Cowboy,&nbsp;for J Hus featuring CB - and it's a stunning feat.The video for Cream stars the two rappers as anime swordsmen, fighting their way through a dystopian future full of shadowy organisations and super-villains.&nbsp;Lam worked with two talented animation teams - Tier S in Serbia and Point Five Creations in Taiwan -&nbsp;and the result is&nbsp;a riotous, ultraviolent actioner, with an impressive dramatic build and superb animation work. From dynamic fight scenes through to imaginative world-building, the video is an early highlight of the year.Perhaps one of the most ambitious music videos of recent times, in fact.&nbsp;A&nbsp;must-watch, which leaves a lasting impression.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]