Director

LOOSE

LOOSE directs a fun promo for Fred Again..., celebrating the day that his new album came out.&nbsp;The video is prefaced by a message from the artist, who explains that he put out a call for fans to congregate in Hyde Park in central London&nbsp;with their bikes to celebrate the release of his new project. What ensued was a rather chaotic yet celebratory event.&nbsp;Presented in a mix of vertical and traditional 16:9 videos, the concept makes use of user-generated footage&nbsp;intercut with snapshots of Fred's POV, as the group ride haphazardly around London streets.&nbsp;The spontaneity of the concept and rudimental footage gives the video an organic, truthful feel, and proves that sometimes the simplest ideas can create something super effective.&nbsp;

Alex Ayodele Otele

Kim Jarrett

Theo Hue Williams

Carina Etae

Atlantic

Fred Again.. 'Clara (the night is dark) [London Rideout 27 October 2022]' by LOOSE

Fred-Again..--'Clara-(the-Night-Is-Dark)-[london-Rideout-27-October-2022]'-by-Loose

LOOSE brings the Y2K vibes for new girlband FLO's debut video.&nbsp;The video for Cardboard Box captures the girl's personalities and playful energy, as they take on roles as both artist and director in the concept.&nbsp;Against a bright white cyc background, the mixture of performance, choreography and faux-BTS shots create a dynamic and nostalgic energy. And some viewers may&nbsp;also celebrate the parallels between this and an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVG4Ix9GgFg">early Noughties video for the Sugababes.</a>[imgtoken data:1]

United Kingdom

Rose Moya

Kirsty Stewart

Shea Coleman

Hands London

Stink Films

Quinn Titsworth

Conrad Russell

Henry Gill

Dom Mckiernan

Hannah Bellil

Joe Mulvihill

Mitchell Collins

Teresa Adamson

Remi Black

Kadi Salon

Bléu Ribbon Salon

Chaniqwaa Brown

Jemima Boateng

Beah

Jasmine Hamilton

Saba Khan

Dom Q

This And That Media

Megan Lee

Electric Theatre Collective

Island Records

FLO 'Cardboard Box' by LOOSE

Flo-'Cardboard-Box'-by-Loose

LOOSE reunites with IDLES, and also collaborates with animator Edie Lawrence to direct an eye-popping&nbsp;claymation epic for the piledriving Crawl.&nbsp;In classic claymation style, the fun is how the malleability of the form leads to a jawdropping, often grisly transformation. That is certainly the case here, as a claymation version of IDLES' vocalist Joe Talbot hits the road on his chopper&nbsp;motorbike, riding down a Route 66-style highway.It's not long before the transformation begins, as he ventures further into the unknown. The flesh is slowly being stripped away from his body...Exploring the lyrical themes of addiction&nbsp;and having to face your demons head-on, the video is a brilliant achievement. Not for the faint of heart, maybe, but it is IDLES after all.&nbsp;LOOSE and animator&nbsp;Edie Lawrence, supplemented by&nbsp;VFX wizard&nbsp;Jordan Chappell, echo the work of the real masters of the artform, and it's very good to see claymation having a moment once again.

Holly Greig

Jordan Chappell

Ellie Rumbold

Partisan Records

Edie Lawrence

Anna Peduzzi

Rock

IDLES 'Crawl' by LOOSE & Edie Lawrence

Idles-'Crawl-'-by-Loose

A few months ago, up-and-coming director LOOSE got together with Bristol post punk outfit IDLES to direct the video for Beachland Ballroom. The collaboration has now produced three separate videos for the track - the latest being the Director's Cut - featured on Promonews today. We spoke to LOOSE, to get the full story.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]When Beachland Ballroom dropped in September - the first track to be released from the new IDLES album CRAWLER -&nbsp;&nbsp;so did a powerful one-shot video. It shows the band's charismatic frontman Joe Talbot&nbsp;in extreme close-up, while performing the song.Or at least he is attempting to do so. In fact, Talbot&nbsp;appears to be&nbsp;on the verge of collapse - straining&nbsp;and sweating, utterly exhausted, his lipsynced vocals emerge through gritted teeth.&nbsp;The camera unflinchingly captures some kind of&nbsp;ordeal.[vidtoken data:1]Then, a few weeks later, another video for the song appeared:&nbsp;'Official Video Part 2'. Here is another performance by Talbot - this time with the rest of the band, actually in a ballroom setting. Also this time, Talbot's movements are&nbsp;hampered by an invisible force, that's dragging him backwards.The relationship with the first video is clear - it's the same setting, but taken from a different, wider spot. It fully explains his pain and exhaustion in 'Part 1'.[vidtoken data:2]And now we have the third video for the song, and its perspective is wider again. In the Director's Cut, its not just a single performance, or location.&nbsp;This time, we have different expressions of the central device suggested in the first version and revealed in the second version -&nbsp;this invisible force, dragging Talbot backwards.It's now even more obvious that the effect is created by something genuine, that is pulling the singer back - bungee ropes, in fact -&nbsp;and then removed in post. And it also expands on the dual impact of the effect.It's clearly a problem for Talbot, a force that causes&nbsp;him no end of trouble. But let's face it, it's also visual, highly physical comedy, of a high order. In this version, Talbot adds another side to his personality,&nbsp;a greater&nbsp;element of Buster Keaton-style silent comedy hero.Same band, same director, same song... three videos, all connected, but all work on their own terms too. It's certainly an unusual kind of trilogy - so we asked LOOSE about how it happened.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;Promonews: Clearly the thing that is common to both 'Official Video - Pt 2'&nbsp;and the Director's Cut (and actually 'Pt 1' too, but we don’t see it) is how Joe is being dragged back by that powerful&nbsp;invisible force. What was the thinking behind that? And how did you achieve it?LOOSE: The whole video came&nbsp;from a&nbsp;conversation between Joe and I about the track, and how&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;about his past drug&nbsp; addiction. He said in&nbsp;some ways, he felt like he was walking&nbsp;through life as if he was&nbsp;invincible, but ultimately, his&nbsp; substance&nbsp;addiction&nbsp;was slowly tearing him apart.<blockquote>The idea came from a conversation with Joe about his past drug addiction.&nbsp;</blockquote>The bungee analogy came quite naturally from this. You can be on top of the world and seemingly normal, but suddenly you hit a point of resistance and it drags you right back. As the video progresses, this becomes more intense and physically Joe deteriorates.We achieved this effect using a&nbsp;lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;human strength&nbsp;on set - shout out the runners! -&nbsp;some smart costume design, a smart rigger and VFX.[imgtoken data:2]Two different videos released for The Beachland Ballroom, and now a Director’s Cut. What’s the story behind this unusual situation?We never&nbsp;really&nbsp;planned for there to be three versions. But as the edit process unfolded, we found that certain scenes told such intense stories&nbsp;they were stronger standing alone.&nbsp;They acted better alone. As the treatment for the video was written around a concept, as opposed to a narrative, this&nbsp;definitely felt like the right thing to do.&nbsp;It was completely fine to me.&nbsp;The video was an experiment into how far we could push the bungee concept and the rollout reflected our greatest results.It’s unusual to release multiple parts to videos. But the fans seemed to really feed off it, and the response was&nbsp;exactly what I&nbsp;wanted. The YouTube comments are full of fascinating interpretations of the track and videos,&nbsp;and the multiple releases only propelled the dialogue which feed&nbsp;off the&nbsp;differing perspectives.<blockquote>I sat Joe down, and asked him to perform the track one last time.</blockquote>Part 1 is actually the very last thing that we shot. Being tugged around by the bungee cord was exhausting for Joe, and by the end of the shooting day he was completely in&nbsp;pieces. Joe’s feet were wrecked from an ongoing foot injury, and we had to pull a couple of shots because he was struggling to stand up for too long. I sat Joe down, and asked him to perform the track one last time. The shot was uncomfortably tight and I shook the camera myself on the tripod to replicate the shakes Joe had.Originally, this was just meant to be a cutaway from the video, but the team saw it and felt the intensity&nbsp;of the&nbsp;one shot conveyed the emotion of the song in a way that we could never have planned for.My original film was all about a developing pain and frustration from having an invisible force constantly fighting against you. The shot of Joe’s distraught eyes singlehandedly embodied this pain in a completely authentic way, which could have only been achieved on such&nbsp;a physically&nbsp;gruelling shoot day.[imgtoken data:3]Joe looks genuinely exhausted. Was it always your intention to get that shot? And was its intensity the reason why they wanted to go with that as a one-shot?Joe was completely exhausted! My plan was always to get this shot,&nbsp;however&nbsp;when we got to it&nbsp;we literally had five minutes before the location was&nbsp;closing and shutting their doors&nbsp;on us.&nbsp;This added an&nbsp;extra&nbsp;added&nbsp;layer of urgency which meant we only had one chance - I was left to operate the camera and light, as everyone was packing&nbsp;down the kit.&nbsp;The intensity ten-folded, and we literally did one take.The hurt you can see from Joe is entirely real - he’s covered in sweat and his eyes look ruined. He watched the footage back and saw the version of himself the track is written about. The coherence of this feeling, image and song made it a no-brainer to launch with!The&nbsp;way in which this idea&nbsp;this was conceived meant that we had to be just as reactive with the delivery and birth. The whole decision-making process, for the whole team, was about doing what felt most right for everyone involved.[imgtoken data:4]Above: shooting the band performance at The Rivoli Ballroom, with frontman Joe Talbot attached to&nbsp;bungee ropes. Photo: Tom HamSo what was the thinking behind releasing the ballroom performance as a version in itself for Part 2, and then the Director's Cut?The second part of the saga is more straightforward. The band loved the ballroom scene and felt that the effect of Joe fighting the&nbsp;bungee, unclouded by the different locations, told the story of the concept most effectively.After associating the track with such an intense pain in the first video, the band wanted to continue with the simplicity of using a single location for the second part too. They actually edited this one themselves!<blockquote>The DC was actually our first version of the video to be edited.</blockquote>And I’m&nbsp;not usually a fan of a Director's Cut - I can rarely tell the difference from the&nbsp;original&nbsp;client cut! -&nbsp;but in this case, I had so many shots pushing Joe’s altered physicality further,&nbsp;that the edit created a whole new narrative. I was&nbsp;felt&nbsp;keen to release these to act as a bit of a resolution to parts 1 and 2.Where did you shoot the video?We shot all but the ballroom in the Crystal Palace Stadium. Joe’s only request other than the ballroom was that we worked within Brutalist structures - this runs throughout all of their visuals. The cohesive and regimented structures really contradict Joe’s hectic and disorderly movement, which added to the portrayal of his incoherent&nbsp;physicality. The ballroom was the Rivoli in Brockley, a legendary spot.[imgtoken data:5]How hard was it to complete the Director's Cut, especially as the other versions have performed very well?The DC was actually our first version of the video that was edited.&nbsp;Everything else was deconstructed backwards. I’ve been so excited to put it out because the two different parts&nbsp;have had fascinating interpretations and feedback attached. Hopefully, this gives a third angle to the story. And big thanks to our editor, Ed [Cooper at The Assembly Rooms] for sticking with us in the edit.How happy are you with the DC? Will there be any more versions?I love the DC! It offers a more in-depth study on Joe’s physicality in Part 1 and 2, which allowed me to push the concept even further!• LOOSE is with Stink Rising for&nbsp;music videos, and represented for music videos by Hands London. Check out more of her work <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/artist/stink-rising-loose" target="_blank">here.</a>&nbsp;Full credits for the Beachland Ballroom videos <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/10/20/idles-%E2%80%98beachland-ballroom%E2%80%99-parts-1-2-loose/74347" target="_blank">here</a>.

Stink Rising

LOOSE on IDLES' 'Beachland Ballroom' trilogy - "We never planned for three versions." 

IDLES - The Beachland Ballroom (Directors Cut)

IDLES - THE BEACHLAND BALLROOM (Official Video, Pt. 1)

IDLES - THE BEACHLAND BALLROOM (Official Video, Pt. 2)

IDLES ‘Beachland Ballroom’ (Parts 1 &2) by LOOSE

Parts 1 &amp; 2 of LOOSE's video for IDLES' Beachland Ballroom.[vidtoken data:0][vidtoken data:1]The release of a second version of the video certainly puts the first one in some kind of context. Now we have some kind of idea why Joe Talbot is a physical wreck, caught in the pitiless gaze of a camera close-up, in Part 1.Now we now he's being constantly pulled back, and must fight to stand his ground, as he performs the song with the band in The Rivoli Ballroom.

Tom Kelly

Thomas English

Adam Conlon

Trey Joel

Ryan Delahunty

Molly Mishi May

Simon Donnellon

Hands 

Edward Cooper

The Assembly Rooms

Sinead Mcgowan

Post-Punk

Having worked with some of the most exciting new artists, including Berwyn, Arlo Parks, Fred Again&nbsp;and Joy Crookes, Stink Rising has officially welcomed LOOSE to its roster of directing talent.The UK-based director&nbsp;joins the music video and short film division of Stink Films,&nbsp;having just released her second video for rising artist Berwyn in quick succession. The&nbsp;recent one-shot promo for&nbsp;I'd Rather Die Than Be Deported,&nbsp;shot on Dartford Crossing, follows the video for 100,000,000 released last month. (She is pictured above right, with Berwyn between take on the I'd Rather Die shoot, last month).&nbsp;Known before her directing career as Lucy Hickling, her&nbsp;introduction to filmmaking came while she was working in radio. She was shooting content for 1Xtra, and then became the brains&nbsp;behind some ambitious activations in the medium, including&nbsp;BBC Radio 1’s Escape Room&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hide &amp; Seek with Nick Grimshaw and&nbsp;Greg James.&nbsp;Previous directing work includes Joy Crookes' Yah/Element, Niko B's International Baby and Fred Again's Julia (Deep Diving) promos. And joining Stink Rising marks her first commercial representation.“LOOSE is such an exciting addition to our RISING roster, the work speaks for itself," says&nbsp;Hannah Bellil, Global Head, Stink Rising &amp; Music Video. "Such a fresh perspective, endless ideas and energy to continue making outstanding pieces of film that really get to the core of her subjects.”LOOSE adds:&nbsp;“I’m so excited to keep learning and growing with Stink. That’s family! The guys have been with me from the beginning and been more supportive, nurturing&nbsp;&nbsp;and ambitious than I’ve ever known over the past year. Now it’s official that we’re a team - we’re only going to keep levelling up.”• Watch LOOSE's showreel at Stink Rising <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/rising-director/loose/" target="_blank">here</a>

LOOSE signs to Stink Rising

LOOSE follows up <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/04/16/berwyn-100000000-loose/70414" target="_blank">her video for 100,000,000</a> with a spectacular one-shot promo for Berwyn's I'd Rather Die Than Be Deported.&nbsp;Shot in a guerilla fashion, the video sees the artist performing&nbsp;as he hangs out of a convertible car driving over the Dartford Crossing.&nbsp;Despite the adrenaline rush of moving vehicles and stunt shots, the video echoes a reflective, nostalgic vibe, inspired by the themes of the track.

Scarlett Barclay

Joe Starrs

Christopher J Orr

Charlie Hutchins

Jonny Thorpe At Glassworks

Frankie Noller

Chris Steel

Freestyle

Hip Hop

Berwyn 'I'd Rather Die Than Be Deported' by LOOSE

BERWYN - I'D RATHER DIE THAN BE DEPORTED [Music Video] | GRM Daily

LOOSE&nbsp;directs a poignant promo for Berwyn's latest song, the heartfelt&nbsp;100,000,000.&nbsp;The video seamlessly connects several clever setups in and around a car, utilising motion control, fluid art direction and visual effects to form an&nbsp;abstract yet interconnected narrative.&nbsp;The setting is of particular importance, given the story of the song. As Berwyn explained&nbsp;on Instagram: "Wrote this (track) in YMCA carpark sitting in the driver's seat of the car I was sleeping in. For that she's a special one of my children so I hope u like her." &nbsp;The performer's natural charm and wit shine through in the performance, switching between different eras of his life with ease, paying homage to the struggle whilst celebrating where he is now.&nbsp;Effortlessly engaging and innovative, it's a blinder of a video by the director now operating under the monicker LOOSE - fka Lucy Hickling). It's&nbsp;anchored by&nbsp;her love of character and narrative, and DoP&nbsp;Sam Meyer's wistful cinematography.&nbsp;

Sam Meyer

Peter Swinford

Max Edmed

Mark Stewart

Bon Walsh

Pete Fullerton

Jonny Thorpe

Berwyn '100,000,000' by LOOSE

Berwyn-'100,000,000'-by-Loose

Following last year's unlikely hit Mary Berry, Niko B is back with International Baby, and an energetic promo directed by Lucy Hickling (aka LOOSE).Shot at various locations in&nbsp;Milton Keynes - hometown of&nbsp;Thomas Austin, aka Niko B - the video features a string of tongue-in-cheek vignettes. It's absurd and nonsensical, but in the best way.&nbsp;It's a visual that matches the understated, random nature of Austin's music, with a focus on accessibility and playful lyricism over emotion or substance.&nbsp;

Donny Johnson

Idris Rhys

James Middleton

Comedy

Niko B 'International Baby' by LOOSE

Niko-B-'International-Baby'-by-Lucy-Hickling

The everyday commute to London is not all&nbsp;it seems, in the cheerful promo for Fred again.. by Lucy Hickling, aka LOOSE.&nbsp;Reworking vocals from Julia Michaels, ripped from one of her Instagram posts (with full permission of course), we see Fred in various city locations, typing on his laptop.As we follow his journey, however, it is revealed&nbsp;that Fred isn't typing, but instead creating the track and playing the piano on his laptop.No doubt a recognisable concept for many on-the-go music producers, Hickling turns an everyday occurence into the main focus of the concept, intermixed with short, day in the life vignettes.&nbsp;Switching between vertical aspect ratios and&nbsp;traditional 16:9, the cinematography matches the fluidity of the concept, feeling very much off the cuff and authentic.&nbsp;

LOOSE

Director

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