Art Director

Lyubika Georgieva

Frequent Rina Sawayama collaborator - and recent guest on The Promonews Podcast - Ali Kurr directs a grunge-inspired promo for Hurricanes.&nbsp;Exuding early Noughties pop-rock nostalgia, the video is a riotous, windswept tour de force,&nbsp;with Rina at the eye of the storm - an&nbsp;impressive&nbsp;climax to a hugely absorbing, refined trilogy of videos, which as with its predecessors This Hell and Hold The Girl features splendid cinematography by DoP Diego Rosenblatt.&nbsp;Kurr discussed her fruitful collaboration with Rina Sawayama on <a href="http://open.spotify.com/episode/7fPId2zp9XYEb6jsYg8ZyF" target="_blank">the latest episode of The Promonews Podcast</a>. And Hurricanes will leave viewers breathless and excited for the next step in both the artist and director's respective journeys.&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;"For this video, Rina wanted a band performance moment with a trickle of a narrative running through it," Ali Kurr explains. "Leaning on an Alanis Morrisette, grunge aesthetic, we open on an exhausted Ri who assembles with her bandmates in a vaulted barn as a wicked storm descends."Although this video has a different feel to it than our previous films for Rina’s latest album, I wanted to make sure Hurricanes&nbsp;sat in the same world. So we made sure to shoot on the same lenses and even used the same location as Hold The Girl."

United Kingdom

Joshus Gochez

Angie Broomfield

Chris Aliano

Jordan Kelsey

Ali Kurr

Mayling Wong

Lyubo Yonchev (four Elements)

Partizan Darkroom

Tom Connick

Manol Mitrev

Diego Rosenblatt

Mayling Wong - Partizan

Rosen Savkov (four Elements)

Ayo Alli

Samuil Djoganov (four Elements)

Diko Buchukov

Nikolay Kerezov

Mario Popov

Dimitar Donchev

Antoni Stoev

Todor Soviv

Mona Leanne

Jack Williams

Assembly Rooms

Myles Bevan

Timebased Arts

Dirty Hit

Rina Sawayama 'Hurricanes' by Ali Kurr

Rina-Sawayama-'Hurricanes-'-by-Ali-Kurr

Ali Kurr and Rina Sawayama are back together for another high-concept promo - a cinematic sci-fi drama with a twist, for Hold The Girl.This has Rina on a Westworld-type world - on a ranch in the Old Wild West. And her repeated attempts to escape the place are blocked by an unseen, magnetic force - she is caught mid-air after falling from the roof, or pulled 50 metres across the scorched grass - and brought back to her starting point in the house.&nbsp;But when the walls start to crack and the earth moves, she discovers an alternate universe: herself, dancing in a high-energy studio setup with fellow dancers, celebrating an unabashed freedom. This&nbsp;Dogville-style studio set-up eventually fuses with the strange period world, and Rina breaks free. But there is one more twist in the tale.[imgtoken data:1]Filmed in Bulgaria, shot by Diego Rosenblatt, and with choreography by Josh Pillmore, the video is the latest and arguably the most successful example of a superbly creative collaboration between the artist and director, which has always tested boundaries. Once again they have gone for something new, and leave the viewer marvelling at Sawayama's virtuosity."It was all about capturing the feeling of having the strength to leave a situation and then when that initial adrenaline rush leaves you," says Kurr. "All you are left with is the memory that can often leave you feeling even more alone."&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]This is the latest in a collaboration that goes back to the start of both Kurr and Sawayama's&nbsp;careers. "We've been making videos together for over a decade now," reveals the director. "I constantly pinch myself on set when I think about how far we have come. From making videos in our flats with £50 art budgets to now getting to play with zip lines and stunt coordinators... we push ourselves each time to make something that's even more exciting and unexpected for her fans."This follows the acclaimed video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/06/23/rina-sawayama-hell-ali-kurr/76973" target="_blank">This Hell</a>, the first video released from the forthcoming Sawayama album, also called Hold The Girl. Kurr adds:&nbsp;"This drive and love for what we create, alongside her insane artistry as a musician, has resulted in Hold The Girl&nbsp;being one of my favourites to date and I can't wait to get back on set and start shooting something nuts again soon."

Victoria Yaneva

Shola B Riley

Joshua Gochez

Grozdan Mihaylov

Plan B

Lyubo Yonchev

Mouthpiece

Four Elements, Bulgaria

Will Frost

Rosen Savkov

Samuil Djoganov

Igor

Joshua Pilmore

Todor Sivov

Greta Stefanova-Kandzhova

Maria Koleva

Krasimira Petrova

Time Based Arts

Natali Borte

B.art Vfx Studio

Rina Sawayama 'Hold The Girl' by Ali Kurr

Rina-Sawayama--'Hold-The-Girl-'-by-Ali-Kurr

Ellie Goulding is trapped in a simulated dreamworld, in Sophia Ray's spectacular promo for Easy Lover, featuring Big Sean.&nbsp;The eccentric promo was shot in Sofia, Bulgaria, and explores a world whose characters aren't quite what they seem. In fact,&nbsp;they are Sims-like videogame characters that have found themselves in un-virtual reality...[imgtoken data:1]"It was inspiring to get the initial brief from Nathan Klein -&nbsp;Ellie's Creative Director - for this video, as he really mapped out the creative mood he wanted to take this new era for Ellie in, and gave me a lot of visual references to latch on to," says Ray."The concept of the video is based around these mysterious sim-like creatures, called Skins. These Skins are being controllable game-like characters - that live out bizarre 'realistic' lives in what appears to be a 'real' world. How and what is controlling them, however, remains unclear."The more the audience watch, the more we see the world and these Skins start to glitch and malfunction, giving the impression of a synthetic wider world where nothing is quite as it seems."The expansive world is created through stylish set design, otherworldly locations and a sense of enigmatic mystery, which perfectly encapsulates the artificial world Goulding inhabits.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]"Ellie wanted to play a few of the Skin characters in this world, where she could have a bit of fun with her styling and characterisation," continues Ray. "It was so cool to work with her and see these playful sides of her come out as she got into character."It was such a fun three-day shoot, as we travelled all over Sofia, Bulgaria shooting in crazy locations and finishing on a more chilled studio-build day, where we shot our game cube 'dollhouse' set up. Massive thanks to the production team, and Partizan, Mayling and Ayo for making the process so seamless and fun, Katie Dolan who trusted us implicitly and supported us along the way, and also the amazing Four Elements service team in Bulgaria."

Valeria Obretenova

Joana Nwamerue

Jade Denne

Valentin Georgovski

Grozdan Mihalov

Nathan Klein

Sophia Ray

Katie Dolan

Peter Kostov

Nikita Popkov

Rosen Ignatov - (bulgaria)

Krasimir Hazarbassanov

Hristo Genkov

Eduard Moskalenko

Genadi Kirov

Simeon Kirov

Remi Black

Amidat Giwa

Milen Ivanov

Lyudmil Ivanov

Alina Manova

Francesca Brazzo

Velislava Velkova

Sam Allen

Richard Fearon

Black Kite Studios

Anuar Bazargeldi

Post Tribe

Nadya Konakchieva

Chan Chung

Kasin Wang

Polydor

Ellie Goulding ft Big Sean 'Easy Lover' by Sophia Ray

Ellie-Goulding-Ft-Big-Sean--'Easy-Lover-'-by-Sophia-Ray

Ali Kurr reunites with Rina Sawayama to create a country, queer, celebratory, sizzling hoedown&nbsp;for This Hell.Marking the launch of Rina's new album Hold The Girl, Kurr's&nbsp;video for This Hell marries punchy line-dancing, exquisite styling and mesmerising cinematography, to create an immediately iconic visual that celebrates the 'eternal damnation' of the LGBTQIA+ community.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;Shot in Bulgaria - with production by Four Elements - the concept focuses on Rina marrying her two lovers, whilst pesky protestors try their best to break up the celebration.None of this phases the group, as they party the night away under neon lights, setting the wedding cake on fire, drinking shots and performing one of the most unique first dance numbers ever put on-screen. It all makes Hell look&nbsp;like the place to be.

Vicky Yaneva

Shanice Burton

Callum Sterling

Summer Jay Jones

Jordan Kesley

Ayomide Alli

Eduard Muskalenko

Genadi Ivanov

Joshus Pilmore

Gregg Lennon

Gergana Ivanova

Immerse Fx

Chester Lockhart

Rina Sawayama 'This Hell' by Ali Kurr

Rina-Sawayama-'This-Hell-'-by-Ali-Kurr

Sophia Ray directs a whimsical fantasy epic for Years &amp; Years and Galantis.&nbsp;Inspired by films like Labyrinth&nbsp;and Gretel &amp; Hansel,&nbsp;the video for Sweet Talker&nbsp;is a sweet yet dark take on a fairytale, where Y&amp;Y's&nbsp;Olly Alexander finds himself trapped in an enchanted castle by a mysteriously sexy Beast.The concept takes the mythical tale of King Midas and turns it on its head, as Olly finds a magic sword on his escape - which turns anyone he slays into candy.Ray shows off her talent at creating interconnected yet distinctive set pieces - <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/09/07/sigrid-burning-bridges-sophia-ray/72699">most recently seen in her video for Sigrid's Burning Bridges</a> - in an exhilarating fashion,&nbsp;breathing life into a candy-coloured version of a medieval fairytale.It's an alluring aesthetic in which Olly Alexander can explore his mercurial on-screen presence&nbsp;- and offer a glimpse of his naughty side.&nbsp;

Partizan

Nick Royal

Jimmy Owen Jones

Jonny Thorpe

Glassworks

Jordan Markov - Immersefx

Kexin Wang

Louis Danckwerts

Years & Years, Galantis 'Sweet Talker' by Sophia Ray

Years-&-Years,-Galantis--'Sweet-Talker-'-by-Sophia-Ray

Sophia Ray has directed the music video for Sigrid’s Burning Bridges, in which the Norwegian pop star takes extraordinary steps&nbsp;to break out of the twilight zone of a failed relationship.Stuck in an urban world of hyperreal drabness, with a boy she longer wants to be with, Sigrid breaks the metaphorical barriers she faces by&nbsp;smashing&nbsp;through physical ones - she actually runs through walls; crashing through&nbsp;from city to forest, and back again.It's a&nbsp;great vehicle&nbsp;for Sigrid's spirited personality and her natural athleticism - and arguably her best acting performance in a video. It's also a departure for Sophia Ray, who brings a more Scandi-influenced aesthetic to this than her other, more&nbsp;colourful pop work - there's even a nod to Swedish auteur Roy Andersson in there.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp; &nbsp;The director, her producer Mayling Wong and DoP Carlos Feher filmed the video in Bulgaria with a local crew, including&nbsp;young art director&nbsp;Lyubika Georgieva - who created the walls that Sigrid could really run through..."It was fun to make this video," Sigrid has commented.&nbsp;"It’s a very emotional song so of course we needed a video that reflected that energy with running, dancing, and chasing. It was the first time I did some light acting which was very exciting and definitely something I want to do more."

Lyubika Georgieva

Art Director

Videos featuring Lyubika Georgieva

2022 (4)

2021 (2)

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