Director

Maxim Kelly

A robot boyband take the world by storm in Maxim Kelly's alternative history of computing and artificial intelligence for Hot Chip - in which music video takes an even more important role...&nbsp;&nbsp;For Broken, taken from the band's recently released eighth album Freakout/Release, we follow the engaging story of Jerry Fairchild, creator of the Fairchild 7000, and its role in turning computer nerds into music video directors (including one named Jon Glazer). That is the introduction&nbsp;to the 'proper' video that features anonymous, frequently multiplying android pop stars, busting moves in a familiar white-syc studio.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]As in some of his previous work - perhaps most notably the video for shame's Nigel Hitter - Kelly reworks obscure vintage corporate film footage to create the foundations for his concept.Then he has created his robot boyband by adding cool robot mask prosthetics&nbsp;to a trio of denim-clad dancers presenting them in a pop video, rooted in the classic form. And that is hugely effective for a song that is at the catchy pop-end of Hot Chip's musical&nbsp;spectrum.[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I’m intrigued by AI machines doing artwork," says Kelly. "In the future, robots and computers might make music videos too - and this is what I imagine the first will look like."I referenced the boyband videos I grew up watching on MTV - overly sentimental with emotional and gut-wrenching performances. In this video, soulless androids run through all the motions and cliches of these videos with deadpan robotic precision. It’s a pop video with all the entertaining and watchable bits taken out.”

United Kingdom

Eleri Evans

Sachin Chande

Caviar

Samira Conteh

Afzal Robbani

Matthew Emvin Taylor

Malte Huebner

Lucy Bradley

Beau Pritchard-James

John Phillips

Laurent Arnaud

Syd Harmony

Robert Smith

Begona F.Martin

Celia Arias

Kloe Dean

Tom Mangham

Black Kite Studios

Steve Shaw

Trim Editing

John Moule

Domino Records

Hands London

Alternative

Hot Chip 'Broken' by Maxim Kelly

Hot Chip - Broken (Official Video)

A young maid finds herself at a crossroads, in Maxim Kelly's mesmerising promo for Ethel.&nbsp;Waiting hand and foot on a slightly surreal family, we see the main character run errands and try to stay out of the way, as the father figure&nbsp;lip-syncs to the track, getting oppressively close to her wherever she tries to escape to.&nbsp;Ending with a climactic dance in the living room - performing to the awkwardly apathetic parents and daughter - the video is haunting and contemplative, echoing films from French and Korean arthouse cinema. A subtle manipulation of the textures of the image at certain points also heightens the surreality of the concept, which creates an unnerving atmosphere.[imgtoken data:1]“Initially I thought Ethel should be the main character and do the dance at the end, and I always had this image from this French film called My American Uncle, where it’s like a little girl standing up at a table," Kelly explains.&nbsp;"I originally had that image in my head for a rap video, but it didn’t really make sense to the song. I wanted this to feel more like surreal so then as I started finding more imagery. It kind of transpired that maybe the maid was the more interesting character.”

Ginny Kerr

Myana Van Cuijenborg

Dave Frost

Lewes Bridson

Marianthi Hatzikidi

Sam Katz

Riaz Ahmed

Ollie Ford

Sacchin Chande

Phillips Nortey

Milo Brown

Arran Green

Elena Diaz

Vid Price

Stephen Harakis

The Murder Capital 'Ethel' by Maxim Kelly

The Murder Capital - Ethel (Official Video)

Maxim Kelly creates an off-kilter tribute to '90s rave culture for Belief&nbsp; -&nbsp;the experimental dance music&nbsp;project of Stella Mozgawa&nbsp;and Boom Bip - featuring an impish dance elf who finds himself in an empty office. With a birthday cake.&nbsp;The video for Dreams, sees this intriguing&nbsp;character - played by Mark Crawley - break into expressive moves, as he confusedly comes to terms with his surroundings, and begins to sense&nbsp;the nearby presence of another figure: his somewhat hairier döppelgänger.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]In keeping with the era and the mood that he and DoP Arthur Loveday were trying to evoke, Kelly chose to shoot the video on MiniDV - the domestic format that was state-of-the-art back in the early 90s. But it is also composed and lit to make the format look as professional&nbsp;as possible, which gives the footage a&nbsp;distinctive&nbsp;high-end lo-fi quality.Kelly says that the video was inspired by watching rave footage from the 90s, and marvelling at "people looking their worst but feeling their best, and dancing the night away" - and also a certain kind of video from the era.&nbsp;"There’s a sub-genre of music video which became very popular for a time. It’s just one person dancing in a pertinent space. I wanted to make my version of that video. Almost like a parody."[imgtoken data:2]He adds that the&nbsp;decision to shoot on MiniDV was an aesthetic choice, and a homage to 90s rave footage. "Early on, Arthur Loveday and I decided to imagine that we were making a music video with the best technology we had available - and work to make it look as good as possible," he says."People today, when they shoot MiniDV, try to make it look bad, jerky and add glitches. But the technology is still great, and you can get some stunning results if you take the time and care to shoot it appropriately. And, it doesn’t hurt if you have Tom Mangham at Black Kite grading it too!”

Victor Shikhatov

Arthur Loveday

Pearce Crowley

Georgia Olive

Esme Horn

Mark Crawley

Thomas Mangham

Zoe Davis

Lex Records

Dance

Electronic

Belief 'Dreams' by Maxim Kelly

BELIEF - DREAMS (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Maxim Kelly has created a fabulous fever dream of a Western - shot in blinding black and white - for&nbsp;experimental rock combo black midi.The song Eat Men Eat - from the forthcoming album Hellfire - is a typically eclectic fusion-jam (Rock meets Flamenco!), with lyrics by vocalist Cameron Picton, about two men and their quest to overcome the cruel captain of a mining facility. That's the starting point for Kelly's interpretation where two prospectors become embroiled a similarly overbearing personality, and their efforts to poison him.That barely does justice to the sense of abandon and euphoria, laced with doom and destruction, that powers the story. It features a compelling&nbsp;performance by Calvin Cornwall as 'the captain', luminous cinematography by&nbsp;Pieter Snyman, a brilliantly unhinged edit by music video editing legend&nbsp;Vid Price.&nbsp;Kelly also incorporates a characteristic&nbsp;multi-media element,&nbsp;which adds to the strange surreal silent movie atmosphere.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“The story starts in the desert with two men engaged in a desperate search for missing friends," says Cameron Picton of the song.&nbsp;"Their quest leads them to a strange mining facility which, despite a death of natural resources in the area, opens its door for even stranger hosts to welcome them.”Kelly adds that meant the story was already largely in place when it came to making the video.&nbsp;"I just worked to visualise that narrative whilst staying true to the band’s vision and songwriting," he says.&nbsp;"So, I had this idea in my head of an old silent movie aesthetic with inter-titles. But every now and then it turns into a 'talkie'&nbsp;with parts of lip-syncing."It’s a structurally unusual song, so it’s wonderful when a track like this comes along and forces you to break your usual patterns and habits and push yourself as a director.“I first listened to black midi in 2018 when my friend recorded a live performance in his studio for NTS Radio. I think this might be one of their first-ever recordings, and it blew me away. So I’m thrilled to have the honour of making their latest music video."

Aisha Kemp

Phin Shaughnessy-Symons

Pieter Snyman

Oliver Bingham

Charlotte Hayde

Joe Mulvihill

James Duffy

Melissa Davies

Rough Trade

Rock

black midi 'Eat Men Eat' by Maxim Kelly

black midi - Eat Men Eat

We spoke to Maxim Kelly about his post-modern version of a classic adventure movie -&nbsp;featuring an alien ant - for experimental rock outfit Black Country, New Road, and discovered how it came&nbsp;from the band giving him creative freedom, and from cutting himself a bit of slack.Kelly has become known for some beautifully crafted videos anchored in a strong visual concept - such as his video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/01/13/shame-nigel-hitter-maxim-kelly/68968" target="_blank">Shame's Nigel Hitter</a>, released a year ago. Since then, he's experienced&nbsp;big changes in his personal life, moving from London to Barcelona - and he's just become a father for the first time.The track Concorde comes from Mercury-nominated London band Black Country, New Road's forthcoming second album <a href="https://music.apple.com/gb/album/ants-from-up-there/1586070259" target="_blank">Ants From Up There</a> - hence the hero of Kelly's video, who is certainly an 'ant from up there'. And much like the band's music, it has a style all of its own.This is a classic narrative that has been through the mixer of at least a couple of well-known movie genres, from war film to pre-blockbuster 'B-movie' sci-fi to post-war 'kitchen sink' drama and satire. It&nbsp;sees the heroic ant from another planet - or perhaps just from another country - held prisoner and sentenced to death in a&nbsp;retro-futuristic Orwellian&nbsp;Britain, under attack from an unknown enemy - represented at the start with vintage&nbsp;stock footage.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]As Kelly tells us, he thought he had missed his chance to make&nbsp;Black Country, New Road's first 'proper video', and the process to finally make it happen required qualities of tenacity and decisiveness that did not appear to be in his armoury before now. The recent advent of fatherhood, it appears, has brought him new focus in his work.He also provides us with insight into the creative process, sharing his storyboards, and the designs for the ant hero character&nbsp;by makeup prostethics designer Georgia Olive - as worn by actor Finbar Varrall (pictured above, with video commissioner John Moule, right).Promonews: You mentioned (in our <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/01/10/black-country-new-road-concorde-maxim-kelly/74507" target="_blank">review of the video</a>) that you were inspired by the band’s various musical influences. But what were your specific influences in making the video?MK: In the beginning, 'walking' music videos&nbsp;like The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony or Coldplay’s Yellow were the primary references. But&nbsp;once I have a precise genre or topic for a music video, I do an IMDB keywords search and look at as many references as possible.So&nbsp;there were loads. B-movies like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054330/" target="_blank">Assignment Outer Space</a>,&nbsp;war films like 1918 and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091251/" target="_blank">Come And See</a>, and a Japanese melodrama I found which I don’t remember the name of. There was a scene I ripped from <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064040/" target="_blank">Army Of Shadows</a> by Jean Pierre Melville that didn’t get shot.<blockquote>Tom Hardy in&nbsp;Dunkirk&nbsp;inspired the Ant's character, and look.</blockquote>When I make a video, I like to start with a "Frankenstein's Monster" edit in Premiere, where I just place clips, images, text, etc. over the song and try to get a feel for how the imagery will work. Then I storyboard it, if I have the time. It can be quite an intensive process.[imgtoken data:1]Above: A page from Maxim Kelly's storyboard for the videoTell us more about your lead character – the Alien Ant. Did you create a backstory for him? Is he modelled on any existing character?Tom Hardy in Dunkirk inspired the Ant’s character and costume. There was backstory that didn’t get shot. I realised that in movies where soldiers become P.O.W.’s there was a tendency to feature flashback sequences where you see them excelling at 'track and field'&nbsp;events. So that was the genesis of the idea for this music video - because it tied in with the lyrics in the song of being a “gentle hill racer”.There was an un-shot scene based on the Loneliness Of A Long-Distance Runner, where the Ant is winning a road-race and then at the end, rather than crossing the finish line, he goes off into the hills and that’s when he meets his lover at the lake.[imgtoken data:2]Above: Georgia Olive's character design for the ant hero characterThe makeup design of your alien hero is unmistakeably ant-like.&nbsp;How much time did you and your designer have to develop the character?It took time to get the right person onboard. And then, by that point, we had to move fast. For the prosthetics, we looked at catalogues from SFX companies in LA. We had four hours to decide on what the character was going to look like, because we had to make sure that we would receive the prosthetics in the post, in time for the shoot.So we narrowed it down to the most 'ant-like'&nbsp;and then Georgia adapted it, chopped a bit off, filled a bit and added the antennae to turn it more into an ant.<blockquote>I’ve never consciously made a political, social or cultural point in a music video.</blockquote>I have a newborn baby at home, so my entire process has changed. I don’t have time to overthink things like I used to. And I’ve realised that making a decision is the only important part&nbsp;anyway. So&nbsp;I try to be way more instinctive with my decision-making.I think it goes hand in hand with just being a more confident filmmaker. Because it’s hard to get to this point - it’s difficult to shoot enough. It’s like trying to learn to surf when you don’t live by the sea. By the time you get back into the ocean, you’ve forgotten what you learned the last time.[imgtoken data:3]Above: Maxim Kelly (right) on the Black Country, New Road 'Concorde' video shootHe finds himself in a world (or a version of Britain) that’s repressive, war-like, paranoid and rather incompetent. What deeper meaning, or significance, should we read into that?The pandemic made me think, why do I live in London?&nbsp;I’m fortunate that I’m able to live anywhere I choose. So I moved. I’m now in Barcelona. It’s clear skies and sunny, I’ve just returned from the beach, had a couple of beers and patatas bravas on a charming plaza. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.<blockquote>The band had some great ideas but mostly they just let me get on with it.</blockquote>But I’ve never consciously made a political, social or cultural point in a music video. What excites me is a symbiosis between lyrics, melody, tone and the visuals. I’m searching for a hook. What I find appealing is how the music changes when the Ant shuffles out to the firing squad. Or when he says “I was made to love you...”, to the priest giving him his last rites.Which is why I find it complicated to pinpoint what my style is. I’m always led by something external to myself and my style changes from film to film. But I guess it doesn’t matter. Or maybe that is my style?[imgtoken data:4]Above: Ant alien transformation - actor Finbar Varrell&nbsp;having 'ant' prosthetics applied (left) and on set between takes, in completed makeupHow much were the band involved in developing ideas in the video? Do any of them appear in it?They changed the song and originally I wrote a concept for Chaos Space Marine. That&nbsp;idea was based on The Creature From The Black Lagoon, winning a war against the humans and nonchalantly strutting passed dead marines whilst singing the song.That video fell through because of timings. But I called John Moule, the commissioner, and just told him if there’s a chance to do something else with the band then please get in touch with me first. I never would have done that before, but becoming a father makes you stop sweating the small stuff.<blockquote>The idea to have the firing squad wearing Black Midi jumpsuits&nbsp;was a winner.</blockquote>They were the perfect client. They had some great ideas but mostly they just let me get on with it. This is the first time the band have ever made a 'real'&nbsp;music video. So they were like - “Hey it’s your video, do what you want...” Which was nice - but it’s one hundred percent their video.Tyler, Luke, Charlie and Lewis [from the band] came to the shoot. They were all amazing actors and so excited and fun to work with. And their idea for Black Midi jumpsuits&nbsp;was a winner. With many people online trying to get their hands on one, I could sell you one for the right price![imgtoken data:5]Above: Shooting the firing squad scene - with the squad in Black Midi jumpsuitsYou were shooting in winter, with a lead actor who presumably needed to be in makeup for ages. How much time did you get to shoot the video? Where did you shoot? Did everything go to plan?We shot at a farm near Gatwick. And we only had twelve hours. We actually didn’t get to shoot the backstory and Army Of Shadows scene. It’s easy to get hung up on that kind of stuff, but you just have to move on.Directors are always too hard on themselves. We need to learn to be more self-compassionate. Because the response to the video has been amazing, and that’s because the band are great and the song is great. So I probably should’ve predicted that.<blockquote>With a newborn baby at home, I don’t have time to overthink things like I used to.</blockquote>Like nearly all Black Country New Road songs, it's a long one - over six minutes. How did that impact on the shoot and the edit?We tried to get a radio edit, but that’s not what the band is about, and we had to respect that. So we went in knowing the extent of what we had to achieve.I broke it down to buy us the time with the long tracking shots for the verses, and then top and tailed with archive footage. So in reality I only had to shoot close to a traditional three to four minute music video - which is a struggle in twelve hours&nbsp;anyway.• Maxim Kelly is based at Caviar and represented for music videos by Hands London.

Maxim Kelly on making Black Country, New Road's Concorde video: 'I tried to be more instinctive.'

Black Country, New Road - 'Concorde' (Official Video)

Black Country, New Road 'Concorde' by Maxim Kelly

Maxim Kelly directs a genre-bending epic for Mercury Prize-shortlisted rock band Black Country, New Road.&nbsp;Cleverly&nbsp;balancing&nbsp;an abstract narrative with anachronistic imagery, the focal point of the story is an alien who has crash-landed to Earth, who gets a less-than-welcoming treatment from the humans who capture him.Spanning a six-minute runtime, the video is peppered with a vast array of references, from vintage sci-fi films through to low budget B-movies and classic drama films. And the Concorde plane is in there too.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Flanked with archival footage, the video is ambitious and wide-ranging, but never once feels stretched too thin, which is a remarkable achievement for a concept that covers so much ground in it's comparably short runtime.<blockquote>We took the 6 minute-plus runtime as an asset.</blockquote>“On the surface, the concept was straightforward," says Kelly. "But&nbsp;for a band who namecheck everyone from Scott Walker to Kanye West, and the pronounced mix of genres in their music, it felt right to take an analogous approach with the visuals. Throw as many references together as possible and see if we, too, could get it all to hold together as a piece."We took the 6 minute-plus runtime as an asset. It gave us the time needed to weave as much as possible into the film. A walking video in parts, but also with a narrative running through...&nbsp; combined with miniatures and VFX.&nbsp;"The band were so supportive and amazing. They gave us the encouragement to just go off on one! And being a massive fan of their music, it was a genuine pleasure to work with them on this film.”

Zoe Travica

Conor Joyce

Will Akbar

Nick Cooke

Pete Swinford

Mike Simpson

Kieran Brown

Laura Little

Jared Behl

Charlie Reddie

Homespun

Kirsty Oldfield

Butterscotch

Connor Coolbear

Jason Wallis

Electric Theatre Collective

Hannah Ashby Ward

Maxim Kelly takes South London band Tiña down the pub for a heart-to-heart and some magic realism for their single Closest Shave.&nbsp;Taken from the band's acclaimed debut album Positive Mental Health Music, Kelly matches the breezy blend of surrealism and humour in the track&nbsp;with his inventive take on a one-shot video. It's a dreamlike journey into a cinematic London, a combination of the familiar and the off-kilter, that begins in a rain-lashed car park, past the band sheltering in a doorway, and then heading into the cozy indoors of the pub.With the song describing a chat between&nbsp;lead singer&nbsp;Joshua Loftin and his dad, and lyrics describing the world as “nervous like a big dinner plate”, Kelly makes the flamboyant frontman the&nbsp;focus of proceedings, popping up in different sequences, including talking to his actual dad Rufus in the video, surreally veering into an underground walkway, before completing a pub performance with the band, to an audience of men, slow-dancing with each other.Kelly&nbsp;used various methods to create this 'one-shot' - without calling upon motion control. His invention and resourcefulness has paid off with a result that's charming and cool. A&nbsp;joy to watch, in fact.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

Lauren Mills

Sorcha Shepherd

Sophie Compton

Benjamin Wearing

Justin Theodore

Bernin Isaac

Joshua Dadson

Salvador Lopez Gomez

Lottie Highfield

Daisy Smith

Three Wise Monkeys

Carl Grinter

Brian King

Speedy Wunderground

Indie

Tiña 'Closest Shave' by Maxim Kelly

Tiña - Closest Shave

Maxim Kelly marshals an army of virtual men to the alluring beats of Dense &amp; Pika in his coolly witty video for Honey.Just as the DJ production team of Alex Jones and Chris Spero (aka&nbsp;D&amp;P) hit the sweet spot between dark house and booming techno - assisted on Honey by slow-burn techno maestro Matthew Dear&nbsp;on vocals - Kelly manipulates a familiar early-CGI graphic style down a less predictable and metaphorical&nbsp;path.[imgtoken data:1]This digital army collect before the omnipotent&nbsp;decks of Dense and Pika - with the features of Jones and Spero more humanised than their acolytes. Then four horsemen carrying magnums of champagne trigger a strange effect on the rows of figures, and the end of the first phase of regimentation - to be replaced by something a bit loosier and groovier, but arguably more ominous. Now the men are suited and booted, becoming more individual, and pleased with themselves.“For Dense and Pika featuring&nbsp;Matthew Dear, I thought I would keep it simple and make the music video about everything," says Kelly - who&nbsp;worked with Barcelona-based Martes Studio on the animation.&nbsp;"It’s a creation or Genesis story in three&nbsp;minutes. From Big Bang to Garden of Eden to Apocalypse. A parable which takes us through the principal political ideologies of our times. Concluding with a compelling theme or moral: 'don’t guzzle the honey.'”

Daniella Manca

Martes Studio

Stephanie Paeplow

John Hassay

Dense & Pika ft Matthew Dear 'Honey' by Maxim Kelly

Dense & Pika feat. Matthew Dear - Honey (Official Video)

It's not ideal trying to launch your directing career during a pandemic, but that is what Maxim Kelly has managed with notable success in the past few months. And teaming up with editor Charlie Reddie on the videos for Django Django and Shame has proved to be a crucial move in that respect.The usual obstacle to creativity on any&nbsp;indie rock video is the budget, but Covid has added a whole new layer of difficulty to proceedings. Kelly has responded to the challenge with two videos that would be thoroughly enjoyed on their own merits in any other year&nbsp;- with sterling help from Reddie.&nbsp;&nbsp;In <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2020/09/16/django-django-spirals-maxim-kelly/66678" target="_blank">Spirals for Django Django</a>, the pair rigorously explored&nbsp;the potential of a pre-cinematic, 19th century visual device called the phenakistoscope; in Nigel Hitter for Shame, Kelly transformed&nbsp;the South London band into convincingly serious white-coated medical researchers from the 1950s. Both could be described as 'lockdown videos', but both have transcended the circumstances in which they were made."Both these films are 100% products of the pandemic," says Kelly. "But yeah, that’s the challenge. How to continue making work and not have people realise that they are a product of lockdown.&nbsp;Because that would date the video and you want the work to be timeless."[imgtoken data:1]Above: Maxim Kelly: "I&nbsp;always start with a blank slate on every pitch."We spoke to Maxim and Charlie about the videos, while the UK is in the grip of its third lockdown and nearly a year into the coronavirus crisis. And first of all, we asked Maxim Kelly whether these were ideas that had been floating around before lockdown...&nbsp;Neither of these videos feels like products of lockdown, however both achieve a lot with what seems like minimal shooting and a dose of manipulation in post. Had the ideas been floating around for a while?MK: I’m frequently asked if there are any ideas/concepts I’m desperate to make. But I always start with a blank&nbsp;slate on every pitch. For me, the music is the essential part of producing a music video. I can’t begin generating ideas or find inspiration without the song or the stress of a deadline.[vidtoken data:0]What influenced the visual aesthetic running through Spirals?MK: It was the psychedelic experience that influenced the <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2020/09/16/django-django-spirals-maxim-kelly/66678" target="_blank">Django Django video</a>. What’s interesting to me about psychedelics&nbsp;is that they can show you the world through the eyes and wonder of a child again. And the phenakistoscope was a Victorian children’s toy. It’s also confusing to the mind and eye; so naturally or inherently the phenakistoscope is a total trip.And of course in order for the animation to function, each frame needs to be arranged into a spiral or circle and then spun. So it’s an obvious idea when you think about it. But it takes a lot of work to get to where you’re asking yourself, 'why didn’t I think of that sooner?'<blockquote>I’ve never had to do maths to make an edit work, but just getting to the point where you could start editing was a challenge.</blockquote>The visuals are so hypnotically soothing and easy to take in, but I’m sure they weren’t so easy to pull off - how much of this was achieved in the edit?MK: Depends on how you’re defining the term 'edit.'&nbsp;Because it was the most unorthodox edit ever. My lasting memory of that film will be staring across at Charlie, whilst he sits editing the film on a calculator.CR: This was definitely the weirdest and most challenging edit I’ve ever done. I’ve never really had to do maths to make an edit work but just getting this to the point where you could start editing was a challenge in itself. Nearly every shot had to be split into 12, 10 or 8 frame circular animations before we could even start working on the edit.[imgtoken data:2]Once we’d figured out this hurdle we ran into the next one which was the spinning of the circles. Because of the type of animation, different speeds animate the frames and completely change the look of it. It took a lot of experimenting before we landed on the right hypnotic feel. Whilst there were hurdles to overcome it was a really exciting challenge to be involved in.MK: I got extremely lucky getting Charlie onboard. It was the first time we had worked together and I think he’s the only editor in London who could’ve pulled this job off. Charlie can recite Pi (π)&nbsp;from memory to 137 decimal places and he had enough experience in After Effects and Nuke to get us over the line and save my backside.<blockquote>Charlie can recite&nbsp;π&nbsp;from memory to 137 decimal places - and has experience in After Effects and Nuke.</blockquote>Any other technical puzzles trying to bring the idea to life?MK: The entire thing was a massive puzzle. Avid doesn’t work with spinning circle timelines. So from the get-go there were so many questions. And even after having made the film, I still couldn’t answer most of them. But, I’m only excited by ideas where there’s an element of risk because if you’re not putting yourself on the line then you're just making a music video.In retrospect it is painful to get sign-off on a film when your final cut consists of a mock-up and an Excel Spreadsheet. Fortunately we had an amazing commissioner, John Hassay who understood the process and could see the potential of the final piece.Is there anything about this 'mathematical'&nbsp;way of editing that you think you could apply to future projects?CR: Definitely not.&nbsp;I don't really want to have to get the calculator out for any future edits. It was a challenge that was good to overcome and I learnt a lot along the way. I think by the end, both Maxim and I wanted to do something very different on the next job which was why <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/01/13/shame-nigel-hitter-maxim-kelly/68968" target="_blank">Shame's Nigel Hitter</a>&nbsp;was so refreshing afterwards.[vidtoken data:1]<blockquote>I realised I had to have babies singing.&nbsp;I just needed to find a means of making that happen.</blockquote>How did you come up with the idea for recreating the mid-20th century child psychology clinic for the Shame video?MK: The idea came from the lyrics of the song. If you take each line and then imagine it coming from the mouth of a baby, they suddenly take on a second meaning. So once I realised I had to have babies singing, I just needed to find a means of making that happen with the budget and during a pandemic. I started searching for archive footage and it all fell in to place from there. The band called the song Nigel Hitter because they thought it was a ridiculous name. So I resolved to give him an identity and invented the character of Nigel Hitter M.D., and then got the band to play his faculty.Did you have fun sourcing this bizarre footage? Where did it come from?MK: It was more worrying than fun. I was in the Travelodge, Stratford at the time. I had just returned from working on another film in Barcelona and I had to quarantine. I was petrified that any minute the hotel staff were going to knock on my door and say 'Excuse me sir, have you just downloaded another video of a naked baby having its rectum stimulated with a safety pin?'&nbsp;I’m pretty confident that if the police are doing their job right, that I am now on some sort of register or watchlist. Unless I was already on the list...[imgtoken data:3]Was it a challenge bringing all of this together in the edit to create an authentic document of a fictional experiment?MK: At first you do not know where to start, and that’s what’s wonderful about working with Charlie. He has a knack for uncovering connections and organising footage in a way that makes sense. And then it’s easier to get things clear in your own head once everything is arranged intelligently.CR: Early on in the edit Maxim and I talked about where we wanted the video to land. Some of the stock footage was difficult to watch, so we had to be really considered about how we repurposed it. Maxim wanted it to feel authentic but not too serious. Once we knew we could ‘deep fake’ a monkey to get it ‘singing’ the track, we knew we were heading in the right direction.<blockquote>We had to be really considered about how we repurposed the stock footage.</blockquote>MK: Our primary worry was that all the footage came from different decades. But once you put the band into it, and grade it all to match you kind of overlook it, or at least you forgive it. But it’s just a process, you put something together, sleep on it and look at it again in the morning.And there’s always an 'a-ha'&nbsp;moment, and for Shame it was the monkey. We were searching for suitable shots to use for the baby lip-sync and Charlie dragged out the monkey and asked 'baby lip-sync?'&nbsp;as a joke. But that clip unlocked everything for us. Once we had that, we had the obvious progression taking us into the last half of the video.I'm sure finding a rhythm is especially important when cutting music videos, is that a more difficult process when working with stock footage?CR: Rhythm is definitely important and I guess the tricky thing with stock footage is often you're locked into the length of the shots of the original footage. It was a balancing act when we put the edit together to make sure we were using stock shots that allowed for the rhythm that we wanted,&nbsp;whilst also telling the story the way we wanted it to be told.[imgtoken data:4]<blockquote>I wanted to create something uncanny like an early David Cronenberg movie.</blockquote>There seems to be a range of post-production approaches taken here. Have you noticed a rise in these kinds of techniques in the past year, with limits placed on production?MK: For me and everybody else at the moment, it’s just about wanting to keep working. So everyone is trying to identify innovative ways to still produce entertaining work. So you just play the cards you’re dealt and try to find alternative ways to produce a film. I think it’s a positive thing. It’s forced people to not tread the same well-worn paths. And as a result there’s been some fascinating work made. The one that springs to mind is Keith Schofield’s Mesmerize. It’s a stroke of genius that might never have been done in that format without the pandemic.What techniques and applications were you using to merge the band in with the old footage? There's lots of talk of 'deepfake' these days. What does that actually entail?MK: There’s Deepfake in there, but that was simply to make the babies lip-sync the song. Face Swapping Deepfake is a different procedure. There’s less technical skill required with Deepfake. You leave that part to the algorithms and A.I, but it’s hardware-intensive and therefore can be pricey. We went the traditional route for the band. We just filmed them in a green-screen studio and then cut them out and dropped them in. It’s harder than it sounds though, but Franklin Dow did such an incredible job matching all the different lighting set-ups it made it simple. Although Rob Chandler, who did the compositing might tell you differently...[imgtoken data:5]Above: Charlie Reddie: "Maxim always wants to push boundaries with his music videos, both creatively and using new techniques."CR: The Deepfake process​ ​could be a little frustrating at times as you were never really sure which shots would work and which wouldn’t. We spent a lot of time recutting sequences until we found shots that worked best when we ran them through the Deepfake software. The results are great though and really help make sure the video didn’t take itself too seriously.Medical professionals play a key role in the video. Was this a conscious reaction to the past year?MK: It wasn’t a conscious decision. But everything in your environment influences you. When I looked for archive footage, medical footage wasn’t the only material I found, but I was drawn to it. So it could be.&nbsp;I suppose it’s like when a woman finds out she’s pregnant and then she spots other pregnant women everywhere. Somewhere in my subconscious it led me down that path. I guess I wanted to create something uncanny like an early David Cronenberg movie. I suppose that could be seen as a sign of the times.[imgtoken data:6]<blockquote>The situation has&nbsp;forced people to not tread the same well-worn paths, leading to some fascinating work.</blockquote>Charlie, the past year has changed the way a lot of us work, are there any ways you adapted as an editor that you'll take with you into a post-pandemic world?CR: It's been a weird year, and remote editing has become the norm. Obviously nothing beats being in the room with a director working on the edit&nbsp;together and that's been the biggest change. We've got a good setup for streaming the output of the Avid remotely so we can still work together. It's not the same as being in the same room but it works pretty well and may still have a place when we're out the other side of this. In the future, if there are only small tweaks that need to be made quickly, I can see a Zoom and Avid setup being really useful for quick feedback.How has it been working with Maxim on these projects?CR: I really enjoy the way Maxim always wants to push boundaries with his music videos, both creatively and using new techniques. There have been moments when they're challenging but those challenges make them exciting and interesting to work on and I'm really proud of the final pieces. I'm looking forward to working on the next mad idea Maxim has!Finally, and this is obviously entirely hypothetical, but if we weren't in a pandemic situation, would you have made different videos for these tracks?MK: When I get a brief in, I’m already conscious of all the limitations like the budget and pandemic. So I try to come up with something that’s realistic and achievable within all those restrictions. So without the pandemic they would be different films. No idea how, though. It would be hard to say.[imgtoken data:7]<blockquote>Without the pandemic they would be different films - no idea how.</blockquote>I think it’s more straightforward with my next video. I pitched one dancer in a studio, but that turned out to be impossible. So then I shifted it once they commissioned it. It’s a similar concept but now done in 3D. And it’s very different to how it should’ve been. Once it became a CGI film, I thought, what’s the one thing you can’t shoot during lockdown? Vast crowd scenes. So that’s what we ended up doing. It’s an anti-lockdown, lockdown film. But it’s still good. Who knows, maybe even better?• Maxim Kelly is represented by <a href="https://caviar.tv/" target="_blank">Caviar</a>, and Charlie Reddie is an editor at <a href="https://stitchediting.tv/" target="_blank">Stitch</a> and its music division,&nbsp;<a href="https://homespun.tv/" target="_blank">Homespun</a>.&nbsp;Special thanks to Georgie MacErchern at Caviar and&nbsp;Martin Macnamara at Stitch/Homespun.

Behind the Django Django's Spirals and Shame's Nigel Hitter videos with Maxim Kelly and Charlie Reddie: "They're products of the pandemic"

Django Django - Spirals (Official Video)

shame - Nigel Hitter (Official Video)

Caviar have announced that Maxim Kelly has officially joined the company's roster of directors in London.Confirmation of the London-based filmmaker and photographer's arrival at Caviar&nbsp;comes after his direction of&nbsp;two videos in the past few months through the company,&nbsp;for&nbsp;Django Django's Spirals,&nbsp;and the recently released&nbsp;video for Shame's Nigel Hitter. He is now officially added as a music video director based at&nbsp;Caviar's London office. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Starting out in photography, Kelly's worked alongside some of the leading names in New York fashion photography, before a three-year stint as Juergen Teller’s first assistant on his return to London. During this period, he self-shot and edited his first music video while on a trip to India. The accolades that followed included exposure through the Future Shorts Festival.With work that spans music, fashion, narrative and branded content, Kelly's&nbsp;clients have included Valentino, Palace, Linda Farrow, Vogue and Hunger Magazine. His music videos, including those for Django Django and Shame, indicate his strengths in lateral thinking to find the essence of the song, artist or band.&nbsp;“Maxim’s unique surrealist and eccentric style combined with his ambition makes him an absolute charm to work with," says Daniella Manca, Caviar's Head of Music Videos and Content in London. "We are truly excited to be further helping realise his visions alongside artists, agencies and brands. Together, we hope to continue to push the boundaries of visual storytelling.”&nbsp;Kelly adds that&nbsp;he is also very excited to join the roster. “Caviar grant me the freedom, or rather encourage me to be myself and produce individual work," he says. "I feel like I have discovered a home where I can be as foolish as I please and somehow not be judged, but rather egged on."They give me release to not self-criticise or hold back and the support necessary to make strange things happen. And I finally get to work on the bizarre projects I always wanted to make. They have directors who consistently push the boundaries and I’m delighted to be accompanying such a forward thinking and lovely group of people.”• Watch Maxim Kelly's showreel at Caviar <a href="https://caviar.tv/london/directors/maxim-kelly#music-videos" target="_blank">here</a>

Caviar announce Maxim Kelly signing

Maxim Kelly teams up with South London alt-rockers Shame to create a masterful reimagining of archive footage for new single Nigel Hitter.Applying deepfake technology onto film from mid-20th century child developmental research, Kelly drops the band -&nbsp;frontman Charlie Steen,&nbsp;in particular&nbsp;- into the world of vintage equipment, whitecoated medics&nbsp;and&nbsp;lots of babies, undergoing all manner of tests and examinations. It's all part of the project led by that man who introduces the film and has his name on the front of the hospital... Nigel Hitter, MD.The effect of this clever refashioning of the past is both funny and creepy - which becomes more pronounced when the babies 'learn' to sing the lyrics of the song, and the human babies' number is increased by a painfully thin baby rhesus monkey. Now we are sliding into David Cronenberg territory of&nbsp;curious institutions, strange experiments and unfeasibly gifted toddlers.You could also argue that the video is also a kind of reflection on the past year - a relentless testing of human behaviour, where the medical profession play a prominent role. It echoes the manner in which the song, which features on the band's new album Drunk Tank Pink (out on Friday, 15th January). As Steen explains, it started life as&nbsp;the band adjusted to being locked down at home, having spent much of their adult life on tour.&nbsp;“Nigel Hitter is one of the vital organs of Drunk Tank Pink," he says. "A necessary pulse. Focused on daily routine, repetition, and how extraordinary any ordinary task seemed to me after coming home from touring. A world of percussion and joy lies within.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And Maxim Kelly was clearly inspired by the lyrics in coming up with the concept behind the video. The way he has executed that idea into the finished work - with the help of his team, including DoP Franklin Dow, editor Charlie Reddie and VFX artist RoBert Chandler - is nothing short of a marvel.

Franklin Dow

Juan Minotta

Ben Keswick

Noah Furrer

Ciprian Stroiny

Angela Hart

Oliver Whitworth

Robert Chandler

Butterscotch Post

Fatima Ouklilane

Robby Morris

Dead Oceans

Shame 'Nigel Hitter' by Maxim Kelly

Maxim Kelly employs 19th century tech to create a mesmerising, appropriately-shaped video for Django Django's Spirals, the band's first new material since 2018.By recreating the Phénakisticope, a pre-cinematic invention to create 'motion pictures', Kelly has created&nbsp;a series of mandala-like circular patterns, encompassing images of Django lead singer David Maclean, that animate as they spin around. As they do so, they also replicate the spiralling effect that's referenced in the lyrics and also the music.This smart visual idea takes the viewer on a psychedelic experience that also sits perfectly with the band's canon&nbsp;of inventive visuals for their music.The single will be available to stream and download on all the usual digital platforms and also as a 10” vinyl b/w exclusive track The Ark, available from www.djangodjango.co.uk and all independent record shops.

Daphne Do

Jordan Buck

Jess Morgan

Kerry Green

Emma Friend

Michael McDuffie Finlay

Bobby Brown

Jono Yates

Nomad

Martin Goodwin

Felipe Szulc

Liv Lawton

Because Music

Django Django 'Spirals' by Maxim Kelly

Colonel Blimp&#39;s newest director Maxim Kelly flips the world on its head during the apocalypse for Palace.Set within the confines of a church during the looming presence of the end of the world, Kelly shows us people repenting, confessing and attempting to live out their final days with a desperate dignity. With striking lighting and choreography highlighting the duality, and performance aspects of religion, it&#39;s a great portrait of desperation, anarchy and helplessness.

Maxim Kelly

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