Producer

Mayling Wong

<h3>We caught up with director Milo Blake about his first ever rock video, and with producer Mayling Wong, about her first project&nbsp;since joining&nbsp;Spindle as EP.</h3>The video for Royal Blood's Mountains At Midnight was the first from the fourth album from the Brighton duo who have now been one of the UK's top rock bands for the best part of a decade. It was also director Milo Blake's first foray into a new music genre, after his work in everything from grime to pop to banging techno. So far, electric guitars and drum kits have been conspicuously absent from the&nbsp;&nbsp;As it turns out Blake (above, during the Mountains At Midnight video shoot) delivers&nbsp;a visceral&nbsp;grittiness in the video - which includes an intense performance by the band under relentless strobe lights in a small&nbsp;music club. But its main focus is largely upon the audience - and one audience member in particular, who even within a heaving crowd is lost in her own world. A palpable sense of euphoria is expressed through the cut, by Rich Woolway, which switching between the conventional band and crowd scenario to her being completely alone in the space.It was also the first time that Blake and Wong had worked together since her arrival as EP for Music Videos, Commercials and Special Projects. So we started our conversation in traditional fashion, by asking them how the idea came about in the first place, and was developed through the treatment stage.&nbsp;&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]&nbsp;<blockquote>Royal Blood's videos have had a particular stylistic universe. I felt like tonally it was something that matched up with elements of my own work.&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote>PROMONEWS: Old school heavy rock seems like a departure from the artists and music you’ve worked with before, Milo. So what appealed about working with Royal Blood?&nbsp;&nbsp; MILO BLAKE: I think in some sense the very reason that it was a departure appealed to me. I was intrigued by the experience of working with a new genre and style of artist.Also Royal Blood have had a particular stylistic universe which their videos have existed in over the years. I felt like tonally it was something that matched up with elements of my own work, with their world being something that I could contribute to and develop.&nbsp;Where did the idea of focussing on a single audience member of a gig come from and how did it develop? And do you know if anything like it has been done before?&nbsp;MB: I guess because those who go to a gig uniquely will have an experience which is entirely personal to them, but simultaneously it will be one fragment which is connected to a much larger picture.I feel that gigs and communal events like this hold special spaces in our memory. Human expression and release reaches a special pitch when we gather and dance together. It was this particular&nbsp;euphoria which I wanted to hone in on and play with. That led to us creating this game in the concept of her experience and actions being mirrored across the same space: one full, one empty.To be totally honest, I don't know if it's been done before. It may have, but maybe not like this. The original visual idea came from a small clip I had seen on Instagram where a boxer had been painted out of a clip of a fight but you still saw all his corresponding impacts on his opponent. That gave me the idea to explore how this illusion could be transported into a different setting with a different intention.[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>Emma is incredible in her look and the way she evokes emotion with&nbsp;her movement.</blockquote>How did you contribute at the treatment stage, Mayling, in terms of suggestions and advice?MAYLING WONG:&nbsp;Working with Milo on this one was such a nice, collaborative process. I provided production support along the way as timings were tight, so we wanted to make sure we pitched what was feasible. But in terms of the magic and imagination, Milo sent me his idea (albeit after a few curveballs) and I was blown away! &nbsp;What were your visual references for establishing the look and feel of the video? Was this always a ‘black and white’ video, in your mind?&nbsp; &nbsp; MB: Black and white always felt distinctly appropriate from the beginning. Something about the sound power of the instrumental coupled with the reality that its largely only two different instruments creating this: bass guitar and drums.The style of black and white evolved later in the process - particularly in the grade with Thom Mangham [at Black Kite Studios] we looked to emulate the contrasts and quality of image you see in the work of Australian stills photographer&nbsp;Trent Parke. He was someone who we were frequently referring&nbsp;back to.&nbsp;How did you cast your lead, Emma Belabed?MB: Myself, Emma and our choreographer Magnus Westwell all worked previously on a video for the electronic artist, PRXZ. Magnus and Emma frequently work with each other and they make a great team!Emma is incredible in her look and the way she evokes emotion with&nbsp;her movement. Plus her work ethic is second to none -and I'm always demanding pretty high intensity performances from her.[imgtoken data:2]Above: choreographer Magnus Westwell puts actor Emma Belabed through her paces during rehearsal for the video shootSo can you reveal: is she watching the band from the crowd and imagining she’s on her own - or is she on her own, imagining she’s watching the band?&nbsp;&nbsp;MB: For me it's both. At different points throughout her journey in the video, I think it leans more one way then alternately at other points I think it's more the latter. That's what can be interesting about memory or imagination. It's vivid but still slippery, it affirms certain details and shrouds or misguides others.Were there any major obstacles that you encountered in pre-production that impacted on the shoot/execution of the idea?MW: Time!! This was the most difficult part of the project. We had sign off on Tuesday and shot the following Thursday with a Bank Holiday nicely sandwiched in-between.But the saving grace on this one was the incredible team we had onboard – this made all the difference. And then matched with the endless support of Spindle and the label – it really was a great project![imgtoken data:3]<blockquote>The ceiling started leaking water from the rain outside onto our artists and our power sources.</blockquote>Where did you shoot the video and what were the biggest challenges on the shoot day?&nbsp;&nbsp; MB: We shot in an old warehouse in Bermondsey. The space needed to feel like it had a sort of underground atmosphere to it and have textural features which matched the grunginess of the song.The challenges I suppose were to try and make it feel as full as we could. We had a pretty large cast by conventional standards -&nbsp;40-plus dancers. But even that required to think more carefully about composition, what would be the appropriate&nbsp;shooting style and how best to maximise the energy of this group over the course of a 12 hour day. They all did a fantastic job.Another unexpected challenge which I haven't had before was half-way through a take the ceiling started leaking water from the rain outside onto our artists and our power sources! But we rose from that minor hiccup, it bonded us closer as a set to still getting the things we needed.MW:&nbsp;in hindsight Milo’s probably right that the leaking ceiling was a hiccup.&nbsp;But in the moment I was on the STRESS EXPRESS! Water was pouring into the location and my health and safety brain was all over the place! But the location managed it really well and we gave it a temporary fix![imgtoken data:4]It’s an intense, old school fast-cutting edit from Rich Woolway at Stitch/Homespun. Presumably that was always intended, but did he add anything else to the existing plan for the video?&nbsp; MB: Rich is a wizard! Yes it was always the plan. I had established a timeline of where I wanted certain beats of the video to take place and how long they should last. Rich edited to this, but then offered up so many lovely unexpected sequence flourishes which took it to the next level.Plus with so many moving light elements and shadow, Rich had to possess the steely vision to see where the mathcuts in movement between the two worlds could emerge from. Some were planned and other's he sifted through and offered up himself.&nbsp;How much VFX is in the video?&nbsp; MB: In reality not a great deal. A lot of the VFX was removing the wires that were attached to Emma and controlled by our choreographers out of shot which were used to create these invisible impacts of movement where she's being jostled and pulled by the crowd around her. In the end it was a combination of this process and then Emma having the control of her body to simulate these impacts alone also.Are you inspired to make more explosive rock videos?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; MB: As you might have guessed, I don't like to be pinned down to one style of work. So I'm inspired to keep making hopefully explosive and thought-provoking work in any genre! As long as I'm connected and captivated in some form to the project, my next three videos could be funk, folk, soul or classical. Plenty of things to explore!&nbsp; &nbsp; And how would you describe your first experience of working together?&nbsp;MW:&nbsp;Chaotic fun! With a sprinkling of agility. It was a really enjoyable experience and a great one to kick start mine and Milo’s newfound working relationship! I think he’s incredibly talented and I cannot wait for the next one!MB: Mayling was instrumental in the success of the video. There's nothing like making a film together to super-charge a new collaboration and relationship, which this job did exactly! Her attention to detail, creative problem-solving and management&nbsp;of clients, so that I could do what I needed to achieve, all came to the fore throughout the making of this. I'm looking forward to&nbsp;all the different types of work that we will hopefully be able to make together in the future!&nbsp;• Milo Blake is based at <a href="https://www.spindle.co/directors/milo-blake/" target="_blank">Spindle</a>, and represented for music videos at <a href="https://www.mouthpiecerep.me/" target="_blank">Mouthpiece</a>

Milo Blake

Spindle

Mouthpiece

Homespun

Black Kite Studios

Milo Blake on Royal Blood's Mountains At Midnight: 'I don't know if it's been done before.'

Royal-Blood-'Mountains-At-Midnight'-by-Milo-Blake

Spindle has announced the arrival of UKMVA-nominated producer Mayling Wong, as Executive Producer at the&nbsp;London-based production company working&nbsp;across Music Videos, Special Projects and Commercials.Wong joins Spindle having spent the last seven years at Partizan in London, where she gained extensive experience working for artists including&nbsp;Years and Years, Lewis Capaldi, The 1975, Idles,&nbsp;Joy Crookes and many more; brands including&nbsp;Versace and Apple; and working with&nbsp;award-winning directors like Michel Gondry, Warren Fu, Sophia Ray and Nono &amp; Rodrigo.While at Partizan,&nbsp;her entrepreneurial spirit and determination to find creative solutions also led her to&nbsp;become a partner in Bulgaria-based service company Four Elements - and she was&nbsp;nominated twice for Best Producer at the UKMVAs.In her new role at Spindle, she will nurture and grow a roster of progressive talent, with an emphasis in next-generation directors,&nbsp;unlocking and overseeing creative opportunities across advertising and entertainment. This follows her experience at Partizan, where she also curated Darkroom, its new talent division, and nurtured its&nbsp;young filmmaking talent, pairing them with agencies and brands keen to produce campaigns that appeal to youth audiences.She has already produced and EP'd her first job at her new home: the video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2023/05/30/royal-blood-mountains-midnight-milo-blake/81769" target="_blank">Royal Blood's Mountains At Midnight</a>, directed by Milo Blake, released in May.Spindle has embarked on social initiatives reflecting the company's ethics and values, which Wong also supports.&nbsp;Their ‘People + Planet’ initiative focuses on improving the pathway into production for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and under-represented groups, on and off set. Spindle have also committed to being a ‘climate positive company’ through environmentally sustainable productions, and offsetting any entire residual carbon footprint through native woodland creation. They are a member of 1% for the Planet and an AdGreen ‘Superuser’ - a Top 10 production company that has been leading the charge in collating and measuring environmental impact. &nbsp;"Watching the rise and growth of Spindle has always piqued my interest - especially in today’s production company climate," says Mayling Wong. "I have been and continue to be in awe of the company’s ethos and the values that have built their core foundations and I’m very much looking forward to bringing my skills to the table to continue their upward trajectory. It’s a creative, family-esque hub, whose drive for making powerful and meaningful work speak volumes and I’m looking forward to my journey ahead."Greg Hackett,&nbsp;Director and founding partner of Spindle, adds: "Mayling is the perfect hire for Spindle as we develop in 2023. She is driven by true creative filmmaking, and we firmly believe she is the ideal person to help guide our company towards the next level. What sets her apart is not just her remarkable talent and work ethic, but also her genuine dedication to ensuring an exceptional experience for those around her. She deeply cares about doing things right and prioritises the well-being of her team. Let's go!"• Watch directors' showreels at Spindle <a href="https://www.spindle.co/directors/" target="_blank">here</a>

Mayling Wong joins Spindle as Executive Producer

Milo Blake harnesses the explosive energy of Royal Blood, through the experience of one audience member at a tumultuous gig, in his promo for Mountains At Midnight.The blistering video&nbsp;is a sensory exploration of the chaotic but cathartic euphoria you feel at a gig or a rave, when you are surrounded by others who are on the exact same frequency as you. Through flailing limbs and frenetic&nbsp;movement, the lead character&nbsp;flits between a packed-out space and one where she’s fully immersed and lost in the music, as the Brighton duo perform the track, the first release from their new album.It's a riotous, full-on visual with a grimy, monochromatic&nbsp;aesthetic, and&nbsp;Rich Woolway's thrilling cut reflects the rowdy atmosphere in the concept.[imgtoken data:1]

United Kingdom

Sarah Adewunmi

Jade Denne

Jake Hunte

Kirstin Cruickshank

Kieran Brown

Peter Bishop

Ayo Alli

Jack Meredith

Jack Robson

Milo Brown

James Huthwaite

Hara Spyrou

Magnus Westwell

Ayopo Abiri

Rich Woolway

Tom Mangham

Natali Borte

B.art

Emma Belabed

Warner Music

Rock

Royal Blood 'Mountains At Midnight' by Milo Blake

Alice Kong creates a world in miniature form, in this wonderful animated&nbsp;promo for Hot Chip.&nbsp;Unable to catch a break, we are introduced to the namesake of the track, Eleanor, as she goes about her day-to-day routine, before finally awakening to the fact that she can create her own destiny.Painstakingly animated in claymation form, the video has a charming, bold aesthetic, which gets brighter and more vibrant as the concept unfolds - and eventually takes an unexpected turn.[imgtoken data:1]"Building this miniature world for Hot Chip was a brilliant creative challenge," Kong says.&nbsp;"The music video tells the tale of our main character, Eleanor who, after a series of unfortunate events, hits a pole in front of an eye glass shop that will… Open her eyes! She then takes control of her environment and twists everything to her advantage by literally sculpting the clay world she lives in."By hand-picking every detail from a brick’s colour to a poster on a wall we were able to sneak in some Easter eggs, which I hope the viewers will have fun spotting!"

Jennifer Kidd

Shirel Lebovich

Mike Kelly

Fred Stanton

Lead Animator: Rita Sampaio

Loop Talent

Alice Kong

Ayomide Alli

Partizan

John Moule

Bertrand Roucourt

Lola Margrain

Johanna Dalmede

B.art Studio

Domino Recording Co.

Alternative

Hot Chip 'Eleanor' by Alice Kong

Hot-Chip--'Eleanor'-by-Alice-Kong

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."

Lyubika Georgieva

Joshus Gochez

Angie Broomfield

Chris Aliano

Jordan Kelsey

Ali Kurr

Lyubo Yonchev (four Elements)

Tom Connick

Manol Mitrev

Diego Rosenblatt

Mayling Wong - Partizan

Rosen Savkov (four Elements)

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

Four Elements, Bulgaria

Will Frost

Rosen Savkov

Samuil Djoganov

Igor

Joshua Pilmore

Todor Sivov

Greta Stefanova-Kandzhova

Maria Koleva

Krasimira Petrova

Time Based Arts

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

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

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

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

It's a dance to the death in Sophia Ray's blinding promo for Regard, featuring Olly Alexander of Years And Years.&nbsp;The video places Olly&nbsp;as an apprehensive contestant&nbsp;at the centre of a dance marathon, where he has to sweat, pant, dive and dance his way to an exhausted victory - all driven by Meshach Henry's trailblazing choreography. Meanwhile, Regard lingers as a mysteriously sinister driving force behind&nbsp;the&nbsp;scenes of this dark competition."The concept for the video was inspired by the 1969 Sydney Pollack film They Shoot Horses Don't They," explains Sophia Ray. "We wanted to take the themes from this cult classic and then give the video our own creative spin on them, setting it in a contemporary, perplexing, dystopian space."The video is a&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of creativity, wrapped in vibrant layers of choreography, post-apocalyptic styling and futuristic art direction, and emanates a minacious yet playful tone throughout. There is certainly a nod to&nbsp;Squid Game&nbsp;in there too.&nbsp;"It was such a pleasure collaborating with Olly again - as always - and really fun getting the opportunity to work on set with Regard," Ray continues.&nbsp;"It was great to showcase two totally different characters in the video when it came to both artists' involvement in the narrative. It was a labour of love from the whole team to bring this one together - and I am so grateful for the team's hard work."[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

Ash Halliburton

Kiera Liberati

Letizia Maria Allodi

Nick Royal

Kat Cattaneo

Hélio Ribeiro

Aidan Robert Brooks

Beau Pritchard James

Karl Hui

Nina Mangold

Max Roach

Meshach Henry

Coco Hirani

Ryo Narushima

Joe Brooks

Jordan Markov

Immersefx

Ministry of Sound

Regard ft Years And Years 'Hallucination' by Sophia Ray

Regard-Ft-Years-And-Years--'Hallucination-'-by-Sophia-Ray

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;

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

The new episode of <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" target="_blank">The Promonews Podcast: Talking Music Videos</a>&nbsp;- our series of conversations with creatives in the music video industry - is out today, featuring director Sophia Ray and producer Mayling Wong talking about their work making pop videos for some of the UK's favourite pop stars.<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/profiles/sophia-ray/33911" target="_blank">Sophia Ray</a> is a director based at <a href="https://www.partizan.com/" target="_blank">Partizan</a> in London - where <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/profiles/mayling-wong/47617" target="_blank">Mayling Wong</a> is the executive producer and head of music videos. They have been working together since Sophia signed to the production company&nbsp;in 2017, mainly focussing on videos for pop acts, including for&nbsp;Ella Eyre, Little Mix, Raye and Mabel.In <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" target="_blank">the first episode of a new series</a> of Talking Music Videos -&nbsp;in association with <a href="https://looptalent.co.uk/" target="_blank">Loop Talent</a> - Sophia and Mayling tell Promonews's David Knight and Rob Ulitski what&nbsp;draws them to the world of Pop, the key to their strong partnership, and how they ride out the ‘stress express’ when the best laid plans go awry - including on their latest video for Sigrid.<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="232" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" width="100%"></iframe>In each episode of&nbsp;Talking Music Videos, the hosts&nbsp;talk to people making a significant impact in music video production right now.The previous six episodes - available to listen on Spotify and other platforms - feature the directors Lucrecia Taormina, Salomon Ligthelm, RUFFMERCY and Louis Bhose; Lee Fairweather, directors rep at COMPULSORY; and DoP Adam Singodia and colourist Vlad Barin.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Follow&nbsp;The Promonews Podcast&nbsp;- Talking Music Videos&nbsp;on&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;Apple,&nbsp;Google, and other platforms.

Partizan Darkroom

The Promonews Podcast - new episode with Sophia Ray and Mayling Wong out now!

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."

Carlos Feher

Antony Stoev

Lachezar Indzhiev

Kiril Velichkov

Ahida

Mihaela Yordanova

Dimitar Nikolov

Connie Meade

Island Records

Sigrid 'Burning Bridges' by Sophia Ray

Sigrid-'Burning-Bridges'-by-Sophia-Ray

Sophie Jones directs a visual feast for Amber-Simone's Black, No Sugar.&nbsp;Taking its name from the artist's upcoming EP, this video is the first of two live performance promos, with the second part arriving later this year, alongside her next single.&nbsp;A celebration of her Black heritage, Amber-Simone has written a song she believes&nbsp;she needed to hear when she was younger - an anthem for those questioning their validity or beauty.&nbsp;The cinematography takes its cue from the music, the camera darting and swirling one minute, before settling on a still moment in anticipation of ramping back up again. This unexpected and raw movement leans into the authentic nature of the track, and the idea of creating art that might not conform to everyone's expectations, but is true to your own journey.[imgtoken data:1]“With this project, I wanted to take the opportunity to reintroduce myself and show what I’m all about," explains Amber-Simone.&nbsp;"Between now and my last EP a lot has happened and I feel the truest to myself I’ve ever been. Creating this visual and releasing Black, No Sugar feels like I’m finally stepping out into my womanhood and art, creating music that really matters to me."When it came to the video, meeting Sophie and feeling as though she really saw what I was seeing felt like such a breakthrough. We talked and she just got me straight away. So it’s been such a pleasure to have created this piece with another woman who’s such a force."I feel like I chose the most authentic way to communicate this song to people. Real instrumentation and playing was ultimately what inspired the writing process and what inspired me down this path in the first place. The video combines the perfect balance of an aesthetic I feel really captures my essence and music in its rawest form – live.”

Sophie Jones

Charlie Scannell

Paolo De Battista

Amber-Simone 'Black, No Sugar - Live (Part 1)' by Sophie Jones

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