Production Manager

Micheal Newton

AyChibs directs a glitchy, AI-infused promo for Jelani Blackman, featuring Kojey Radical.On the streets of London, we see the artists perform as a surveillance-style system captures information about the environment and the public, eventually morphing into disruptive AI vignettes.&nbsp;"For the Izit video, I wanted to explore the idea of Jelani using his music as a means of protection from the 'agents', sort of inspired by The Matrix," explains AyChibs. "In this case it was represented by AI, which is the current talking point in the ever-evolving world of technology. I asked myself how would it look if Jelani, Kojey and the world around them was being infiltrated by AI as they performed."Innovative and finding a perfect balance between live action and artificial intelligence elements, it's a riveting video with a fast-cut edit and restless cinematography, heightening the angsty, fearful themes of the concept.&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Caprice Brown

AyChibs

Greatcoat Films

Abena Mills

Jake Murphy

Simon Stonlland

Simon Oxley

Lara Olutunmogun

Michael Baugh

Josh Higgins

Sarah Cotterell

Sebastian Ziabka

Clokkemaker

Grime

Jelani Blackman ft Kojey Radical 'Izit' by AyChibs

Jelani-Blackman-Ft-Kojey-Radical--'Izit-'-by-Aychibs

Two music genres&nbsp;battle for supremacy&nbsp;in Sau Ali's stylish yet gritty promo for Jords and Lil Sykes' Drill Vs Grime.&nbsp;The narrative follows the artists as they&nbsp;enter an abstract simulation, in which the two genres go head-to-head in a high-energy showdown.Sau Ali recreates a street environment, in which both types of music emerged, in a studio environment - a rather brilliant move.&nbsp;It was also shot by DoP Henry Gill on black and white 16mm film - Kodak Double-x 7222&nbsp;-&nbsp;that adds another layer of texture to the visual.&nbsp;"The track is militant and explosive. I wanted to complement that by exploring the iconography of the two genres," says Sau Ali. "The ‘Street Monolith’ (concrete wall) that Jords &amp; Lil Sykes stand either side of; the huge speaker cone that pulsates above it; and the severed island street scenes... they all speak to these British genres’&nbsp;cultural kinship and shared DNA.[imgtoken data:1]"I wanted to create an experience that emphasised the retrospective theme but leaned towards a surreal tone to match the abstract narrative. DoP Henry Gill bought that to life. Shooting on 16mm and heading down a moody and nocturnal direction that I wanted the world to exist in."Production designer Jade Adeyemi essentially created the entire world. I wanted everything to look like we’d lifted it from real places. Jade understood and accomplished that beautifully."I worked closely on this concept with talented VFX artist Lee Delves before the job was even commissioned. We wanted to achieve an exaggerated visual that still maintained its authenticity. The ‘Genre Morphing’ shot (Jords &amp; Lil Sykes standing on either side of the street monolith) was intended to be achieved ‘in camera’ but budget limitations meant Lee was tasked with creating the shot in post - which actually accomplished the otherworldly&nbsp;sentiment that I was looking for, and is an example of how limitations can lead to great creative solutions in a music video."

Jade Adeyemi

Andrew Patrick

Sau Ali

Benson Udia

Conrad Russell

Henry Gill

Georgia Rae Sterling-grant

Danny Rumbelow

Harry Coleman

Gordon Wong

Daniela Rotaru

Glassworks London

Lee Delves

EMI Records

Kodak

drill

Jords ft Lil Sykes 'Drill Vs Grime' by Sau Ali

Jords-Ft-Lil-Sykes-'Drill-Vs-Grime'-by-Sau-Ali

Dir. Lx&nbsp;directs a slick performance promo for Unknown T featuring Knucks.&nbsp;The video for Right Hand blends dreamlike art direction with opulent locations and playful performances, creating an effervescent energy that bursts off the screen.&nbsp;Dir. Lx channels his frenetic, textural style into every scene of the video, jumping between narrative and conceptual snapshots with flair.&nbsp;

Emily Davies

Leah Abbott

Dir. Lx

Achille Patou

Lucky Light

Quinn Titsworth

Ferencz Radnai

Toby Leary

Sandra Spethmann

Oriane Playner

Nadym Benbakar

Antonin Rubagotti

Salome Carlsen

Daniel Afonso

Lamine Diakite

Stéphanie Villey

Vlad Barin

CHEAT

Island Records

UK Rap

Unknown T ft Knucks 'Right Hand' by Dir. Lx

Unknown-T-Ft-Knucks-'Right-Hand'-by-Dir.lx

Thea Gajic directs a second promo for singer-songwriter Mychelle, exploring how we deal with the emotional turmoil of a breakup.&nbsp;The concept sees a young woman set up a camera in the corner of her house, just in time to capture her ex-boyfriend collecting the last of his things. From there, we see a montage of different moments - from dinner with friends through to arguments on the phone - all from the fixed vantage point the character set up herself.&nbsp;"I wanted to take the typical break-up story and use it to explore our self-obsession and what it might look like if we set up a camera to record ourselves in our worst moments," Gajic explains. "How self-aware are we? How self-aware do we actually want to be?"This question runs through the video, helping to give context to the narrative moments on-screen, and the eventual reset of the character's life, and her readiness to move forward.&nbsp;With a gentle, realistic aesthetic, it's a new spin on the breakup video, with plenty of engaging visuals throughout.&nbsp;

Elena Muntoni

Manni Kaur

Thea Gajic

Erin Corrian-Alexis

Ivor Alice

Sachin Parmar

Shaka Agina

Jak Waughman

Ethan Turner

Amy Dang

Andi Chu

Kieran Taylor-ford

Abi Corbett

FAMM

Singer songwriter

Mychelle 'Hurt' by Thea Gajic

Mychelle-'Hurt'-by-Thea-Gajic

<h3>In the latest of our new series asking British music video-makers about their experiences last year and thoughts on the coming year, we talk to Micheal Newton - Head of Music at Greatcoat&nbsp;Films.</h3>Having established himself as a freelance producer, Micheal&nbsp;looks back&nbsp;upon a busy first&nbsp;year at the helm at Greatcoat, and sets out a wishlist for improvements in the way music videos are made.<blockquote>Working with all the directors we have at Greatcoat has been special and exciting.</blockquote>2022How would you describe last year in a few words?Joyful and educational.What was your favourite project or projects you worked on last year?There were two: Dir Lx's video for&nbsp;Yung Filly ft Chip's Day 2 Day, and Thea Gajic's for&nbsp;Mychelle's Tightrope.[vidtoken data:0]&nbsp;Above:&nbsp;Yung Filly ft Chip's Day 2 Day by Dir. LxAny other project you enjoyed that deserved more attention, or went under the radar?Sau Ali's video for Stay Flee Get&nbsp;Lizzy x Lancey Foux x SL's Simple was severely under-looked. And also <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/05/05/knucks-ft-sl-nice-good-dir-lx/76247" target="_blank">Knucks's&nbsp; Nice and Good</a> by Dir Lx was a super-sick video.What were the best aspects of the job last year?Working with lots of super-talented producers and pairing them up with the right directors so each would bring the best out of the other. Also meeting and working with some lovely commissioners.[vidtoken data:1]Above:&nbsp;Mychelle's Tightrope by Thea GajicWhat were the most challenging aspects of the job last year?Managing budgets and expectations of both director, client, prod company and artist, while still trying to deliver a quality project you can be proud of.<blockquote>Music videos are wonderful... but sometimes it's like squeezing blood from a stone to make them.</blockquote>Best or favourite video or videos last year that you weren’t involved with?That <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/06/13/pharrell-ft-21-savage-tyler-creator-cash-cash-out-francois-rousselet/76822" target="_blank">21 Savage and Pharrell one [for Cash In Cash Out]</a> was spectacular. Refreshing to see a super creative project. In fact, pretty much anything that came out of France. Those lot&nbsp;are smashing it!!What were the trends (creative or otherwise) that you thought were most striking last year?Good question. I don’t look for&nbsp;trends, so it's a hard one to answer. But I think the addition of VFX into micro budgets has helped elevate videos quality much more.&nbsp;What was other cultural highlight (or highlights) of the year?Kendrick and Ab-Soul coming back out with music and visuals. On the UK front, Knucks having a strong year with visuals - and winning at the MOBOs. Dir Lx has been Knucks'&nbsp;partner-in-crime with all the super creative visuals he has provided.Also - Shan Phearon dropped one of the most mental videos I have seen in music videos recently with his Zack Snyder-inspired&nbsp;CGI work on Jazmin Bean's Carnage&nbsp;video.[vidtoken data:2]Above: Jazmin Bean's Carnage by Shan PhearonAny other personal experience that defines 2022 for you?Joining Greatcoat Films as Head of Music was a new challenge that I welcomed and think I did pretty well for my first year. Meeting and working with all the directors we have at Greatcoat has been special and exciting.<blockquote>Our industry needs more open and honest conversations, and for us to stick up for each other more.</blockquote>2023What are you looking forward to in 2023 – both for work and for other parts of your life?I look forward to trying my best like&nbsp;I did last year, with more quality work and exciting creatives that push me and the directors to grow. And as always, I'm&nbsp;trying to find the balance between work and my time. I want to invest more into myself this year as equally as I invest into work.Have you set work objectives for this year and if so, what are they?I am in the middle of thinking about that, and what I want out of this year for myself and the company.Who are the up-and-coming talents that you think will break through this year – or at least deserve to be successful?At Greatcoat - everyone!! Haha. But seriously... I think <a href="https://greatcoat.film/director/sau-ali/" target="_blank">Sau Ali</a> is a hot one to keep an eye for. <a href="https://greatcoat.film/director/thea-gajic/" target="_blank">Thea Gajic</a> is also someone that can do special things if given the opportunity like she has so far. Her second video for Mychelle, for Hurt, has just dropped.&nbsp;<a href="https://greatcoat.film/director/sannchia-gaston/" target="_blank">Sannchia Guston</a>&nbsp;is&nbsp;making some amazing ad work, but all the promo treatments she has written thus far are on the ball and special. She will be a big star to break through once she gets into her promo bag.Finally,&nbsp;I think <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bBKn4QXUqc" target="_blank">AyChibs</a> is another great newcomer to the scene that will flex his creative talent, Chibs has made some great individual work with little to no resources, and now with our backing, I think we will see even more incredible work from him.Sannchia and Chibs are both on CURATED which is the development roster&nbsp;we’ve been working on this past year and we'll be launching very soon.[vidtoken data:3]Above:&nbsp;Stay Flee Get Lizzy x Lancey Foux x SL's Simple by Sau AliWhat is your prediction for the direction of the industry in 2023? And what will be the big trends for the year ahead?Hopefully some more overseas shoots! I think the UK has used up most of their locations. You can spot a location and know where it is.Any other comments about the current environment for music video production and music video creativity? What are the issues that we should be most concerned with?Music videos are wonderful, and they allow us to be so creative - but sometimes it is like squeezing blood from a stone to make them.Here are my&nbsp;bullet points of my concerns with music video production:<ul><li>Not enough lead time in pre-production/not enough time in post-production.</li><li>Not enough money to demand fast and high-quality turnarounds - although we still make them happen.</li><li>There needs to be a rate card for the crew, even if this is broken down into budget criteria (eg, £5k-£15k, £16k-£25k etc). Each criteria has a rate card, as a producer haggling crew for favours and the rate is taxing.</li><li>Directors and Production Company needs more incentive for the work they put into these videos, some royalties or other form of profit.</li><li>Producers deserve to be paid better fees in music promos.</li></ul>&nbsp;This is just to name few of the things I see that could be improved.<blockquote>There needs to be a rate card for the crew,&nbsp;even if this is broken down into budget criteria.</blockquote>If you could ‘make a wish’, and reform or change the environment in which you work in one way, what would you wish for?&nbsp;Greatcoat has a great atmosphere around it and is very supportive. More generally, I think in our industry needs more open and honest conversations, and for us to stick up for each other more. Help welcome new talent into the industry with ease.&nbsp;Have you made any personal New Year resolutions? And if so, how’s it going?I have and it isn’t going so well at the moment! Work has taken over my life, the industry started off with a super bang. It's&nbsp;so busy at the moment, but I will get it back on track. Still got 11 months left in the year to get back on track...• Micheal Newton is Head of Music at <a href="https://greatcoat.film/" target="_blank">Greatcoat Films</a>

State Of Play: Micheal Newton, Greatcoat Films 

Yung Filly - Day To Day Ft. Chip (Official Video)

Mychelle-'Tightrope-'-by-Thea-Gajic-

Jazmin Bean - Carnage ft. Lucy Loone

Stay-Flee-Get-Lizzy-X-Lancey-Foux-X-Sl-'Simple'-by-Sau-Ali-

Thea Gajic&nbsp;directs a heartwarming promo for singer-songwriter Mychelle.The video opens with a single dad - played by Michael Balogun -&nbsp;juggling the cooking and washing up on his birthday, appreciative of the well wishes via text message, but obviously lacking the social excitement he is longing for.That all changes when his friends shop up and throw a surprise birthday party, helping lift the mood and celebrate the day the way it should be. It's a simple concept done well, and offers an optimistic and joyful message. Plus what we all need right now... a&nbsp;happy ending.Thea Gajic explains that her idea for the video was the result of combining two separate briefs that Mychelle had in mind. "We wanted joy to be a through thread of the video to match the feeling the song evokes while also leaning into the lyrics - which actually have a more sombre meaning," she says.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]"I wanted to focus on community and the joy we create when we show up for each other - amidst this though, we can still feel quite lonely. Especially if we are going through a transition period. I spoke to Michael, our lead, about imagining if this was the first birthday he was celebrating without his partner - as a single dad - and what feelings they may evoke."I have a lot of close male friends - lots who are fathers too - and so wanted to explore that narrative as opposed to it always being a single mother situation. How do men deal with parenting pressure? And feelings of aloneness? It’s something we either don’t see or don’t feel they have a right to because of how hard mothering might be. I wanted to dip into that a little and see what came out of it.&nbsp;"In the end though, when Michael sees his son asleep - he realises he isn’t actually alone and a piece of him is with him all the time - despite how difficult things might get. Ultimately, the tightrope he is on, isn’t walked on alone."&nbsp;

Maisie Cunnett-the Artist Partnership

Joshua Gochez

Ana Gonzalvo

My Management

Sylvie Briggs

Simon Battensby

Lee David Brown

Belle Palmano

Amanda Marie-rose

The Assembly Rooms

Henry Howard

Wash

Michael Balogun

Mychelle 'Tightrope' by Thea Gajic 

Georgia Twinn laments the dark side of the online experience, in Rebekah B Creative's promo for Raised By The Internet.&nbsp;Framed in the centre of a selfie-light, we see Twinn recording herself on her mobile phone in a small room, before being transported to a dark cyberspace abyss.&nbsp;As the view count shoots up, we see the artist's features get manipulated by AI filters, and her body tethered to a wall of screens.Dark and minacious, the grimy aesthetic perfectly suits the cautionary tale, and contrasts her vibrant styling.&nbsp;"Georgia is a TikTok OG, so she wrote this track from a place of experience," Rebekah says.&nbsp;"We start with Georgia posting on the internet and watching her post go viral, altering her and changing her until she’s connected to her first viral post as if it were a life source."

Matt King

Rebekah B Creative

Marisa Garner Associates

Ailsa Robertson

Matt Nolan

Paul Mackay

Samantha Locock

Micheal Baugh

Tuncer Ozdemir

Nevzet Altinisik

Movement Coach : Taylor Dean

Benjamin David

Grace Ellington

Zach Bleach

Black Kite Studios

Georgia Twinn 'Raised By The Internet' by Rebekah B Creative

Georgia-Twinn-'Raised-By-The-Internet'-by-Rebekahbcreative

Dir. Lx directs a breezy promo for Knucks ft Ragz Originale.&nbsp;Interspersed with frenetic cutaways of city streets and snapshots of&nbsp;a romantic narrative, the slick visuals match the upbeat pace of the track, and visualise the themes in an engaging way.&nbsp;Cutting between high contrast black and white, and warm-toned colour palettes, the aesthetic is glossy yet intimate, and perfectly fits the concept.&nbsp;

Levile TV

Ede Dugdale

Massimo Filippi

Joe Mutale

Danny Rumbelow 

Alex Kryszkiewicz

Robert Barlow

Eyaz Christy

Riccardo Garfalo

Deemy

Glassworks

Sean Matthews

Knucks ft Ragz Originale 'Far' by Dir. Lx

Knucks ft. Ragz Originale - Far (Official Music Video)

Knucks and&nbsp;Kwengface take centre stage in Dir. Lx's compelling promo for Lucious.&nbsp;Navigating the world of paparazzi and relentless media attention, we see the artists surrounded by middle men and journalists, whilst they try and move through their day-to-day lives with as little disruption as possible.&nbsp;Though left purposefully abstract in terms of narrative, the video packs in lots of references - including a slick nod to Pulp Fiction and The Dark Knight - whilst weaving Lx's signature style into every frame.&nbsp;The video is anchored by strong performances and engaging vignettes, which work just as well as standalones as they do part of the larger visual world.&nbsp;

@naiissance

Ede Dugale

Dayo Moshood

Sandy Abuah

Mark Henry

Kristof Szentgyorgyvary

Miguel Carmenes

Liz Adeleye

Ayokunle Delano

Adam Fox

Aston Born

Joe Munro

@pixal_media

Tru Tribe

Knucks ft Kwengface 'Lucious' by Dir. Lx

Knucks ft Kwengface - Lucious (Official Music Video)

Camden Cox is hooked into a relationship that veers between the yummy to the toxic - and back again - in Rebekah B's stylishly-shot video for Elevated.Shot in a deserted nightclub, reality and fantasy collide in a number of dreamlike set-ups crafted with the characteristic skill by the&nbsp;director, with terrific use of colour. And the passion between Camden and her co-star&nbsp;looks pretty convincing.

Neuma Llusiados Santos

Sian O'Donnell

Alessia Lendrum

Lea Ogunlami

Bukola Sonubi

Joshua Jacob

Felix Widley

Shukeel Murtaza

Charlotte Fitzjohn

Sam Hardy

Alex Nerzic

Tag Collective Art

Sony Music

Camden Cox 'Elevated' by Rebekah B Creative

Camden-Cox-'Elevated'-by-Rebekahbcreative

Larry June explores London in Dir. Lx's dynamic promo for Private Valet.&nbsp;Shooting the American rapper against iconic London backdrops, Lx lends his trademark multi-format style to the visual, blending high quality live action, photography and vintage VHS aesthetics.&nbsp;June is as cool as they come, emanating&nbsp;laidback yet aspirational vibes, coasting around the city in a luxury supercar.

Athens Xenia

Sachin Palmer

Haben Ghebrehiwet

Teoman Han

Mike Vega

Jake Loft

Kristiana Zhekova

Anthony Hensman 

Larry June 'Private Valet' by Dir. Lx

Larry June - Private Valet (Official Video)

Dir. Lx lends his slick directing style to Yung Filly's Day To Day, featuring Chip.&nbsp;Set in a grand, palatial building, the video is a showcase of laidback luxury, with punchy performances and captivating choreography.The cinematography matches the polished concept, utilising plenty of fluid camera movement and cinematic lighting.&nbsp;

Talent Talks

Df Division Agency

Jennaa Brandon

Athene Xenia

Danyal Deacon

Amara Rossell

Malaika Carr-haji

Nathan James Tetty

Hugo Holford

Marcus Albertson

Dan Huntley

Eyaz Chishty

Chelsea Bernard

Louis Lasa-tarbuck

Aaliyah Oke

Shemaliah Goulbourne

Leon Carlton

Sara Minhvu

Warner Records

Yung Filly ft Chip 'Day To Day' by Dir. Lx

Sau Ali makes a brilliant music video directing debut with an intense and imaginative visualisation of Lancey Foux and SL's collab with Stay Flee Get Lizzy.&nbsp;Sau wanted to create a visual experience that explored the feeling Simple. Ironically the track is fast, heavy, addictive and angry and he wanted to steer towards that juxtaposition and create an eerie atmosphere - an atmosphere that represents the warped perception of anger displayed through every scene.[imgtoken data:1]Ali and DoP Louis Brennan have looked at obscure references, particularly in the fashion world, for inspiration in their set-ups. Furthermore, the differences in Lancey and SL’s styles - sonically and visually -&nbsp;gave Sau the freedom to play with different directions, then marrying them together to form unique portrayals of both artists.The video also features flashes of the late and great Virgil Abloh. The reason is not just&nbsp;because Lancey raps 'I’m on the phone to Virgil, new Louis Vuitton'. Abloh&nbsp;was also a massive fan of the track prior to its release, and was&nbsp;on FaceTime to Lancey and SL in the studio when they made it . That made the whole mission even more special for Sau, A&amp;R exec Ose Egbejale, and the rest of the team.

77 Studio

Stay Flee Get Lizzy X Lancey Foux X SL 'Simple' by Sau Ali 

Micheal Newton

Production Manager

Interviews featuring Micheal Newton

Videos featuring Micheal Newton

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