Director

Olivia Rose

The new episode of&nbsp;<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, supported by <a href="https://looptalent.co.uk/" target="_blank">Loop Talent</a> - is out today, featuring director and photographer Olivia Rose.It was Olivia’s initial success as a photographer – she has photos in the contemporary collection of the National Portrait Gallery - which led her into directing moving images. Her first music video, for Jorja Smith's Blue Lights, won an UKMVA in 2018, and she has gone on to direct acclaimed videos for Skepta, 6lack,&nbsp;Lola Young and Sasha Keable.&nbsp;In a riveting discussion with Promonews's David Knight and Rob Ulitski, Olivia talks about the passions that drive her work, the double-standards faced by women in the creative industries, exploring different sides of her character through her music videos, and her big plans for the future.<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="232" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3sWzx8j5rlaDgilwwjARnl?utm_source=generator" width="100%"></iframe>This latest episode of the second series of The Promonews Podcast:&nbsp;Talking Music Videos&nbsp;coincides with the announcement of Olivia Rose's signing to Stink Films and Stink Rising for music videos and commercials. Having not previously settled at a production company home in her directing career&nbsp;she tells the hosts: "I do feel something different with Stink... They have proposed, and I've accepted."Previous episodes of the second series, made in association with Loop Talent,&nbsp;have featured&nbsp;director&nbsp;Sophia Ray and producer Mayling Wong,&nbsp;DoP Rik Burnell and director Kasper Haggstrom -&nbsp;all available to listen on Spotify, Apple,&nbsp;and other platforms.The first series of The Promonews Podcast&nbsp;featured directors Lucrecia Taormina, Salomon Ligthelm, RUFFMERCY and&nbsp;Louis Bhose;&nbsp;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.

Stink Films

The Promonews Podcast - new episode with Olivia Rose out now!

Olivia Rose directs a stunning and harrowing promo for Zoe Wees' new track That’s How It Goes,&nbsp;featuring 6LACK.Exploring the power of facing your inner demons - and the empowerment that follows afterwards - we see the artists in an industrial complex, performing within hidden tunnels and concealed rooms.&nbsp;Elevated by sharp styling and enigmatic cinematography, it's a unique and effective concept, that is built upon Rose's masterful knowledge of how to direct performance.&nbsp;"Sometimes you need to find the darkness within to bring an idea to light," comments Olivia Rose.&nbsp;"That's How It Goes&nbsp;is an exploration of internal struggle and our inner demons - brought to life by the track itself."

Shea Coleman

Stink Rising

Hannah Bellil

Noël Schoolderman

Dom Mckiernan

Zoe Wees ft 6LACK 'That’s How It Goes' by Olivia Rose

Olivia-Rose-'Zoe-Wees--Ft-6lack---That’s-How-It-Goes-By-Olivia-Rose'-by-Olivia-Rose

Olivia Rose captures the mournful stage after a failed relationship, in her promo for&nbsp;Sasha Keable and Jorja Smith's new track Killing Me.Exploring inner strength and identity, the video is built of lingering vignettes which showcase a shared experience, with both artists wearing the same clothes, repeating each other's movements and learning to grow from the pain of their past.&nbsp;The considered styling and art direction reflect&nbsp;the tumultuous emotions in the track, whilst refracted light and water effects add a rich texture to the aesthetic.&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Frankie Willcock

Gabriel O’Donohoe

Nathalie Pitters

Catharina Scarpellini

Ashton Born

Shaun Waldie

Sarah Asmail

Zahra Asmail

Lauraine Bailey

Emily Wood

Alex Wood

Jason Wallis

Nicola Sheppard

Zateesha Barbour

Carol Lopez Reid

Hands 

Sasha Keable X Jorja Smith 'Killing Me' by Olivia Rose

Olivia-Rose-'Jorja-Smith-X-Sasha-Keable-'killing-Me'-By-Olivia-Rose'-by-Olivia-Rose

Oliva Rose uncovers a UFO conspiracy, in the dystopian&nbsp;promo for Lancey Foux's Steelo Flow.&nbsp;Paying homage to sci-fi iconography and retro obsessions with extraterrestrials, a janitor is glued to several monitors, hoping to get a glimpse of alien life.&nbsp;He lucks out when he spots Foux in an industrial warehouse, mounted upon a motorcycle in a frenetic and exciting performance setup. Between the strobes and snapshots of his exposed face, something isn't quite right...&nbsp;Refreshingly unique and futuristic, Rose pushes current trends aside and digs deep into the rich subject matter, and gets an extraordinary performance from the artist to anchor the whole project.&nbsp;

Lana Salfiti

Voodoo Pictures

Francois Larpin

Anna Horlick

Kerry Green

Olan Collardy

Ilaria Fulvio

Jay Coates

Joe Sherno

Elizabeth El-kadhi

Nick Royal

Paige Cole

Ellie Johnson

Tenthree Editing

Richard Fearon

Tamara Mennell

Paul Wilmot

Sarah Boardman

James Hackett

EMI Records

Trap

Lancey Foux 'Steelo Flow' by Olivia Rose

Lancey-Foux-'Steelo-Flow'-by-Olivia-Rose

Olivia Rose directs a celestial, otherworldly promo for Lancey Foux.&nbsp;Known for reinterpreting masculinity through a female gaze in both her&nbsp;photography and video projects, Rose's concept exists in a parallel space and time, evidenced by surreal imagery - a fish covered in luminescent butterflies, as an example - and a soft, introspective performance, leaning into a certain vulnerability that shapes the entire narrative.&nbsp;It's a wonderful, unexpected vision, and one of the most unique promos of the year, arriving just a couple of weeks before 2020 finally ends.&nbsp;

Rob Rogan

Giselle Garcia

Amelia Hazlerigg

Benji Kirkman

Nathan Lloyd 

Jonny Boomer

Ciaran Beale

Marina Belfon-rose

Jack Singer

Homespun

Black Kite Studios

Jim Spartling

Virgin EMI

Alternative/ Indie

Lancey Foux 'Poison' by Olivia Rose

Lancey-Fouxx-'Poison'-by-Olivia-Rose

Olivia Rose directs a glittering festive promo for Jess Glynne's This Christmas.&nbsp;Following a variety of hapless characters, all experiencing their own mini-Christmas disasters - with burnt food and flaming hair taking the lead - the promo is a charming, fun-filled ride with plenty of seasonal cheer.Jess Glynne plays a number of these characters herself - including&nbsp;a delivery driver and drag queen (or king?) - and the result is some of the best moments in her videography so far, embodying all of the drama, energy and excitement that comes with the holiday period.&nbsp;The editing is also well executed, using match cut transitions and whip pans to make each vignette feel part of the same story.Overall, this is a feelgood and stylish video that marks Glynne's first Christmas track and visual, produced in collaboration with Amazon Originals. &nbsp;

Savvas Stavrou

Emma Pounds

Milo Brown

Kairo Jones

Vini Curtis

Mekel Bailey

Joe Pickering

Louisa Copperwaite

Lucy Berry

Final Cut

Sean Harland

Dan Curwin

Atlantic Records

Jess Glynne 'This Christmas' by Olivia Rose

Jess-Glynne-'This-Christmas-'-by-Olivia-Rose

Olivia Rose delivers an up-close and personal promo for Emir Taha's debut music video for Huyu Suyu.&nbsp;As explained by the artist himself,&nbsp;"'Huyu huyuma denk, suyu suyuma denk’ means getting on well together, being of the same disposition. The literal meaning is ‘her ways match my ways, her water matches my water.’ That chemistry is captured perfectly in the video. It’s about two people who share the same energy, dreaming underwater through hallucinations."The alluring visuals flicker between&nbsp;intimate vignettes in the water, from bathtime romps to solo soaks in the tub, an amalgamation of memory and fantasy. Taha continues, "It’s my first ever music video so its is a defining moment in an artist’s visual world - I feel so lucky to have had the chance to work with the amazing Olivia Rose whose taste I admire a lot.”DoP&nbsp;Nathalie Pitters creates a sensual, physical experience with the cinematography, utlising opulent gold&nbsp;and orange colour palettes usually to portray a sense of luxury and fantasy.[imgtoken data:1]OLIVIA ROSE:<blockquote>This was an amazing experience in how much water can change the dynamic of shooting.&nbsp;</blockquote>“Huyu Suyu, the coming together of the masculine and feminine. Taking influence from Emir’s lyrics as well as his Turkish heritage we set the video in water - from a bath to the deep blue - where Emir meets a mirage in a red veil - loosely based on Turkish bridal attire."The promo focuses on that electric moment when you think two people are coming together but they don’t quite make it, the moment the mirage disappears and Emir realises he is alone in the bath once more."Leaning in to his heritage which is so beautifully captured in the melody of the track, we wanted to attempt to recreate Turkish ebru art around his body in the bath - it’s a metaphor for Emir’s world becoming trippy and ethereal, a marker point for us before he is dragged under. For me, this was an amazing experience in how much water can change the dynamic of shooting.”

Kavita Babbar

MrMr

Martha McGuirk

Katie Lambert

Danny Rumbelow

Davide Scalenghe

Leopold Naessens

Kelli White

Max Windows

Electric Theatre Collective

Oliver Whitworth

Mikko Ruostila

Hands London

alternate pop

Emir Taha 'Huyu Suyu' by Olivia Rose

Emir-Taha-'Huyu-Suyu'-by-Olivia-Rose

Olivia Rose's video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2020/08/10/lola-young-woman-olivia-rose/66021" target="_blank">Lola Young's Woman</a> - nominated at this year's UK Music Video Awards in the inaugural Best R&amp;B Soul Video UK category - is an unashamed celebration of the female body from a female perspective. Women of different shapes and sizes get naked in front of Rose's camera - including the singer herself.We&nbsp;spoke to Olivia Rose about the Caviar-produced project, the thinking behind the production, and the process of making the video, at a time when filming had just started resuming after lockdown and under strict limitations. We discovered this was a voyage of discovery both for the artist and the director, and above all, a joyful and empowering experience.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]Promonews: How did the collaboration with Lola start? Was there anything in the brief, as well as the song, that led you towards coming up with this idea for the Woman video?Olivia Rose: It was the song that reaaaally grabbed me. In particular the line "This house is not a home for me, cos it’s you that built it"&nbsp;just resonated so strongly with me. Where is the lie?! No matter how much we achieve as women, we are still navigating our way through a world that wasn’t built for us, bending over backwards to be like the men, just so we can exist with respect in their world. That, paired with the brief, which had the artwork image of Renaissance nude paintings with their nipples censored, just spoke to me on a level.<blockquote>There was no point us tackling such a huge, relevant and visceral subject without ‘going all the way’.</blockquote>It was as much for Lola about pointing out how ridiculous this censorship of bodies is, as it was about celebrating womanhood and empowerment. And that was something that I knew I wanted in on, from the get go.[imgtoken data:1]Did you always intend to be bold with the level of nudity in your celebration of womanhood, self-love, and the female body in all its forms?Yes, yes and yes. And refreshingly, the whole team from label to management to production were all absolutely aligned on this. There was no point us tackling such a huge, relevant and visceral subject without ‘going all the way’, so to speak.So we were adamant that this wasn’t going to be implied nudity, but full nudity, with clever lighting and cropping to maintain a sense of decorum and to hammer home our intentions - which were NOT to make a ‘sexy’ video for the male gaze, but to make a film that was solely focussed on how we could make the women who appeared in it, feel safe, comfortable, sexy and gorgeous for themselves and themselves only.[imgtoken data:2]<blockquote>The video includes sexy back rolls, sensual armpit hair, divine stretch marks and all of the good stuff!</blockquote>Lola appears eminently comfortable in showing her body. How did you win her trust? Is that something that she was on board with from the start of the process?We had talked prior to shooting about Lola being cleverly covered up during shooting, and there were some legitimate concerns from all sides about whether people might screenshot the video later down the line and it might end up in the wrong context.Lola has her future career to consider, and on a phone call before the shoot&nbsp;she said to me: 'I don’t want to do anything I am going to regret when I’m 35.'&nbsp;These words stuck with me throughout the whole process. I was adamant I would honour that. After all, I AM 35. So I was always thinking: would I stand by this myself? Would I do this myself? Would I be happy with 'young me' doing this? And that was how we began to work through the process of the nudity, both on set and in the film.On the day, Lola was swept into the moment. I saw her proudly watching her cast be free in their nakedness and I think this really inspired her to push past any possible feelings of future regret. And now I can say confidently that had she not shown her body, she would have experienced the FOMO that so many of the women on set said they were feeling, watching the brave women of the cast be so free with their bodies.[imgtoken data:3]<blockquote>I was always thinking... would I be happy with 'young me' doing this?</blockquote>In fact, there was so much FOMO that I literally threw off my T&nbsp;shirt and bra and jumped into a shot, a cue for some of the other women working on set to come running (literally dresses were being thrown off, body suits pulled down) for the chance of an all-in moment, where they too could experience the freedom of just owning your body on set. It was a very magical moment and one I can’t imagine happening again any time soon.When did you decide on giving the video a context by including the opening monologue?The monologue was woven in to the idea before shooting. We felt that we’d all been on such a journey behind the scenes, to come to a place where we knew our intentions were aligned, that we were going to handle this with the utmost sensitivity and safety. But this was something that the audience couldn’t have known unless we told them.We all felt there was a need to make it clear that this was for us, for our empowerment and not to be misconstrued as fodder for sexual gratification and I think the monologue does that perfectly.[imgtoken data:4]You are probably better known for shooting Boys/Men rather than Girls/Women. So how much was this something new? Or did you feel within your comfort zone?Although I’m definitely known for my work with boys/men, I have always photographed women along the way. However, I am definitely more picky when it comes to shooting with women. Because society forces us to question our bodies, our appearance and our beauty (so much more than men) I have often found shooting women can be frustrating and saddening, as I can see how heightened the insecurities of a woman often become in the context of a shoot. I don’t know if it’s because psychologically, that reminds me of my own shortcomings, my own insecurities - like turning the mirror on yourself, perhaps. But that’s always been jarring and difficult for me on set.This video however, was our opportunity to put all of that on a plate in front of us and address it, rather than shy away from it. The body parts people didn’t love, were taken in to account. We weren’t there to force people to love things they didn’t, rather to highlight the parts they do.[imgtoken data:5]<blockquote>I've often found shooting women can be frustrating... This was our opportunity to address it,&nbsp;rather than shy away from it.</blockquote>How differently do you approach a studio shoot like this to other work, like your street photography?I mean it’s a whole other world, one that I’m still getting used to! Even the sheer amount of people on a promo set is still kind of wild to me. I grew up and learned what I knew, based on being a one woman band - producing my own stills shoots, run and gun on the streets, just me and maybe one assistant. There’s a lot of freedom to that way of working.I don’t actually think it’s studio vs location that is different in this context for me. It’s more about stills vs moving image. And moving image is always going to be a bigger beast!The casting was obviously very important. You have a cast who are comfortable unclothed so was there a call-out to certain groups of women? Is casting a different kind of process in the current post-lockdown situation?I think with Insta culture and social media, casting has (sadly) become a very digital experience, lockdown or no lockdown! So actually I don’t think that process varied much from the norm. We did definitely ask for cast who were comfortable to be nude on set and that was a pre-requisite much more than their aesthetic.Lola and I wanted to include as much diversity as possible and we wanted to show a range of body shapes to help push forward body positivity. Hopefully this film will be another stepping stone in the process of normalising a difference to societal ‘perfection’. The video includes sexy back rolls, sensual armpit hair, divine stretch marks and all of the good stuff![imgtoken data:6]That said, we didn’t want to exclude the girls with ‘perfect’ bodies either. This was about finding women who were down for the cause, who connected with the lyrics, who felt something when we spoke about the body and empowerment. I had FaceTime calls with all of the cast members prior to picking our final six, to ensure they knew exactly what was going to be asked of them, as well as making sure they would stand next to the visual at the end and feel proud - not ashamed.<blockquote>When someone strode in front of the camera, the&nbsp;rest of the cast, myself and Lola, became cheerleaders for them.</blockquote>There is a sense of community from the video even though, of course, you only shoot one woman at a time. Were the models in the studio together or did you have to keep everyone separate?The models could only be on set one at a time, and of course we were adhering to Covid 19 distancing guidelines. But I did have the cast all off to one side of set, somewhat near my monitor and so they spent most of the day within range of each other.What was amazing, was to see how the women bonded through the shoot. Every time someone took off their robe and strode in front of the camera, it was like the rest of the cast, myself and Lola, became cheerleaders for them; raucously whooping, cheering and hollering when they did something epic and fearless like a hair flick or a boobie shake or a bum slap. There was a really powerful energy In the room that gives me goosebumps to think of even today.Presumably this was a ‘post-pandemic’ shoot, so what were the big logistic issues? When and where did you shoot?During Covid 19, EVERYTHING is a big logistic issue. EVERYTHING. Anyone who says it’s not difficult isn’t following the rules. This pandemic is really f*cking with my shoot flow!The thing that really hinders the process is time, social distancing and masks and constant sanitising and never co-handling things just makes the whole day slow.[imgtoken data:7]<blockquote>For me to feel comfortable, I needed a guarantee that the rushes would be looked at with the female gaze.</blockquote>The edit of a video like this was always going to be important. How much did you have the edit planned out in your head before you reached the edit suite – and how much did it change?They say you make three films for every one piece of work: the one you write in the treatment, the one you shoot and the one you craft back together in the edit. I had a sense of how I wanted to cut before we got to the edit, but naturally we let the rushes dictate how we finally pieced it together.The main points on my brief to Queen Flaura [Atkinson], were that we hold off the full nudity as far as we could so we didn’t ‘blow our proverbial load’ up front and that we include the off-moments, the laughs, the little looks off camera, the silly things, so that we broke up the sensuality of it all with humour. And she nailed it. The edit feels like a direct reflection of the day we had - a heady blend of sexy, sensual, empowered and LOL.Was it important that the editor, Flaura Atkinson,&nbsp;was a woman?Yes, more important than I originally had anticipated actually. If you think about this video in the context of the female gaze, the three people who really had to be female were myself (the idea maker), DoP (the executor of the idea, through a literal lens) and the editor (who has eyes on ALL of the rushes, the bits we needed to cut or crop).I think for the safety of the women in the cast, for Lola herself, for me to feel comfortable handing over the nude rushes, I needed a guarantee that they would be looked at in the right way - with impartiality - with the female gaze. On top of which, I must have said the words “fanny” and “vagina” at least 23,678 times during the edit, so I figured Flaura would be able to take that with a pinch of salt!I want to make a point here, that I know male editors who would have handled this with the utmost sensitivity, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that this one was for women, by women, about women. I mean… it’s all in the track title![imgtoken data:8]<blockquote>The point was that this one was for women, by women, about women... it’s all in the track title!</blockquote>What’s the important message or messages to take from the video? And what did you learn from making it?The best compliment I have received on this video so far, was from a hot-blooded straight man, who watched it and said “I wanted to be aroused because… boobs. But you can literally feel the feminism coming out of their pores, so I sat back and watched it in a different way because I could feel this wasn’t for my pleasure.” And that’s what I hope people will take away. That we don’t have to be Dove advert pure and natural to own our own sexuality. We can do it naked, with full glam and a set of stripper heels and it is STILL not for any other reason than we love ourselves and want to honour that, proudly, on film.• Full credits for the Lola Young 'Woman' video <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2020/08/10/lola-young-woman-olivia-rose/66021" target="_blank">here</a>

Caviar

Behind The Video: Olivia Rose on making Lola Young's Woman

Lola-Young-'Woman'-by-Olivia-Rose

Lola Young 'Woman' by Olivia Rose

Olivia Rose directs a powerful exploration of womanhood in her new video for Lola Young.&nbsp;The visual features Young alongside a&nbsp;brave and diverse collection of beautiful women laid bare, as they boldly celebrate&nbsp;the female form. Embracing the parts of themselves that society has traditionally shamed or reduced them to, the concept is a reclamation of the body and everything it means to be female.&nbsp;DoP&nbsp;Ula Pontikos uses coloured patterns and lights to highlight the women, creating a graphical, playful aesthetic, which contrasts perfectly with the&nbsp;intimate setups and shots. And the full nature of the shoot, and unabashed nudity by artist and other models is celebrated in a wonderfully sensitive job by editor Flaura Atkinson.Truly breathtaking, both Rose and Young have stepped outside of conventional comfort zones to highlight an important conversation around body positivity and femininity, and have done so with confidence and flair.

Chanel Parkinson

Daniella Manca

Ula Pontikos

Louise Murphy

Jenny John Chuan

Stephen Finberg

Kate Iorga

Ryo Narushima

Flaura Atkinson

Ruth Wardell

Nuriye Sonmez

Laura Clayton

Island Records

Benedict Turnbull

Sarah Reygate

Maya Jensen

Soul

UKMVA-winning director Olivia Rose&#39;s latest video brings Skepta into unexpected territory.&nbsp;In the video for Pure Water, Skepta&#39;s urban surroundings becomes a noir dreamscape, conjured by Rose and the gorgeous silvertone cinematography by Rina Yang. Like a grime video shot in Berlin in the 1920s. &nbsp;

Morgan Clement

Object & Animal

Rina Yang

Jack Meredith

Mowalola

Kusi Kubi

Roku Roppongi

Athena Paginton

Pat Boguslawski

Joseph Bicknell

CHEAT

Charlie Von Rotberg

Nineteen Twenty

Somesuch

Grime

Skepta 'Pure Water' by Olivia Rose

SKEPTA -  PURE WATER

Olivia Rose, nominated at the UKMVAs 2018 for her video for Jorja Smith&#39;s Blue Lights, has directed a video dripping with atmosphere and poignant meanings for 6LACK&#39;s East Atlanta Love Letter - featuring Future.At it&#39;s heart there&#39;s a sense of human loss, with images of a crying bride and candlelight vigil, in front of an old home of the American South. Electric Theatre Collective colourist Jason Wallis strove to mirror the authenticity of the genre captured by Rose while simultaneously accentuating the romance of the narrative.

United States

Saskia Whinney

Fouad Gaber

Trim Editing

Sara Gbadamosi

6LACK ft. Future 'East Atlanta Love Letter' by Olivia Rose

6lack-Ft.-Feature-'East-Atlanta-Love-Letter'-by-Olivia-Rose

Jorja Smith&#39;s haunting song&nbsp;Blue Lights has inspired a memorable visual piece by Olivia Rose. It&#39;s a series of portraits of real Londoners who, arguably, the singer could be addressing in the song&#39;s message. These portraits, are intercut with a figure who slowly revealed his purpose - a dancer to physically express the emotion in the music.

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Director

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