Loop Talent

Director of Photography

Rik Burnell

Jim Pilling directs a marvellous, timeless black and white visual for Samm Henshaw’s emotive Joy.Shot across stunning locations in the Peak District on 16mm by DoP Rik Burnell, it's the fourth instalment of the series of films created by&nbsp;Pilling and Henshaw - and all shot by Burnell -&nbsp;in association with Henshaw's latest album Untidy Soul, featuring Henshaw as his alter-ego 'Sonny'.From the first episode, <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/05/20/samm-henshaw-still-broke-jim-pilling/71012" target="_blank">Still Broke</a>, Sonny's story&nbsp;has moved backwards chronologically. But for&nbsp;Joy, we join him in the present day. And he is on an&nbsp;introspective journey, as he’s driven through some stunning Derbyshire scenery, before leaving his car to&nbsp;continue his journey alone.[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>There’s a lot of subtext there for people to interpret.</blockquote>"I&nbsp;wanted the video to feel timeless in the same way the sentiments in the track are," explains Pilling. "For me it was about creating frames full of feeling and giving them space to breathe to let the viewer spend some time in each moment."There’s a lot of subtext there for people to interpret - in what we see and what we don’t see - and I think this slow place&nbsp;lets that play out in the minds of the viewer as they watch it. Samm’s a great storyteller, and this track is a really good example of that. So it was an ideal starting point to develop the visual from.”

United Kingdom

Charlie Morris

Lily Mcmurray

Jim Pilling

Francesca Di Muro

Vidsett

Jordan Clarke

Samm Henshaw

Daniel Castro Garcia

Dan Shaw

Chris McDonough

Nick Coleman

Connor Dunlop

Jennifer Howson

Alex Gregory

No.8

Soul

Samm Henshaw 'Joy' by Jim Pilling

Samm-Henshaw--'Joy'-by-Jim-Pilling

Rik Burnell's latest video for Orlando Weeks has the ex-Maccabbee stomping over dazzlingly blue screenprint designs with his friends, including guest vocalist Katy J Pearson. Then there's the guy in a field who's cracking a whip.The video for Bigger follows in the eccentric, graphic-informed sensibility of Weeks's previous videos for new album HOP UP. This one is arguably the most reverential of old music video styles, with its use of bluescreen and wide angle lenses, but that suits a track that combines various musical influences of Eighties and Nineties."Building a relationship across the videos, we have learned&nbsp;that ideas can be magnetic without having to understand why," declares Burnell. "Our starting points [for Bigger] were gif-like 90’s wrestling figures, those that have one signature move, cyanotypes that Orlando had been working on, some friends he wanted featured in the video - and Westerns."Most of the video was shot on an 8mm wide angle lens to playfully distort perspectives, and the infectious stomp and groove of the track informed the edit - trying to find patterns and iterations to keep it kind of repetitive yet also fresh."

Gabriel Jones

Mark James

Federico Belloli

Laura Szydlowski

Craig Griffiths

Nomad Editing Company

Dan Levy

Rascal Post

Rob Peacock

PIAS

Kodak

Alternative

Indie

Orlando Weeks 'Bigger' by Rik Burnell

Orlando-Weeks-'Bigger'-by-Rik-Burnell

Barnstorming indie band Wet Leg are reimagined as bath-loving aliens beamed down from outer space, in Fred Rowson's loveably&nbsp;eccentric promo for Too Late Now.&nbsp;Wrapped in bath towels, the band venture out into Croydon to experience the Earthly delight of a good hot soak for the very first time, reflecting the lyrics, “I just need a bubble bath to set me on a higher path”.During their pursuit they encounter the addictions of bubble bath and the relaxing qualities of cucumbers - which involves a certain amount of suggestiveness, in the already characteristic Wet Leg style&nbsp;-&nbsp;eventually finding true nirvana in the form of a very pink hot tub, drawing a conclusion to the space-invaders’ pilgrimage.Filmed across two days in South-East London and on a rather muddy Kentish farm, DoP Rik Burnell worked closely with Rowson to achieve the ‘fly on the wall’ aesthetic, shot on a very very long lens with minimal lighting.[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>I was slightly stunned to shoot the first Wet Leg video that they didn’t direct themselves.</blockquote>"Wet Leg may be the coolest band of the year, but, surprisingly, they are also 2021’s year’s most innocent gang of outsiders," comments Rowson. "Tasked with documenting their first experience of exploring an urban centre outside of Ryde [on the Isle of Wight] I was shocked by their naivety, and nearly lost them on numerous occasions, not least when Rhian nearly went under a bus. Twice."Thankfully, no indie kids were harmed in the making of this movie, and the quintet instinctively found their way to the safety of a rural setting. Thank God. "Seriously though. I was slightly stunned when Hester and Rhian asked me to shoot the first Wet Leg video that they didn’t direct themselves. Pressure, considering that their previous two were, for me, the best of the year. But, from conception to shoot to edit, this was a mad, magical collaboration that’s up there with my favourite music video experiences."Thank you to Domino and John Moule for trusting us to get on with it, and thank you as always to the team of Terminators at Blink - Rosie, Seb, Laura: you gave up your lives and made this happen in less than a week. Thank you. Best in town."

Fred Rowson

Rosie Brear

Blink

Paul Weston

Sebastian Jowers

Alasdair Copland

Eve Carreno

Julia Chacińska

Emma Jayne Lipop

Sarah Scott

Laura Northover

Joseph Taylor

The Assembly Rooms

Richard Fearon

Black Kite Studios

Blackboard Studios

Joseph Gochez

Jack Stone

John Moule

Domino Recording Company

Gaby Mawson

Rock

Wet Leg 'Too Late Now' by Fred Rowson

Wet-Leg-'Too-Late-Now'-by-Fred-Rowson

Director Jim Pilling is back with another episode from the&nbsp;Untidy Soul series for Samm Henshaw. Following on from <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/05/20/samm-henshaw-still-broke-jim-pilling/71012" target="_blank">Still Broke</a> and <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/07/26/samm-henshaw-grow-jim-pilling/72053" target="_blank">Grow</a>&nbsp;- which was set two years before Still Broke -&nbsp;the video for latest single Chicken Wings takes place two years further back still, when Samm's character Sonny is working at his job in Henny's Wings, an&nbsp;American-style diner owned by a hot-headed boss, Henny - who is also played by Henshaw.As with&nbsp;the previous instalments, the video has a distinctive&nbsp;look and feel that comes from the collaboration between the director and artist, and the 16mm cinematography by DoP Rik Burnell. It's the ideal framing for Pilling's oddball, slightly surreal comedy.And Henshaw is great again as the loveable everyman Sonny. He's struggling to get his music heard, but suffering various indignities on the way, with apparently marginal control of his own fate - and irritated by the numerous loved-up couples coming to Henny's. But we also get a nod to where he is heading...

Lucy Dang

Joe Mulvihill

Tommoye Khan

John Letsinger

Bianca Zehra

Stacey Fitzgerald

Tim Smith

CHEAT

Nicki Coombes + Théa Dagnaud

Peque Varela

Awal

Kate Eccarius

Samm Henshaw 'Chicken Wings' by Jim Pilling

Samm-Henshaw-'Chicken-Wings'-by-Jim-Pilling

Rik Burnell directs and shoots a spectacularly offbeat promo for Orlando Weeks.&nbsp;Shot at the&nbsp;Romney Marshes, the video oozes surreal, parallel-world vibes, with abstract suggestions of a narrative colliding with stylish vignettes.&nbsp;You can't help but smile and get sucked in to the pure absurdity of the concept, and guest star&nbsp;Lolly Adefope fits right in, with brilliant timing and a knack for mirroring Weeks's every movement.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Luke Fraser

Dimension 2

Chris Starkey

Daniel W Fletcher

James Bradley

Lolly Adefope

Orlando Weeks 'Deep Down Way Out' by Rik Burnell

Orlando-Weeks-'Deep-Down-Way-Out'-by-Rik-Burnell

Siah is under heavy&nbsp;surveillance in Lucrecia Taormina's video for Ain't Stoppin.&nbsp;Set in a&nbsp;café, - with an enigmatic&nbsp;voiceover which tops and tails the concept - the video presents&nbsp;an abstract, Tarantino-esque vignette following a wanted man.&nbsp;Siah sets up shop at the café, and as he orders a&nbsp;smorgasbord of coffee and snacks, a group of twenty men slowly filter in to keep a close eye on his every movement.&nbsp;Switching from the overtly surreal aesthetic seen in recent videos for Ashnikko and Bree Runway, this video still has a heavy dose of Taormina's weird fantasy vibes, and works brilliantly as a standalone visual for the track.&nbsp;And of course, if you haven't heard our talk with Lucrecia Taormina yet as part of The Promonews Podcast, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/537iE9VbGYrFMlMwZJIAM1?si=WXM7BDjsQAKwvPW6EPQHcg&amp;dl_branch=1">be sure to click through and take a listen!&nbsp;</a>

Lucrecia Taormina

Pilar Cartro Benavides

FRIEND

Luke Tierney

Bradley Boorman

Joshua Dadson

Benjamin Leggett

Frida Phillips

Sophie Ebbs

Dave Bullivant

Luke Morrison

Electric Theatre Collective

Oliver Whitworth

Hip Hop

Siah 'Ain't Stoppin' by Lucrecia Taormina

Ain't-Stoppin-'Siah'-by-Lucrecia-Taormina

Lily Rose Thomas directs a strongly relatable promo for Bessie Turner's Rushing.&nbsp;In contrast to the title of the track, the first three-quarters of the video is captured in a handful of lingering slow-zooms, with Turner placed at different positions in her flat. The mood is one of someone atuck inside, filling time, and becoming steadily more&nbsp;stir crazy.But then it jumps into a frenzied climax, where the camera is let loose and the artist's performance becomes suitably untethered. The journey of the visuals reflects that of the lyrics, and is captured with a cool cinematic eye by Lily Rose Thomas - heavily pregnant at the time.[imgtoken data:1]

Lily Rose Thomas

Ayomide Alli

Agile Films

Precious Mahaga

Chris Ctarkey

Michael Mroczek

Ollie Thompson

Electirc Theatre Collective

OB Management

Emma Boyle

Bessie Turner 'Rushing' by Lily Rose Thomas

Bessie-Turner--'Rushing-'-by-Lily-Rose-Thomas

Jim Pilling captures the challenges of a relationship in this charmingly relatable video&nbsp;for&nbsp;Grow - the second in the series of accompanying visuals&nbsp;for Samm Henshaw's album Untidy Soul.Following the <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/05/20/samm-henshaw-still-broke-jim-pilling/71012">video&nbsp;for Still Broke</a>&nbsp;- featuring Henshaw as a very unhappy, lonely rich guy -&nbsp;the second chapter takes us back two years, exploring&nbsp;the new romance of Samm and Tiana Major9's characters Sonny and Selah, and the trials and tribulations that come with moving in together and living with each other does not always go to plan.&nbsp;Shot on 16mm by DoP Rik Burnell, the visual builds a slightly surreal comic world which begins when the couple visit a plant store to buy a plant for their new home, and encounter the world's most unhelpful shop owner. Tiana is offered a bonsai tree by a mysterious elderly shop assistant which comes to symbolise the health of their relationship.[imgtoken data:1]Co-written by Pilling and Henshaw, the video develops the slightly surreal comic tone of Still Broke, with the indie-urban sophistication of&nbsp;Spike Lee's early&nbsp;comedies. There is a&nbsp;combination of&nbsp;dialogue and subtitles to push forward the story of rising tensions between the characters, and Henshaw and Tiana are pitch-perfect in their roles as the couple unable to make a last step towards contentment.&nbsp;&nbsp;“In the track, Samm’s exploring the idea of having to work at a relationship, and it not always being easy for it to be good," explains&nbsp;Jim Pilling. "He and I built this world around the track, and the story goes to show that even some sage advice from a guy with a bonsai tree isn’t always enough to save a relationship.”

Emily Jane Robinson

Max Openshaw

Nathan Ford

Carlotta Constant

Lu’s Curls

Chloe Rose

Cherise Renee

Carla Thomas

Tiana Major9

Samm Henshaw 'Grow' by Jim Pilling

Samm-Henshaw--'Grow'-by-Jim-Pilling

Rik Burnell directs a&nbsp;dreamy and uplifting promo for former Macabees frontman Orlando Weeks.Backdropped by a prominent blue sky and fluffy clouds, we see Weeks defy gravity in a string of "boomerang" style shots. Glitching back and forth through repetivite bouncy movements, the visuals transcend the stripped-back concept, to create something nostalgic and absorbing.Simple, peaceful, mesmerising - with a guest appearance by Katy J Pearson who also sings on the track - it's sure to&nbsp;gently spread happiness.[imgtoken data:1]"The video's journey started with Orlando describing the record as hopeful, positive and something that savours and cultivates joyful things,' explains Burnell. "We very much wanted to indulge in and extend these sentiments, to create something light and charming.&nbsp;&nbsp;"We played with performance tropes, nostalgia, a trampoline and some crash matts and somehow managed to get a 'boomerang' in the edit that still makes me smile having seen it a thousand times."&nbsp;

Matt Hillier

Fabio Cachucho

Orlando Weeks 'Big Skies Silly Faces' by Rik Burnell

Orlando-Weeks-'Big-Skies-Silly-Faces'-by-Rik-Burnell

Samm Henshaw is living in the lap of&nbsp;luxury in huge mansion, but also in a pit of sadness, in Jim Pilling's video for Still Broke.The first in a series of videos for Untidy Soul, Henshaw's upcoming debut album, Pilling establishes the off-kilter, quietly comic premise from the start, as Henshaw stares out from his gigantic gilded cage before resuming his chores of ironing fifty quid notes.&nbsp;Shot on 16mm by DoP Rik Burnell, a series of slow zooms and stylised camerawork creates this amusing disconnect between&nbsp;remarkable&nbsp;wealth and opulence with Henshaw's&nbsp;abject dejection and lack of fulfillment. It all comes to a head when he receives a message&nbsp;from an visitor, to shake up him from his misery.With its playfulness and visual style - and the promise of Samm venturing out into the world in the next episode&nbsp;- this one sets up the Untidy Soul series very nicely indeed.[imgtoken data:1]

Leon Psyzora

Bianca Bhagat

Cheyenne Miller

Samm Henshaw 'Still Broke' by Jim Pilling 

Samm Henshaw - Still Broke (Official Video) ft. Keyon Harrold

The Clockworks traverse the dark underbelly of London in Oscar Ryan's promo for Feels So Real - his second video for the Irish band.&nbsp;Interweaving snippets of an abstract narrative - where the band members stalk underpasses and dimly lit streets, looking for someone or something - the video doesn't have a clear-cut narrative, but that's what makes it so engaging.&nbsp;DoP&nbsp;Rik Burnell elevates the mysterious aesthetic with bold coloured lighting and Snorricam setups, creating an out of body experience fit for a crime drama.&nbsp;

Ireland

Oscar Ryan

Julien Cornwall

Head & Wrecker

Ash Teague

Hansel Rodrigues

Its Creation Baby

Kai Newton

Electronic

The Clockworks 'Feels So Real' by Oscar Ryan

The-Clockworks-'Feels-So-Real-'-by-Oscar-Ryan

Bloxx go back to school in Oscar Ryan's high-energy promo for Everything I've Ever Learned.&nbsp;Running riot around campus, the video sees the band in detention, getting some unwelcome life lessons from a teacher -&nbsp;played by a kid much younger than them.Brilliantly bouncy and on-brand, this is a&nbsp;superb&nbsp;visual that showcases their lighthearted energy and dynamic performance style.&nbsp;

Josh Loftin

Giulia Mazzocchi

Lulu Plews

Sebastian Ziabka

Kelvin Chan

Will Street

Bloxx 'Everything I've Ever Learned' by Oscar Ryan

Bloxx-'Everything-I've-Ever-Learned-'-by-Oscar-Ryan

A group of young people attend Rave Rehab, in Dan French's fun-filled promo for Navos.&nbsp;The video for Believe Me explores the gap left in our lives by the lack of dancefloor action through&nbsp;lockdown -opening with a hilarious monologue from one of the participants during a group therapy sessio.&nbsp;The video then spirals into surreal classroom setups, VR mini raves&nbsp;and a collective party on the rooftop of the facility.&nbsp;Wonderfully executed, the dichotomy of the almost dystopian aesthetic paired with vintage snippets of real nightclubs is nostalgic and yearning, and anchors the concept in our current reality.&nbsp;

Dan French

Pilar Muro

Papaya Films

Katie Cooper

Sam Roffey

Anna Papa

Sophia Katyea

Louise Hall

Yoomin Lee

Marisa Garner Associates

Lisa Foo

Island Records

Dance

Navos 'Believe Me' by Dan French

Navos-'Believe-Me'-by-Dan-French

Oscar Ryan recreates the feeling of '90s teen movies and similar-era music television in his video for US pop-punk outfit We The Kings.Set in the bedroom of a young lad who has the hots for the attractvie girl next door - who he's spying on - Ryan and DoP Rik Burnell create a fondly nostalgic updating of that Nineties/Noughties style. It was filmed in London, with the band's individual Covid-safe performances captured remotely and added to era-specific TVs.

Ellis Fox

Joshua Loftin

Thomas Reid

Ciprian Stroiny

Nina Athill

Sophie Roberts

Caroline Morin

Wash

Kelvin Chim

Annabel Owen

Jack Kenny

We The Kings 'No 1 Like U' by Oscar Ryan

We-The-Kings-'No-1-Like-U'-by-Oscar-Ryan

Luke Ainger directs a striking black and white promo for rising post-punk outfit Deadletter.&nbsp;Shot in the historic Brunel museum in London - which has remained empty for months on end due to multiple national lockdowns - the video&nbsp;reflects on the perilous state of art and the spaces in which it inhabits.Lensed by Rik Burnell and shot on 16mm film,&nbsp;the high contrast, lo-fi&nbsp;aesthetic is a brilliant match to the lyrical content. The performance itself is excitable yet tense, touching upon the political themes of the track and the current zeitgeist with flair and attitude.&nbsp;

Luke Ainger

Fred Qvortrup

Linus Sandelands

Punk

Deadletter 'Fall Of The Big Screen' by Luke Ainger

DEADLETTER - Fall of the Big Screen (Music Video)

TV Priest take on the role&nbsp;of shady 20th-century business execs in Joe Wheatley's mesmerising promo for Press Gang.Dissecting the media's omnipresent role in world events, and the changing tides of the news cycle and dissemination of information, the enigmatic video takes place in an unspecified&nbsp;past, reeking of late industrialisation and analogue technology. Frontman Charlie Drinkwater -&nbsp;playing both pinstriped boss of a cavernous factory, and TV director barking orders in a vintage control room - exudes macho strength&nbsp;at first, even gangster-like threat. But then the facade is stripped away, as Drinkwater's businessman character is pursued by unseen forces.Switching between abstract narrative segments and calm, quirky portraits, the video is infused with a sense of dark humour and parody, whilst turning a critical eye on the world's news media. This is delivered with an anachronistic, vintage aesthetic, achieved through the use of 16mm film and retro styling.DoP Rik Burnell&nbsp;creates a frenetic yet balanced energy, switching between static shots and&nbsp;no-holds-barred, jerky&nbsp;camerawork.&nbsp;Meanwhile the band's modern day performance is delivered through the tiny monitors of the 70s-era TV control desk. A brilliantly executed promo with style and attitude to boot.&nbsp;

Joe Wheatley

TV Priest 'Press Gang' by Joe Wheatley 

Rik Burnell

Director of Photography

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