Spindle is an award-winning production studio based in London, that represents a progressive and diverse roster of directing talent.

Mouthpiece

Production Company

Spindle

<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

Mayling Wong

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

In the latest of our series asking British music video-makers about their experiences last year and thoughts on the coming year, we talk to Nosisa Majuqwana, Head of Music + New Talent at Spindle.Having previously worked in advertising, 2022 was Nosisa's first full year in her new role at Spindle, so she reflects upon the ups and downs of that experience, and makes some predictions and hopes for 2023. And she&nbsp;reveals that she is&nbsp;not Whatsapp's biggest fan.&nbsp;&nbsp;2022How would you describe last year in a few words?Busy, lots of fun, inspiring, and growing pains!What was your favourite project or projects you worked on last year?Loyle Carner's Hate&nbsp;by Loyle Carner and Greg Hackett. it was great to see the collaboration between Greg and Ben and then to see them win a UKMVA.[vidtoken data:0]Above: Loyle Carner's Hate, directed by Loyle Carner and Greg HackettAny other project you enjoyed that deserved more attention, or went under the radar?Priya Ragu's Illuminous,&nbsp;directed by <a href="https://www.spindle.co/directors/silence/" target="_blank">Silence</a>, was a super fun one even with its challenges. A few people have said to me that is one of their favourite videos they’ve seen us produce which is nice to hear. Silence is wicked, it’s been so great seeing her develop and find her voice.<blockquote>It’s been really fascinating to come to the other side and grow the big names of the future.</blockquote>What were the best aspects of the job last year?Oooh... establishing a company in an extremely competitive industry and developing directors in their careers. I’ve come from advertising where I worked with big names, so it’s been really fascinating to come to the other side and grow the big names of the future. It’s all bigger picture, very exciting.[vidtoken data:1]Above: Priya Ragu's Illuminous, directed by SilenceWhat were the most challenging aspects of the job last year?The budgets! Trying to put out stand out work with budgets that can be restricting.Best or favourite video or videos last year that you weren’t involved with?First to come to mind is Fiona Jane Burgess’ video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/10/25/christina-aguilera-beautiful-2022-version-fiona-jane-burgess/78917" target="_blank">Christina Aguilera's Beautiful</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OByv5luEjc" target="_blank">Ciara's Jump</a> by Dave Meyers. That one took me back to the 2000s. Also loved Duncan Loudon’s <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/03/24/tourist-your-love-duncan-loudon/75512" target="_blank">Your Love</a>&nbsp;video for Tourist.What were the trends (creative or otherwise) that you thought were most striking last year?Performance videos are a big one!What was other cultural highlight (or highlights) of the year?<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toBTPGfurLc" target="_blank">Kendrick Lamar’s Rich Spirit</a>&nbsp;is one of my favourites. So much considered craft to a performance video and you can see how much he’s elevated as an artist through his vulnerability.I also think <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/09/27/stormzy-mel-made-me-do-it-klvdr/78544" target="_blank">KLVDR’s Stormzy video</a> is a major success to produce a 10 minute video in a time where our attention span is decreasing. I don’t think I’ve listened to the track without watching the video!&nbsp;<blockquote>We need more Black female directors. There are a few, but not enough.</blockquote>2023What are you looking forward to in 2023 – both for work and for other parts of your life?Raising the bar for the current directors on our roster. Unfortunately, some things didn’t go our way end of last year, but I’ve seen the potential and the possibility. The resilience and attitude is also there, so I’m looking forward to what comes next.Personal life – looking forward to going back to my home country, South Africa, for the first time after the pandemic.Have you set work objectives for this year and if so, what are they?We’ve defined the signings we’re after this year and we have an even more defined approach towards the sort of music video briefs we want to be taking on.Who are the up-and-coming talents that you think will break through this year – or at least deserve to be successful?• <a href="https://www.spindle.co/directors/milo-blake/" target="_blank">Milo Blake</a> • Silence • <a href="https://www.spindle.co/directors/lydia-garnett/" target="_blank">Lydia Garnett</a>And to be honest, we need more Black female directors. There are a few but not enough, so a huge focus for me is discovering those coming through and how best I can support them.[vidtoken data:2]Above: Obongjayar's Tinko Tinko (Don't Play Me For A Fool), directed by Milo BlakeWhat is your prediction for the direction of the industry in 2023? And what will be the big trends for the year ahead?I think visualisers will continue to be more apparent. But I hope alongside that there is opportunity to make more creative music videos.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?My biggest concern is the rise in deliverables but no increase with budgets.<blockquote>I’ve struggled with the way that Whatsapp has become a way of working.</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;I’d wish for directors, crew and production companies to be paid as they should be for the work that they do.[vidtoken data:3]Above: Lonely Cowgirl's Trouble Wanted, directed by Lydia GarnettWhere are the opportunities in the current environment?I’ve struggled with the way that [communicating via] Whatsapp has become a way of working. But then at the same time it’s benefited producers and EPs by bringing us together and sharing questions and information which we wouldn’t have access to as easily without it. It’s good to be connected to someone so easily who can help make an idea come to life.Have you made any personal New Year resolutions? And if so, how’s it going?I usually do New Year resolutions on my birthday so I can track by age. Then for the years I have word of the year. This year it's 'focus' – to focus on what I need, focus on how I’m feeling and why, what is going right and wrong and areas for improvement.• Nosisa Majuqwana is&nbsp;Head of Music + New Talent at <a href="https://www.spindle.co/" target="_blank">Spindle</a>

Nosisa Majuqwana

State Of Play: Nosisa Majuqwana, Spindle   

Loyle-Carner-'Hate'-by-Greg-Hackett,loyle-Carner

Priya Ragu - Illuminous (Official Video)

Obongjayar - Tinko Tinko (Don't Play Me for a Fool)

Lonely Cowgirl

<h3>Ben Coyle-Larner - aka Loyle Carner - won the coveted Best Performance in a Video at the UKMVAs last month for his on-screen work in Hate, which he also co-directed with Greg Hackett. As Hackett explains it was a project that benefitted from&nbsp;what each of them do best.</h3>"Ben&nbsp;has amazing ideas for films," says Greg Hackett about Ben Coyle-Larner - better known as Loyle Carner. We are talking about the&nbsp;the project that brought them success as co-directors - and Loyle Carner the artist - at this year's UK Music Video Awards: the music video for Hate, which was the first release from Carner's just-released third studio&nbsp;album, Hugo.It led to a Best Performance in a Video award for Carner's multi-faceted on-screen performance at the UKMVAs on October 27th - in a video which was their first collaboration as co-directors. But Hackett&nbsp;is explaining that their creative partnership has developed through a series of projects, and in some ways, the Hate video was two years in the making.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hackett is an experienced commercials director who is adept at executing technically complicated film shoots. As&nbsp;the founder of <a href="https://www.spindle.co/" target="_blank">Spindle</a> he is also committed to the development of new talent - which is how he started working with Ben Coyle-Larner, and his brother Ryan, before the pandemic.&nbsp;It began with the Coyle-Larner Brothers, directing the Arlo Parks video for Eugene in 2019, which Hackett executive produced.&nbsp;"Then we made a film for <a href="https://www.spindle.co/work/ea/" target="_blank">EA FIFA 21</a> [featuring Eric Cantona]&nbsp;which I DoPd for him," explains Hackett. "Then moved into the <a href="https://www.spindle.co/work/loyle-carner/" target="_blank">Yesterday video</a> [for Loyle Carner] that I EP'd again." That video was a complicated and ambitious one-shot idea, and Hackett also brought his technical knowledge to the table, to&nbsp; help the brothers in a more executive-directing role.That provided the foundation for what happened when Loyle Carner completed the new album and started talking about the visuals for the first release. As Greg Hackett explains, from the start it was clear that Ben wanted to do something different with his musical alter-ego: basically no more Mr. Nice Guy.&nbsp;&nbsp;Furthermore, this would be a production which not only demanded a new, unexpected scale of performance from the artist renowned for his likeability, but was hugely challenging on a technical level: motion control, multiple Loyles -&nbsp;and the everything compressed into four shots...[vidtoken data:0]<blockquote>Ben would say to me:&nbsp;I want people to see the other side of who I am.</blockquote>PROMONEWS: How did the project start for you?GREG HACKETT: Ben had this original idea of wanting to be in this car - which is his dad's actual car, and is called Hugo [the name of the new album]. Because that's where the relationship between him and his father came back together.&nbsp;The two had been estranged for a long time, and then Ben's dad gave him driving lessons during lockdown. That brought the two of them back together again.So Ben said - look, this is the first video back. I know I want to use the car. I know I want to be inside the car all the time, and I know that I want to appear multiple times. That gave me some boundaries to work within. And it became&nbsp;a really fun, true collaboration between someone who had the idea and knew what he wanted, but then brings a [full-time] director into this -&nbsp;myself - to help facilitate and execute it.So why are there multiple Loyles in the video?GH: Throughout all of this project, Ben would say to me:&nbsp;I want people to see the other side of who I am.&nbsp;People are aware of this nice young man, who's into Liverpool Football Club, into his cooking, his music is very summery, and he's basically a great guy - a stand-up values-led dude! And all that is true. But&nbsp;he had been going through some shit over the lockdown, and he&nbsp;wanted to show people that there is a darker side to him and his music.Hate is a dark song - talking occasionally about what he loves, but mainly talking about what he hates.&nbsp;And he says himself, he was in a dark place when he wrote it. So I think it's just him coming to terms with the fact that there is a darker side to his personality, that we all do get angry in different ways.&nbsp;It's kind of the perfect visual to reflect that hate in some ways.He's also saying - he's trapped.&nbsp;The whole lyrics of the chorus is, they said it's all that you could be if you're a black playing ball or maybe rap. They said it's like a trap and we're trapped. So, yes, there's this whole part of this film which is about the internal workings of Ben himself. But there's another part which is literally to be taken as he's trapped in this car, he's trapped in this cycle.[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>I'm technically-minded and I have a lot of experience on set...&nbsp;I'm able to take what's in his head and bring it to the screen.</blockquote>There is indeed a lot of rage in the video - including road rage...GH: Actually&nbsp;the road rage element kind of evolved in our conversations about keeping people's attention through the video. He's driving in the car, but things need to happen. So we had this idea that we would create an antagonist through another driver; a kind of catalyst for his anger to bubble up and boil over. Practically, this&nbsp;driver would try and overtake him and he wouldn't let him, when he does, it leads to the anger spilling out.I’d use that as&nbsp; action cues I would give to Ben for his performance to gradually build and build, until the point he stops and then have to go out of the car and have this off-screen altercation. That was something that&nbsp;Ben was really keen on - that it happens off-camera. He wanted the camera to always be in the car. And then go into&nbsp;multiple versions of himself to show these many sides of his anger bubbling over...That posed a directorial problem that needed to be solved. How do we keep the camera n the car, and make the move around to the back and back again? That's kind of our working relationship.&nbsp;I'm technically-minded and I've got a lot of experience in directing on sets with commercials. So I'm able to take what's in his head and then we bring it to the screen.[imgtoken data:2]Above: Ben Coyle-Larner (aka Loyle Carner) on set of the Hate video shoot.&nbsp;&nbsp;So when it came to the&nbsp;problem-solving, what were the key things that you did to make it work?GH: Technically, the way we had to shoot it was in four parts.&nbsp;The first minute and a half&nbsp;- or one minute 27 seconds, to be exact - is one unbroken take of the camera handheld in the passenger seat.That's followed&nbsp;by the motion control section, which required ten layers of takes; from an empty car plate, to takes of Loyle in each seat. The third section is where it escalated out of control with the inner Loyles trying to take control of him;&nbsp;and the fourth is the exterior shot at the end of the video where you see the car swelling with Loyles as he fights to regain control.&nbsp;And we had to find a race track to make it happen. So Nosisa Majuqwana, who is our exec producer at Spindle, spent a week on the phone calling round every possible race track in the south of England to find something that would allow us to do what we wanted to do. And that really was to the wire.<blockquote>Everyone had to perform that first minute and 27 seconds perfectly...</blockquote>So talk us through that first shot...GH: The first one minute 27 seconds is one unbroken take of the camera handheld in the passenger seat. So we have to time that out on the road from point A to point B, where the car stops.That point A to point B, we needed to time all of the cars in the counter movement coming along the road, the stunt driver pulling alongside him multiple times and ultimately landing at this very specific point on the road.&nbsp;They have to perform that 1 minute 27 seconds&nbsp;perfectly, and then it hands off seamlessly.We had to match this frame of inside the car's door to the next frame, which is the motion control camera. And in fact, the only way to do that was to reverse the order on the day:&nbsp;shoot the motion control first and then go back and shoot the first 1 minute 27 of performance...[imgtoken data:3]So you actually started with the&nbsp;motion control section, presumably as that was the most complicated part...GH: The motion control required about 10 layers in all, including&nbsp;an empty layer of the camera movement around the car, and then a layer of every single Ben within the car. Then we needed&nbsp;Ben leaving the car and getting back in the car, and so on.&nbsp;Then at the end of that camera move, I planned it so the camera would come past the seats on the way back so we could hide a transition on the final front passenger seat. You'll see it in the film that the front passenger seat is the wipe that takes you into the third verse.It's worth saying that we had to&nbsp;cut half of the car away to be able to do that camera move. Not Ben's dad's car, I hasten to add! We actually had two cars - Ben Mealing, the producer, sourced a replica, a slightly newer version.&nbsp;So any Volkswagen Polo Mark 2&nbsp;geeks out there will see that it's a slightly newer interior for the internal shots!<blockquote>It&nbsp;was pretty much the worst motion control&nbsp;environment you could ever have.</blockquote>How did it&nbsp;go from a technical point of view?GH: On the day, we didn't have the budget to do what you would usually do in that situation, which would be to tent off and isolate that lighting, or control that lighting above the car. And it&nbsp;was pretty much the worst motion control&nbsp;environment you could ever have.&nbsp;We had sun, bright sunshine, we had rain, we had wind. It was crazy.The last plate that we shot -&nbsp;when Ben gets out the car, has the altercation and then comes back -&nbsp;is so bright and so sunny, that most of the time in post was spent trying to bring that down.&nbsp;They were painting out every highlight in the car, painting out bits of sun and water on the floor.&nbsp;It was nuts, to be honest.Then you moved to the third shot, when Loyle the driver is being manhandled from the 'Loyles' in the backseat...GH: The 'cut' car was now on the low loader - so that Loyle could then perform freely.&nbsp;And to get that performance out of him, we had to do really key things.It was his first performance video back after three years out.&nbsp;We knew we wanted him to go to a dark, heavy place, and for the film to a have a heaviness to it.&nbsp;So everybody was hidden away from the monitors or near us. It was a locked set with only the performers and the camera department, so Ben could really go deep and give that performance that he gave.[imgtoken data:4]Above: Greg Hackett (left) and Ben Coyle-Larner during the greenscreen element of the shoot&nbsp;He is being manhandled throughout, by the other Loyles...GH:&nbsp;That was amazing. We used dancers as the other performers, because we wanted that kind of&nbsp;movement to manhandle Ben from the front into the back of the car. There had&nbsp;to be drama there, and for&nbsp;drama, there needs to be resistance and conflict.&nbsp;It&nbsp;needed that resistance from the guys in the back, to be some real fight in it.&nbsp;One of the guys gave it so much he virtually punched Ben&nbsp;in the face as he's driving. Essentially, it&nbsp;just makes the whole thing feel so real and so dark.<blockquote>There were&nbsp;twelve extras all wearing the same clothes as Ben... in that car.</blockquote>Things change at the end again, with the final shot - the only exterior shot of the car, with lots more Loyles all packed inside...GH: On the one hand, it's the kind of classic shot of driving off into the sunset.&nbsp;But again, we're also ending with Loyle losing total&nbsp;control - and&nbsp;we're not sure whether everything is actually going to be okay. Essentially that tussle for control within Ben's own brain is playing out on screen.&nbsp;From a practical perspective I think there were&nbsp;twelve extras all wearing the same clothes as Ben, being driven in that car by the stunt driver.&nbsp;The truth is, we nearly didn't actually get that whole section because we were overrunning so badly after doing the motion control section - we were about two and a half hours behind.The light was fading fast, and from a VFX point of view, we used sky replacement where we could.&nbsp;We also swapped Ben's face onto the extras, in specific places.&nbsp;When we go from section three to section four as the camera comes out of the car for the first time, the extra leans over and grab the wheel and you can see that we put Ben's face onto his face, and you can see that some other faces in the back of the car are also Ben.[imgtoken data:5]Ultimately within this highly technical shoot, Ben has given an award-winning performance. How did that happen?GH: As Hate came in as the first single, it was only natural for us to work together. And he knew that he wanted a performance based video and he trusted me. There's a level of trust there - which goes both ways - and which allows&nbsp;the actor or the artist be vulnerable enough to get that level of performance.&nbsp;The truth is that without Ben's performance that film&nbsp;wouldn't be as good. No way. But ultimately, it was having time to develop the director and artist relationship, to build that rapport and&nbsp;develop the idea in a more meaningful way that was so important.&nbsp;Who were the other important people who helped you make the video?GH:&nbsp;&nbsp;Todd Martin, who's the director of photography on it, played a huge role in this. And it really was the three of us, as a truly collaborative little unit of creators, essentially pulling this together from the very technical aspects of what the film required.Todd is American, he lives in New York, but he's a massive Loyle fan. And I'd worked with Todd on some really sensitive documentary films four years ago. So I knew that he would have the set discipline and the attitude and the sensitivities around Ben to allow Ben to be vulnerable. Little things like all staying together the night before the shoot in a B &amp; B. And it just being easy. Todd also came to the rehearsals on the previous Saturday. So we're building that rapport with the people that are going to be on set. And of course Nosisa, Ben, Stitch and the production team, who were incredible.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:6]Above: Greg Hackett and Ben Coyle-Larner celebrating the Best Performance win at this year's&nbsp;UKMVAs in October.You've also done a number&nbsp;of visualisers for the album too...GH: Owning your own production company helps, right?&nbsp;You can turn around kind of small budget stuff, but with a lot of love and a lot of passion, and things look great. So with these, there were five very simple ideas. I think four of them he had ideas for himself.What's so fun about those visualizers is that they're not music videos. A music video works best when the music scoring the visuals in a way so it's like a scene out of a movie and you're using that track to bring the scene to life, whereas these were the opposite. You don't actually want your brain to engage with them in the same way as a music video.[vidtoken data:1]But there has to be enough visual interest that there's at least something going on. So actually, it's about the small details. It's about that in HGU, the orange peel or the manager keep texting him and turning his phone over, while he's playing chess with his Dad. These tiny little details that I love putting into my films anyway.The same with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq55IXjIOo4" target="_blank">Homerton</a>. He's outside the Homerton hospital where his child was born. And we don't know why he's waiting or who he's waiting for, but he's waiting for somebody. And even though you don't see his kid, his kid is on the back seat.• Watch Greg Hackett at Spindle <a href="https://www.spindle.co/directors/greg-hackett/" target="_blank">here</a>; and The Coyle-Larner Brothers <a href="https://www.spindle.co/directors/the-coyle-larner-brothers/" target="_blank">here</a>

Greg Hackett

The Coyle-Larner Brothers

No.8

Greg Hackett on Loyle Carner's Hate: "We wanted him to go to a dark, heavy place."

Loyle Carner - HGU (Visualiser)

Silence explores the&nbsp;complex nature of relationships, for Tora-i's Lounging.The intimate promo is captured in beautifully pared-back frames, examining the ebb and flow of romantic relationships through a series of heartfelt vignettes.&nbsp;Appearing in the background of the setups, Tora-i observes the characters whilst performing, acting as a neutral party and the visual anchor of the concept.&nbsp;Beautiful work.&nbsp;

Rishy Malik

Silence

Edwin Brawn

George Tsamis

Miguel Carmenes

Freddie Hill

Oli Hill

Tom Colli

Harry Coleman

James Lye

Maha Alselami

Myles Bevan

Time Based Arts

Tora-i 'Lounging' by Silence

Tora-i - Lounging (Official Video)

Loyle Carner is back with unfiltered new single Hate, with a video directed by Greg Hackett and Carner himself.&nbsp;The concept shows the artist at the wheel of a car, coasting down a road whilst being hassled by an impatient driver behind him. The pressure comes to a head as he&nbsp;gets out to confront the antagonistic driver, whilst the camera pulls back to introduce&nbsp;several doppelgängers in the back seat, who all try to keep Carner from boiling over.The video is&nbsp;charged with the anger, confusion and anxiety that make up the modern experience of being Black and British at this particular point in time, and is a stirring and thought-provoking watch.&nbsp;

Reece Moore

Loyle Carner

Ben Mealing

Elliot Beach

Todd Martin

Stitch Richardson

Kem Ekundayo

Freddie Wright

Merritt Gold

Liam Reardon

Emily Bilverstone

Tim Swaby

Alex Gregory

Barny Wright

Jim Allen

EMI Records

Hip Hop

Loyle Carner 'Hate' by Greg Hackett, Loyle Carner

The Safdie Brothers meet&nbsp;Blade in Milo Blake's surreal, visceral video&nbsp;for Biig Piig's Fun.&nbsp;This intense horror-drama begins at full-throttle with Biig Piig playing one half of an outlaw couple, who are deep in&nbsp;an argument after a robbery gone wrong. Then a dark energy engulfs the couple, transforming them into vampiric alter-egos of themselves.With menacing new auras, chaos then ensues - with a lone medical worker carrying blood supplies as the pair's hapless&nbsp;victim.&nbsp;In terms of the nature of the narrative this is&nbsp;quite the metamorphosis for Biig Piig, who steals the show in vampire villain mode.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the surreal aesthetic and horror concept has the wider impact of visualising the idea of toxic love, and how the darker side of our personalities&nbsp;can run riot in the heat of an argument.It's another&nbsp;intriguing step forward for Milo Blake - this time into a&nbsp;tangibly creepy netherworld&nbsp;- with the help of excellent cinematography by&nbsp;Deon Van Zyl, and a kinetically breathless edit by&nbsp;Lainy Black.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rose Moya

Joshua Gochez

Andrew Patrick

Lea Federmann

Ellis Fox

Kat Cattaneo

Massimo Filippi

Deon Van Zyl

Jack Woodcraft

Sunjna Mullick

Brett Hills

Klim Jurevicius

James Burns

Georgia Hope

Lainy Black

The Assembly Rooms

Jonny Thorpe 

Glassworks

Studio Dosage

Harvey Mcgarry

Sony Rca

Biig Piig 'Fun' by Milo Blake

Biig Piig - FUN (Official Video)

Léa Sen stays at home&nbsp;with her pet chameleon in Molly Burdett's soothing&nbsp;video for I Feel Like I'm Blue.&nbsp;In a series of beautifully composed scenes in a comfortable home, Sen is in a state of relaxed contemplation - accompanied by her&nbsp;chameleon named Blue.&nbsp;Within the setting&nbsp;Burdett explores&nbsp;a metaphor for changing identity and Sen engages in conversation with her future self.[imgtoken data:1]In Lea’s words: "Blue the chameleon is an extension of me. It was also a hint at the challenge of being an immigrant in London and sometimes having to (whether you’re conscious of it or not) change yourself to fit this foreign picture you’re now apart of."Sen's performance is heartfelt and understated, which matches the melancholic vibes of the track, and the desaturated colour palettes and lingering shots help&nbsp;elevate this mood.&nbsp;

Suzie Walsh

Molly Burdett

Jordi Estapé

Ramzey Sabbagh

Jaime Ackroyd

Rowan Mackintosh King

Anil Duru

Esther Dusi

Stephen Dunne

Tenthree Editing

Toby Tomkins

CHEAT

April-rae Hughes

Tim Mellem

Léa Sen 'I Feel Like I'm Blue' by Molly Burdett

Léa Sen - I Feel Like I'm Blue (Official Music Video)

Milo Blake's takes Obangjayar into an Afropop direction,&nbsp;with a noir twist, in the video for the pulsating Tinko Tinko (Don't Play Me For a Fool).Obongjayar is working a nightshift&nbsp;at tech company OB Dream Corp&nbsp;-&nbsp;no relation to a certain repping agency - and while on a break he switches on a distinctly old-school desktop and finds a viral video that becomes his portal into a twisted mirror image of his own world.In this alternate dimension, Obangjayar is transformed into a pop artist, performing the song, and accompanied in the same office by dancers. As the views skyrocket on the viral video, it plays on how&nbsp;technology and viral trends consume our lives. Eventually the lines between the digital and real world become completely blurred - and the hardware itself takes on a organic quality.It's an intriguing showcase for the artist aka Steven Umoh, which shows how he represents an exciting new take on Afropop and Afrobeat&nbsp;- and also shows Milo Blake's also moving into exciting new territory as a video director.[imgtoken data:1]

KZ Creatives

Ella Lucia

Theo Lalic

Greg Probert

Jamie Tarr

Mike Linforth

Jimmy Van Twest 

Karla Q Leon

Jamie Hodgson

Work Editorial

Harry Davidson

September

Afro-Pop

Afrobeat

Obongjayar 'Tinko Tinko (Don't Play Me For A Fool)' by Milo Blake

Silence directs a wonderfully offbeat promo for Priya Ragu.&nbsp;In the playful yet surreal video for Illuminous,&nbsp;Priya&nbsp;is depicted as four different characters, each of whom&nbsp;abstractly represent&nbsp;Priya's personality, strength, humour and confidence.The film depicts the artist&nbsp;as a champion in a flurry of conceptual vignettes&nbsp;- a leader addressing her army, a success-obsessed bodybuilder, a warrior on her motor war horse, and a regal goddess supported by&nbsp;her Tamil procession.It's a brilliant showcase of Ragu's multifaceted skills as a performer, and the sight of her head on&nbsp;a&nbsp;greased-up&nbsp;bodybuilder's torso might just be the most uncanny thing you see all week...&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

Alan Scott

Danny Kiln

Ellie Walker

Joe Sherno

Joe Douglas

Jeff Vine

Christian Swain

Emily Davies

Jake Hunt

Daniela Monteiro

Wilson Fok

Talha Vfx

Warner Records

Priya Ragu 'Illuminous' by Silence

In his second video for DJ/producer prxz, following <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/09/29/prxz-child-red-milo-blake/73079" target="_blank">Child In Red</a>, Milo Blake directs&nbsp;a poetic re-interpretation of the Grim Reaper shepherding a lost soul from limbo, in his promo for Girl.&nbsp;Shot entirely in a six minute&nbsp;continuous take, this one-shot film follows this version of the Reaper as she moves through an abandoned aftermath and interacts with the Soul.The abstract interpretation of the concept creates an aura of mystery which heightens the drama of the piece - with a great use of the East London location and in particular a giant electric pylon tower that straddles the road, its frame picked out in Adam Singodia's black and white cinematography.[imgtoken data:1]The excellent central performances by Emma Aldija as the Reaper and&nbsp;Maddie Millar as the Soul are also noteworthy,&nbsp;keeping viewers engaged with hypnotic, otherworldly movement and spontaneous choreography, captured by Steadicam operator Mike Vega.&nbsp;

Danny Rumbelow

Adam Singodia

Nacho Guzman

Dan Howe

Charlotte Toon

Mike Vega

Awal

prxz 'Girl' by Milo Blake

Prxz-'Girl'-by-Milo-Blake

Milo Blake,&nbsp;a director known for his&nbsp;emotionally visceral promos for artists such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/02/01/rachel-chinouriri-darker-place-milo-blake/69188">Rachel Chinouriri</a>, <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2020/05/13/kam-bu-ft-lord-apex-different-milo-blake/64788">Kam Bu</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/05/19/willow-kayne-two-seater-milo-blake/70977">Willow Kayne</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/09/29/prxz-child-red-milo-blake/73079" target="_blank">prxz</a>,&nbsp;has signed to the director's roster at London-based production company <a href="https://www.spindle.co/" target="_blank">Spindle</a>.&nbsp;Technically-savvy and creatively bold, Blake's promos have been featured at SXSW, the UKMVAs, Shiny Awards, and many other festivals. His recent music video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/03/02/lava-la-rue-magpie-milo-blake/69717">Lava La Rue's Magpie&nbsp;</a>has been nominated at this year’s UKMVAs in the Best Alternative Video Newcomer category.Early collaborations with local musicians quickly led to bigger opportunities for a range of artists, and he’s now making a name for himself as one of the most talented up-and-coming directors working in UK music videos.On his signing to Spindle, Blake says: "I’m so happy to be joining Spindle, a studio that carries the same desires and ambitions for inventive, groundbreaking work made with care and humanity to the individuals involved," says Blake. "This is the infrastructure I’ve been seeking out for a long time, and am so excited to see what we create together."Nosisa Majuqwana, Spindle's Head of Music and New Talent adds: "Milo is an exciting new addition to the Spindle roster, with his visually captivating and innately energetic work. He’s already established himself within the music video industry, and we’re all extremely delighted to work alongside him, to further develop his skills and opportunities with artists, brands and agencies."&nbsp;• Watch Milo Blake's work at the Spindle website <a href="https://www.spindle.co/directors/milo-blake/">here</a>. Contact&nbsp;Nosisa Majuqwana at&nbsp;nosisa@spindle.co for more information.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Milo Blake signs to Spindle 

Joesef is on a mission to bury his past, in Greg Hackett's enigmatic promo for Fire.&nbsp;In the depths of a forest, we see the artist digging a hole, guided by the beams of his car headlights.&nbsp;Under a pitch black sky, the concept takes a twist when we see what is waiting to be buried in the boot, raising abstract questions and metaphors as it builds to a claustrophobic climax.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Hackett takes a relatively simple concept and elevates it with mesmerising cinematography by Jaime Ackroyd, and a brilliant performance from Joesef.&nbsp;"Fire is about that feeling of wanting to burn all your stuff and start over," says the director. "It’s about escaping the emotional weight that places and people carry after too much has happened, but realising nothing ever really leaves you in the end anyway."

Jordi Estapé

Oliver Hill

Malte Huebner

Niyi Ferreira

Krunal Saadranik

Ahmet Buyukcinar

Shamirah Sairally

Cheyenne Miller

Joesef 'Fire' by Greg Hackett

Joesef-'Fire'-by-Greg-Hackett

Greg Hackett directs a neon-lit, conceptual fantasy for Sad Night Dynamite.&nbsp;The video opens with the duo traversing the city in a white limo - a repeating&nbsp;metaphor from previous visuals - as a night of fun soon spirals out of control, leading them to an unplanned destination.&nbsp;Adric Watson's cinematography combines artificial lighting with unfamiliar angles and composition, creating an elevated yet garish aesthetic. And that is perfectly suited to the abstract concept.&nbsp;

Tom Birmingham

Jack Filtness

Philips Nortey

Adric Watson

Jon England

Josh Tilley

Jakob Gierse

Lauren Webster

Poppy France

Simon Bourne

Framestore

Sam Seager

Parlophone

Cinelab Film and Digital

Experimental

Sad Night Dynamite 'Krunk' by Greg Hackett

Sad-Night-Dynamite-'Krunk'-by-Greg-Hackett

Molly Burdett's latest video for Arlo Parks is a tender portrait of youth that explores the highs and lows of adolescence, loneliness, and friendship - shot by&nbsp;Oscar-nominated cinematographer Robbie Ryan, and starring Bafta-winning actor Molly Windsor.&nbsp;&nbsp;This intimate film for Hope, released just ahead of Arlo Parks' much-anticipated debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams,&nbsp;is&nbsp;a timely reminder about the power of togetherness; something everyone needs now more than ever.

Ersan Beskardes

Miles Nathan

Arlo Parks 'Hope' by Molly Burdett

Spindle

Production Company

2023 (1)

2022 (6)

2021 (5)

2020 (6)