Production Company

Stink Films

The four mentors who will guide the finalists for this year's <a href="https://yarnsfilm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarns</a> - Stitch and Homespun's prestigious annual short film competition - have been announced.The mentors are Meji Alabi, director at RSA/Black Dog Films; Marta&nbsp;Bobic, executive producer and MD at CANADA London; Ninian Doff, director at Pulse Films; and Keith McCarthy, director at Stink Films. As with previous years, each of the mentors will partner with the four finalists of this year's competition - Tom&nbsp;Gentle and Sam Brain, Holly Hunter,&nbsp;Juliet Klottrup,&nbsp;Doug Redfern and Joe Roberts&nbsp;- to help them navigate the process from&nbsp;script development to post-production, and create the best possible short film.The scripts of the four short films have all been written inspired by the brief for this year's competition,&nbsp;titled The Ends. After they have been shot, each film will be cut by one of four editors on the <a href="https://homespun.tv/" target="_blank">Homespun</a> roster:&nbsp;Luke Anderson, Chris&nbsp;Hutchings, Laura Reyes and Laura Zvarikova.[imgtoken data:1]A former Senior Creative and Director at Channel 4’s award-winning 4Creative, Keith McCarthy is a masterful&nbsp;visual storyteller, with a distinctive style that combines stunning cinematography and a wry&nbsp;sense of humour.&nbsp;His work for C4’s The Grand National&nbsp;struck a chord globally, and recent&nbsp;collaborations have brought wins and nominations at BAFTA, D&amp;amp;AD, British Arrows, Cannes Lions&nbsp;and Creative Circle.McCarthy&nbsp;returns to the Yarns process having&nbsp;been a mentor on last year’s winning Yarns film, Emma Parkinson’s&nbsp;Dishes, Dishes, Dishes.&nbsp;&nbsp;This year, he will be working alongside director Holly Hunter on her film&nbsp;Banana Boat, cut by Homespun editor Laura Zvarikova.“Mentoring a Yarns finalist is always a brilliant experience, and I feel very lucky that I’ve been asked back for another year," says McCarthy.&nbsp;"Getting the chance to be involved with one of the best independent short film competitions in the UK is a special thing, but it’s also great to learn a few things from the amazing talent that has made it through to the final. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully continue the winning streak!”[imgtoken data:2]Marta Bobic is also returning for a second stint as mentor at Yarns. Having joined CANADA in 2015, she has helped&nbsp;to bring an expanding roster of directors to British shores as EP and MD of CANADA London. She will be working alongside Juliet Klottrup on her film ‘Travelling Home’. The short will be edited by Luke Anderson, who cut last year’s winning film.“I’m so excited to be returning as a Yarns mentor for a second time," she says. "It’s a real honour to help support talented filmmakers and I can’t wait to see Juliet’s vision come to life. I've always admired Yarns and its mission to support new talent, not to mention watching the great films that are produced each year. It's such an important project for bringing new voices and ideas to our industry, so I can’t wait to see what gets produced this year."[imgtoken data:3]Meji Alabi&nbsp;is a director and photographer who bridges the gap between African and Western markets.&nbsp;Creating everything from music videos to advertising campaigns, he is also a co-founder of Lagos-based creative production company JM Films. Signed in the UK to Ridley Scott's RSA Films, Meji’s&nbsp;recent work includes music videos for Stormzy,&nbsp; Wizkid ft Burna Boy, and Leigh-Anne ft Ayra Starr&nbsp;as&nbsp;well as campaigns for Disney, Fanta, Guinness and&nbsp;KFC.He will be working alongside Tom&nbsp;Gentle and Sam Brain on their film&nbsp;Do You Have Kids, to be cut by Homespun editor Chris&nbsp;Hutchings. He is also another returnee as a Yarns mentor."It's my pleasure to be working with Yarns again, especially when the filmmakers&nbsp;are as talented as Tom and Sam," he says. "Yarns is a unique opportunity for young directors to get their start,&nbsp;and their short has both an amazing idea and script. To be collaborating with a writer and director&nbsp;has been an awesome experience, and hopefully we’ll see more of these competitions that help&nbsp;filmmakers of all types get their ideas out there!”[imgtoken data:4]Ninian Doff is an award-winning director whose body of work spans music videos, commercials, and&nbsp;feature film.&nbsp;&nbsp;Previously winning Best Director at the UKMVAs, and several awards&nbsp;for his Run the Jewels&nbsp;promo&nbsp;Love Again, he has since created a string of blockbuster commercials for brands such as&nbsp;Apple, McDonald’s, Three, Ikea and Sainsbury’s.Doff is celebrated for his cinematic approach, intertwining comedy with the surreal, his debut feature&nbsp;Get Duked&nbsp;earned the SXSW Audience Prize. He is also returning as a Yarns mentor, and&nbsp;he will be lending his vast&nbsp;experience to Doug Redfern and Joe Roberts on their film&nbsp;Mr. Biscuit.&nbsp;The film will be cut by&nbsp;Homespun editor Laura Reyes.<blockquote>Each of the mentors is an industry powerhouse.</blockquote>“I'm super happy to be mentoring at Yarns again," he says. "It's such a great opportunity for new directors. Doug and Joe wrote a great script and can't wait to&nbsp;see how it turns out and hopefully I'm of some help along the way!"Homespun co-owner Tim Hardy has added that he is delighted to welcome back the four mentors&nbsp;for another year of Yarns. "Each of them is an industry powerhouse, with wins at BAFTA, Cannes Lions and British Arrows to name but a few," says Hardy.&nbsp;"Our young filmmakers are already working hard shooting their films, and getting to work alongside such a talented group of mentors is an experience I know they won’t forget!”Together with the support from their mentors, Yarns also sees the aspiring directors’ partner with some of the industry’s foremost talent to create their film. The finalists will benefit from experts across production and post, including sponsors Kodak and Slingshot Intergalactic, as well as post-production partners Freefolk, nineteentwenty, Absolute and Sine.“We’re delighted that our finalists will again have some of the best in the business working on their films,"&nbsp;says Homespun co-owner Leo King. "From post to sound, our finalists have always worked with the best up-and-coming talent from across the industry."It’s long been a cornerstone of the Yarns mission, and we’re very proud to say that this will be the case again this year. We can’t wait to see Yarns give a platform to another cohort of talented people.”• More information about the Yarns finalists&nbsp;<a href="https://ends.yarnsfilm.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>; and about Homespun's editors&nbsp;<a href="https://homespun.tv/" target="_blank">here</a>

Homespun

Stitch Editing

Black Dog Films

CANADA

Pulse Films

Mentors unveiled for finalists of this year's Yarns competition 

Eoin Glaister reunites with Glass Animals with his first video for the band since 2017 - and takes their band's fans down a complex&nbsp;a complex conspiracy rabbit hole courtesy of YouTuber TinFoilPat.The video is for&nbsp;The Other Side of Paradise,&nbsp;originally released on the How To Be A Human Being album and now revived to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the album - which also featured Pork Soda and Agnes, which have Glaister-directed videos. It features TinFoilPat as a superfan of the band, revealing to his Youtube community about the&nbsp;rumour that lead singer&nbsp;Dave Bayley has been replaced by a clone (or clones). And then follows his mission to uncover 'the truth'.[imgtoken data:1]The band were not available to feature in the music video, so Glaister has employed various techniques to build his narrative. Firstly he chose to lean on archive footage from their iconic concert at Red Rocks, and construct a narrative arc that starts with the moment Dave sang “my thunder shook him down” in perfect sync with real-life thunder.&nbsp;Then he sourced further on-stage clips, TikTok cutaways, generative AI, choreography and a mouse-and-cat dynamic, to create a trail of clues for TinFoilPat to uncover.The music video is also sprinkled with subtle Glass Animals fandom trivia and even features real-life moments like TinFoilPat infiltrating the Universal Music London office or calling up the front desk to accuse them of “being in” on the hoax.[imgtoken data:2]<blockquote>It felt like a full circle moment, creating promos for the album again.</blockquote>Glaister says that the fact the band were unavailable for the shoot prompted the clone idea.&nbsp;“I'd been watching TikToks with my sisters and was really taken with all the fanfare and conspiracy theories surrounding Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears and I love how ropey all of that evidence is," he explains. "They were vehicles to kick start thinking for this project. [And] the narrative that was constructed with the archive footage means that I could blend facts and fiction in a silly way, which I’m really into.[imgtoken data:3]“This is the third job I've done for Glass Animals, which means I've earned some trust with them; it’s useful for running with a really, really bizarre idea like this one. It felt like a full circle moment, creating promos for the album again.”

United Kingdom

Eoin Glaister

Romy Jo Waller

Dom Mckiernan

Mel Giles

Maya Bury

Louis Danckwerts

Polydor

Fraser Rigg

Rupert Hornstein

Elle Lotherington

Riaz Ahmed

Ben Austin

Ellie Walker

Jess Summer

Supple Nam

Owen O'Sullivan

TenThree

Alex Gregory

No.8

Zach Beech

Indie

Glass Animals 'The Other Side Of Paradise' by Eoin Glaister

Glass Animals - The Other Side Of Paradise (Official Video)

Jorja Smith makes her directorial debut with the video for Falling Or Flying - the latest release from her forthcoming new album - and&nbsp;mirroring the sultry and soulful sounds of the track, she sets out to portray the dichotomy of falling or flying in a simple narrative that peaks as she departs on a journey into space.Up to that point, the viewer is treated to shots of a solitary Jorja as she performs the song captivatingly to the camera in an underground bunker, in the final preparations for her mission.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Jorja worked closely with her crew and Stink's Head of Music Videos Dom McKiernan to bring her vision to life.&nbsp;"Jorja is equally as impressive behind the camera as she is in front of it," says McKiernan. "Incredibly considered, quick thinking and with just such a positive vibe throughout."Jorja had a clear idea of what she wanted and could communicate it to the crew cohesively whilst also being really collaborative and open to figuring out the best way to crystalise her vision together with the crew.”Jorja Smith adds that the idea for the video “came to mind ‘cause I always wanted to shoot a video in space. Falling Or Flying&nbsp;just made me think of that. I wanted to go up into space with someone I love and cherish, but they didn’t want to come with me.”

Ranya El-refaey

Taise Kerr

Alex Carswell

Verity May-lane

Jorja Smith

Lana Salfiti

Erin Corrian-Alexis

Dominic Mckiernan

Freddie Wright

Paul Snell

Josh Tilley

Danielle Igor

Bea Sweet

Lainy Black

Assembly Rooms

Connor Coolbear

Electric Theatre Collective

FAMM

Soul

Jorja Smith 'Falling Or Flying' by Jorja Smith

Jorja-Smith-'Falling-Or-Flying'-by-Jorja-Smith

<h3>This summer, Stink Films' director Douglas Bernardt has relocated from São Paulo to the place that has inspired some of his most creatively rewarding projects - including the recently-released Inside The Blind Iris&nbsp;(above). So&nbsp;we&nbsp;grabbed&nbsp;the chance to talk to him about this remarkable film&nbsp;and other memorable work.</h3>Douglas Bernardt is enjoying his current stay in London, despite a recent cycling accident which has him laid up, nursing a&nbsp;sore knee. This São Paulo native is not in London just for its disappointing summer weather. For him, London is an inspirational place.“Creatively London is the city that interests me the most," he says.&nbsp;"For me, it's a big step, coming from Brazil."It’s also where Bernardt&nbsp;has expanded his scope as a director, exploring the fertile British jazz scene, creating music videos for Tom Misch &amp;&nbsp;Yussef Dayes and Ezra Collective, and extending into live shoots&nbsp;for Misch and Dayes and&nbsp;Arlo Parks. And now he has made a bold step into capturing dance on film which is hugely significant.[vidtoken data:0]The most recent Berhardt-directed project is Inside The Blind Iris -&nbsp;a collaboration with British dancer/choreographer Botis Seva, as part of a commission through London dance venue&nbsp;Sadler's Wells. The 10-minute film&nbsp;fuses Seva’s expressive choreography with Bernardt’s virtuosity in creating memorable images, taking in the span of cinema history in the process. He references German expressionist and surrealist film with powerfully resonant monochrome imagery, but also creates blockbuster-worthy VFX in bringing the story behind Seva's choreography to life.&nbsp;Bernardt turned his hand to filmmaking in his early 20s,&nbsp;having established himself as a photographer. Both his photographic and film work can be described as&nbsp;ambitious, realistic yet lyrical - and it's always cinematically framed. He incorporates serious themes that are relevant to Brazilian life, through promos for the likes of Tagua Tagua,&nbsp;Baco Exu Do Blues and Nego Bala.With&nbsp;Inside The Blind Iris he employs a different palette and toolkit to confront&nbsp;issues of&nbsp;oppression, alienation and mental wellbeing. Our conversation began with his collaboration with Seva and Sadler's Wells, discovering why it was such an invigorating and creative experience -&nbsp;and how it differed to his more musical work.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Above: Douglas Bernardt (left) on set of 'inside The Blind Iris' shoot with dancer/choreographer Botis Seva (right)<blockquote>I came up with an idea... to visually interpret the&nbsp;troubled mind.</blockquote>How did the dance film Inside The Blind Iris come about?It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Sadler's Wells created an initiative supporting filmic collaboration between directors and choreographers. There were three commissions available on the project, and Botis and I won one of them.Botis found my work online and he invited me. I didn't even need to do a treatment. We had one initial chemistry call, and we just bonded from there. It was really nice. And then we had complete creative freedom on the job&nbsp;- we just had to do a dance film that was abstract, and didn't have a structured&nbsp;narrative. That was the commission briefing.It’s a fantastic piece of work. When did you shoot it?We filmed in August and September of last year. Then there were three months of post production. So the final&nbsp;film was delivered in February, but it wasn't released until June.&nbsp;So how did the collaborative process work?I researched Botis's portfolio and found his choreography really inspiring especially because his movements are so strong. He always incorporates a lot of emotion in his dances, and it can feels like his dancers are trying to overcome&nbsp;something. We decided to use movement to explore what rebellion feels like, of fighting&nbsp;against oppression and the system.&nbsp;I came up with the idea of filming in black and white, and creating a known space - the hangar in the film - to resemble&nbsp;the character's mind. It would be an artistic interpretation of the troubled mind: to document&nbsp;pain or anxiety&nbsp;and imagine what it's like&nbsp;to fight your own demons.[imgtoken data:2]<blockquote>I love Buñuel, German Expressionism... and how much easier&nbsp;it is to light when you're shooting black and white.</blockquote>The dancers inside the building represent&nbsp;the haunted spirits following Botis. It's like a nightmare, but it ends up with a sense of hope, once Botis opens the&nbsp;portal and rips the wall out. It's a moment of freedom.I'm not sure&nbsp;that Botis fully understood&nbsp;all of my ideas at the conception stage&nbsp;– but he trusted me. Once we found the shoot location, things started to make sense. The venue had a great exterior,&nbsp;which&nbsp;felt like a place that could be magical and surreal. Yet inside it felt really oppressive,&nbsp;with its huge concrete walls.What and where was the location?It was a former aerodynamics test site, for aeroplanes in the Second World War. So there have this&nbsp;big wind tunnel, where they used to hang the aeroplanes to test their capabilities.And what about the references to classic cinema – including surrealism and even German Expressionism? Was that all there from the start?Stylistically I wanted to do something different to my previous work. I come from a DP background, so the aesthetic is really important to me. The visuals can&nbsp;to enhance the narrative or convey certain feelings. But I’m a bit tired of the stereotype that Brazilian directors only use tropical colours!I want to do something different that felt more European. I love Buñuel, German Expressionism and black and white movies - and I love how much easier it is to light, shooting in monochrome. It means you can focus on other stuff. By throwing a huge light source, you can&nbsp;draw amazing shadows and really focus on the movement, or think about how the dance arrangements fit into the narrative. It wasn’t the main reason we chose it, but in the end it helped so much.Our DP Harry Wheeler, is a master with 16mm. I wanted to invest to shoot in real black and white 16mm inside the building, rather than grade it&nbsp;from colour – because we were using the film as a narrative tool as well. It meant we could separate what is real stylistically from what plays out in his mind's eye. To bring the sense of oppression.[imgtoken data:3]<blockquote>Once you’re on set you also improvise a little bit - it's a nice way of incorporating dance into a narrative.</blockquote>Onto the performance aspect - how did you figure out the balance&nbsp;between the choreography, the camera and direction?The choreography was a really organic flow. Initially I didn't really know how to kickstart the process. So I began by presenting&nbsp;shapes to Botis, and he liked it. Once we had the location, we applied the shapes inside and started building outlines for each location – one circular setup, one was a line, a triangular setup and a square.We created five dance setups, and spread them through the locations, and&nbsp;Botis adapted the choreography to fit the venue. Then we focussed on the music, and made five tracks relevant to each setup too.&nbsp; It was a constantly evolving process - and we continued to improvise on-set. So it was a really nice way of incorporating dance into a narrative, because usually it’s the other way round - you bring the choreography in when everything else is set up.Of course the classic payoff shot is Botis encountering the whale in the middle of the City of London…So the idea behind the whale is that it represents this feeling of not belonging. It's abstract, of course, and there's room for interpretation. But how I see it&nbsp;is that&nbsp;this guy is so dislocated in the world that he feels outside and separate from reality - like a fish out of the water. And whales are so different&nbsp;from us, but at the same time, they're super-close to us - they're also mammals, the closest ally&nbsp;from the water.<blockquote>The only warmth&nbsp;in the film is when he looks at the whale, and the whale is about to die.</blockquote>So visually it's&nbsp;impactful and it builds an empathetic bond with Botis. No one looks at Botis with empathy, during the whole film. It’s the only moment of&nbsp;warmth in the whole film, when he looks at the&nbsp;whale, and the whale is about to die. It seems the animal understands the human’s struggle -as&nbsp;it’s dying in the middle of the centre of&nbsp;capitalism. Buses pass, people cycle on and continue to live their lives. No one has the capacity to really care or&nbsp;look at it.&nbsp;It's an abstract ending, but I think it does resonate with audiences, and that was the intention overall.This provided you with more freedom than some of your music videos, and definitely any commercial jobs. When you're making something for Nego Bala or Tom Misch do you have to become a different type of&nbsp;director to who you are commercially?Sort of. Every project has a goal that you need to reach. The Sadler’s Wells film was very much about how me and the choreographer worked together - a&nbsp;much more personal environment than my work for Nego Bala, for example. That’s&nbsp;his story, and I'm shooting on his behalf, so I have get into his mind as much as possible.[imgtoken data:4]Above: Bernardt (left) and Seva on the location of the Inside The Blind Iris shoot.<blockquote>Botis didn't always understand my initial ideas&nbsp;– but he trusted me.</blockquote>Working with Nego Bala was about understanding his reality,&nbsp;what he went through. That meant interviewing him many times, getting important details,&nbsp;and considering how to present these on camera. We were trying to summarise&nbsp;his childhood, his feelings,&nbsp;his perception of growing up in prison.Of course, I weaved in my own feelings, to&nbsp;make it feel more intimate. But its more about trying to translate what he told me about his reality. And It had a really important political side as well. There's a really important social aspect behind it to inspire Brazilian youth.The <a href="https://vimeo.com/391086313" target="_blank">Tom Misch video [for What Kinda Music</a>] was more like the traditional process for a music video. I received the music, and loved it, then slowly&nbsp;found the visual to make the music stronger and tease out a story to match the lyrics.You shot the narrative video in Ukraine, which led you to making live videos for Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes. How did that come about and how different are live videos?From the get-go we agreed to do the two video concepts - the&nbsp;narrative for What Kinda Music and live video for Lift Off. I was more excited about the narrative one. But I alos thought it was cool to do a live shoot with a smaller budget and capture the band’s synergy without a fixed storyline to follow.[vidtoken data:1]<blockquote>I didn't know I would have so much passion for shooting live performance.</blockquote>But when we got on set of the live performance video, and I saw Yussef and Tom play, it was mesmerising. They are&nbsp;so soulful together, and it's just beautiful to watch them perform.It was my very first time shooting a live video, and I didn't know I would have so much passion for it. But you're&nbsp;so in&nbsp;the moment. You have to be present, to find the right elements for the shot, including the right lighting and camera movements in the right moment of the track. I had to really get into&nbsp;the music, and try to translate that on-screen. It also felt I was playing with them while they performed. My instrument was the&nbsp;Steadicam.I just got into the zone on set. And after that, I wanted to do more of these sort of jobs.&nbsp;It just has to be with a truly exceptional&nbsp;performer – because its 100% about the performance.And that collaboration led to the Arlo Parks live video, for Softly?Yes, Arlo is amazing&nbsp;and has a wonderful voice. So that was a natural fit. For that shoot&nbsp;we found a&nbsp;location in New York, while I was shooting a commercial in Mexico. It meant I had to do a one day trip to New York just to shoot this. I was testing for COVID the entire time, and then&nbsp;on the day we were meant to do the shoot, I tested positive.&nbsp;I didn't&nbsp;have any symptoms (and I still think it was a dud result) but I couldn't go.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:2]<blockquote>It was more about Arlo’s expressions while singing. So the camera is much more about her.</blockquote>I called a director friend of mine in New York, to help me out. I was going to direct remotely, but I needed someone there on set, to feel out the space.&nbsp;He was my eyes, and at some point our visions synced up.It was a completely&nbsp;different experience to my first live video. With Arlo, it was all about the voice. We didn't need to navigate between instruments, we just wanted to capture Arlo's emotions and how she expressed herself. So having her front and centre in shot was essential. Even when moving around the band, she's always looking to the camera.As you’re spending the summer months living in London, what are you enjoy most about being here?Not the food. I’m joking...I love the intersection of art in London.&nbsp;Music video-wise and commercially, the most creative work takes place here. You can see it in the&nbsp;fashion. I lived in New York before, and the two cities have a similar vibe. But I think in London it’s a little bit more… true. People really build a scene here, and that’s interesting.It's quite hard for me to explain, but it’s a place where I fit, where I have friends. It's been easy for me to make friends here.&nbsp;I also like that the whole city is flat and I can ride my bike.&nbsp;São Paulo is full of hills, so cycling is much harder!&nbsp;[vidtoken data:3]<blockquote>My music videos have been like short films - now my treatments are getting more surreal.</blockquote>I still do a lot of photography. That's how I started and though&nbsp;I gave it up for a few years, I came back to it recently. I'm investing in my photography more actively at the moment, and taking&nbsp;street pictures as I walk about. I love it.I'd love to express myself in an easier medium. Films take a long time, so photography allows me to express myself immediately, every day. While I've been here I've been&nbsp;organising my pictures, creating series, and taking more. It's been fun, discovering new neighbourhoods, and feeling connected to people.What else is in the pipeline for you in terms of films?My ideas now are different to what I’ve been known for. The dance film has spurred a new career direction. My music videos have always been more like short films, with a fleshed-out narrative, like for Bluesman&nbsp;and Nego Bala. My treatments are becoming more surreal, and feeling-led. And I'm trying to nurture&nbsp;this new wave of thinking.• Douglas Bernardt is represented by <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/united-kingdom/" target="_blank">Stink Films</a> for music videos and commercials.

Douglas Bernardt

Douglas Bernardt on 'Inside The Blind Iris' and finding fresh inspiration in London

INSIDE THE BLIND IRIS

Tom-Misch-&amp;-Yussef-Dayes-'Lift-Off-(feat.-Rocco-Palladino)'-by-Douglas-Bernardt

Arlo Parks - Softly (Live)

Nego Bala – "SONHO" com Elza Soares (Filme Oficial)

A <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0J9paXNL6O3ic86cA26gOY" target="_blank">new episode</a> of The Promonews Podcast - Talking Music Videos&nbsp;is out today,&nbsp;with David and Rob of Promonews talking to Eoin Glaister - a director who has spent the last ten years making music videos that make us laugh.From his notorious video for Let The Machines Do The Work - filmed at an EDL rally - to his latest for LA Priest, featuring a love affair between a cleaning woman and a fatberg, Eoin has been pushing boundaries in narrative videos that have reflected his zest for comedy.On this episode, he talks about the videos - mostly funny ones, occasionally not - that have were important in his development as a director. Delivered with a distinctive dash of Glaister wit that makes it a very enjoyable listen.With credits that include videos for Catfish &amp; The Bottlemen, Aquilo, Glass Animals, All We Are, Kele Okereke&nbsp;and Beirut, he reflects upon the considerable challenges that have come with the opportunity of bringing his ideas to the screen.&nbsp;Eoin explains how he found a knack for directing video trilogies - and why he thinks that a dog is a director's best friend.&nbsp;Since working with superstar artist Joji before the pandemic, the Stink FIlms-signed director has broken properly into commercials, with leading brands taking advantage of his comedic style. More occasional recent outings in music videos include his promo for&nbsp;Liverpool DJ/produce&nbsp;Mentis, and he explains how he created a great comedy character in the video with&nbsp;BAFTA-winning actor Lauren Sorcha.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0J9paXNL6O3ic86cA26gOY?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius:12px" width="100%"></iframe>This episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" target="_blank">The Promonews Podcast: Talking Music Videos</a> follows a series of revealing conversations in recent months with directors currently making a big impact&nbsp;in UK music videos. The last episode featured Tash Tung, who talks about bringing a different style to the pop video genre. Previous interviewees have included Charlie Sarsfield, Noel Paul, Ali Kurr and Joe Connor.&nbsp;&nbsp;Other recent interviewees include Aoife McArdle discussing her path from music video director to director and producer on Apple TV+ show&nbsp;Severance; and pioneering music video&nbsp;director Andy Morahan talking about working&nbsp;with Guns 'n Roses, on the 30th anniversary of his legendary video for November Rain.And you can explore The Promonews Podcast for interviews with the likes of KC Locke, Sam Brown,&nbsp;Sophia Ray &amp; Mayling Wong, Milo Blake,&nbsp;Fred Rowson, Nathan James Tettey,&nbsp;Kasper Haggstrom, Olivia Rose and Sam Davey.• Listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" target="_blank">The Promonews Podcast</a> on&nbsp;Spotify, and other platforms.

The Promonews Podcast: new episode with Eoin Glaister out now!

A woman falls in love with the Fatberg - yes, you heard right - in Eoin Glaister's marvellously&nbsp;entertaining return to music videos for Sam Dust, aka LA Priest.It's a tale both charming and ludicrous - in other words, classic Eoin Glaister territory - as a house cleaner (played by comedy actor&nbsp;Juliet Cowen) peers into a street drain on her way home from a hard day's work, and sees an&nbsp;amorphous blob of grease and fat - who looks back at her. And they fall head-over-heels for one another...What follows is a both lovely and a little bit disgusting, as Cowen ventures into the sewer system to properly meet the Fatberg, and we follow the inevitable steps of the relationship - the wooing, the (ahem) physical relationship, the arguments, the peace offerings of wet wipes and non-biodegradable products down the loo. And like all stories of star-cross'd lovers, it's not going to end well - but even then, love prevails. Kind of...[imgtoken data:1]It's Eoin Glaister's second video for Sam Dust, formerly of Late of the Pier, as LA Priest, and was shot in London over two days on 16mm.&nbsp;“The first video I made with LA Priest involved letting an untrained pack of dogs lick liver paste out of his ears, so I was somewhat surprised to get a call regarding It’s You -&nbsp;but&nbsp;needless to say l leapt," he says. “The track is about someone falling in love with a mermaid, but the time of year meant I kept running into safety issues with any water-based ideas. A fatberg provided an altogether greasier route."A few Mighty Boosh references later and we were away. Eternally grateful to the fabulous crew who went above and beyond to bring this to life on Valentine’s Day and to our stars, veteran genius Juliet Cowan, and Vanessa Del Bosco whose zen-like patience made the project possible. Watch out for a fabulous Flusher cameo from LA Priest.”

Shea Coleman

Peter Bishop

Milo Brown

Evangeline Perkins

Aloha Kulieshova

Greg Probert

Hugo Harris

Syd Harmony

Florence Jones

Molly Whiteley

Agnieska Kukulka

James Forbes-Robertson

Trim Editing

Rob Akin

Spirit View

Juliet Cowan

Alternative

LA Priest 'It's You' by Eoin Glaister

LA Priest - It's You (Official Video)

Stink Rising have announced the signing of award-winning producing duo&nbsp;MrMr to their global directing roster.MrMr are Katie Lambert and Martha McGuirk, who are returning to Stink where they first began working together in 2018, when Lambert was Head of Music at the London-based production company and recruited McGuirk to join as music video producer.The pair left Stink to establish their own production company, MrMr Films, in 2020. Since then they have produced ad campaigns and high profile music videos for the likes of Little Simz, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Muse and others, working with directors such as&nbsp;Lope Serrano at CANADA, Felix Brady, Georgia Hudson, Terrence Neale and Salomon Ligthelm.In addition to their producing work, MrMr have co-directed&nbsp;music videos with artists such as Wet Leg and Self Esteem, eventually moving into solo directing on projects, including a short film for Suede’s album Autofiction.&nbsp;Their latest project as directors is their short film <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/project/eat-it-competition" target="_blank">Eat It</a> - a gut-busting&nbsp;comedy. Released last week and destined for a festival run, Eat It has so far been accepted at&nbsp;Birmingham Film Festival, Oslo Film festival, Oaxaca Film Festival and New York Shorts.“It’s nice to be back and pestering all our old co-workers to try and get us scripts," say MrMr's Lambert and McGuirk - who will continue to produce the work they direct. "Jokes aside, we’ve seen first hand the skill and care of the Stink EPs and we’re incredibly grateful they are giving us their time and talent.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Blake Powell, Stink Global Head of Film, adds: “Katie and Martha have long been part of the Stink family and I'm excited to have them back, this time as directors. They are sharp, ambitious directors who have a highly valuable background in production with an eye for creatively driven stories.”• Watch MrMr's showreel at Stink Rising <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/artist/mrmr" target="_blank">here</a>

MrMr

MrMr sign to Stink Rising as directors

Andrew Litten's thought-provoking video for Belle &amp; Sebastian features&nbsp;Olympic figure skater&nbsp;Jonathan Cassar, who uses his time on the ice&nbsp;to&nbsp;escape from the demons of his&nbsp;past.Litten's approach to&nbsp;I Don't Know What You See In Me - a song from the new Belle &amp; Sebastian album Late Developers - is to create a starkly cold aesthetic and faintly disturbing atmosphere at a vintage ice rink, which is deserted apart from the presence of Cassar.&nbsp;This is&nbsp;a real counterpoint to the familiar lightness of B&amp;S frontman Stuart Murchoch's voice, and then the champion skater begins a&nbsp;graceful routine on the ice with plastic bag taped around his&nbsp;head. This powerful symbol of suffocation remains until the final moments of the video. &nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]"The band was passionate about this being a character study of a figure skater,&nbsp;and referenced one of my favourite noirs, The Swimmer," Litten explains. "I wanted to juxtapose the sensitivity of the song - which speaks to depression, self image and acceptance -&nbsp;with a narrative that confronts these feelings head on."The bag and the pulses of suffocation serve as a reminder of the baggage we carry throughout our lives, and how we cannot truly see ourselves until we have done the work to do so.&nbsp;I have endless gratitude to Stuart and the band for allowing us to create something so bold and unnerving with a hint of catharsis."It's a touching and powerful exploration of self acceptance, with plenty of engaging visuals to keep viewers hooked.

United States

Evaline Wu Huang

Claudia Guevara

Andrew Litten

Sara Clausen

Hands London

Gabe Spierer

Sam Wilkerson

Trevor Wineman

Ryland Burns

Drew Weaver

Corey Brown

Erick Aguilar

Ali Arminio

David Arteaga

Randy Gardner

Mike Howell

Color Collective

Jonathan Cassar

Matador Records

Belle & Sebastian 'I Don't Know What You See In Me' by Andrew Litten

Belle-&-Sebastian-'I-Don't-Know-What-You-See-In-Me'-by-Andrew-Litten

Director duo&nbsp;Grin Machine - that's Dan Streit and Cole Kush - create a mind-boggling promo for&nbsp;A$AP Rocky, combining tropes of hip hop videos - including&nbsp;Rocky's - with high concept Nineties comedy Weekend At Bernie's, delivered in the directors' wildly experimental comedic style.&nbsp;&nbsp;Released in collaboration with&nbsp;EA’s new videogame Need For Speed: Unbound, the video for Shittin' Me opens with Rocky at the height of his career, barking orders at office employees.[imgtoken data:1]But after an unfortunate crowd-surfing incident, Rocky collapses and dies. So his entourage then embark on various methods to keep the Rocky bandwagon/gravy train&nbsp;on the road.This involves their desparate attempts to puppeteer Rocky's lifeless body (as per Bernie's, and the DANIELS' debut feature Swiss Army Man) but eventually they revert to building a new, almost-realistic version of Rocky to replace the old. And hope nobody&nbsp;notices - even though he seems quite a lot nicer than the original Rocky.[imgtoken data:2]This gives full reign to&nbsp;Streit and Kush's&nbsp;leftfield&nbsp;aesthetics in a breathless blur of frenetic,&nbsp;AI-enhanced visuals.&nbsp;The whirlwind of imagery and textures create a hypnotic, almost out-of-body experience, and builds to a climax of haunting vignettes that look vomited up straight from the Uncanny Valley.&nbsp;“It was this weird and beautiful situation where Rocky had no notes and was fully on board to try out anything with our bizarre narrative.,” explain the Grin Machine pair. "We’re super grateful for that."&nbsp;[imgtoken data:3]The directors took an atypical approach to their unique production design, curating some set decoration and using AI tools to build upon the setups on the three day shoot. Streit and Kush handles all the editing and VFX themselves, implementing experiments from various AI tools including Stable Diffusion, Dall-E 2, RunwayML, amongst others.“We set out to make something that somewhat combined a goofy 80’s-90’s comedy movie narrative, told through a bizarre and frenetic mashup of experimental AI visuals, while still treating it as a 'cool rap video'.&nbsp;We HOPE we have succeeded with this!”&nbsp;

Grin Machine

Andy Ruse

David Kim

Tanner Hall

Dan Streit

Dylan Hagemann

Sebastian Allen

Linda Marian

Sofie Warshafsky

Ava Villafañe

A$AP Rocky 'Shittin’ Me' by Grin Machine 

A$AP Rocky - Shittin' Me (Official Video)

Saad Moosajee directs an awe-inspiring&nbsp;promo for the unmistakeable Woodkid - the musical alter-ego of Yoann Lemoine.&nbsp;Playing out&nbsp;like a duet between organic forces and burgeoning machinery, the video for Reactor is set many years in the future inside a volcanic megastructure.The film took over a year to create and combines Unreal Engine live choreography recorded with motion capture technology and keyframe animation. The team consisted of only three&nbsp;full-time production artists - including lead animator Daniel Callaby and technical director James Bartolozzi, who developed a suite of bespoke production tools that made it possible for a small team of artists to do all of the visual effects work.[imgtoken data:1]Breathtaking textures amalgamate in an otherworldly, haunting atmosphere, and the video as a whole is a&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of innovative creativity, with&nbsp;the nature and operatic scale of the imagery is very much a continuation of the world of Woodkid.“Our vision for the film was to have an environment that felt alive - so much so that it became a character in the film," explains&nbsp;Moosajee - who has previously created&nbsp;brilliant painterly animations for the likes of Thom Yorke and Mitsky. "To achieve this, we created over 100 unique lava and smoke simulations using tools by Thomas Marque and James Bartolozzi. “We approached the VFX for this music video through the lens of an animated feature film workflow, developing custom production tools and software to visualize such a unique story and landscape."[imgtoken data:2]This song was inspired by the films made in the golden age of 80s and 90’s Japanese animation – Akira and Ghost in The Shell - as Woodkid explains."I wrote Reactor&nbsp;for the Suginami Junior Chorus (Japan), and we recorded the piece in 2020 in Tokyo. It is an homage to repetitionist and minimalist music and an homage to the Japanese anime that was part of my culture when I was younger.”He adds that he contacted Moosajee when his album S16 was released two years ago.&nbsp;“I was already a big fan of his work. We share the same passion for animation and motion design, and for dance.[imgtoken data:3]"When he asked me to do a video for one of the songs off the record, I immediately accepted and gave him the time to produce this beautiful film that gives a new dimension to the song. It’s a perfect gift to the fans for the two years of S16.” Moosajee adds: “Our intention was to create something deeply personal that could communicate the feeling of being swallowed by the world around you. About trying to breathe in a place where no one and nothing can breathe anymore.”

France

Paul Lavau

Daniel Callaby

Saad Moosajee

Reef Oldberg

Helene Segol

Melodie Saba

Maya Man

James Bartolozzi

Clementine Tatin

Woodkid 'Reactor' by Saad Moosajee

Woodkid - Reactor (directed by Saad Moosajee)

Multi-hyphenate creative Wesley Joseph self-directs the etheral promo for Monsoon.&nbsp;As with Joseph's self-directed video&nbsp;for Thrilla last year,&nbsp;it's presented as a series of poetic vignettes, and imbued with a sense of otherworldly energy, exploring character and concept through dazzling costumes and slick styling.&nbsp;Without a narrative to tie things together, the abstract visual is instead left open to interpretation, and exudes a magical, fantastical vibe throughout. It's fantastic work, and&nbsp;absolutely stunning to look at.&nbsp;

Sarah Asmail

Wesley Joseph

Andrew Rawson

Krunal Saadrani

Jake Gabbay

Michael Hannides

Sam Allen

Richie Oldfield

Secretly Canadian

Wesley Joseph 'Monsoon' by Wesley Joseph

Wesley-Joseph-'Monsoon'-by-Wesley-Joseph

Felix Brady returns to the world of music videos with a groundbreaking tour de force of action and VFX for Greentea Peng.The video for Look To Him is an exploration of originality, creativity, and shaping your own reality, as the promo takes audiences on a journey that defies what we would consider possible - even in the world of movie-making.As Aria Wells, aka Greentea Peng, performs Look To Him and acts as the omniscient narrator from afar,&nbsp;an action sequence unfolds upon the roof of a speeding car&nbsp;between two men - part-fight, part-dance - with the camera as an integral participant to the action, constantly circling the performers.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]The spectacular action sequences were achieved by an innovative application of technology by Felix Brady - who's last foray into music video was the brilliant <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2020/08/13/greentea-peng-hu-man-directors-cut-felix-brady/66109" target="_blank">Greentea Peng video for Hu-Man</a>&nbsp;in 2020. Since then, he has been honing his filmmaking craft&nbsp;making commercials,&nbsp;and it shows.To achieve a 360 degree shot of choreography atop of a moving car on a limited budget required a highly ambitious technical approach that had not been done before - involving precise 3D mapping, cars on rotating turntables, custom algorithms, and virtual environments supplied by the gaming&nbsp;giant EPIC Games.[imgtoken data:2]Brady's ingenious solution was to 'create'&nbsp;an orbiting camera move by spinning the vehicle on a platform inside an LED volume - on the largest LED stage in Europe, in Latvia. Virtual backgrounds, supplied by EPIC Games, originally created for the videogame The Matrix Awakens, were then synced to match the car’s rotation.In fact, Brady&nbsp;utilized a never-done-before filming technique involving precise 3D mapping and bespoke algorithms to offset in-camera tilt, jib, and pan, to track with the animated backgrounds. The result is a dizzying, dazzling display, where fantasy blockbuster action meets a&nbsp;playfulness&nbsp;inspired by the music of Greentea Peng.[imgtoken data:3]“I felt equally as passionate about the creative and the song as I did with the technical aspects," says Brady. "The video is really all about source energy and believing you can tap into it at any time and so you don't need to look to others for that.“The car is the vessel for this idea. It’s the analogy for life being relentless and ever moving, it’s this foundational thing we can’t jump off. The characters atop the car are representative of the flamboyant side and the serious side, the transience of life and all its intertwined conflicts."Felix adds, “I couldn't be happier with the outcome. Especially considering the budget we had to work with. I’m now incredibly passionate about pushing the limits of LED volumes. It’s the playground of the future.”

Adam Khazhmuradov

Sasha Shadid

Tatyana Alexander

Charlie Morris

Felix Brady

Konrad Losch

Sylvie Briggs

Ismay Bickerton

Alex Kryszkiewicz

Eyaz Christy

Ricardo Garofalo

Jonny Vieco

Liv Ay

Tom Manton (producer), Sean Costello (EP), Selected Works

Clare Melia

Spirit Studios

The Mill

Selected Works

Tom Luff

Greentea Peng 'Look To Him' by Felix Brady

Greentea Peng - Look To Him (Official Video)

Dan Streit directs the new promo for Joji's Glimpse Of Us, highlighting the absurdity and misery of overly-masculine posturing.&nbsp;The grimy concept is packed full of questionable activities, including property&nbsp;destruction, setting off fireworks, public urination, and causing general chaos.&nbsp;Shot in a loose, DIY manner, the visuals feel characteristic of footage shared on social media, with a distinctively lo-fi feel&nbsp;and air of barely concealed anger.This is a brilliantly grim satire on a nihilistic,&nbsp;Incel-driven mentality -&nbsp; Jackass-style behaviour gone dark and run amok. The contrast between the chilling ballad and these riotous vignettes imbues the concept with a sense of melancholy and isolation. And Streit also has the heart and vision to reveal the self-destructive impact of the bravado.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ollie Zhang

88rising

Joji 'Glimpse Of Us' by Dan Streit

Joji-'Glimpse-Of-Us'-by-Dan-Streit

Stink Rising have announced&nbsp;the signing of award-winning director&nbsp;Sinan Sevinç to their global talent roster.Currently studying at&nbsp;the prestigious Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg for a diploma in Directing Advertising Film,&nbsp;Sevinç has already worked with brands such as Porsche and Mercedes, and has been recognised with numerous industry awards, including at the Shots awards,&nbsp;Ciclope’s and 1.4s, and the Young Directors Award at the DWP/ German Advertising Film Awards.Sevinç is German/Kurdish, who grew up in a small German town, and was inspired to shift careers from journalism to directing, due to a desire to tell stories from his own perspective, and portray his own creativity through film without the constraints of journalistic rules, responsibilities and time pressures. At the same time his work is based on journalistic research, to attain precision and authenticity.His work&nbsp;<a href="https://stinkfilms.com/project/born-guilty/" target="_blank">Born Guilty</a>, for the organisation&nbsp;The Innocence Project, which works to tackle errors of judgement in&nbsp;the USA, tells the true story of Huwe Burton, a young black man from the Bronx, who was wrongly accused and&nbsp;imprisoned for 19 years for killing his own mother, and spent the duration fighting for his freedom and innocence.&nbsp;The film has won numerous awards, including at the Shark Awards for Best Direction, bronze at the Ciclopes, two&nbsp;golds at the YDAs and winning at 1.4.“My ambition as a director is to tell authentic stories with a multicultural sensibility that trigger emotions," says&nbsp;Sevinç. "Stink is one of the biggest industry players globally, and I had great conversations&nbsp;with the whole team, so it felt like the right decision to join the Stink family.”Hannah Belill, Global Head of Stink Rising and Music Videos, says: “We’re so excited to add Sinan to the Stink Rising&nbsp;roster, our global talent spotlight.&nbsp;Born Guilty, based on the true story of Huwe Burton, demonstrates his incredible&nbsp;ambition to tell important stories from marginalised groups and blends his journalistic roots with impressive craft&nbsp;to deliver really gripping storytelling. The other stand out,&nbsp;Dirty Money,&nbsp;is equally as exciting, using a single visual&nbsp;motif - it’s so clever and has a sense of humour. Really looking forward to seeing what’s in store, we have high&nbsp;hopes!”Blake Powell, Stink’s Global Head of Film, adds: “I think Born Guilty is an incredible piece of work. The craftwork is impeccable, especially for a director so early in their career. Sinan has an invigorating energy that is evident in his work. We can’t wait to get started.”• Watch Sinan Sevinç's work at Stink Rising <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/artist/sinan-sevinc" target="_blank">here</a>

Sinan Sevinç signs to Stink Rising

Paul Ward directs a riveting film for surf brand Mami Wata.&nbsp;The video for Luck Is Alive tells the story of an African surfer who is a believer in Animism, a sensibility prevalent among surfers throughout Africa. Animism is based on the idea that everything is sentient: that inanimate objects, plants, animals or even entities such as the ocean have a spirit or a soul, often in the sense of having ‘personhood’.The cinematic film is a cerebral, often intense experience, and blends documentary and promo aesthetics. The concept is driven forward&nbsp;by a compelling voiceover and breathtaking sound design, which brings the enigmatic narrative to life.&nbsp;Demonstrating an animistic sensibility through the concept of luck, the line, ‘Luck is Alive’, encapsulates this way of relating to the world: a sense of the aliveness of chance, and by believing in luck and that luck is alive, luck can lead you to be lucky. It is through his belief in luck that our protagonists is lead to the water, and where main character&nbsp;Damme Samb finds ultimate freedom.

South Africa

Mami Wata Creative

Paul Ward

Jo Barber

Giant Films

Deon Van Zyl

Emma Lundy

Cindy Gabriel

Martina Lueslsdorf

Peet Pienaar

Wendy Fredriksson

Xander Van Der

StrangeLove

Joseph Bicknell

Company 3

Tetaki Studios

Mami Wata 'Luck Is Alive' by Paul Ward

Paul-Ward-'Mami-Wata---'luck-Is-Alive''-by-Paul-Ward

Harun Güler challenges traditional definitions of masculinity, in his brilliant promo for Turkish artist Evdeki Saat.The impassioned&nbsp;dance and boundary-shattering performance brings masculinity and gender into conversation in a stylish and dramatic fashion, and ends on a hopeful note.&nbsp;"The film is about the double-life of a Turkish boy, stuck between ultra masculinity and their inner desire to break free," explains&nbsp;Güler. "When developing the main character together with our actor Eren M. Güvercin it was important for us to depict someone outside of any binaries.&nbsp;"I envision a society in which the question of what gender or sexuality someone belongs to becomes absolutely trivial.”

Turkey

Ruby Wilson

Harun Güler

Evdeki Saat 'Sustum' by Harun Güler

Stink Films

Production Company

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