Production Company

Stink Films

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;

Dan Streit

Andy Ruse

Grin Machine

Ollie Zhang

Ryland Burns

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

Jake Flowers

Lukas Rotter

Leander Ott

Divina Kuan

Valentin Braun

Kristin Belger

Vigdís Erla

Clockwork

Evdeki Saat 'Sustum' by Harun Güler

SUSTUM.

LOOSE brings the Y2K vibes for new girlband FLO's debut video.&nbsp;The video for Cardboard Box captures the girl's personalities and playful energy, as they take on roles as both artist and director in the concept.&nbsp;Against a bright white cyc background, the mixture of performance, choreography and faux-BTS shots create a dynamic and nostalgic energy. And some viewers may&nbsp;also celebrate the parallels between this and an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVG4Ix9GgFg">early Noughties video for the Sugababes.</a>[imgtoken data:1]

United Kingdom

Rose Moya

Kirsty Stewart

LOOSE

Shea Coleman

Hands London

Quinn Titsworth

Conrad Russell

Henry Gill

Dom Mckiernan

Hannah Bellil

Joe Mulvihill

Mitchell Collins

Teresa Adamson

Remi Black

Kadi Salon

Bléu Ribbon Salon

Chaniqwaa Brown

Jemima Boateng

Beah

Jasmine Hamilton

Saba Khan

Dom Q

This And That Media

Megan Lee

Electric Theatre Collective

Island Records

FLO 'Cardboard Box' by LOOSE

Flo-'Cardboard-Box'-by-Loose

Wesley Joseph self-directs a darkly comedic video for his track Cold Summer, about the travails of crime boss Fredrick.&nbsp;Shot in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the concept&nbsp;follows Fredrick - played by Joseph -&nbsp;on the run after escaping prison. In the narrative, Fredrick finds himself in a game of cat and mouse whilst on the hunt to bring home a mystical missing briefcase.A vibrant, visually arresting aesthetic accompanies the melodramatic&nbsp;yet comedic storyline, and grandiose themes of villainy, with the&nbsp;expansive desert and mountainous terrain acting as a hugely cinematic backdrop to the action.&nbsp; Contrasting colour palettes - along with the hypnotic visual effects and high-end art direction - lend a huge amount of production value to the project.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Action-packed and fast-paced, it's an introduction to the next chapter of the&nbsp;Wesley Joseph cinematic universe, and the artist's second video since signing to Stink Rising last year. Joseph explains that the idea for the video originated while recording the music with Leon Vynehall at his studio, The Ooz.<blockquote>The film feels out of this world and unfamiliar to me. So much happened so quickly...</blockquote>"We talked about how I wanted to create the theme music for a supervillain's return, something that felt uneasy, tense, and eerie, yet completely encapsulating - that would feel like the perfect beginning to the next chapter," he explains.&nbsp;"[The song] Cold Summer&nbsp;started to take shape at 1am after a day of working, and as soon as we got the atmospherics and drums down we couldn’t stop playing it. We wanted to make something simple that allowed my vocal to lead and bend the vibe in each section. Creating it was freeing process I think you can hear reflected in the song.[imgtoken data:2]"The supervillain concept expanded into the&nbsp;universe of the film, and I wanted to bring the alter-ego Fredrick a step forward in our world - making a video that felt cinematic, textured, eccentric, vivid and humourous at the same time. As the idea got bigger, more characters were drawn in, and when all the dots were connected it was a pretty unrealistic concept to shoot in the UK."We ended up shooting in Kazakhstan and after a ten hour flight&nbsp;and two days with next to no sleep, filming in deserts, old hotels and golf clubs in the mountains, we came back with the video. Luckily we had a great team out there who facilitated the idea and made it possible. The film feels out of this world and unfamiliar to me. So much happened so quickly, it’s still a beautiful lucid blur."

Wesley Joseph

Andrew Rawson

Jake Gabbay

Sarah Asmail

Zara Asmail

Samuel Allen

Richie Oldfield

Glassworks

Johnny Thorpe

Lane Casting

Zhardem Daulbayev

Nurkhat Zulpykhar

Holly Shearn

Hip Hop

Soul

Wesley Joseph 'Cold Summer' by Wesley Joseph

Wesley Joseph - COLD SUMMER (Official Video)

LOOSE reunites with IDLES, and also collaborates with animator Edie Lawrence to direct an eye-popping&nbsp;claymation epic for the piledriving Crawl.&nbsp;In classic claymation style, the fun is how the malleability of the form leads to a jawdropping, often grisly transformation. That is certainly the case here, as a claymation version of IDLES' vocalist Joe Talbot hits the road on his chopper&nbsp;motorbike, riding down a Route 66-style highway.It's not long before the transformation begins, as he ventures further into the unknown. The flesh is slowly being stripped away from his body...Exploring the lyrical themes of addiction&nbsp;and having to face your demons head-on, the video is a brilliant achievement. Not for the faint of heart, maybe, but it is IDLES after all.&nbsp;LOOSE and animator&nbsp;Edie Lawrence, supplemented by&nbsp;VFX wizard&nbsp;Jordan Chappell, echo the work of the real masters of the artform, and it's very good to see claymation having a moment once again.

Dominic Mckiernan

Holly Greig

Jordan Chappell

Ellie Rumbold

Partisan Records

Edie Lawrence

Anna Peduzzi

Rock

IDLES 'Crawl' by LOOSE & Edie Lawrence

Idles-'Crawl-'-by-Loose

<a href="https://stinkfilms.com/united-kingdom" target="_blank">Stink Films</a> have announced that&nbsp;Andzej Gavriss, who directed the acclaimed and award-winning videos for Aigel's You're Born and Sansara's We Will Become Better, has joined the commercial and music video roster in Europe, US and Asia.The Latvian director&nbsp;has become renowned for his imaginative and highly cinematic take on storytelling, with short films such as Malaria, about homelessness in Los Angeles, and last year's Eleusis, about a rock star's incarceration in an unorthodox rehab centre.After well-received videos for Korn and Aigel - featuring the mysterious rejuvenation of the Russian ruler - his greatest acclaim has come with We Will Be Better, which challenges homophobic sentiment in Russia&nbsp;with a love story of two men told through dance. The film was the latest of his collaborations with&nbsp;Evgeny Primachenko of WK Amsterdam, conceived as a short film which was then developed into a music video for Russian band Sansara.In the last two years his work has won many international awards, including Director of the Year at Shots, Grand Prize and GOLD for Direction at CLIO, Silver at Cannes Lions, Gold Screen at YDA 2020, Wooden Pencil for Direction at D&amp;AD, and Best Cinematography in a Music Video at Camerimage. His most recent awards include Gold at 1.4, Silver for Direction at Eurobest, and Bronze at Epica.&nbsp;“For me the creative comes first. I want to tell interesting stories, step out of my comfort zone and do the best work.” says. Gavriss.&nbsp;“It was important for me to find a company who is as ambitious as I am. Stink’s work consistently stands out; their team has good instincts and they are willing to fight for creativity. They are risk takers whose eyes are sparkling with energy. I’m looking forward to working together.”&nbsp;Blake Powell, Stink’s Global Head of Film,&nbsp;adds: “I think We Will Become Better&nbsp;is a stand out piece of work this year. It blew me away. It's beautifully constructed and directed. Andzej, like that piece, has an incredible energy and passion that is infectious. The team can't wait to get going.”• Watch Andzej Gavriss's showreel at Stink Films <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/artist/andzej-gavriss" target="_blank">here</a>

Andzej Gavriss

Andzej Gavriss signs to Stink Films

The Weeknd heralds his new album Dawn FM with a spectacular and nightmarish promo from Matilda Finn.&nbsp;The video for Gasoline is dripping in Finn's harrowing, hyperreal aesthetic, and follows an elderly version of the artist, who crashes his car into a stop sign and descends into a Hellish realm.&nbsp;He regains consciousness in a crowded room, where sinful beings are grappling for whatever physical pleasures they can acquire -&nbsp;sex, drugs, violence... it's all on the cards in this place.&nbsp;The crowd begin to show their true colours, as their faces distort into monstrous forms, and The Weeknd has a face-off with a younger version of himself, ending in another death.&nbsp;This is an enigmatic expression of existential despair in Matilda Finn's signature style, and it's&nbsp;outstanding work. The video touches upon life, death and addiction, and does so with sublime style - and lots of creepy crawlies.&nbsp;

United States

Matilda Finn

Cole Santiago

Eli Raskin

Ari Schneiderman

Jon Chema

John Richoux

Armen Harootun

Black Kite Studios

Simone Grattarola

Mayte Avina

Jesse Hays

MrMr

Nomad Art + Design

TJ White

C Prinz

Mike Marino, Prosthetic Renaissance

Malina Stearns

Chelsea Delfino

Esprit Casting

Hugo Saunders

Time Based Arts

Kyle Bryson

Charles Tae

Matthew Henson

Christine Nelli

Marcela Osegueda

Sharif Poston

Ntombi Moyo

Mark Hills

James Teninty

Erick Aguilar

Benjamin Verhulst

Nick Decell

Factory

Alternative

The Weeknd 'Gasoline' by Matilda Finn

The Weeknd - Gasoline (Official Music Video)

A few months ago, up-and-coming director LOOSE got together with Bristol post punk outfit IDLES to direct the video for Beachland Ballroom. The collaboration has now produced three separate videos for the track - the latest being the Director's Cut - featured on Promonews today. We spoke to LOOSE, to get the full story.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]When Beachland Ballroom dropped in September - the first track to be released from the new IDLES album CRAWLER -&nbsp;&nbsp;so did a powerful one-shot video. It shows the band's charismatic frontman Joe Talbot&nbsp;in extreme close-up, while performing the song.Or at least he is attempting to do so. In fact, Talbot&nbsp;appears to be&nbsp;on the verge of collapse - straining&nbsp;and sweating, utterly exhausted, his lipsynced vocals emerge through gritted teeth.&nbsp;The camera unflinchingly captures some kind of&nbsp;ordeal.[vidtoken data:1]Then, a few weeks later, another video for the song appeared:&nbsp;'Official Video Part 2'. Here is another performance by Talbot - this time with the rest of the band, actually in a ballroom setting. Also this time, Talbot's movements are&nbsp;hampered by an invisible force, that's dragging him backwards.The relationship with the first video is clear - it's the same setting, but taken from a different, wider spot. It fully explains his pain and exhaustion in 'Part 1'.[vidtoken data:2]And now we have the third video for the song, and its perspective is wider again. In the Director's Cut, its not just a single performance, or location.&nbsp;This time, we have different expressions of the central device suggested in the first version and revealed in the second version -&nbsp;this invisible force, dragging Talbot backwards.It's now even more obvious that the effect is created by something genuine, that is pulling the singer back - bungee ropes, in fact -&nbsp;and then removed in post. And it also expands on the dual impact of the effect.It's clearly a problem for Talbot, a force that causes&nbsp;him no end of trouble. But let's face it, it's also visual, highly physical comedy, of a high order. In this version, Talbot adds another side to his personality,&nbsp;a greater&nbsp;element of Buster Keaton-style silent comedy hero.Same band, same director, same song... three videos, all connected, but all work on their own terms too. It's certainly an unusual kind of trilogy - so we asked LOOSE about how it happened.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;Promonews: Clearly the thing that is common to both 'Official Video - Pt 2'&nbsp;and the Director's Cut (and actually 'Pt 1' too, but we don’t see it) is how Joe is being dragged back by that powerful&nbsp;invisible force. What was the thinking behind that? And how did you achieve it?LOOSE: The whole video came&nbsp;from a&nbsp;conversation between Joe and I about the track, and how&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;about his past drug&nbsp; addiction. He said in&nbsp;some ways, he felt like he was walking&nbsp;through life as if he was&nbsp;invincible, but ultimately, his&nbsp; substance&nbsp;addiction&nbsp;was slowly tearing him apart.<blockquote>The idea came from a conversation with Joe about his past drug addiction.&nbsp;</blockquote>The bungee analogy came quite naturally from this. You can be on top of the world and seemingly normal, but suddenly you hit a point of resistance and it drags you right back. As the video progresses, this becomes more intense and physically Joe deteriorates.We achieved this effect using a&nbsp;lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;human strength&nbsp;on set - shout out the runners! -&nbsp;some smart costume design, a smart rigger and VFX.[imgtoken data:2]Two different videos released for The Beachland Ballroom, and now a Director’s Cut. What’s the story behind this unusual situation?We never&nbsp;really&nbsp;planned for there to be three versions. But as the edit process unfolded, we found that certain scenes told such intense stories&nbsp;they were stronger standing alone.&nbsp;They acted better alone. As the treatment for the video was written around a concept, as opposed to a narrative, this&nbsp;definitely felt like the right thing to do.&nbsp;It was completely fine to me.&nbsp;The video was an experiment into how far we could push the bungee concept and the rollout reflected our greatest results.It’s unusual to release multiple parts to videos. But the fans seemed to really feed off it, and the response was&nbsp;exactly what I&nbsp;wanted. The YouTube comments are full of fascinating interpretations of the track and videos,&nbsp;and the multiple releases only propelled the dialogue which feed&nbsp;off the&nbsp;differing perspectives.<blockquote>I sat Joe down, and asked him to perform the track one last time.</blockquote>Part 1 is actually the very last thing that we shot. Being tugged around by the bungee cord was exhausting for Joe, and by the end of the shooting day he was completely in&nbsp;pieces. Joe’s feet were wrecked from an ongoing foot injury, and we had to pull a couple of shots because he was struggling to stand up for too long. I sat Joe down, and asked him to perform the track one last time. The shot was uncomfortably tight and I shook the camera myself on the tripod to replicate the shakes Joe had.Originally, this was just meant to be a cutaway from the video, but the team saw it and felt the intensity&nbsp;of the&nbsp;one shot conveyed the emotion of the song in a way that we could never have planned for.My original film was all about a developing pain and frustration from having an invisible force constantly fighting against you. The shot of Joe’s distraught eyes singlehandedly embodied this pain in a completely authentic way, which could have only been achieved on such&nbsp;a physically&nbsp;gruelling shoot day.[imgtoken data:3]Joe looks genuinely exhausted. Was it always your intention to get that shot? And was its intensity the reason why they wanted to go with that as a one-shot?Joe was completely exhausted! My plan was always to get this shot,&nbsp;however&nbsp;when we got to it&nbsp;we literally had five minutes before the location was&nbsp;closing and shutting their doors&nbsp;on us.&nbsp;This added an&nbsp;extra&nbsp;added&nbsp;layer of urgency which meant we only had one chance - I was left to operate the camera and light, as everyone was packing&nbsp;down the kit.&nbsp;The intensity ten-folded, and we literally did one take.The hurt you can see from Joe is entirely real - he’s covered in sweat and his eyes look ruined. He watched the footage back and saw the version of himself the track is written about. The coherence of this feeling, image and song made it a no-brainer to launch with!The&nbsp;way in which this idea&nbsp;this was conceived meant that we had to be just as reactive with the delivery and birth. The whole decision-making process, for the whole team, was about doing what felt most right for everyone involved.[imgtoken data:4]Above: shooting the band performance at The Rivoli Ballroom, with frontman Joe Talbot attached to&nbsp;bungee ropes. Photo: Tom HamSo what was the thinking behind releasing the ballroom performance as a version in itself for Part 2, and then the Director's Cut?The second part of the saga is more straightforward. The band loved the ballroom scene and felt that the effect of Joe fighting the&nbsp;bungee, unclouded by the different locations, told the story of the concept most effectively.After associating the track with such an intense pain in the first video, the band wanted to continue with the simplicity of using a single location for the second part too. They actually edited this one themselves!<blockquote>The DC was actually our first version of the video to be edited.</blockquote>And I’m&nbsp;not usually a fan of a Director's Cut - I can rarely tell the difference from the&nbsp;original&nbsp;client cut! -&nbsp;but in this case, I had so many shots pushing Joe’s altered physicality further,&nbsp;that the edit created a whole new narrative. I was&nbsp;felt&nbsp;keen to release these to act as a bit of a resolution to parts 1 and 2.Where did you shoot the video?We shot all but the ballroom in the Crystal Palace Stadium. Joe’s only request other than the ballroom was that we worked within Brutalist structures - this runs throughout all of their visuals. The cohesive and regimented structures really contradict Joe’s hectic and disorderly movement, which added to the portrayal of his incoherent&nbsp;physicality. The ballroom was the Rivoli in Brockley, a legendary spot.[imgtoken data:5]How hard was it to complete the Director's Cut, especially as the other versions have performed very well?The DC was actually our first version of the video that was edited.&nbsp;Everything else was deconstructed backwards. I’ve been so excited to put it out because the two different parts&nbsp;have had fascinating interpretations and feedback attached. Hopefully, this gives a third angle to the story. And big thanks to our editor, Ed [Cooper at The Assembly Rooms] for sticking with us in the edit.How happy are you with the DC? Will there be any more versions?I love the DC! It offers a more in-depth study on Joe’s physicality in Part 1 and 2, which allowed me to push the concept even further!• LOOSE is with Stink Rising for&nbsp;music videos, and represented for music videos by Hands London. Check out more of her work <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/artist/stink-rising-loose" target="_blank">here.</a>&nbsp;Full credits for the Beachland Ballroom videos <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/10/20/idles-%E2%80%98beachland-ballroom%E2%80%99-parts-1-2-loose/74347" target="_blank">here</a>.

Stink Rising

LOOSE on IDLES' 'Beachland Ballroom' trilogy - "We never planned for three versions." 

IDLES - The Beachland Ballroom (Directors Cut)

IDLES - THE BEACHLAND BALLROOM (Official Video, Pt. 1)

IDLES - THE BEACHLAND BALLROOM (Official Video, Pt. 2)

IDLES ‘Beachland Ballroom’ (Parts 1 &2) by LOOSE

Douglas Bernardt's new 15 minute short film/music video Sonho tells the extraordinary story of&nbsp;Brazilian musician Nego Bala, who was incarcerated in a terrifying juvenile jail when he was just 12 - but&nbsp;survived, and managed to pull his life around.Now Bala is a pop star with a message of hope, which Bernardt has brought to the screen with a level of skill and ambition that has become a hallmark of his work.&nbsp;Starting in the jail - where the twelve year old boy starts to hum the melody that will become the song Sonho (or Dream), and is punished for it - the story advances through different chapters, and different forms of narrative,&nbsp;representing the artist's life: from the São Paulo favela, where the performance by his group of friends resembles a dance by an African tribe;&nbsp;to great portraiture of ordinary people;&nbsp;through to a surreal version of a friend's death - and finally Bala talking to his younger self, about his redemption.[vidtoken data:0]The film was a produced by Stink Films in Brazil, in collaboration with&nbsp;AKQA\Coala.LAB - the same partnership responsible for Bernardt's short film&nbsp;Bluesman&nbsp;for&nbsp;Baco Exu do Blues - winner of the first Brazilian Grand Prix at Cannes Lion for Entertainment for Music&nbsp;in 2019. And the script for&nbsp;Sonho&nbsp;was&nbsp;devised using testimonials from Nego Bala, written in collaboration with Douglas alongside the AKQA\Coala.LAB team.We spoke to Douglas Bernardt about the project - that was two pandemic-affected years in the making - and discovered that just like the film itself, the production process assumed epic proportions.[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>The story of the creation of the song was as strong as the track itself.</blockquote>How did the project begin? Was it always the plan to make something bigger than a normal music video for Sonho?The project began with an invitation from old time partners AKQA and Coala.Lab to create a film that would be part of the release of Nego’s first album,&nbsp;Da Boca Do Lixo.&nbsp;&nbsp;As I got the track and started to write the script, we understood, talking to Nego Bala, that the story of the creation of the song was as strong as the track itself, and we could deliver a bigger message to the audience.&nbsp;I’ve been trying to mix formats on my personal projects, so that was the perfect fit.&nbsp;A musical short film about the creation of a song. This is where we ended up.[imgtoken data:2]How close was your collaboration with Nego on developing the story? What did he want to convey with the film?Me and Nego always wanted to shoot something together.&nbsp;We never knew if it would be fiction, music video or a documentary, but the intention was always there, since the very first time we met four or five years ago.&nbsp;But none of us ever imagined it would happen that way, with support, sponsors, PR, etc. It was a genuine willingness of collaboration and inspiration. Me on his words and him on my visuals.He wanted to convey his story in a way the majority of the population would connect, not only in our industry bubble. A film in which people could see themselves and&nbsp;their potential of reaching their dreams. No matter how far they seem to be from his reality.[imgtoken data:3]Where did you shoot the video – and how long did it take?We shot all over São Paulo state.&nbsp;From nature, to urban downtown, to Favela do Moinho.&nbsp;It was all around the city where chaos and inequality of opportunities are translated by Nego’s body of work.The film is comprised of different sections, or chapters. How would you describe the purpose of each chapter?&nbsp;I thought about acts that together would poetically stitch the timeline of Nego’s trajectory.&nbsp;From an oppressed kid locked up in jail, who discovers in music a tool for freedom, to the projection of a new world of dreams and hope.[imgtoken data:4]<blockquote>The location we chose used to be a prison for political dissidents.</blockquote>These sections are in different styles - from gritty reality to magic realism. How do you reconcile the different styles so they work together?Each section had one intention, and we had to find a way of navigating between them, keeping an unique and homogeneous look. There’s a few key visual and sound transitions in the film that were meticulously thought out, to drive the audience from one sense to another.Like the hole in the jail that takes us to nature, or the candle scene where Nego projects himself saving the life of a friend. I'm not the biggest fan of how transitions are being used nowadays. They have been so overused without a reason. I try hard to keep them always as a tool within a narrative motivation.[imgtoken data:5]The first section in the prison is brutal, but has its own beauty. How did you create that?That was one of the toughest scene to conceive visually. The image the world has of Brazilian poverty and general jail scenarios are always inhumane and overly rough. I didn’t want to put kids into this stereotyped visual.&nbsp;But we also couldn’t be naive and not show the struggle that is being in prison.To find this balance, together with Pierre Kerchove (DP) and Carol Ozzi (PD), we thought about an overall&nbsp;overhead soft light that would not create a dense atmosphere. We also painted all the location in the same blue color as the kid’s uniform. These two things together brought a sense of oppression in a visual that was meaningful and strong yet beautiful.&nbsp;The location we chose used to be a prison for political dissidents, during the Brazilian dictatorship, and later on was also an actual juvenile correction center. A lot of people were physically and mentally tortured in there and the place has a strong oppressive energy itself.&nbsp;It's also impossible to not mention our casting director Giovana Rouvier, who found all the boys that shaved their heads and lived this unique experience on set with us.[imgtoken data:6]When the young Nego looks out of the prison, you cut between a tribal dance and Nego and his crew in the city in a similar formation. What’s the significance?This scene was created with choreographer Gabb Cabo-Verde and involved a lot of research and conversation with specialists. We wanted to show that rhythm and music are practically engraved in our DNA.&nbsp;Brazilian funk, the genre where Nego mostly draws from in this album,&nbsp;is seen with a lot of prejudice by conservative people in Brazil. So the scene has the intention of showing that Brazilian funk actually has cultural heritage that comes from the deep roots of Brazilian ancestry.Hand beats have been used as a musical door for transcendence since a long time ago, and it was brought here during the African diaspora, by enslaved people.&nbsp;The same applies for the circular formation, that is seen in so much cultural manifestations in Brazil that has strong African roots: from samba, to candomblé and capoeira. They all have circular rituals, in which energy flows from one individual to another.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:7]After the realism of the car journey, there is a series of almost classic portraits. Who are the people or characters portrayed in this section?Those scenes were based on the interviews we did in the casting sessions and tapes. The same simple question was made to everyone: “What's your biggest dream?”, and we heard stuff that showed the effects of inequality of opportunity and structural racism."Making a beautiful birthday party to my daughter"&nbsp;,"Walking in the streets with my dog without being chased by cops" -&nbsp;and so on.&nbsp;It leads to the part where Nego interrupts a death. How did you achieve this dreamlike scene? Was there personal significance in this scene for Nego?- “And what if you could dream about changing the past?”&nbsp; - “I would save my friend Bebezão from being murdered.”This question came up in one of the many meetings I had with Nego while conceptualizing and writing the script. This scene was entirely based on his answer.[imgtoken data:8]&nbsp;<blockquote>Nego wanted to convey his story in a way the majority of the population would connect.</blockquote>We wanted to deliver a sense of hope for the future. Of a new world, where people are not killed by the colour of their skin, by the clothes they wear, by the hood they live in. Where newborns will have the freedom of dreaming, of being who they are without prejudice and fear.The technical achievement was pretty complex. It was a mix of in-camera and post-production VFX.&nbsp;We had to&nbsp;compose both shots of Nego holding the candle and the drone in the alley. The rain and the bullet were 3D. And the actor that plays Nego’s friend was sitting on a rig hidden inside his outfit.[imgtoken data:9]You end on a message of Hope. It's directed by Nego to his younger self, but how much is that also directed towards the people of Brazil?The idea was connecting past and present to deliver a message of hope for the future. Nego wrote the monologue, but everything changed when we were shooting the scene. The emotion was so real and Nego just improvised what came out from his heart.I think it’s directed not only to the people of Brazil, but the whole world. The penitentiary system is questionable everywhere. It&nbsp;shatters the perspective of the future for so many people, even more for kids.&nbsp;What were the biggest challenges in making the film?&nbsp;Putting&nbsp;it all together in the middle of the pandemic. We had many setbacks because of the lockdowns. We shot most of the film in mid-2021 when Brazil was really bad in case numbers, and following very strict health protocols. On many occasions I thought the project would never be finished.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:10]<blockquote>It was a challenge to deal with time, ambition and expectations.&nbsp;</blockquote>And what were the biggest highlights of the experience of making the film?Being part of something that I really believe in.&nbsp;Filmmaking is a powerful tool of communication. And it is very fulfilling when you put out work that really tells&nbsp;something to the world.I feel like we are living a “release-driven” generation, where the amount of work/awards are more important than the content of the pieces in itself.&nbsp;This project took more than two years to be made, and it was a challenge for me to deal with time, ambition and expectations.&nbsp;In the end I learnt that what really matters is being honest to the story you are portraying, and translating truth through your visuals and storytelling.• Douglas Bernardt is with <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/" target="_blank">Stink Films</a> for global representation.&nbsp;

Douglas Bernardt

Douglas Bernardt on his epic video for Nego Bala's Sonho - "We wanted to deliver a sense of hope for the future."

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

The new episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" target="_blank">The Promonews Podcast: Talking Music Videos</a>&nbsp;- our series of conversations with creatives in the music video industry, supported by <a href="https://looptalent.co.uk/" target="_blank">Loop Talent</a> - is out today, featuring director and photographer Olivia Rose.It was Olivia’s initial success as a photographer – she has photos in the contemporary collection of the National Portrait Gallery - which led her into directing moving images. Her first music video, for Jorja Smith's Blue Lights, won an UKMVA in 2018, and she has gone on to direct acclaimed videos for Skepta, 6lack,&nbsp;Lola Young and Sasha Keable.&nbsp;In a riveting discussion with Promonews's David Knight and Rob Ulitski, Olivia talks about the passions that drive her work, the double-standards faced by women in the creative industries, exploring different sides of her character through her music videos, and her big plans for the future.<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="232" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3sWzx8j5rlaDgilwwjARnl?utm_source=generator" width="100%"></iframe>This latest episode of the second series of The Promonews Podcast:&nbsp;Talking Music Videos&nbsp;coincides with the announcement of Olivia Rose's signing to Stink Films and Stink Rising for music videos and commercials. Having not previously settled at a production company home in her directing career&nbsp;she tells the hosts: "I do feel something different with Stink... They have proposed, and I've accepted."Previous episodes of the second series, made in association with Loop Talent,&nbsp;have featured&nbsp;director&nbsp;Sophia Ray and producer Mayling Wong,&nbsp;DoP Rik Burnell and director Kasper Haggstrom -&nbsp;all available to listen on Spotify, Apple,&nbsp;and other platforms.The first series of The Promonews Podcast&nbsp;featured directors Lucrecia Taormina, Salomon Ligthelm, RUFFMERCY and&nbsp;Louis Bhose;&nbsp;Lee Fairweather, directors rep at COMPULSORY; and DoP Adam Singodia and colourist Vlad Barin.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Follow&nbsp;The Promonews Podcast&nbsp;- Talking Music Videos&nbsp;on&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;Apple,&nbsp;Google, and other platforms.

Olivia Rose

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

Malia James teams with Mimi Webb for a&nbsp;vibrantly colourful, warm and fuzzy&nbsp;take on a teenage break-up, set in a funfair - the appropriately-named Dreamland in Margate - for Halfway.Starting after&nbsp;the end of the relationship - where she thinks she sees her former love everywhere -&nbsp;we discover more about the love affair in flashback. Her heartthrob&nbsp;is there for most of it, but the spotlight is always on Mimi, as&nbsp;Malia James creates a gorgeously-crafted pop confection for the singer, employing the funfair setting to spectacular effect.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;The location played an important part in the authenticity of the story, with Webb being a local and having spent her early years on the Kent coastline.But James, herself born and raised in Texas, adds more than a touch of Americana to Margate. Which is becoming of a director who has worked with&nbsp;Halsey, MØ, Troye Sivan, Tove Lo and Rita Ora, among&nbsp;others. Now she has given Mimi Webb a shot&nbsp;at the big time.

Malia James

Sonya Sier

Elliott Tagg

Arabella Kemp

Micki Pearlman

Adric Watson

Rupert Hornstein

Alex Bird

James Knight

Sarah Mursal

Sophie Van Der Welle

Jamie O'Donnell

Nomad Editing Company

Mimi Webb 'Halfway' by Malia James

Mimi Webb - Halfway (Official Music Video)

Parts 1 &amp; 2 of LOOSE's video for IDLES' Beachland Ballroom.[vidtoken data:0][vidtoken data:1]The release of a second version of the video certainly puts the first one in some kind of context. Now we have some kind of idea why Joe Talbot is a physical wreck, caught in the pitiless gaze of a camera close-up, in Part 1.Now we now he's being constantly pulled back, and must fight to stand his ground, as he performs the song with the band in The Rivoli Ballroom.

Tom Kelly

Thomas English

Adam Conlon

Trey Joel

Ryan Delahunty

Molly Mishi May

Simon Donnellon

Edward Cooper

The Assembly Rooms

Sinead Mcgowan

Post-Punk

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

Noël Schoolderman

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

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

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

Stink Films

Production Company

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