Production Company

Stink Films

Viagra Boys' Sebastian Murphy has a new girlfriend, and she's 3000 years old, in Eoin Glaister's video for Bog Body - a tour de force of comedy horror.&nbsp;Glaister essentially tells the story of the song, and as he happily admits, the subject matter&nbsp;plays to his particularly strengths as a director.In classic VB fashion, the track combines surly rock 'n roll power with a idiosyncratic lyric sung by Murphy - it involves a description&nbsp;of an ancient body being found perfectly preserved under ice in a bog, leading to his immediate adoration - and possessiveness. Eventually he insists that 'You're just jealous of her darkened skin and her dainty nose'.This quirky concept&nbsp;all the motivation that Glaister needs to bring&nbsp;a unique love story to the screen,&nbsp;which starts when the reanimated zombie-like Bog Body walks&nbsp;into a London boozer, and begins her ancient dance ritual - before Seb enters the pub whilst she's doing full splits on the pub carpet.And so their passionate affair begins, with the well-preserved ancient woman acquiring the taste for a rock 'n rolll lifestyle.&nbsp;What could possibly go wrong?“I love bog bodies," says Glaister.&nbsp;"I’m obsessed. Thank GOD someone finally wrote a song about one. Dream gig really, got to spend the day in the pub with my mates watching a Bog Lady dance to one of my favourite bands. Mammoth effort from an extraordinarily talented bunch. Up the Bog!”[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

Sweden

Eoin Glaister

Jens Nielsen

Dom Mckiernan

André Jofré

Danny Rumbelow

Spike Morris

Raul Menendez

Hélio Ribeiro

Syd Harmony

Ellie Walker

Natasha Lawes

Jean-Philippe Blunt

Alex Gregory

Hannah Jarrold

Harbor Picture Company

Hands 

Shrimptech Enterprises

Rock

Viagra Boys 'Bog Body' by Eoin Glaister

Viagra Boys — The Bog Body (Official Video)

Cosmo Wellings is compelled into performing an eccentric dance all over London&nbsp;in Jim Longden's latest quirky outing for French indie band Oracle Sisters.After the splendid on-screen peformances in his previous videos for the band - the UKMVA-nominated Alouette and Blue Left Hand - Longden draws another one from the mesmerizing Wellings here for Marseille. And its all about his dance&nbsp;- a combination of child-friendly teapot-arm shapes with vagely obscene hip thrusts - captured in a series of obscure locations, from alleyways and graveyards to zebra crossings and petting zoos.Throughout, the band are performing the track on a distant skyscraper rooftop - but Longden has a final surprise in store.“With the entire budget spent on 16mm film, we were lucky to be blessed with the lead’s newly acclaimed ‘Mighty Light Hip Thrust,’ also known as the ‘Wonder Thrust'," says Longden. "Racing against time as winter’s darkness approached, our skeleton crew of five paced through the streets of London—serenading donkeys, goats, and graveyards in this deliriously orchestrated bonanza.”[imgtoken data:1]

Jim Longden

Lily Ashton

Maya Bury

Isabella Simpson

Mike Mcmillin

Cosmo Wellings

Matt Turner

No.8

Kodak

Cinelab Film and Digital

Oracle Sisters 'Marseille' by Jim Longden

Oracle Sisters - Marseille (Official Music Video)

The latest video from Colin Solal Cardo to introduce Olly Alexander's new album Polari continues a choreography-based narrative that began with the visuals for the title track and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgzLmyVeCUE" target="_blank">Cupid's Bow</a>.In an enclosed space where he's separated from his team of dancers, including his love interest, Olly's heartfelt yearning&nbsp;for a human connection is expressed through a combination of performance and dance.It's captured with great use of constantly moving camerawork, both within&nbsp;and outside the constructed space, in a video where each department has excelled, including Jake Hunter's cinematography and Furmann Ahmed's production design.[imgtoken data:1]

Colin Solal Cardo

Nycollas Abreu‬‭

Valentina Tarelli

Jake Hunter

Christopher Starkey‬‭

Steve Morgan

Connor Adam

Danny Edwards @ Matter‬SFX

Furmaan Ahmed

Isabella Furness

Meshach Henry

Matthew Josephs

Emilie Bromley

Joe Brooks

Georgia Olive

Kei Takano

Sachin Gogna

Louis Danckwerts

Polydor

Sam Pereira

Yanjun Zhou

Collectiv

Charlie Von Rotberg

Homespun

Hijack

Alex O'Brien

Okay Studio

Franky Chadwick

Olly Alexander 'When We Kiss' by Colin Solal Cardo

Olly Alexander - When We Kiss (Official Video)

Dan French recreates the early 70s pop promo for Elton John's Step Into Christmas, and then imagines the almighty&nbsp;chaos that occured behind the scenes on the shoot&nbsp;- with the 1973 Elton played by actress and model Cara Delevingne.The hugely entertaining&nbsp;video&nbsp;reproduces shots from Elton's studio performance in the original visual - featuring&nbsp; Delevingne&nbsp;as an uncanny facsmile of glam-era Elton, plus doppelgangers of his band - while adding the story of the production team frantically attempting to add some festive flavour to proceedings.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Despite the addition of a festive feather boa, balloons and confetti, chaos reigns as they wrangle an escaped turkey, fail to book a real reindeer (and find a donkey instead) and tackle a deranged fan who storms the set, all whilst Delevingne mirrors Elton’s choicest dance moves and iconic facial expressions from the original promo.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On it's release over 50 years ago, Step Into Christmas failed to trouble the UK Top 20, but it's stepped up in seasonal stature in recent years. The song has charted&nbsp;each December since 2011, and last year it was certified Triple Platinum, 50 years after its release. And Dan French's evocative and consistently funny video&nbsp;is a marvellous way to celebrate it's long journey to becoming a Christmas pop standard.[imgtoken data:2]It also coincides with the release of a new documentary,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQGf_nJ1E9w" target="_blank">Elton John: Never Too Late</a>, where the singer looks back on his life and the astonishing early days of his 50-year career, which premiered on Disney+ last week.&nbsp;"I saw Cara at Glastonbury last summer, and we talked about how much we’d love to work together if the right idea came up," comments Elton.&nbsp;"She’s hilarious to spend time with, we both have quite a self deprecating sense of humour. When someone suggested the idea of her playing me in a riff on the 1973 Step In to Christmas video, I just thought it was the perfect opportunity. Thank God Cara thought the same, because it came out great."[imgtoken data:3]Cara&nbsp;Delevingne adds: "Elton has always been an idol of mine, to say his music has had a deeply profound effect on me is an understatement. To be asked by him to PLAY him in this recreation was a dream that I didn’t know I had until it happened."Honestly I wish I could pretend to be Elton every day. I hope that Elton may one day return the favour and agree to play me in my not yet developed, written, pitched or funded biopic. Fingers crossed."&nbsp;

Dan French

Jake River Parker

Oscar Ryan

Freddie Wright

EMI Records

Ben Cotgrove

Mike Linforth

Chris Broomfield

Lyndon Ogbourne

Alex Kelleher

Chris Dumont

Angel Mcqueen

Roy Haywood

Hebe Wallace

Zahra Asmail

Jack Singer

Cara Delevingne

Elton John 'Step Into Christmas' (2024) by Dan French

Elton John - Step Into Christmas (2024 Music Video)

LOOSE directs an impassioned performance promo for Pa Salieu's collab with Disclosure.&nbsp;Opening with lingering shots of Salieu getting dressed and ready, we follow him out onto the streets where he explodes into a playful, fervent performance - annoying some old fuddy-duddies whilst delighting the kids.&nbsp;Shot on film, it's a beautiful looking visual, with late winter sun and foggy skies setting the enigmatic mood.&nbsp;The cinematography elevates the concept, bursting from vignette to vignette with spinning transitions and loose, experimental flair.&nbsp;Fabulous.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2]

LOOSE

Shea Coleman

Rory Shaw

Michele Zanette

Cori Lionne

Jaime Ackroyd

Marina Fusella

Jack Gauld

Leelah Mcevoy

Cabin Edit

Ollie Munks

Holly McDonald

Lainy Black

Tim Smith

Rascal Post

Disclosure x Pa Salieu 'King Steps' by LOOSE

Disclosure, Pa Salieu - King Steps (Official Video)

Stink Films have announced the apppointment of Balint Seres&nbsp;as the new point person for music videos and content at the company in the US.Highly respected&nbsp;as a creative problem solver, Seres's impressive list of credits includes projects for&nbsp;Charli XCX, as well as Post Malone, Sydney Sweeney, Anderson .Paak, Fred Again, The Kid Laroi, Moses Sumney and more. He has also brought to life branded work for the likes of Nike, Oakley, Audi, Farfetch, Ford and UGG.He will work closely with Stink MD Ben Davies&nbsp;and Global Head of Music and Special Projects&nbsp;Dom McKiernan&nbsp;to continue creating visual and narrative content for the world’s most exciting artists and labels.&nbsp;The news of Balint Seres's appointment comes towards the end of the year which has seen Stink continue its long history of delivering groundbreaking projects with collaborations with leading artists including&nbsp;Megan Thee Stallion, Fred again.., Unknown T, Headie One and Olly Alexander, and also be nominated for Best Production Company at the 2024 UKMVAs.“Balint’s creative insight and production expertise bring a fresh dynamic to Stink, especially in a market as influential as the US," says&nbsp;Dom Mckiernan.&nbsp;"I’m confident he’ll play a vital role in pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve in music videos and branded content."Balint Seres adds: “Throughout my career Stink has always been a tastemaker and an important force in talent development.&nbsp;Music videos are ultimately a major platform for talent and creative expression, and Stink recognizes that. Finding exciting matches with artists and brands in unexpected places is what I always thrive on and is the flavour I want to bring to the table, as well as protecting and growing the creative integrity and reputation of Stink.”

Balint Seres

Stink US appoints Balint Seres as Executive Producer of Music Videos and Content

Eoin Glaister's fourth video for&nbsp;Glass Animals is a bittersweet tale of friendship, even love - between an alien and a cow. And you don't get much more Eoin Glaister than that.In the video for Show Pony, a couple of mid 20th century-style space aliens crashland their flying saucer on Earth - in the countryside among placid, bovine local inhabitants. One of their number advances on the intruders with curiosity, and the female alien responds in kind - leading to surprising consequences.So prepare yourselves for unlikely, dysfunctional aliens, jokes about salted snacks, sudden violence, a big fire&nbsp;and a tragicomic twist - all set in a&nbsp;location among rolling hills and greenery resembling the Scottish Highlands, but was in fact, in Mexico.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;It's a beautifully crafted film, with wonderful attention to detail on production design, costume design&nbsp;and the style of cinematography by DoP Natasha Duursma which delivers a warm and nostalgic atmosphere around Glaister's story -&nbsp;a characteristically outlandish and charming silent comedy.The promo leans into the 70s theme aesthetics that is synonymous with the band and hinges on ingenious craft: tailormade alien costumes,&nbsp;prosthetics, miniatures, and, of course, the all-important wrangling of disobedient cows - provided via the production services of&nbsp;Stink Films Mexico.[imgtoken data:2]Glaister says that Glass Animals frontman Dave Bayley had an idea which started the ball rolling for Show Pony, which he then developed through the classic&nbsp;space alien archetype from 20th century pop culture to the addition of the unusual object of affection.His association with Glass Animals goes back a while: the videos for Pork Soda and Agnes in 2017. Then last year he resumed working with the band, directing the cleverly&nbsp;meta video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2023/09/20/glass-animals-other-side-paradise-eoin-glaister/83264" target="_blank">The Other Side Of Paradise</a> last year&nbsp;(although that song comes from&nbsp;the same album as the previous videos). And now comes Show Pony, from the band's new album I Love You So F***ing Much.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;“Dave had a personal story he wanted to play out through aliens - I ran with this and added a cow," says Glaister. "Naive really, given how hard they are to direct. We shot this in Mexico which was an incredible experience. Locations were stunning, crew were exceptional, cast ideal and the constant quesadillas spot on. Other than a run-in with the Mexican army and being extorted by the police, the shoot was a breeze.”

United Kingdom

Stink Films Mexico

Vanessa Hernandez Vega

Adrián Pastrana

Roberto Reynoso

Laura Pacheco

Natasha Duursma

Maríana Dávila

César Perlop

Nico Bermat

Aby Michelle

Thomas Boda

Sam Allen

Taise Kerr

Phoebe Armstrong-Beaver

The Assembly Rooms

Luke Morrison

George Blomiley

Electric Theatre Collective

Colorlab

Indie

Glass Animals 'Show Pony' by Eoin Glaister

Glass Animals - Show Pony (Official Video)

Guy Gooch's latest collaboration with singer-songwriter&nbsp;Ray Laurél takes us into the forest - with real wolves.&nbsp;Following the impressive promos for My Luv, U SAID!&nbsp;and more, Gooch's video for&nbsp;Ride is another inventive labour of love. Experimenting with lo-fi formats, night-vision and unusual perspectives, driven by a kinetic edit, the director sends Laurél through the forest, accompanied&nbsp;by wolves, towards a haunting climax.The disorientating quality of the setting and frantic energy of Laurél's performance finally leads to a transcendental moment when a glowing light offers a brief encounter with a lost love. An otherworldly moment to round off a rousing experience.Further confirmation that Guy Gooch is highly accomplished at making the most of&nbsp;minimal resources.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Guy Gooch

Skye Goulding

Elifcan Yazgun

Owain Morgan

Gian Calipa

Dana Keren

Jai Durban

Dan Levy

Ray Laurél 'Ride' by Guy Gooch

LOOSE follows up the superb live visual for Fred Again..'s collab with Lil Yachty with an equally impressive document of the producer's encounter with Anderson .Paak for Places To Be.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This intimate and intense jam session was shot in one take in sun-soaked Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, and there is a delightful sense of capturing magic in a bottle, as both artists do their stuff.&nbsp;With the pair enthusiastically jumping between instruments - including two drumkits - it's a brilliant job of camerawork throughout. And then the&nbsp;natural magic in the room is elevated further when its revealed that Anderson's drumkit is on a platform that rotates, and he performs a 360˚&nbsp;drum solo.[imgtoken data:1]

Simone Moscovitch

Angela Hart

Hannah George

Ollie Ireland

Krystal Miles

Andrew Reid

Kim Jarrett

Ezra Robinson

Gabriel Connelly

Genesis Socorro

Kevin Paniagua

Pancho Ortiz

Michelle Suh

Sierra Fotouhi

Jen Hanching

Samuel Marr

Atlantic Records

Fred Again.. & Anderson .Paak 'Places To Be' by LOOSE

Fred again.. & Anderson .Paak - places to be (Eagle Rock, 16th April 2024) feat Chika

Rawtape directs the video for Headie One’s third collaboration with Stormzy, Cry No More.Shot on Romford High&nbsp;Street, where both artists come from, and based on a concept from Headie One himself, the promo features quintessential British urban grit as it follows ordinary people colliding in the streets of East London.

Hugo Harris

Suzie Walsh

Rawtape

Quinn Titsworth

Will Pope

Jack Exton

Danny Rumbelow 

Callum Hammett

Chris King

Harry Wingate

Yasmin Khan

Absolute

Columbia Records

Grime

Headie One ft Stormzy 'Cry No More' by Rawtape

Headie One Ft. Stormzy - Cry No More (Official Video)

<div>Fifty years since Abba won with Waterloo, Eurovision is bigger than ever. In fact, for 2024 in Malmö the UK is fielding its biggest pop star in years (and years) - Olly Alexander. We spoke to Colin Solal Cardo (above right, with Alexander) about him taking a big old-school approach to directing the dramatic, stylised video for UK entry Dizzy...</div><div>&nbsp;</div>Colin Solal Cardo has never shied away from the&nbsp;theatrical. Having cut his teeth making live videos for&nbsp;music platform La Blogotheque, the French director has proceeded to make some of the standout, and most sophisticated pop videos of the past decade for the likes of Christine &amp; The Queens, Robyn, Charli XCX&nbsp;and many more.He has also consistently placed artists in intriguing, even challenging studio-based sets, to spur&nbsp;them to give charismatic, passionate performances.&nbsp;That was the case with with Robyn in her video for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2019/06/20/robyn-ever-again-colin-solal-cardo/59346" target="_blank">Ever Again</a>; and with Charli and Christine Charli together&nbsp;for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2019/07/29/charli-xcx-christine-and-queens-gone-colin-solal-cardo/59984" target="_blank">Gone</a>, and recently with Griff for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/03/11/griff-miss-me-too-colin-solal-cardo/85630" target="_blank">Miss Me Too</a>.&nbsp;And for Dizzy the&nbsp;director who recently signed to Stink Films in the UK (he's with La Pac in France) has arguably created his most ambitious setting for a music video, and his biggest performance challenge for an artist.Olly Alexander is put through his paces in the video in a stylised, stagebound version of the real world, that's constantly in motion: an apartment, a desert yard, an urban rooftop featuring a billboard - three places that represent Alexander's solitary domain, each independently rotating.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:0]As&nbsp;he moves between these places, in a state of desperate yearning, it's clear this transports the pop artist formerly known as Years &amp; Years&nbsp;back into a grittier aesthetic than his recent music output. And that is perhaps&nbsp;surprising as Dizzy is the UK entry for probably the least gritty event in the annual calendar - the Eurovision Song Contest.Indeed, the idea that a&nbsp;bone fide&nbsp;pop star like Olly Alexander would be representing Britain at Eurovision&nbsp;in Malmö, Sweden on 11th May would have been unthinkable a few years ago. That the song - co-written by Alexander and top writer/producer Danny C Harle -&nbsp;is accompanied with a video as well designed and hand-crafted as this one indicates how seriously they are taking the Contest&nbsp;this year.&nbsp;We spoke to Colin Solal Cardo about the making of the Dizzy video to find out how he became involved in the project, the range of influences upon the studio world he created for Olly Alexander - and his determination to follow his instincts with his approach, celebrating the classic power of on-camera performance.[imgtoken data:1]Above: Colin Solal CardoPROMONEWS: How did the project start for you - and what attracted you to getting involved?COLIN SOLAL CARDO: I had just found out that another music video I was going to make had been cancelled. I was in a bad mood, and in the pub ready to play pool with friends and then <a href="https://www.liammooredesign.com/musicvideos" target="_blank">Liam Moore</a> DM’d me saying: ‘I'm doing the creative direction for Olly Alexander.’&nbsp;He runs me through the whole thing, and asks me if I would like to work on it.The fact that it came from Liam was a big 'yes' for me. We had never worked together, but had met a couple of times, and I'm a big fan of his work.&nbsp;And I've been a fan of Olly Alexander for a long time - ever since&nbsp;the Years &amp; Years video set in the parking lot, choreographed by Ryan Heffington [for <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2016/07/04/years-years-worship-matt-lambert/42225" target="_blank">Worship</a>, directed by Matt Lambert].I was excited.&nbsp;After that, I had to go through a treatment phase - there was some competition -&nbsp;but I just felt like it was a good project and I really wanted to win it.<blockquote>Some projects you really prepare down to the last second. This was not one of them.</blockquote>P: This is for Eurovision, which gets bigger every year. So has this been months in the making?CSC: It certainly wasn’t months in the making. Even though it was Eurovision we had to make it work in a very short amount of time. But being a music video director, I'm used to those kind of deadlines and it wasn't too scary.I was also competing for other things at the time, but I was really fixated on this one. It just felt like a very creative project with very likeminded artists, so I was really motivated to make it work.P: What was the jumping off point of the idea for the video?&nbsp;Presumably the title had something to do with it?CSC: Liam had done a brief which was quite precise in terms of the theatrical mood he wanted. That’s not surprising as that is the sort of thing that Liam does. It's probably why we connected in the first place. I think we just had an appreciation for each other's sensibilities, which are quite close.But&nbsp;there was not really an element of 'dizziness' in the brief.&nbsp;He wanted to build this world, this huge set, but it was left to the director to imagine, how to twist it in a way that would elevate it&nbsp;where it would connect with the song.&nbsp;That's what I did.[imgtoken data:2]Above: Pre-vizualisation of the billboard set in the Dizzy video.When I work on a concept, I'm a bit old school. I need to find a justification for everything, to make sure that when I press play, the lyrics of the song and the visuals instantly connect. I felt this one was very straightforward. The song's called Dizzy, there is a very strong lyrical theme about the dizziness of love and how you want to be taken away. It’s about going round and round, so&nbsp;let’s make a rotating set.<blockquote>It had to feel like he was living alone in this little dry abandoned world, dancing on his own.</blockquote>P: Once you made that decision, how did you expand upon&nbsp;Liam's original brief?&nbsp;CSC: Liam's brief already had a lot of references, a lot of theatre stage design ideas that I loved.&nbsp;The main reference from him was the billboard element and there was a house. I already had a bedroom moodboard from another discarded project – I’m a bit obsessed with enclosed spaces as a place for a performance. I love a bedroom.But a strong reference that I brought in was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hI12Srv8a4" target="_blank">Francis Ford Coppola's movie One From The Heart</a>.&nbsp;It’s not the best film, but it is the&nbsp;the most insane studio fantasy you can imagine - the thing that I really connect to.&nbsp;It has everything. It has the desert because it's supposed to take place in Las Vegas. It has big structures and neon lighting.&nbsp;Vintage fashion campaigns were also an influence. There's a&nbsp;Versace campaign by Mario Testino from the early Nineties -&nbsp;you have these characters in this sort of desert scenario, very Renaissance painting type of photography. I&nbsp;love fashion photography from that period, and again, the beautiful set designs.At first the idea was one large platform, and that we would pre-make the sets, and then just switch between them, during the day. Which was maybe&nbsp;not the most practical idea, in fact.&nbsp;I think&nbsp;Liam misunderstood what I wrote originally&nbsp;-&nbsp;he thought we had multiple sets in the room. I thought: actually that's great, let's do that.&nbsp;That's how we ended up with three rotating platforms.[imgtoken data:3]Above: The three circular sets and scenic background&nbsp;for the Dizzy video take shape in the studio.P: Why was it important to create this unique, extraordinary&nbsp;world?CSC: The way I wrote this concept is really that Olly lives in this fake world of his own making. It’s very meta.&nbsp;So I brought in the idea of the desert.&nbsp;I liked the idea that he was living there, so it's not just&nbsp;not just the bedroom, he can go to the desert and this little billboard world. They all represent different emotional states.It's a very emotional song about actually craving desire, craving touch. So it had to be a little bit deserted. It had to feel like he was living alone in this little dry abandoned world, dancing on his own. There is a bit of darkness in it, which I think is really important.&nbsp;<blockquote>When I saw&nbsp;the sets in real life for the first time I must admit that I cried a little.</blockquote>When I listen to sad dance pop songs, I love this element - the&nbsp;melodrama. It connects back to the Robyn video I made - a song about how you reclaim your sexuality and your body&nbsp;after a breakup. I think I'm a bit fascinated by this idea of this mental space we put ourselves. Pop is a great space to explore these kind of emotions - and then you can make very fun videos in very dark settings.P: So when it came to shooting it,&nbsp;how and where did you make it happen?CSC: We went to Georgia to shoot the video.&nbsp;We decided to give the reins to a local production designer,&nbsp;George Karalashvili, who has his own production company there, and he was amazing. Firstly George would do drawings&nbsp;according to the treatment and then we would go back and forth. But he had&nbsp;so little time and I don't even understand how they made it happen.When I arrived in Tiblisi, went to the studio and saw&nbsp;the sets in real life for the first time I must admit that I cried a little.&nbsp;It was very emotional because in the end,&nbsp;not to be overly dramatic but this is a very weird job that we're doing.&nbsp;You dream about ideas and visuals, you do moodboards - and then it's built and its there. It's beautiful to see: all the hard work by so many people, the attention to detail including the little things that in the end, you don't even see on the screen.[imgtoken data:4]Above: Production designer George&nbsp;Karalashvili, on set.When I came onto the set the first time I saw the textures that the production designer used - that sense of derelict beauty, it's a bit rusted and deserted, it reminded me of&nbsp;Silent Hill&nbsp;- my favourite videogame ever. That wasn't a reference in the brief either, but the texture George used in the billboard setup felt just like that.&nbsp;I told him,&nbsp;and he said - 'My God, yes, I love&nbsp;Silent Hill!'.&nbsp;It was something in his mind.P: As well as these other references, were you influenced by the way that music videos were made back in the early days of the artform?CSC: Maybe this is a throwback to an older way to make videos - with the fresh lens, of course. We really wanted to make this as modern as possible in terms of the way it's shot.&nbsp;But I like the kind of how music videos can be the crossroads for all these inspirations and you can bring from music video, from videogames, theatre and cinema and bring it to the art form.<blockquote>So many things can go wrong... but you have to trust the talent of everybody involved.</blockquote>People ask me: 'so when you're going to your feature film'. Actually, what I like to do is bring cinema into my practise because I'm proud of my practise. I love music videos, I love musicians, I love to work in this realm. Music videos is not just a stepping stone, it's also a thing in itself.P: How do you approach directing a performance?CSC: I've always tried to look for the practical. How can we build things together? How can we make something happen in the room?&nbsp;What setup can I create for the artist to perform in a way that becomes meaningful in relation to the song?I think my work is really about that. It was there when I started my career filming artists for Blogotheque, the Takeaway Shows in the late 2000s.&nbsp;We would do these videos which were shot on one handheld camera, one take, very documentary style.&nbsp;In the end, it was really about the performance, about capturing the emotion of that artist.[imgtoken data:5]Above: Colin Solal Cardo (centre) with crew members&nbsp;on set during the Dizzy video shootI would say I tend to think first about the process and how we're going to make it and how that will impact the result. In the case of Olly, it's about him&nbsp;having to deal with performance on a rotative platform. And so, in a way, it's not just a visual concept, it also involves him physically.These thoughts always come in my head when I imagine a concept. Trying to imagine how it's going to affect them so I can capture something that's really genuine.&nbsp;The thing is, I've been fortunate to collaborate with artists who are strong performers. Being a big fan of Years &amp; Years and knowing a bit of his history, I knew that Olly was brave. I knew that he was a strong performer, on video.&nbsp;With someone like that, you already know that they have the necessary skillset.It is about creating the right environment for them to deliver that.&nbsp;I'm always curious and excited about this sandbox that I give them and to then see what they do.<blockquote>I like to bring cinema, theatre, videogames&nbsp;into my practise... I'm proud of my practise.</blockquote>P: But was Olly’s movement around the set precisely planned out?CSC: Not at all. There was not even a storyboard. I had a shot list – which I didn’t even look at during the shoot. Some projects I will do a 3D pre-vis, you really prepare what you shoot down to the second. This video was not one of them, and for me a good performance video cannot be that.I knew the shoot would be quite insane. Knowing we had to cover three sets with three different lighting setups - actually more than three different lighting setups. That was complex, but you also need to give room for the performer to live in the sets, to really feel the performance.But actually I also know that at a certain moment of the song, I'm going to have a certain visual for a certain moment. Ultimately&nbsp;a pop video, like the pop song, has a well-established format. I think I have a good instinct for the format.[imgtoken data:6]Above: ready to shoot - the desert playground set on the Dizzy videoP: How physically demanding was it for Olly?CSC: Actually, he was really dizzy during the shoot! After the first takes he had to take a moment. He was shaking a little bit.&nbsp;Then when we moved to the bigger platform, the big billboard, although&nbsp;he was safely wired he still had to deal&nbsp;with the movement, speed and the height of it.&nbsp;It was a real experience, so you capture&nbsp;an energy that's not faked.<blockquote>There's some darkness in there, which I think is really important.</blockquote>P: How were you shooting it?&nbsp;CSC: We did almost everything on the crane, and a little bit of handheld. It was shot to give us a lot of options, but also longer takes. This is really the way that I do these kind of videos because that's how you get incredible things.And it was a bit crazy. We’re on the crane, one take, you have the set rotating, this big house. We’re trying to avoid the walls.I don't like when sets are too quiet. I don't like when it's too easy. We have very safe sets, of course.&nbsp;But it's a bit of a matter of life and death for me.&nbsp;Pop is about heightened emotions, and it's really about high drama. And I knew that Olly&nbsp;would really perform the hell out of it. And so I tried to create the best setup for him to really deliver something.[imgtoken data:7]P: That certainly doesn't sound planned. What&nbsp;unexpected things happened on the shoot that you can talk about?CSC: It's not so much about unexpected things happening - everything about it was unexpected. I had never shot with a rotating set like this.&nbsp;You're on the crane, you have all the lighting around, the artist inside the set,&nbsp;and it's rotating, literally 360&nbsp;and you're trying to catch everything. I wanted to experiment a bit with the camera movement. And at some point, you know, you just have to let the camera do its thing.&nbsp;That's what I love about the crane – it’s a bit like handheld.P: But that's a bit risky, isn't it?CSC: It’s true that contact made between the camera and a rotating set.&nbsp;I remember just shouting, like, ‘no, no, this can't be happening!’. But in the end, it was just a stumble. The set was not destroyed and the camera was still able to do its job.&nbsp;Honestly, the day went pretty great, and we had a lot of fun. We had some rain. We had explosions. I actually got to push the buttons myself![imgtoken data:8]<blockquote>I knew that Olly would perform the hell out of it.</blockquote>So many things can go wrong on a music video set, but in the end you just have to trust also the instincts of everybody involved because it's not just me, it's really teamwork. Liam did an incredible job as creative director, it was joyous to collaborate with him and&nbsp;my set designer and my DoP, Benjamin the choreographer and the incredible UK stylist Matthew Joseph. You have to trust the talent of everybody involved.P: How did it being the UK entry for Eurovision feed into the making of the video?CSC: To be honest, during the whole process of making this video, Eurovision was not mentioned a lot. I feel like they were mostly into making a great pop video.But when Liam told me at the start that&nbsp;this is going to be for Eurovision, I did think: this is amazing. First, it's a very fun show and it's getting bigger and bigger. People have high expectations. There is a certain level of campiness to it that I really connect to.&nbsp;I feel like that was actually a good excuse to really go overboard with everything.[imgtoken data:9]I also love that Olly is doing it on his own terms. I think he's extremely brave and avant garde in a lot of things that he's been doing, especially as a queer performer.&nbsp;There is a good symbiosis between what he has to say as a person and&nbsp;as an artist, and to put that into his pop and never being afraid of ruffling some feathers. I just feel like he's a very genuine pop artist, which is a difficult kind to find.P: So do you think&nbsp;Olly is going to win?CSC: Well, he's won in my heart. Very good luck to him!• Colin Solal Cardo is with Stink Films, and repped for music videos by Hands. Showreel <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/artist/colin-solal-cardo" target="_blank">here</a>.

Colin Solal Cardo on Olly Alexander's Dizzy: 'I knew the shoot would be insane - but that Olly was brave.'

Olly Alexander - Dizzy (Official Video)

Olly Alexander 'Dizzy' by Colin Solal Cardo

Griff gives full rein to her emotions, with the help of a small army of dancers, in Colin Solal Cardo's choreography-led video for Miss Me Too.It begins with the pop singer-songwriter entering an empty warehouse hangar space alone. But once plugged into the music via her Bose in-ear headphones, she is joined by numerous dancers. Then through the course of the song Griff becomes the central focus&nbsp;within this larger entity and channels the emotion of the song through the versatile arrangements of the group.With choreography by Jay Revell and cinematography by Madison McKamey, the promo is&nbsp;beautifully well crafted, yet succeeds in feeling unbridled and&nbsp;spontaneous. A fine way to reaquaint ourselves with the talented Griff.&nbsp; &nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]