Eoin Glaister captures the erstwhile ambitions of a frustrated smalltime DJ - played by BAFTA-winning actress Lauren Socha - in his return to music videos for Liverpool DJ-producer Mentis.

Glaister captures the tragi-comic trials and tribulations of Kent’s premium mobile party provider, DJ Debs - played with real pathos by the superb Socha - in the video for Excuses, featuring Kate Wild. Her dream is to be a proper superstar DJ in Ibiza. The painful truth is that she is playing children's parties and weddings... if she's lucky.

It's a classic comic storyline of the hapless wannabe, whose dreams of fame bear no resemblance to the reality. But in this case, it's made all the more poignant and funny due to Lauren Socha's performance - and by the fact her character begins to realise that she is not destined for stardom. She becomes increasingly disillusioned by her situation - but it's then when things finally start to turn around... 

Eoin Glaister has done a wonderful job with a great part for a superb actor and a down-at-heel setting that works perfectly for the narrative. Shot on 16mm, using an Arri SR3, this was achieved on what EP Hannah Bellil describes as a "three day escapade with a really close knit team" in the more run-down towns along the Kent coast, which allowed Socha get up to some seaside hijinks, including an 'Ibiza dream sequence' with a jet-ski. 

“We had so much fun making this," adds Bellil. "Lauren is an amazing talent and the opportunity for Eoin to build in dialogue with her was a total joy. However, I didn’t get to go on the jet ski, so I will be going back... to Ibiza this time.” 

EOIN GLAISTER:

Lauren effectively had to go full method for the role of DJ Debs...

“When we think of DJs we tend to think of the superstar kind rather
than the mobile variety, but it was the latter that I wanted to shine a light on in this video for Mentis.

"'Excuses’ documents the tragicomic trials and tribulations of DJ Debs, Kent’s premium party provider. Somehow we managed to trick Lauren Socha into bringing this character to life. What a bloody coup that was. She’s a star and effectively had to go full method for the role as we bundled her in a van and drove around Kent trying to blag gigs.

"Eternally indebted to our astonishing crew who did loads with very little. Absolute legends the lot of them.”