KC Locke directs a heartfelt promo for James Arthur, a great showcase for the artist in performance and Locke's talent with tight, emotion-led concepts. The black and white-shot video for Waste My Tears blends Arthur's intimate performance with universal themes of regret, acceptance and catharsis. These are expressed through similarly intimate photo-style portraits of a large cast of extras who, in their diversity, effectively represent humanity. "For me, [the video] is about self-acceptance and the time it takes to find your way back to yourself," explains Locke. "I wanted to explore that through portraiture, allowing faces, expressions and small gestures to carry the emotion."Locke's visual language draws upon CK One ad campaigns from the 1990s and documentary photography, assisted by DoP Henry Gill's excellent cinematography and colourist Alex Gregory's grade. "Black and white brings the focus onto the people: their character, their individuality and the histories you sense without needing them explained," he continues. "James becomes part of that collective, his performance connecting us to the lives around him."The intention was to create something intimate and human, where people could recognise a part of themselves and come away feeling a little less alone."

Julia Kupiec reunites with New York singer-songwriter Sabrina Song to create a powerfully atmospheric performance video.Following their collaboration last year for Background Actor, the promo for indie-rock slow-burner Big Trick sees Kupiec orchestrate some darkly theatrical vibes in a liminal studio space, with an elegantly crafted performance from Song and her band and a gradual buildup of visual drama as the story unfolds.Lighting set ups, in-camera visual effects and lightly choreographed movement lend to the theatrical feel - and a special guest appearance from a very charming rabbit is both a nod to the track’s title and its magician’s assistant aesthetic.The track comes from Song's debut EP, released last summer, which also features Background Actor. And on a limited budget, the artist and director adopted a DIY approach for this one. They first met while both studying at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where Kupiec was the DoP on a couple of videos for Song before making her transition to directing.“Working together has turned into this whole blossoming collaboration that we’re both really giddy about,” says Kupiec. “Sabrina really is an artist in the sense that she’s creative in a lot of different directions. She likes filmmaking and has more of a real understanding of and respect for that craft than any other artist I’ve worked with. She comes in with ideas and a clear vision, but she’s never rigid or prescriptive.”Kupiec has been flipping between directing commercials and videos for the past few years, having also helmed promos for Columbia Records’ artist Clinton Kane and Indigo Soul’s Jake Tavill, including Tavill’s Truth - an official selection at Raindance."“I’m addicted to music videos,” Kupiec admits. “I think you have to be in order to make them. They’re hard, notoriously under-resourced [but] kind of always come together against all odds.”This one certainly has. It's a great showcase for Sabrina Song, this smouldering track - and Julia Kupiec's talent as a filmmaker.

Kyiv-based filmmakers Maksym Sikalenko and Dasha Deriagina have joined forces to direct a feelgood performance promo for Cape Cod x Jamala. The video for Lito - meaning Summer - is breezy and textural, capturing an as-live performance with high-energy flair. And it is important to acknowledge the upbeat nature of the song and the video in the context of it coming from Ukraine, a country under attack for nearly four and a half years. Lito is the first single from Cape Cod's forthcoming fourth album – a gentle reminder that even in dark times, there is still room for warmth, memory and ordinary happiness."The video came together almost as quickly as Kyiv weather in early summer," says Deriagina. "Three days of preparation – just enough time to assemble a crew and get everyone to set."It was captured entirely on Kodak Super 8mm 50D and 16mm 500T, using an ARRI SR3 and a Leicina Special. The film was hand-developed and scanned by 14ft8in – currently the only team in Ukraine capable of completing the entire analogue workflow across every film format, a process that until recently meant sending rolls abroad."Developing everything by hand preserved the grain, imperfections and texture of the original negative, leaving images that feel lifted straight from the 1970s and 80s: less like footage, more like a faded summer memory."In a world of instant images, we chose something that had to be earned. Creating something joyful in a time of war feels quietly radical. Making it with the people I love – priceless. Thank you to my favourite filmmakers from Kyiv."The track and video encapsulate this process with heartwarming passion - choosing joy while the sirens continue. Choosing to make something beautiful, slowly, with the people you love. For Maksym, who continues to serve in Ukraine's Armed Forces, that choice carries even greater weight.