Slane directs a touching promo for Shaun Farrugia, exploring mental health and the struggle to reach out for help. The beachside video sees dancer/choreographer duo Emma Farnell Watson and Waddah Sinada perform an intimate routine, reflecting the push-pull of a relationship and the pressures of contemporary life. "The video is a dizzying, passionate, emotional tale of a man who refuses to seek help with his chronic anxiety," director Slane mentions. "Shaun anchors the film as we see him perform on the same blustery beach throughout."

Sam Nutt directs a cinematic promo in aid of charity Help Musicians.The atmospheric promo sees a selection of talented artists perform in the striking Asylum Chapel in Peckham, coming together to highlight the important work that the charity do to help musicians in times of crisis. A collaboration between composer Jan Willem de With, Laura and Sarah Ayoub and Help Musicians UK, the video is breathtakingly executed, and shines a spotlight on the magic behind the music. "HelpMusiciansUK have recently learnt through a survey that 67% of musicians feel that their mental health is worse than it was before the pandemic with more considering leaving the music industry for good, and turning to Music Minds Matter for therapeutic support," the charity explain in the YouTube description. "This film aims to bring attention to the important work Help Musicians does to help musicians across times of crisis, by reflecting the idea of musicians coming together in a sheltered place. Because without musicians, there is no magic."Readers can visit helpmusicians.org.uk to learn more about about the amazing work that they do.

Myles Whittingham's video for Emeli Sandé finally sees the light of day - over nine years after it was made - and it turns out to be an immensely powerful, must-watch experience.Beginning with the moment that a young man is told by his lover that he is ending the relationship, we witness the aftermath of this traumatic moment in real time. But centred around a brilliant performance by Kazeem Amore, the combination of Whittingham's direction and Sandé's soulful delivery transform this into an existential reflection upon the meaning of life, love, community, faith and mental health.As the main character heads across a busy street, to find solitude in an abandoned building, and heading inexorably for the rooftop, there is still room for interpretation as to his fate. But it is an incredibly moving and poignant piece of work from Whittingham. And as he reveals, he has waited a very long time for this exceptional video to be released. "It’s a funny one - we actually made this nine years ago, in the summer of 2013," he explains. "It was my first music video after leaving film school. I called in so many favours, all the extras are friends or family. And we’ve been sitting on it ever since, as for various reasons it never came out at the time - with me hoping one day it would see the light. "Emeli and I had initial discussions about many issues surrounding societal pressures, mental health, isolation, community and sexuality. Which led to touchpoints that we wanted to hit, with the title being ‘Who Needs The World’ I really wanted to show how someone can feel isolated and alone in the world even amongst its hustle and bustle."I really wanted to show the sense of community and the feeling of being isolated throughout. So decided to open up with the busy community shot seeing our lead having to wear a metaphorical mask to hide his pains, and there’s a beautiful moment where I think the lead actor Kazeem Amore nails that superbly! "I then wanted to allow him to have his isolated time, so wanted the second half of the video to show the juxtaposition between the two. Having him in an isolated environment allowed him to express his emotions in various ways before the culmination at the end - which I wanted to leave up to interpretation."

Oska Zaky has directed a heartwrenching promo for Insincere Jack's Melody, in collaboration with the hiphop trio, highlighting the issues surrounding youth suicide. The film is an impressive visualisation of the song - all about Jack, a teenager whose life comes to a tragic end, as a result of events that could in truth happen to any teenager, including a failed romance and overdependence on drugs.What makes this exceptional work is how the arc of Jack's story is dramatised, with excellent performances from its young cast - not least from Cameron Lewis, who plays Jack. His portrayal of the young man's journey - from cheeky, optimistic teen, who through a series of commonplace events and actions, becomes the person who sees all hope and promise extinguished - is a really outstanding screen performance.This narrative is supported by the impassioned performance of the song by Insincere, acting as narrators. We see the trio traversing different London cityscapes, and performing as the narrative matches the arc of the track. It is anything but insincere. The sensitive approach to such a raw, important subject is a credit to directors Zaky, Insincere and everyone involved. The result is powerful, the cause is important, and this should be seen.• The content contains suicide self-harm topics. Viewer discretion is advised.

Omar Jones, director of impressive videos for the likes of Pusha T, Isaiah Rashad ft Lil Uzi Vert and Doechii - and recently signed to Riff Raff Films in London - has confronted the subject of mental health head-on in his stunning video for LA hip-hop artist Ab-Soul.The rapper took a six year break from music as a result of mental health issues that led him to attempt suicide. In the video for Do Better, Jones and Ab-Soul actually recreate this suicide attempt, where he fell from a building resulting in serious injury and sight loss.It is a tough subject that Jones handles with both sensitivity and flair, with the brilliant use of visual effects within the almost fragile black and white aesthetic. Most importantly, the dignity and humanity of Ab-Soul shines through. You really do get a sense of him coming to terms with his life, disability and all, and in spire of everything, being in a better place.OMAR JONES"Moosa Tiffith from TDE initially came to me wanting the video for Do Better to be based on a real tragic event in Soul’s life. The fact that part of his story was being revealed in this video meant it had to be portrayed correctly and lensed using an autobiographical approach. Moosa’s close friendship with Soul was instrumental in making sure there was an open line of communication between me and Soul. This was a delicate story to entrust to a stranger at the time, and his involvement made Soul comfortable."I felt a deep sense of responsibility, not only to Soul, but to all who struggle with their mental health, and deal with thoughts of suicide. In the end, the song’s message is a positive one, encouraging people to face themselves and focus on their self-improvement. Soul faces loss, regret, depression but emerges stronger on the other side.The hardest part was to ask Soul to revisit the darkest moments of his past. I felt the weight of every shot..."The video shows what one sees on their way down, the moments that lead up to it, Soul’s constant conflict with the burden of the past and alternate realities surrounding the decision to jump. What does one see in those final moments? How does the world appear from such a heavy perspective? It’s hard to even begin to imagine, but my approach uses a non-chronological edit and flow to evoke the brain frantically reaching for any memory it can (while it can), while the concept of time completely shifts."Shooting it was tough. Because the video is based on true events, the hardest part for me was to ask Soul to revisit the darkest moments of his past. I felt the weight of every shot and tried to share some of that emotional load as the director. During the ledge scene, I had Soul thirteen stories up, looking down at the drop. He was secured with wires, yet it still felt like the longest shot of my life. I couldn’t wait to yell 'cut'. Throughout the shoot, he was extremely collaborative and willing to explore every option. I am humbled and grateful for Soul's trust. In his words: 'I’ve cried enough about it, so I’m choosing to laugh now.' "

In a 20th anniversary celebration of Christina Aguilera's classic ballad Beautiful, Fiona Jane Burgess delves into what is plaguing the youth of today in a series of striking tableaux that focus on the threat of social media and 'influencer' culture on the wellbeing of the impressionable young.The video starts with a series of children blankly staring at their phones, their eyes lit up by their phone screens. Burgess brings each character’s insecurity to life as the camera pans from different perspectives. Young girls stare at themselves in the mirror, covered in cosmetic surgery incision lines, not convinced by the song’s powerful lyrics. But ultimately, as with Aguilera's classic song, this is ultimagely a message of hope. The video ends with a powerful shot of kids playing hopscotch and climbing trees. It is a reminder that should be instilled in every child; it’s okay to just be a kid.FIONA JANE BURGESS:“This film is a love letter to young people in 2022. It’s an acknowledgement of the fact that social media has totally transformed our relationship with our bodies, and in turn, our mental health."Young people are constantly fed images of unrealistic beauty standards, and with more images and influencers than ever circulating online, it’s virtually impossible to control what information young people consume. This in turn has created an online world which can be as positive as it is volatile. This film explores the tension between progression versus regression in terms of beauty standards and how our cultural relationship to it has evolved in the last twenty years, specifically in relation to the impact it’s having on children and young people.My hope is that this film opens up a conversation around... images and messages children are consuming."Research suggests that time spent on social networking sites is associated with body image issues and disordered eating in teens. According to emergency room trends, there’s been a 50% increase in reported self-injury among teenagers since 2009."According to a paper published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, more than half of girls and one-third of boys ages 6 to 8 are unhappy with their body weight. And more than 80 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of being “fat.” This is heartbreaking. This needs to change. And this film aims to be part of that change."This film is an act of resilience. A celebration of courage and self love. A love letter, a signal for change in the way we perceive beauty. My hope is that this film opens up a conversation around the potential harm associated with what images and messages children are consuming, if it’s not spoken about and discussed."I think a lot of children and young people feel suffocated by the online world but don’t know if they’re alone in feeling this way, so for me this film is about acknowledging that they aren’t alone, that it’s normal to have insecurities and to try to have a balanced view of social media and not let it dictate the way we think of ourselves.”