Production Company

Stink Films

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]

Colin Solal Cardo

Jake River Parker

Dom Mckiernan

Maya Bury

Hands 

Theresa Adebiyi

Freddie Wright

Madison Mckamey

Matt Farrant

Sonia Rodriguez

Darren Quinn

Joe Sherno

Jay Revell

Michelle Dacillo

Tomomi Roppongi

Kamran Rajput

Suzie Walsh

Gwen Ghelid

Collectiv Paris

Myles Bevan

Tomas Katter

Studio RM

Robert Chen

Griff 'Miss Me Too' by Colin Solal Cardo

Griff - Miss Me Too (Official Video)

Olly Alexander's Dizzy - the UK's entry to Eurovision 2024 - gets a suitably head-spinning and brilliantly theatrical&nbsp;visual from Colin Solal Cardo.Feeding on the song's intrinsic&nbsp;disco&nbsp;drama, the scenario is intense and even downbeat as Olly stares from the window of his claustrophobic cottage. But in a constant swirl of movement of the camera, the set and Alexander himself, the director breaks down the perceptions of reality to create a piece worthy of a major musical production.As Olly jumps through the fourth wall of observation to reach different sets within the sound stage, the video keeps time with the incessant momentum of the song - which is a grower.Will they dare to try to replicate this at the show itself?[imgtoken data:1]

United Kingdom

Louis Danckwerts

Benjamin Jonsson

Liam Moore

Matthew Josephs

Joe Brooks

Radioactive Shelter

Gena Shevchenko

Everest

Quentin Jourde Darzac

Sylvain Obriot

Kaitlyn Battistelli

Nat Tereshchenko

Ethos Studio

Olly Alexander 'Dizzy' by Colin Solal Cardo

Olly Alexander - Dizzy (Official Video)

Stink Films London has announced the arrival of Colin Solal Cardo for commercial and music video representation in the UK - timed to coincide with the release of his first two videos produced through Stink, for Olly&nbsp;Alexander's Eurovision entry Dizzy&nbsp;and Griff's Miss Me Too.The&nbsp;French director and photographer (above) has cultivated a distinctive sensibility around craft and performance in music videos since he emerged as a director at&nbsp;live music video network&nbsp;La Blogothèque around a decade ago. He created work for the likes of Phoenix, Metronomy and Alicia Keys at La Blogothèque, winning two Best Live Video UKMVAs in the process, before creating&nbsp;groundbreaking official videos for the likes of&nbsp;Christine and the Queens, Robyn, Charli XCX, Yseult and Caroline&nbsp;Polachek.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Solal Cardo's style oscillates between high fashion, theatrics and a technique-driven approach. Characterised by strong art direction, he often adopts elements such as costume, props, set builds and major locations, as well as dynamic camera moves and technically challenging perspectives.&nbsp;Meanwhile, his photography and editorial work have led him to develop a long-standing collaboration with the esteemed publication Numéro Paris, for which he has shot multiple covers, and worked with models and artists such as Bella Hadid, Anitta, Sevdaliza, Shygirl, Eartheater, 070 Shake.His most recent directorial collaborations,&nbsp;both released on March 1st, are his first produced at Stink in London. The first is an intricately-crafted and high-intensity visual feast for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLNUj7kvn2w" target="_blank">Olly Alexander's Dizzy</a> - the UK's entry for Eurovision 2024 - that celebrates the song’s sentiment of confusion and love-sickness.The other is for&nbsp;BRIT Rising Star pop princess <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0FrsjtmK4k" target="_blank">Griff's Miss Me Too</a>, a delicate and emotional performance piece, led by choreography,&nbsp;that elevates Griff’s feel-good heartbreak anthem - made in collaboration with Bose.“I’ve admired Colin’s work for a long time, so I’m really excited to finally see this partnership come to life," says&nbsp;Dom Mckiernan,&nbsp;Global Head of Stink Rising &amp; Music Videos.&nbsp;"We’ve just made two back-to-back music videos and it’s been a whirlwind start to his joining the Stink roster.”Talking of the two videos Colin Solal Cardo says: "These two projects represent an essential part of my style: the camera movements and explosive technique, mixed with performance, emotion and set design."It’s great to immediately jump right into it with Stink and get to know each other so beautifully from the get go. I’m very excited to join the team… I’ve been a fan for a long time and feel that I am in the best place to develop the new phase of my career.”• Watch Colin Solal Cardo's reel at Stink Films <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/artist/colin-solal-cardo" target="_blank">here</a>

Colin Solal Cardo joins Stink Films

Douglas&nbsp;Bernardt follows up the jawdropping Cobra video with his second, equally gobsmacking video&nbsp;for Megan Thee Stallion - the sequel, in fact. After Cobra comes Hiss...The video&nbsp;features Megan's powerful alter-ego, Tina Snow, and conveys metamorphosis through symbolic set design and alignment with the powerful lyrics in a series of spectacular set-ups. And symmetry is a key element, emphasising the duality between Megan and Tina.The thematic divide is evident in a camera split effect of the pair, achieved through consciously crafted hair and makeup, cinematography and editing. And as you might expect after the Cobra, this&nbsp;video also leans into VFX and complex technical camera work, such as having Megan facing a mirrored room reflecting both of her personas back to the audience.Bernardt&nbsp;again showcases his ability to seamlessly blend cultural nuances with striking storytelling. He consulted with Shibari experts, inspired by Japanese pop culture, and referenced the cult anime film Perfect Blue, which explores the difference between persona and true self.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3][imgtoken data:4]

United States

Douglas Bernardt

Mark Hall

Romy Jo Waller

Orren Herold

Jonas Morales

Christopher Ripley

Jacob Perry

Mathias Peralta

Miranda Lorenz

Zephyr Beck

Lucas Moesch

Final Cut

Melissa Trindade

dopo Post

Jacquelini Lima

Juliano Storchi

Daniel de Vue

Hip Hop

Megan Thee Stallion 'Hiss' by Douglas Bernardt

Megan Thee Stallion - HISS [Official Video]

Felix Brady directs a trippy&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of thrilling creativity for Unknown T's Hocus Pocus,&nbsp;featuring&nbsp;Loyle Carner - and gleefully subverting expectations of both artists.&nbsp;The video&nbsp;offers a very distinctive and hugely imaginative&nbsp;blend of performance and visual storytelling, which merges past, present and future aesthetics with a visionary touch - with videogaming as an inspiration and motif.It's a triumphant return to music videos by Felix Brady, who&nbsp;takes everyday objects and distorts their familiarity:&nbsp;cars mounted on hydraulic arms, a vibrant colour palette, visual illusions and nostalgic 90s gaming iconography.[imgtoken data:1]Furthermore, Brady upends our previous experiences of the artists themselves.&nbsp;Loyle Carner is presented in a much more dominating way, contrary to his familiar and softer public image, while Unknown T’s persona shows a shift from his drill days into more art directed, highly crafted&nbsp;scenarios.In doing so, Brady has created&nbsp;a world that is defined by its utter unpredictability, including&nbsp;some future-iconic moments of surrealism, including&nbsp;Unknown T on a golf course raining hole-in-ones, Carner performing loops on a playground swing, and both playing an arcade video game in a field.[imgtoken data:2]"It’s a visually-forward film," Brady confirms.&nbsp;"I wanted back-to-back grandiose scenes that are performance-focused. I was inspired by technology, play and contemporary design, but I also really wanted to push the rap envelope. It’s all play - the car, which is emblematic of rap videos, exists as a gyrating sculpture in the background, like a piece of modern art."The infinite hole-in-one golf scenes.&nbsp;Loyle in a speedboat is reminiscent of those coin-operated kiddie rides outside Asda.&nbsp;The kid on the bike searching the park harks back to Pokémon Go.&nbsp;Loyle loop-the-looping on a swing. Tetris inspired the floating building scene… We had fun with it.”&nbsp;

Felix Brady

Justin Stiebel

Blake Powell

Theo Hue Williams

Anna Smoronova

Fouad Gaber

Trim Editing

Otto Saner

Quinn Titsworth

Kris Declan

The Mill

Reinis Berzins

Tom Luff

Chloe Ensor

drill

Unknown T ft Loyle Carner 'Hocus Pocus' by Felix Brady

Megan Thee Stallion gets ready to shed her skin in Douglas Bernardt's spectacular Director's Cut for Cobra.&nbsp;We open with the artist crawling through the insides of a giant snake, resurfacing in a mysterious jungle. If ever there was a way to do a comeback, this is it.&nbsp;Launching into a montage of slick vignettes which blur the line between fashion and surrealism, the video has a selection of standout moments - including&nbsp;Megan&nbsp;ripping the skin from her face and performing a captivating dance routine in the middle of a prehistoric landscape.&nbsp;Unabashedly confident and unique, the video feels elevated and inspired, and sets the scene for an exciting new era for the artist.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

Tyler Evans

Esprit Casting

Evan Bauer

Jeff Kopchia

Eric Fahy

Todd Martin

Erica Pribble

Matt Sanderson

Angus Bernsen 

Brenden Sheley

Denee Baptiste

Mah Ferraz

Cut & Run

Mikey Rossiter

Bradley Crawford

Thermonuclear

Roc Nation

Megan Thee Stallion 'Cobra (Director's Cut)' by Douglas Bernardt

Guy Gooch, <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/news/2023/11/24/guy-gooch-joins-stink-rising-roster-global-representation/84312" target="_blank">just signed to Stink Rising</a>, directs another promo for up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ray Laurél, stepping&nbsp;away from his wheelhouse of technical, gritty ideas to explore a choreography and performance-driven music video - performed by&nbsp;Laurél himself.Gooch and Laurél have previously collaborated on a number of the artist’s music videos - <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/08/04/ray-laur%C3%A9l-unconditional-guy-gooch-ray-laur%C3%A9l/77718" target="_blank">Unconditional</a>, <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2022/11/18/ray-laur%C3%A9l-charles-jeffrey-guy-gooch/79333" target="_blank">Charles Jeffrey</a>, and U SAID! - all of which have taken a mixed-media approach, with live action augmented by lo-fi animation techniques.&nbsp;For My Luv, things are more straightforwardly cinematic, as&nbsp;the duo set out to explore the theme of ‘other-isation’, particularly within the context of queer identity.Laurél,&nbsp;who uses they/them pronouns,&nbsp;performs a lyrical dance metaphor that represents their conflict with social binarism;a strong and expressive performance, representing&nbsp;an internal and physical battle with themselves and the expectations inflicted upon them.[imgtoken data:1]

Sam Storey

Ray Laurél

Guy Gooch

Al Rice

Peter Bishop

Austin Phillps

Marcus Luc Kartal

Oliver Munks

Scarlett Gardner

Alice Marriott

Denise Dogan

Venice Music

Ray Laurél 'My Luv' by Guy Gooch

Ray-Laurél-'My-Luv'-by-Guy-Gooch

Stink London has announced the signing of&nbsp;visual artist and mixed-media director Guy Gooch to its Stink Rising roster of talent.&nbsp;Gooch's film work includes music videos for Wunderhorse, Sound Of Fractures, and a series of visually imaginative videos for up and coming alt-pop artist Ray Laurél, most recently for the tracks U Said! (above) and My Love - both produced through Stink.&nbsp;His videos show how he works&nbsp;comfortably across mediums and creates multi-dimensional visual worlds through performance, choreography, animation, design and in-camera trickery, creating work that&nbsp;reflects contemporary youth culture and urban living.[imgtoken data:1]In addition to&nbsp;cutting his teeth creating promos, Gooch (above) has also worked as a photographer for various editorial publications, including&nbsp;The Line of Best Fit,&nbsp;resulting in a number of musical creative collaborations and expanded his visual language. He is also a self-taught animator and strives to continue embedding new creative styles and techniques into his work.&nbsp;Stink Rising’s promo offering will be bolstered with the addition of Gooch to the roster - which also features George Jaques, Giordano Maestrelli, Loose, MrMr and Wesley Joseph.&nbsp;Dom Mckiernan, Stink's Head of Music Videos,&nbsp;says: “I can’t wait to make more projects with Guy Gooch. His films are testament to his bold rejection of over-polished visuals, opting instead for authentic expression and storytelling. Our music videos with Guy and his best friend Ray Laurél this year have been dream collabs.”• Watch Guy Gooch's showreel at&nbsp;Stink <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/artist/guy-gooch" target="_blank">here</a>

Stink Rising

Guy Gooch joins Stink Rising roster for global representation

The four mentors who will guide the finalists for this year's <a href="https://yarnsfilm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yarns</a> - Stitch and Homespun's prestigious annual short film competition - have been announced.The mentors are Meji Alabi, director at RSA/Black Dog Films; Marta&nbsp;Bobic, executive producer and MD at CANADA London; Ninian Doff, director at Pulse Films; and Keith McCarthy, director at Stink Films. As with previous years, each of the mentors will partner with the four finalists of this year's competition - Tom&nbsp;Gentle and Sam Brain, Holly Hunter,&nbsp;Juliet Klottrup,&nbsp;Doug Redfern and Joe Roberts&nbsp;- to help them navigate the process from&nbsp;script development to post-production, and create the best possible short film.The scripts of the four short films have all been written inspired by the brief for this year's competition,&nbsp;titled The Ends. After they have been shot, each film will be cut by one of four editors on the <a href="https://homespun.tv/" target="_blank">Homespun</a> roster:&nbsp;Luke Anderson, Chris&nbsp;Hutchings, Laura Reyes and Laura Zvarikova.[imgtoken data:1]A former Senior Creative and Director at Channel 4’s award-winning 4Creative, Keith McCarthy is a masterful&nbsp;visual storyteller, with a distinctive style that combines stunning cinematography and a wry&nbsp;sense of humour.&nbsp;His work for C4’s The Grand National&nbsp;struck a chord globally, and recent&nbsp;collaborations have brought wins and nominations at BAFTA, D&amp;amp;AD, British Arrows, Cannes Lions&nbsp;and Creative Circle.McCarthy&nbsp;returns to the Yarns process having&nbsp;been a mentor on last year’s winning Yarns film, Emma Parkinson’s&nbsp;Dishes, Dishes, Dishes.&nbsp;&nbsp;This year, he will be working alongside director Holly Hunter on her film&nbsp;Banana Boat, cut by Homespun editor Laura Zvarikova.“Mentoring a Yarns finalist is always a brilliant experience, and I feel very lucky that I’ve been asked back for another year," says McCarthy.&nbsp;"Getting the chance to be involved with one of the best independent short film competitions in the UK is a special thing, but it’s also great to learn a few things from the amazing talent that has made it through to the final. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully continue the winning streak!”[imgtoken data:2]Marta Bobic is also returning for a second stint as mentor at Yarns. Having joined CANADA in 2015, she has helped&nbsp;to bring an expanding roster of directors to British shores as EP and MD of CANADA London. She will be working alongside Juliet Klottrup on her film ‘Travelling Home’. The short will be edited by Luke Anderson, who cut last year’s winning film.“I’m so excited to be returning as a Yarns mentor for a second time," she says. "It’s a real honour to help support talented filmmakers and I can’t wait to see Juliet’s vision come to life. I've always admired Yarns and its mission to support new talent, not to mention watching the great films that are produced each year. It's such an important project for bringing new voices and ideas to our industry, so I can’t wait to see what gets produced this year."[imgtoken data:3]Meji Alabi&nbsp;is a director and photographer who bridges the gap between African and Western markets.&nbsp;Creating everything from music videos to advertising campaigns, he is also a co-founder of Lagos-based creative production company JM Films. Signed in the UK to Ridley Scott's RSA Films, Meji’s&nbsp;recent work includes music videos for Stormzy,&nbsp; Wizkid ft Burna Boy, and Leigh-Anne ft Ayra Starr&nbsp;as&nbsp;well as campaigns for Disney, Fanta, Guinness and&nbsp;KFC.He will be working alongside Tom&nbsp;Gentle and Sam Brain on their film&nbsp;Do You Have Kids, to be cut by Homespun editor Chris&nbsp;Hutchings. He is also another returnee as a Yarns mentor."It's my pleasure to be working with Yarns again, especially when the filmmakers&nbsp;are as talented as Tom and Sam," he says. "Yarns is a unique opportunity for young directors to get their start,&nbsp;and their short has both an amazing idea and script. To be collaborating with a writer and director&nbsp;has been an awesome experience, and hopefully we’ll see more of these competitions that help&nbsp;filmmakers of all types get their ideas out there!”[imgtoken data:4]Ninian Doff is an award-winning director whose body of work spans music videos, commercials, and&nbsp;feature film.&nbsp;&nbsp;Previously winning Best Director at the UKMVAs, and several awards&nbsp;for his Run the Jewels&nbsp;promo&nbsp;Love Again, he has since created a string of blockbuster commercials for brands such as&nbsp;Apple, McDonald’s, Three, Ikea and Sainsbury’s.Doff is celebrated for his cinematic approach, intertwining comedy with the surreal, his debut feature&nbsp;Get Duked&nbsp;earned the SXSW Audience Prize. He is also returning as a Yarns mentor, and&nbsp;he will be lending his vast&nbsp;experience to Doug Redfern and Joe Roberts on their film&nbsp;Mr. Biscuit.&nbsp;The film will be cut by&nbsp;Homespun editor Laura Reyes.<blockquote>Each of the mentors is an industry powerhouse.</blockquote>“I'm super happy to be mentoring at Yarns again," he says. "It's such a great opportunity for new directors. Doug and Joe wrote a great script and can't wait to&nbsp;see how it turns out and hopefully I'm of some help along the way!"Homespun co-owner Tim Hardy has added that he is delighted to welcome back the four mentors&nbsp;for another year of Yarns. "Each of them is an industry powerhouse, with wins at BAFTA, Cannes Lions and British Arrows to name but a few," says Hardy.&nbsp;"Our young filmmakers are already working hard shooting their films, and getting to work alongside such a talented group of mentors is an experience I know they won’t forget!”Together with the support from their mentors, Yarns also sees the aspiring directors’ partner with some of the industry’s foremost talent to create their film. The finalists will benefit from experts across production and post, including sponsors Kodak and Slingshot Intergalactic, as well as post-production partners Freefolk, nineteentwenty, Absolute and Sine.“We’re delighted that our finalists will again have some of the best in the business working on their films,"&nbsp;says Homespun co-owner Leo King. "From post to sound, our finalists have always worked with the best up-and-coming talent from across the industry."It’s long been a cornerstone of the Yarns mission, and we’re very proud to say that this will be the case again this year. We can’t wait to see Yarns give a platform to another cohort of talented people.”• More information about the Yarns finalists&nbsp;<a href="https://ends.yarnsfilm.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>; and about Homespun's editors&nbsp;<a href="https://homespun.tv/" target="_blank">here</a>

Homespun

Stitch Editing

Black Dog Films

CANADA

Pulse Films

Mentors unveiled for finalists of this year's Yarns competition 

Eoin Glaister reunites with Glass Animals with his first video for the band since 2017 - and takes their band's fans down a complex&nbsp;a complex conspiracy rabbit hole courtesy of YouTuber TinFoilPat.The video is for&nbsp;The Other Side of Paradise,&nbsp;originally released on the How To Be A Human Being album and now revived to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the album - which also featured Pork Soda and Agnes, which have Glaister-directed videos. It features TinFoilPat as a superfan of the band, revealing to his Youtube community about the&nbsp;rumour that lead singer&nbsp;Dave Bayley has been replaced by a clone (or clones). And then follows his mission to uncover 'the truth'.[imgtoken data:1]The band were not available to feature in the music video, so Glaister has employed various techniques to build his narrative. Firstly he chose to lean on archive footage from their iconic concert at Red Rocks, and construct a narrative arc that starts with the moment Dave sang “my thunder shook him down” in perfect sync with real-life thunder.&nbsp;Then he sourced further on-stage clips, TikTok cutaways, generative AI, choreography and a mouse-and-cat dynamic, to create a trail of clues for TinFoilPat to uncover.The music video is also sprinkled with subtle Glass Animals fandom trivia and even features real-life moments like TinFoilPat infiltrating the Universal Music London office or calling up the front desk to accuse them of “being in” on the hoax.[imgtoken data:2]<blockquote>It felt like a full circle moment, creating promos for the album again.</blockquote>Glaister says that the fact the band were unavailable for the shoot prompted the clone idea.&nbsp;“I'd been watching TikToks with my sisters and was really taken with all the fanfare and conspiracy theories surrounding Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears and I love how ropey all of that evidence is," he explains. "They were vehicles to kick start thinking for this project. [And] the narrative that was constructed with the archive footage means that I could blend facts and fiction in a silly way, which I’m really into.[imgtoken data:3]“This is the third job I've done for Glass Animals, which means I've earned some trust with them; it’s useful for running with a really, really bizarre idea like this one. It felt like a full circle moment, creating promos for the album again.”

Eoin Glaister

Mel Giles

Polydor

Fraser Rigg

Rupert Hornstein

Elle Lotherington

Riaz Ahmed

Ben Austin

Ellie Walker

Jess Summer

Supple Nam

Owen O'Sullivan

TenThree

Alex Gregory

No.8

Zach Beech

Indie

Glass Animals 'The Other Side Of Paradise' by Eoin Glaister

Glass Animals - The Other Side Of Paradise (Official Video)

Jorja Smith makes her directorial debut with the video for Falling Or Flying - the latest release from her forthcoming new album - and&nbsp;mirroring the sultry and soulful sounds of the track, she sets out to portray the dichotomy of falling or flying in a simple narrative that peaks as she departs on a journey into space.Up to that point, the viewer is treated to shots of a solitary Jorja as she performs the song captivatingly to the camera in an underground bunker, in the final preparations for her mission.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Jorja worked closely with her crew and Stink's Head of Music Videos Dom McKiernan to bring her vision to life.&nbsp;"Jorja is equally as impressive behind the camera as she is in front of it," says McKiernan. "Incredibly considered, quick thinking and with just such a positive vibe throughout."Jorja had a clear idea of what she wanted and could communicate it to the crew cohesively whilst also being really collaborative and open to figuring out the best way to crystalise her vision together with the crew.”Jorja Smith adds that the idea for the video “came to mind ‘cause I always wanted to shoot a video in space. Falling Or Flying&nbsp;just made me think of that. I wanted to go up into space with someone I love and cherish, but they didn’t want to come with me.”

Ranya El-refaey

Taise Kerr

Alex Carswell

Verity May Lane

Jorja Smith

Lana Salfiti

Erin Corrian-Alexis

Paul Snell

Josh Tilley

Danielle Igor

Bea Sweet

Lainy Black

Assembly Rooms

Connor Coolbear

Electric Theatre Collective

FAMM

Soul

Jorja Smith 'Falling Or Flying' by Jorja Smith

Jorja-Smith-'Falling-Or-Flying'-by-Jorja-Smith

<h3>This summer, Stink Films' director Douglas Bernardt has relocated from São Paulo to the place that has inspired some of his most creatively rewarding projects - including the recently-released Inside The Blind Iris&nbsp;(above). So&nbsp;we&nbsp;grabbed&nbsp;the chance to talk to him about this remarkable film&nbsp;and other memorable work.</h3>Douglas Bernardt is enjoying his current stay in London, despite a recent cycling accident which has him laid up, nursing a&nbsp;sore knee. This São Paulo native is not in London just for its disappointing summer weather. For him, London is an inspirational place.“Creatively London is the city that interests me the most," he says.&nbsp;"For me, it's a big step, coming from Brazil."It’s also where Bernardt&nbsp;has expanded his scope as a director, exploring the fertile British jazz scene, creating music videos for Tom Misch &amp;&nbsp;Yussef Dayes and Ezra Collective, and extending into live shoots&nbsp;for Misch and Dayes and&nbsp;Arlo Parks. And now he has made a bold step into capturing dance on film which is hugely significant.[vidtoken data:0]The most recent Berhardt-directed project is Inside The Blind Iris -&nbsp;a collaboration with British dancer/choreographer Botis Seva, as part of a commission through London dance venue&nbsp;Sadler's Wells. The 10-minute film&nbsp;fuses Seva’s expressive choreography with Bernardt’s virtuosity in creating memorable images, taking in the span of cinema history in the process. He references German expressionist and surrealist film with powerfully resonant monochrome imagery, but also creates blockbuster-worthy VFX in bringing the story behind Seva's choreography to life.&nbsp;Bernardt turned his hand to filmmaking in his early 20s,&nbsp;having established himself as a photographer. Both his photographic and film work can be described as&nbsp;ambitious, realistic yet lyrical - and it's always cinematically framed. He incorporates serious themes that are relevant to Brazilian life, through promos for the likes of Tagua Tagua,&nbsp;Baco Exu Do Blues and Nego Bala.With&nbsp;Inside The Blind Iris he employs a different palette and toolkit to confront&nbsp;issues of&nbsp;oppression, alienation and mental wellbeing. Our conversation began with his collaboration with Seva and Sadler's Wells, discovering why it was such an invigorating and creative experience -&nbsp;and how it differed to his more musical work.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]Above: Douglas Bernardt (left) on set of 'inside The Blind Iris' shoot with dancer/choreographer Botis Seva (right)<blockquote>I came up with an idea... to visually interpret the&nbsp;troubled mind.</blockquote>How did the dance film Inside The Blind Iris come about?It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Sadler's Wells created an initiative supporting filmic collaboration between directors and choreographers. There were three commissions available on the project, and Botis and I won one of them.Botis found my work online and he invited me. I didn't even need to do a treatment. We had one initial chemistry call, and we just bonded from there. It was really nice. And then we had complete creative freedom on the job&nbsp;- we just had to do a dance film that was abstract, and didn't have a structured&nbsp;narrative. That was the commission briefing.It’s a fantastic piece of work. When did you shoot it?We filmed in August and September of last year. Then there were three months of post production. So the final&nbsp;film was delivered in February, but it wasn't released until June.&nbsp;So how did the collaborative process work?I researched Botis's portfolio and found his choreography really inspiring especially because his movements are so strong. He always incorporates a lot of emotion in his dances, and it can feels like his dancers are trying to overcome&nbsp;something. We decided to use movement to explore what rebellion feels like, of fighting&nbsp;against oppression and the system.&nbsp;I came up with the idea of filming in black and white, and creating a known space - the hangar in the film - to resemble&nbsp;the character's mind. It would be an artistic interpretation of the troubled mind: to document&nbsp;pain or anxiety&nbsp;and imagine what it's like&nbsp;to fight your own demons.[imgtoken data:2]<blockquote>I love Buñuel, German Expressionism... and how much easier&nbsp;it is to light when you're shooting black and white.</blockquote>The dancers inside the building represent&nbsp;the haunted spirits following Botis. It's like a nightmare, but it ends up with a sense of hope, once Botis opens the&nbsp;portal and rips the wall out. It's a moment of freedom.I'm not sure&nbsp;that Botis fully understood&nbsp;all of my ideas at the conception stage&nbsp;– but he trusted me. Once we found the shoot location, things started to make sense. The venue had a great exterior,&nbsp;which&nbsp;felt like a place that could be magical and surreal. Yet inside it felt really oppressive,&nbsp;with its huge concrete walls.What and where was the location?It was a former aerodynamics test site, for aeroplanes in the Second World War. So there have this&nbsp;big wind tunnel, where they used to hang the aeroplanes to test their capabilities.And what about the references to classic cinema – including surrealism and even German Expressionism? Was that all there from the start?Stylistically I wanted to do something different to my previous work. I come from a DP background, so the aesthetic is really important to me. The visuals can&nbsp;to enhance the narrative or convey certain feelings. But I’m a bit tired of the stereotype that Brazilian directors only use tropical colours!I want to do something different that felt more European. I love Buñuel, German Expressionism and black and white movies - and I love how much easier it is to light, shooting in monochrome. It means you can focus on other stuff. By throwing a huge light source, you can&nbsp;draw amazing shadows and really focus on the movement, or think about how the dance arrangements fit into the narrative. It wasn’t the main reason we chose it, but in the end it helped so much.Our DP Harry Wheeler, is a master with 16mm. I wanted to invest to shoot in real black and white 16mm inside the building, rather than grade it&nbsp;from colour – because we were using the film as a narrative tool as well. It meant we could separate what is real stylistically from what plays out in his mind's eye. To bring the sense of oppression.[imgtoken data:3]<blockquote>Once you’re on set you also improvise a little bit - it's a nice way of incorporating dance into a narrative.</blockquote>Onto the performance aspect - how did you figure out the balance&nbsp;between the choreography, the camera and direction?The choreography was a really organic flow. Initially I didn't really know how to kickstart the process. So I began by presenting&nbsp;shapes to Botis, and he liked it. Once we had the location, we applied the shapes inside and started building outlines for each location – one circular setup, one was a line, a triangular setup and a square.We created five dance setups, and spread them through the locations, and&nbsp;Botis adapted the choreography to fit the venue. Then we focussed on the music, and made five tracks relevant to each setup too.&nbsp; It was a constantly evolving process - and we continued to improvise on-set. So it was a really nice way of incorporating dance into a narrative, because usually it’s the other way round - you bring the choreography in when everything else is set up.Of course the classic payoff shot is Botis encountering the whale in the middle of the City of London…So the idea behind the whale is that it represents this feeling of not belonging. It's abstract, of course, and there's room for interpretation. But how I see it&nbsp;is that&nbsp;this guy is so dislocated in the world that he feels outside and separate from reality - like a fish out of the water. And whales are so different&nbsp;from us, but at the same time, they're super-close to us - they're also mammals, the closest ally&nbsp;from the water.<blockquote>The only warmth&nbsp;in the film is when he looks at the whale, and the whale is about to die.</blockquote>So visually it's&nbsp;impactful and it builds an empathetic bond with Botis. No one looks at Botis with empathy, during the whole film. It’s the only moment of&nbsp;warmth in the whole film, when he looks at the&nbsp;whale, and the whale is about to die. It seems the animal understands the human’s struggle -as&nbsp;it’s dying in the middle of the centre of&nbsp;capitalism. Buses pass, people cycle on and continue to live their lives. No one has the capacity to really care or&nbsp;look at it.&nbsp;It's an abstract ending, but I think it does resonate with audiences, and that was the intention overall.This provided you with more freedom than some of your music videos, and definitely any commercial jobs. When you're making something for Nego Bala or Tom Misch do you have to become a different type of&nbsp;director to who you are commercially?Sort of. Every project has a goal that you need to reach. The Sadler’s Wells film was very much about how me and the choreographer worked together - a&nbsp;much more personal environment than my work for Nego Bala, for example. That’s&nbsp;his story, and I'm shooting on his behalf, so I have get into his mind as much as possible.[imgtoken data:4]Above: Bernardt (left) and Seva on the location of the Inside The Blind Iris shoot.<blockquote>Botis didn't always understand my initial ideas&nbsp;– but he trusted me.</blockquote>Working with Nego Bala was about understanding his reality,&nbsp;what he went through. That meant interviewing him many times, getting important details,&nbsp;and considering how to present these on camera. We were trying to summarise&nbsp;his childhood, his feelings,&nbsp;his perception of growing up in prison.Of course, I weaved in my own feelings, to&nbsp;make it feel more intimate. But its more about trying to translate what he told me about his reality. And It had a really important political side as well. There's a really important social aspect behind it to inspire Brazilian youth.The <a href="https://vimeo.com/391086313" target="_blank">Tom Misch video [for What Kinda Music</a>] was more like the traditional process for a music video. I received the music, and loved it, then slowly&nbsp;found the visual to make the music stronger and tease out a story to match the lyrics.You shot the narrative video in Ukraine, which led you to making live videos for Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes. How did that come about and how different are live videos?From the get-go we agreed to do the two video concepts - the&nbsp;narrative for What Kinda Music and live video for Lift Off. I was more excited about the narrative one. But I alos thought it was cool to do a live shoot with a smaller budget and capture the band’s synergy without a fixed storyline to follow.[vidtoken data:1]<blockquote>I didn't know I would have so much passion for shooting live performance.</blockquote>But when we got on set of the live performance video, and I saw Yussef and Tom play, it was mesmerising. They are&nbsp;so soulful together, and it's just beautiful to watch them perform.It was my very first time shooting a live video, and I didn't know I would have so much passion for it. But you're&nbsp;so in&nbsp;the moment. You have to be present, to find the right elements for the shot, including the right lighting and camera movements in the right moment of the track. I had to really get into&nbsp;the music, and try to translate that on-screen. It also felt I was playing with them while they performed. My instrument was the&nbsp;Steadicam.I just got into the zone on set. And after that, I wanted to do more of these sort of jobs.&nbsp;It just has to be with a truly exceptional&nbsp;performer – because its 100% about the performance.And that collaboration led to the Arlo Parks live video, for Softly?Yes, Arlo is amazing&nbsp;and has a wonderful voice. So that was a natural fit. For that shoot&nbsp;we found a&nbsp;location in New York, while I was shooting a commercial in Mexico. It meant I had to do a one day trip to New York just to shoot this. I was testing for COVID the entire time, and then&nbsp;on the day we were meant to do the shoot, I tested positive.&nbsp;I didn't&nbsp;have any symptoms (and I still think it was a dud result) but I couldn't go.&nbsp;[vidtoken data:2]<blockquote>It was more about Arlo’s expressions while singing. So the camera is much more about her.</blockquote>I called a director friend of mine in New York, to help me out. I was going to direct remotely, but I needed someone there on set, to feel out the space.&nbsp;He was my eyes, and at some point our visions synced up.It was a completely&nbsp;different experience to my first live video. With Arlo, it was all about the voice. We didn't need to navigate between instruments, we just wanted to capture Arlo's emotions and how she expressed herself. So having her front and centre in shot was essential. Even when moving around the band, she's always looking to the camera.As you’re spending the summer months living in London, what are you enjoy most about being here?Not the food. I’m joking...I love the intersection of art in London.&nbsp;Music video-wise and commercially, the most creative work takes place here. You can see it in the&nbsp;fashion. I lived in New York before, and the two cities have a similar vibe. But I think in London it’s a little bit more… true. People really build a scene here, and that’s interesting.It's quite hard for me to explain, but it’s a place where I fit, where I have friends. It's been easy for me to make friends here.&nbsp;I also like that the whole city is flat and I can ride my bike.&nbsp;São Paulo is full of hills, so cycling is much harder!&nbsp;[vidtoken data:3]<blockquote>My music videos have been like short films - now my treatments are getting more surreal.</blockquote>I still do a lot of photography. That's how I started and though&nbsp;I gave it up for a few years, I came back to it recently. I'm investing in my photography more actively at the moment, and taking&nbsp;street pictures as I walk about. I love it.I'd love to express myself in an easier medium. Films take a long time, so photography allows me to express myself immediately, every day. While I've been here I've been&nbsp;organising my pictures, creating series, and taking more. It's been fun, discovering new neighbourhoods, and feeling connected to people.What else is in the pipeline for you in terms of films?My ideas now are different to what I’ve been known for. The dance film has spurred a new career direction. My music videos have always been more like short films, with a fleshed-out narrative, like for Bluesman&nbsp;and Nego Bala. My treatments are becoming more surreal, and feeling-led. And I'm trying to nurture&nbsp;this new wave of thinking.• Douglas Bernardt is represented by <a href="https://stinkfilms.com/united-kingdom/" target="_blank">Stink Films</a> for music videos and commercials.

Douglas Bernardt on 'Inside The Blind Iris' and finding fresh inspiration in London

INSIDE THE BLIND IRIS

Tom-Misch-&amp;-Yussef-Dayes-'Lift-Off-(feat.-Rocco-Palladino)'-by-Douglas-Bernardt

Arlo Parks - Softly (Live)

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

A <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0J9paXNL6O3ic86cA26gOY" target="_blank">new episode</a> of The Promonews Podcast - Talking Music Videos&nbsp;is out today,&nbsp;with David and Rob of Promonews talking to Eoin Glaister - a director who has spent the last ten years making music videos that make us laugh.From his notorious video for Let The Machines Do The Work - filmed at an EDL rally - to his latest for LA Priest, featuring a love affair between a cleaning woman and a fatberg, Eoin has been pushing boundaries in narrative videos that have reflected his zest for comedy.On this episode, he talks about the videos - mostly funny ones, occasionally not - that have were important in his development as a director. Delivered with a distinctive dash of Glaister wit that makes it a very enjoyable listen.With credits that include videos for Catfish &amp; The Bottlemen, Aquilo, Glass Animals, All We Are, Kele Okereke&nbsp;and Beirut, he reflects upon the considerable challenges that have come with the opportunity of bringing his ideas to the screen.&nbsp;Eoin explains how he found a knack for directing video trilogies - and why he thinks that a dog is a director's best friend.&nbsp;Since working with superstar artist Joji before the pandemic, the Stink FIlms-signed director has broken properly into commercials, with leading brands taking advantage of his comedic style. More occasional recent outings in music videos include his promo for&nbsp;Liverpool DJ/produce&nbsp;Mentis, and he explains how he created a great comedy character in the video with&nbsp;BAFTA-winning actor Lauren Sorcha.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0J9paXNL6O3ic86cA26gOY?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius:12px" width="100%"></iframe>This episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" target="_blank">The Promonews Podcast: Talking Music Videos</a> follows a series of revealing conversations in recent months with directors currently making a big impact&nbsp;in UK music videos. The last episode featured Tash Tung, who talks about bringing a different style to the pop video genre. Previous interviewees have included Charlie Sarsfield, Noel Paul, Ali Kurr and Joe Connor.&nbsp;&nbsp;Other recent interviewees include Aoife McArdle discussing her path from music video director to director and producer on Apple TV+ show&nbsp;Severance; and pioneering music video&nbsp;director Andy Morahan talking about working&nbsp;with Guns 'n Roses, on the 30th anniversary of his legendary video for November Rain.And you can explore The Promonews Podcast for interviews with the likes of KC Locke, Sam Brown,&nbsp;Sophia Ray &amp; Mayling Wong, Milo Blake,&nbsp;Fred Rowson, Nathan James Tettey,&nbsp;Kasper Haggstrom, Olivia Rose and Sam Davey.• Listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7xlA6GsQtJfhtUsxNYiFYz" target="_blank">The Promonews Podcast</a> on&nbsp;Spotify, and other platforms.

The Promonews Podcast: new episode with Eoin Glaister out now!

Guy Gooch's third video for&nbsp;Ray Laurél, combines live action transtion techniques and lo-fi animation to great effect in a story of London life, relationships and a big night out.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Harry Wilkinson

Daniel Coen

Owain Morgan

Arthur Attenborough

Gian Calipa

Siti Haval

Jonny Thorpe

Glassworks

Andrew Patrick

Cinelab Film and Digital

Alt-Pop

Ray Laurél 'U SAID!' by Guy Gooch

Ray Laurél - U SAID! (Official Video)

A woman falls in love with the Fatberg - yes, you heard right - in Eoin Glaister's marvellously&nbsp;entertaining return to music videos for Sam Dust, aka LA Priest.It's a tale both charming and ludicrous - in other words, classic Eoin Glaister territory - as a house cleaner (played by comedy actor&nbsp;Juliet Cowen) peers into a street drain on her way home from a hard day's work, and sees an&nbsp;amorphous blob of grease and fat - who looks back at her. And they fall head-over-heels for one another...What follows is a both lovely and a little bit disgusting, as Cowen ventures into the sewer system to properly meet the Fatberg, and we follow the inevitable steps of the relationship - the wooing, the (ahem) physical relationship, the arguments, the peace offerings of wet wipes and non-biodegradable products down the loo. And like all stories of star-cross'd lovers, it's not going to end well - but even then, love prevails. Kind of...[imgtoken data:1]It's Eoin Glaister's second video for Sam Dust, formerly of Late of the Pier, as LA Priest, and was shot in London over two days on 16mm.&nbsp;“The first video I made with LA Priest involved letting an untrained pack of dogs lick liver paste out of his ears, so I was somewhat surprised to get a call regarding It’s You -&nbsp;but&nbsp;needless to say l leapt," he says. “The track is about someone falling in love with a mermaid, but the time of year meant I kept running into safety issues with any water-based ideas. A fatberg provided an altogether greasier route."A few Mighty Boosh references later and we were away. Eternally grateful to the fabulous crew who went above and beyond to bring this to life on Valentine’s Day and to our stars, veteran genius Juliet Cowan, and Vanessa Del Bosco whose zen-like patience made the project possible. Watch out for a fabulous Flusher cameo from LA Priest.”

Stink Films

Production Company

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