The Music Video Focus

Since the 90s, when their budgets ran to millions, the internet and tech advances have made music videos easier to view, cheaper to produce and, possibly, more disposable. But is the medium a dying art, or still the best way for a director to get noticed? shots probes the state of the promo nation.

Craft

How OK Go turned a 'simple' concept into a 577-hour experiment

Co-directors Chris Buongiorno and Damian Kulash talk us through the extensive planning, numerical headaches, and mental stamina it took to shoot the A Stone Only Rolls Downhill music video.

Inspiration

Playlist: Daniel Olaifa

We spoke with Daniel Olaifa Music Supervisor at BBH London, about tiny desk concert perfection, eyeing up some Teenage Engineering gear, and secret dance classes...

Talent

Hannah Lux Davis: the high priestess of pop promos

With her knack for crafting blockbuster music videos that attract record-breaking numbers of eyeballs, it’s no wonder pop’s elite are flocking to London Alley director Hannah Lux Davis. Her secret weapons? Impeccable styling, bold choreography - and a ‘pretty gritty’ aesthetic.

Talent

Pennacky: Shooting out of the ordinary

Japan’s rising star of the music video world talks to Tim Cumming about his distinctive work, his methods and aesthetics.

Craft

How Coldplay's video is a window on the world(s)

Blinkink's Isabel Garrett shares the incredible feat of bringing 27 other filmmakers and artists together – in a mere four weeks – to create a patchwork planet in film: a montage musing on the variety of life through a multiplicity of POVs from around the globe.

Insight

Music videos; we love you, and we need you

If video killed the radio star, on who or what do we blame the fall of music videos? Ok, so promos aren't dead but, says Elliott Starr, Creative Director at Impero, they are much diminished, and the creative industry is the worse for it.

Talent

Tanu Muino: shooting for the stars

Known for her madcap collaborations with artists from Harry Styles to Dua Lipa, Ukrainian-Cuban director Tanu Muino’s music videos are defined by bold styling, daring choreography, and captivating architecture. From performing arts clubs to MTV, she reflects on the influences that shaped her vision and encourages the industry to collaborate with Ukrainian talent.

Inspiration

Playlist: WAXXWORK

We hear from Art Practice directing duo WAXXWORK consisting of Timothy Casten and Vikesh Govind. Here they talk about representation in music videos, the wonder of Google Docs, and watching their Director’s Label DVD collection.

Craft

How RUFFMERCY brought inhalation to his animation

Tasked with creating a dance-based promo inspired by the act of breathing, the animation director, aka Russ Murphy, explains how he used rotoscoped live action and hand-drawn animation to create his mesmerising music video for ANiML’s track Breather.

Talent

The Way I See It: Rhea Scott

From Grammy-winning music videos for the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Madonna to the Oscar-winning short Logorama, Little Minx founder and uber-producer Rhea Scott has built her three-decade-long career in production on a sculptor’s ability to shape raw potential into something extraordinary. As Little Minx celebrates its 25th anniversary, Scott talks to shots about being born twice, the need for more ‘doing’ when it comes to diversity, and why a salmon is her spirit animal.

Inspiration

Playlist: David J East

David J East is a partner and creative director at Imagine This. Here, he chats about the dream of working with the Gallagher brothers, looking at paintings for inspiration, and his love of penguins.

Inspiration

Sophie Jones: A Few Of My Favourite Things

The Somesuch director/photographer talks to us about the captured memories that fuel her creativity.

Inspiration

Playlist: Leo Aguirre

We spoke with Park Pictures director Leo Aguirre about his Minolta TC-1 and Korg Kaossilator Dynamic Phrase Synthesizer, experimental jazz playlists, and the inner workings of the promo industry.

The Photography & Cinematography Focus

In a cacophonous digital culture that bombards us with a stream of personal image-sharing and branded visuals, it can be hard for photography to stand out. This month, shots pulls focus on the DPs and photographers whose work sets the optic nerves a-tingle and considers the input of non-human image generators.

The Inspiration Focus

What are the cultural artefacts, random objects, rituals and synaptic sparks that generate fresh ideas? We talk to some of ad land’s most innovative thinkers about creative inspiration. What it is, where they find it and do the AI bots have it too...

The YDA 2024 Focus

The rising stars who won Golds in this year’s Young Director Award share with shots the origins and ideas and behind their films, the production highs and lows and what they’re planning next.