9 Videos for 9 Songs

We need YOU to make our next music video

It is with great excitement that we’re putting a call out for film makers for our new album.
We’ve poured heart and soul into our new record. It’s taken 3 years to get it to completion, we’ve lost and gained band members, we’ve talked and talked and talked, we’ve come at it all a bit differently and, to be frank, we’re a little tired of the sound of our own voices. So we’ve decided that we’d like to get someone else’s take on it all. Someone else’s eyes and ears. And so it’s over to you.

Cash monies (or “oh yeah, but what’s the pay like?”)

Before Pixar start filling in the form or Scorsese tries to get our number we should probably say that the commission isn’t going to make you rich. Or even solvent. We’ve saved our pennies and scraped together £500 per video. How you spend it is entirely up to you. Entirely. We’ll simply hand over a bag of cash in a dark car park and then you’re on your way to create beauty. I guess I’d probably just video myself spending £500 if I had my way. New shoes, few pints, wellies for the kids…but we’re hoping to attract people who are both more ambitious and more trustworthy than us.

So if you’re a bedroom film-maker (no not that kind), a first time enthusiast or a have a go hero then please get your creative juices flowing and have a punt. We like people and we like what people do so this is a totally open call. Student animators, film-makers, bored souls and buzzing minds. It could be animation or stop motion, narrative or abstract, budget or big production. It’s up to you. All we ask is that it has a soul, that it’s a piece of work in its own right.

We’ve already lined up our long time collaborators and good good friends Shot by Sodium to make one of the videos – with exactly the same parameters – so there are 8 left up for grabs.

Oh, and if you are Pixar or Martin Scorcese we certainly wouldn’t say no to an application.

“Okay, I’m in! How do I get involved?”

If this sounds like your kinda thing, whether it’s something you do all the time, or you’re a first timer, then we want to hear from you. Here’s what to do:

• Fill in the form below by 7th July 2016 giving us your name, a taste of an idea for an imaginary video and a link to something, anything, you’ve made before so we can see your style or lack thereof.
• Wait to hear if you’re the chosen ones which we’ll announce on 15th July 2016.
• We’ll send you a single track to work with from the new album, chosen by us, and £500 in Mexican Pesos.
• Make us a video!
• Get that video to us by 19th September 2016
• Wait for global recognition

Our only stipulation is that the video must be made without us actually appearing in it. Sorry! It interferes with the terms of Ed’s restraining order. Only kidding! We’d just like them to be as much of a surprise for us as they are for everyone else. You can talk to us about the songs or the lyrics or the complex chord structures (or not) but we can’t actually appear in the video.

[UPDATE 21st June]

What next?

As well as the global super-stardom that will doubtlessly come as a direct result of having your video on our Youtube channel, we’re very excited to announce that we’ll be holding a premier of all nine videos at at a beautiful, independent cinema venue in Yorkshire on Saturday 22nd October, aaaaaand a bit of a celebratory party at the pub straight afterwards. So yep, £500, internet fame, and a screening. What’s not to like!?

[End UPDATE 21st June]

So that’s it… Away you go and be free!

[EDIT 04/07/16 – by Rich]

We’ve had a fair few questions asked over on Twitter and Facebook, so I’ve compiled collated and condensed the main points and am posting the answers here:

Q: What kinda thing are you looking for? A: Well, we’ve deliberately left this as open as we can. We want you to be as imaginative, and as un-bound as possible in your applications (and there’s some awesome stuff already been suggested. We’re very excited!). That’s kinda why we asked the silly question in the “Pitch us an idea” bit of the form (below). What gets us excited in the responses though tends to those ideas which are funny, or beautiful, or exciting, or cute, or grand, or elegantly simple, or hugely ambitious. Make us laugh, cry, gasp and jump for joy… please. Is that any help? Probably not. Sorry. [grins]

Q: Can I have a listen to the music we’ll be working with? A: In the interest of fairness (and mild peril), we’re keeping our cards close to our chest in terms of actual listens to the album. Applications are open until Thursday 7th July, and only then will we get together, go through them all, and start to work out who gets which song. What can we tell you about the music though? Well, we’ve blogged about the making of this album over here and here, and talked about how this album is a somewhat different animal in terms of process. That said, we’re still making songs, with melodies, and harmonies, and there’s still guitars, and drums, and bass, and brass (SOOOOO many channels of brass). There’s a twist of something else… but if you’re not hugely familiar with H&S, our three most recent studio albums (ordered from newest to oldest: All Our Dancing Days, Sleep Sound and April) are pretty representative. So it’ll be something like that… except ***entirely different.

(*** Same same, but different)

Q: Yeah yeah, but give us a clue. What have you done before videos wise? A: It’s all on th’youtube like, but it probably won’t help you, as we’re in most of these videos, and that’s a no-go for this project. In case you haven’t found us up there, here’s a few to save you some valuable minutes googling:

All our Dancing Days: We made a video with our fans, all learning a dance together, in a day. Nobody gets out of this looking cool.

James: Choppy, claustrophobic band in a room vid.

Eurospin: Live recording of our Wine Bottle Orchestra/Bistro night at our studio.

Crypt Covers: Ten vidoes for ten covers, made in ten days, in conjunction with ten other artistes.

Buuuut as I say, most of these feature the band in some shape or form, and as these nine videos won’t, we really don’t want you to be bound by anything you’ve seen in those links above. You’re all free to explore all your other artistic whims, and whatever directions the music takes you in… when you get the music, which isn’t yet, so please go write us something amazing in answer to the “Pitch us an idea” bit in the form below. [winks]

Q: Where’s the premiere? Do I need to contact my designer re: an outfit? A: We’re delighted to announce that we’ll be holding an event at Hyde Park Picture House. It’s an awesome place, with an amazing history, and god-darn beautiful…

… if you can afford a designer outfit, go for it… or donate some money to Refugees Start. They were our designated charity at our last Christmas bash, and having spent the afternoon and evening with Trace from Refugees Start just yesterday, all I can say is, that’s probably the best thing any of us could do with our spare cash right now. Your call though. New shiny things make us all feel temporarily happy. And while we’re may be insufferably self-righouteous, we’re also totally non-judgemental too. So yeah, go wild and Versace it up, that’s a good option too. ;)

Q: So is it just the videos at the premiere then? A: A well as showcasing the amazing wares of all nine videographers, and our brand-spanking new album, we’re gonna have a little bit of a play too. And we’re gonna book the morning off work the day after as we’d like to go for a beer. All of us, interested video-watchers, film-makers, band members… so let’s do that eh?

Need we say more to entice you? No, I thought not, then that’s it for now. Entries close Thursday, so get yer thinking caps and yer CAPS LOCK on, and…
[END EDIT 04/07/16]

…Now Fill In The Form!
ENTRIES NOW CLOSED… Thanks to all who applied. Announcements soooooon!