New initiative launched to create opportunities for young filmmakers in music video direction

A new initiative has been launched to create music video direction opportunities for young filmmakers. 

Three Minutes is described as ‘an essential new incubator scheme’, giving rising directorial talent major commissions, while creating space and opportunities for people from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. 

Spearheaded by Crack Magazine and its production arm Ground Work, with partners Burberry, BFI NETWORK and audio specialist Shure, funds for the project have also come from the England European Regional Development Fund. 

Applications are now open to unsigned directors aged 26 and under, and submissions will be judged by a 15-strong panel of industry experts. These include South London MC FLOHIO, whose visual pairings for tracks have received great acclaim, Guardian film critic Simran Hans, Oscar-nominated cinematographer Robbie Ryan, rap and grime go-to director Kaylum Dennis, and Warner Records’ Senior Marketing Manager Oksi Odedina. 

Five successful candidates will go on to create fully-funded videos. Once enrolled in the scheme they will be paid the London Living Wage for the duration of the process, with minimum budgets of £12,000 for production and the majority of spaces reserved for BAME applicants. The idea nods to the way music videos have often acted as entry points into the wider film industry, as was the case for luminaries like Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry and Chris Cunningham. 

Full details of how to get involved in Three Minutes can be found here, but before that check our long read on how the UK’s drill filmmakers are driving the scene.