London - For the 3rd consecutive year, Saatchi & Saatchi invited the international filmmaking community to enter a Music Video Challenge, aimed at unearthing some new directing talent from around the globe. Directors were invited to create music videos for OK Go's brand new track ‘I'm Not Through'. Saatchi & Saatchi teamed up with Talenthouse, a global platform for creative collaboration, BUG Music Videos, and OK Go, the GRAMMY award-winning band renowned for their cutting edge music videos.
The judging panel responsible for selecting the finalists and Grand Prize winner was made up of members of the Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide Creative Board and representatives of BUG, with OK Go's lead singer Damian Kulash heading up the judging panel.
The 12 finalists, selected by the official judging panel, are from all corners of the globe; Eran Amir (Germany), Carolina Aguirre Barrandeguy (UK), Sara Brink (USA), Nelson de Castro (USA), Roberto Espinosa (USA), BJ Golnick (USA), Alice Lam (USA), Benjamin Minot & Jacqueline Bulnes (Italy), Shan Palmer (USA), Riccardo Salvi & Alberto Falcone (UK), Lavado Stubbs (Bahamas) and Jonah Sugden (UK). There is also a People's Choice winner, voted for by the public - BJ Golnick from Fort Lauderdale, USA.
This year, the Music Video Challenge has uncovered some unique directing talent, with an eclectic range of themes and styles including contemporary dance, lost virginity, a time machine, a Bahamian marching band, and some incredible animation. The Grand Prize offered for the overall winner is an all expenses paid trip to Cannes for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where the winning video will be screened at the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors' Showcase on Thursday 20th June. The 12 finalists' videos will be featured, and the winning video announced by Damian Kulash.
Amos Pizzey, Founder/President of Talenthouse commented: "Talenthouse was thrilled with the creative response to the Saatchi & Saatchi OK Go Music Video Challenge on our platform. The submissions came from around the world and showed the depth of new untapped talent that can be liberated online in our brave new world. Saatchi & Saatchi have always led the way as an agency in discovering and empowering new creative work and it is fitting that they are pioneers once again in the online space helping Talenthouse in our mission to liberate all artists."
David Knight, Creative Director of BUG Music Videos added: "BUG are delighted to have been part of Saatchi & Saatchi's Music Video Challenge for the third year running - this year working with the amazing OK Go and the team at Talenthouse. The Music Video Challenge is all about discovering new directing talent, and once again we have unearthed some very exciting young filmmakers. This really was a serious Challenge for everyone who took part, largely because of the legacy of music video creativity that OK Go brought to the project. Anyone who made a video for ‘I'm Not Through' was aspiring to reach that level of creativity. And our list of finalists and our People's Choice winner have risen to the Challenge."
Check out the finalists here:
http://www.talenthouse.com/saatchi-and-saatchi-ok-go-video-challenge