Elton John and Bernie Taupin are looking for creators to direct the official music videos for three of their most well-known songs.
To celebrate 50 years of the songwriting partnership between Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the pair have partnered with YouTube for Elton John: The Cut. This competition gives filmmakers the chance to write and direct the official music video for one of three songs that were released before the rise of the music video – Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man, and Benny and the Jets.
The competition was launched at YouTube’s Brandcast show at the end of 2016. Entries officially opened on 9 January and are set to close on the 23 January.
The video for each song must be themed around different artistic elements, specified in three separate briefs on the competition website. Benny and the Jets must feature choreography, Rocket Man animation, and Tiny Dancer will be live action.
Elton said in a statement: “We’re excited to partner with YouTube to bring together generations of artists and music lovers around a shared passion for storytelling.
“YouTube is a rich tapestry of creativity, and I can’t wait to see how the breadth of talent from the dance, live-action and animation communities apply their vision to these cherished songs,” he added.
Together with a panel of judges consisting of Barry Jenkins (the writer-director of Golden Globe Best Picture (Drama) winner Moonlight), Grammy award-winner Melina Matsoukas, and Jeffrey Katzenberg (CEO of Dreamworks Animation), Elton and Bernie will pick three creators, one from each of the categories.
The chosen directors will then work, with support of YouTube and Pulse Films, to produce the finished music videos, which are slated to debut in the summer of 2017. On top of the accreditation the creators would receive, they will also be awarded a prize fund of $10,000 which they can put toward their own projects and endeavours.
“We’re excited to see creative ideas that push boundaries, tell compelling stories, and give creators something they’ve never seen before,” shared Elton in the promotional video for the competition.
Entrants to the competition must be above the age of 16. Those who wish to enter the competition can visit the competition website, or learn more about how to create an entry by watching this video:
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