Music video cinematographer
James Coote is a music video cinematographer based between Paris and London. He shot Polo & Pan's “Tunnel” (dir. Zite & Léo, Téléphone Maison Films) in XR, Selah Sue's “Hurray” and Duñe x Crayon ft. Ichon's “Pointless” (both dir. Alice Kong, Partizan), Flèche Love's “Mitote” (dir. The Quiffs) and Adidas's “Americana” with Jain (dir. Jason Yan Francis).
How does he approach a music video?
As a film with a fixed running time and one idea. The budget is usually a fraction of a campaign, so the lighting plan has to be decided, not discovered: one world per location, a camera language agreed with the director before the shoot, and set-ups that can be struck fast. The music video discipline is where his restraint comes from, and he brings it back to fashion.
What was different about Polo & Pan “Tunnel”?
It was shot in XR: the band performed inside a real-time environment on an LED stage, with the camera tracked so the world moved with it. That let the directors cut between worlds without a location move and gave the artists real light to perform in. The project page carries the behind-the-scenes. More on virtual production.
Why do fashion brands look at his music videos?
Because the same eye is at work: skin, fabric and atmosphere lit so they read in a frame that moves. Several of his fashion and brand films came through directors he had first shot clips with. The Adidas “Americana” film with Jain sits exactly on that line between brand film and music video.
Crew, kit and budget
He scales the crew to the budget honestly: a gaffer and an AC on a small clip, a full lighting and grip team on a label-funded one. Camera and lenses are rented per project. He will tell a director early if the treatment does not fit the money, and what version of it does.
Music video credits
- Adidas — Americana, with Jain · dir. Jason Yan Francis · prod. Standard Films
- Polo & Pan — Tunnel · dir. Zite & Léo · prod. Téléphone Maison Films
- Selah Sue — Hurray · dir. Alice Kong · prod. Partizan
- Duñe x Crayon ft. Ichon — Pointless · dir. Alice Kong · prod. Partizan
- Flèche Love — Mitote · dir. The Quiffs · prod. Les Mauvaises Filles
Credits are also listed on Promonews.
How to book
Email james@intangible.tv with the track, the treatment, the dates and the budget. See hiring and rates, cinematographer in Paris and the full profile.