shots Unsigned: Harry Barber

Harry Barber is an independent commercials, music video and documentary director from London. 

He has worked with the likes of Kano, Anthony Joshua, Jose Mourinho, and Loyle Carner, aswell as brands such as EA, Under Armour, and The Premier League.

His latest music video The Worm, from Bastian Benjamin, Alberta Balsam, French II is warped night tale, following a man wielding a hammer running toward a mysterious glass box in the forest, bearing the familiar instruction: In Case Of Emergency Break Glass. and what happens next, well... see for yourself.

Would you say you have a directing style?

I’m not sure I have a defined style, but I’m always drawn to a project’s relationship with reality. A lot of my early work was in the doco world and that instinct still shapes how I approach work now, even in more abstract spaces. Using realism as a way in, then disrupting it with moments of strangeness or abstraction. Whether it’s subtle or not - The Worm wasn’t particularly subtle.

What was the inspiration behind the music video?

Doing something a bit ridiculous was always the goal, something that felt like it lived in its own world entirely. Not 100% sure how I ended up putting a worm in a glass box…

I think I just loved the idea of bringing The Worm to life, creating a hero out of something so meek and feeble and making it feel mythical, otherworldly - Iconic?

The track itself is dark. Twisted and eerie. But also, and I know the guys won’t mind me saying this, it’s kind of daft at its core. It’s what makes it such a gem and I wanted to lean into that and explore that strange middle ground.

There’s this sense of looming disaster in the video and I love the thought that, in a moment of genuine panic, our protagonist sprinting for his life, hammer in hand, this modest worm appears, floating in a glass box, calmly offering itself as the answer to everything.

And when the box smashes… giant flying worm. It’s a stupid idea.

And when the box smashes… giant flying worm. It’s a stupid idea.

What were some of the difficulties you faced in pulling this project together?

Convincing people, including myself, that a worm in a box hanging by fishing wire in a forrest was a good idea. And that we could make it for £2k.

Although in fairness, Kane (unknown - untitled) and the artists were on board immediately. I think the trust and enthusiasm they had in the project went a long way in actually getting it made. I had plenty of internal “this is ridiculous - bin it off” moments. I’m glad I didn’t.

I should say the same for Brent Patterson here too. Brent single-handedly did all of the VFX on the video (there is no AI in this film whatsoever) and came on board with so much enthusiasm and so many ideas. I think Brent also liked the idea of making something ridiculous and having fun with it. We set out to make, and I quote Brent here, “the Christopher Walken of worms.”

I love people like Brent and I could not have done this one without him. Massive thanks also to my good friend Sam Davis for putting us in touch.

ABOVE: In case of emergency break glass...

How long was the shoot and what was the most challenging aspect of the project?

Where do I start. It was a night shoot in a forrest two hours from London.

There were only six of us on set including cast and Kane from the label, who also cooked a banging chilli for us all. It was a pretty big undertaking for such a small crew and I’m massively grateful for all of those guys mucking in and making it happen.

It was -1°C at some points in the night. The box smashed less than an hour into the shoot. We had to drop a lot of shots. The worm wasn’t performing… Toby Goodger our DOP and I slept in his van after the shoot. I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold in my life. It was mental but I’m not sure I’d change it. It was nice to go back to that way of working - In the trenches, but loving it because you’re all excited about what you’re making.

What have you learned during the process of making the film?

To trust, and most importantly, enjoy the process. Have faith in your own ideas, push them as far as humanly possible when you get the chance, no matter how ridiculous you or anyone else thinks they might be, and surround yourself with enthusiastic, talented and collaborative people. I definitely had that in our team, especially Toby and Brent.

I’d say very much the same about Toby as I said about Brent. Toby went way over and above on this one. He’s like an excited puppy wanted to make cool shit. Much needed energy on a project like this and a very talented DOP.

Directing is an inherently collaborative process and it’s amazing how far you can push things when you have the right people around you.

Directing is an inherently collaborative process and it’s amazing how far you can push things when you have the right people around you.