Alongside the band’s brief, and the song’s thematic and aural qualities, the director developed an idea that incorporates elements from Llewellyn’s novel, Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice, and Bruce Davidson’s photos of 60’s Welsh miners – an aesthetic of bleak and spacious beauty, underpinned by the harsh realities of working life. The multi-generational story follows a couple yearning to have a child, and the far-reaching consequences of that decision as the child grows. Set amid the backdrop of the Welsh valleys, the story deals with themes of community, the supernatural, memory, and love, heightened throughout with a fatalistic sense of impending doom. The directr opted to set the “tidal wave of earth” in the middle of this story, transcendently following the cadences of the music, and allowing us to follow the child into the aftermath of disaster. The video’s hypnotic quality showcases this terrible destruction with forensic psychological detail, while always hinting at redemption.

The video was filmed over the course of three days in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, shot through a combination of matte paintings, stock footage, CGI and plate shots taken on location. Weeks were spent creating the avalanche effects and other digital magic, which blends seamlessly with the live action throughout in tone and style. Though the timeline was fairly standard for a music video, this project was a massive undertaking, with the final video running at over six minutes, as opposed to the standard three or four, as well as incorporating a combination of narrative shots, feature film-level artistry and archive footage throughout.

The final music video for “Pleader” was released worldwide on YouTube on November 15, 2017, reaching audiences far beyond fans of the band alone. It had an instant impact in both the UK and US, with glowing coverage in leading publications such as NPR, DIY and Paste Magazine. The video has received over 1.6 million YouTube views to date, as well as multiple award nominations from industry shows such as the D&AD and Creative Circle. The video was uniformly praised not only for its epic grandeur, seamless visual effects, and bold scope, but for the powerful idea behind its poignant story that has left audiences and critics alike searching every shot and scene for answers to their questions.

Alt-J’s music video for their song “Pleader,” is a uniquely original production. It’s expansive scale, cinematic visuals and winding, layered narrative is far beyond what is often seen in music videos. Blending the intimate and mysterious story of a young family within a beleaguered Welsh mining community, with supernatural elements, this video tells a story about sacrifices, consequences, love, and longing across generations.

This was the final video of the campaign, a campaign which began in earnest 9 months prior.  The album had been released months prior so we weren't trying to stockpile pre-orders or drive sales, but we were looking to raise awareness of an on-going North American tour.

The idea was to create a moment which simultaneously rounded off the campaign on a level equal to the standard of creative which had been established, while also creating a moment so undeniable it would re-engage our audience going into the tour.

The clarity of the idea, the precision of the execution, and the ensuing wall-to-wall praise the video received by the press ensured it did just that and more.

At the beginning of this journey, English indie rock band Alt-J sent the director a one-line brief: “A Welsh mining love story; a tidal wave of earth.” The song itself was inspired by Richard Llewellyn’s classic novel How Green Was My Valley, the story of a small Welsh mining town at the turn of the century that has long defined that community. The song was recorded with a boys’ choir and organ, giving it a traditional, hymn-like sound. The director approached the process with a creative vision that would honor the song’s Welsh genesis and sound, telling a story at once rooted in the culture and aesthetic of this environment, whilst sweeping in its epic, otherworldly vision. A poignant, intimate story of a single family, and their place within a hostile and beautifully destructive world.