Case Study- Jamie Thraves

Jamie Thraves is a director who first started off with making short films at University. He used award-winning films short films as a ‘calling card’ to get a ‘foot in the door’ with the video production company Factory film.

H began by shooting three very low budget music videos (£5,000 approximately for each video)

 This is how the process works:

-          a Commission from a record label sends a track to five- ten directors

-          the directors then each submit a treatment

-          at this stage they do not get paid

-          the director who has submitted the ‘best’ treatment is then commissioned to make the video

-          after then they director is paid

as can be seen for many directors in the business it is a precarious existence where their livelihood is dependant on each commission.

Jamie Thraves submitted treatments for his two best known videos and each was accepted:

Radiohead ‘Just’ – budget £100,000 and took three days to shoot

Coldplay ‘The Scientist’ – budget £200,000 and took two days to shoot

Jamie Thraves used the music video to get into the film business. He has so far shot three films:

-          The Low Down

-          The Cry of the Owl

-          Treacle Jr