Crack Magazine announces Three Minutes, an incubator scheme for young directors

Crack Magazine has announced Three Minutes, a new “incubator scheme” for young directors offering five directors the chance to create a fully-funded music video.

Organised by Crack, its production company Ground Work and with support from Burberry, the BFI network and audio brand Shure, Three Minutes has also received funding from the England European Regional Development Fund. Directors can apply in an open call, but must be under the age of 26 and unsigned to any agency. Viewing the medium of the music video as an entry point for upcoming directors to break into the film industry, Crack says: “Music videos define movements and have provided some of the most iconic moments in music culture. Three Minutes is a commitment to the celebration and furthering of this craft.”

Committed to “fostering a more diverse landscape”, the chosen directors will be paid London Living Wage for the pitching and production process and each video they’re working towards will have receive a minimum budget of £12,000. The majority of spaces within the Three Minutes scheme will be reserved for BAME directors. “It’s an effort to tackle the imbalances and bring down the barriers facing many young people in the creative industries,” adds Crack, “particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, encouraging inclusivity for a more authentic representation of culture.”

If you’re thinking of applying, the application process asks for a short pitch document inspired by an example track chosen by the magazine, as well as a personal statement and portfolio of two to three previous artistic works. Within the statement those applying are encouraged to convey their personal creative aspirations, “but also to detail barriers they’ve experienced in developing their directing careers whether financial, geographic, due to lack of opportunity or because of prejudice,” explains Crack. This information will be carefully considered during the judging process “to ensure that successful applications both possess significant artistic potential and will benefit markedly from the scheme.”

The panelists judging applications include Robbie Ryan, an Oscar-nominated cinematographer who has worked on titles such as The Favourite, Marriage Story and American Honey, Kaylum Dennis a go-to director for UK rap and grime artists, as well as senior marketing manager at Warner Records Oksi Odedina and Theresea Adebiyi, the creative director of Partisan Records. Additional judges include renowned directors Akinola Davies, Oscar Hudson and Fleur Fortuné, South London rapper Flohio, Guardian film critic Simran Hans, the BFI’s network talent programme manager Caragh Davison and Morgan Clement, founder of production company Object & Animal.

The panel is completed with London-based cinematographer Olan Collardy, director and writer Abteen Bagheri, Crack Magaizne’s own art director Michelle Helena Janssen and her creative partner and founder of Abaga Velli, Ade Udoma. This impressively exhaustive list of panelists offers a vast set of eyes, each with their own views and opinions to offer on the submitted work and industry itself.

For further information or directly apply, head here.