DJ Shadow ft. Run the Jewels
Director Sam Pilling cast professional actors to play world leaders for DJ Shadow's "Nobody Speak," but he didn't rely on perfect timing during the shoot. Instead, the brawl was filmed to look messy and chaotic, with the rappers themselves on set to coach the actors on their cadence. The real magic happened in post-production, where the footage was cut and timed to match the percussive hits of the track. It creates a jarring experience where the visual language of a boring meeting is hijacked by the rhythm of a floor fight. The video was filmed in Kyiv, Ukraine, inside the Ukrainian House, a building that was originally a museum dedicated to Vladimir Lenin. Director Sam Pilling won "Best Director" at the UK Music Video Awards for this project, which became one of the most shared viral videos of 2016. The two main "leaders" were chosen specifically for their resemblance to generic Western and Eastern politicians to make the conflict feel universal.