The 25-year-old singer-songwriter Allison Ponthier has released the accompanying video for her debut single, “Cowboy,”today via Interscope Records. Directed by the visionary Jordan Bahat (responsible for Christine and the Queens’ “Girlfriend,”) “Cowboy” is a bold, statement-making video that perfectly pairs with the new artist’s visually evocative lyricism. Both a touching homage to her Texas background and a bold coming out statement, “Cowboy” finds the Brooklynite telling her story the way only she can.
“Cowboy” is, in every sense, the B-movie homage of your wildest dreams. Jordan Bahat, who is represented by Golden, has an effortlessly adaptable style and can seamlessly move across genres. Here, he and Allison playfully acknowledge the artifice of their approach, crafting a film that is equal parts aesthetically high camp and emotionally warm.
With film references including The Day the Earth Stood Still and David Byrne’s True Stories, it’s no surprise Allison is a serious cinephile. “I probably watch movies more than I listen to music,” Allison says of the video. “That’s why all my songs are stories.”
Mixing iconography from westerns with campy horror and sci-fi references, Bahat vignettes Allison within these fantastical other-worlds. The singer pays tribute to her Bible Belt roots and fascination with eccentrics like Elvira and Vincent Price in both her red-carpet ready styling and winking visual references (including a horse in a skeleton onesie and a dancing carton of smokes.)
Throughout the video, the emphasis stays on Allison’s performance as she rambles across handcrafted sets (beautifully designed by Liam Moore) reminiscent of One from the Heart. While much of the footage was achieved in-camera (lensed by cinematographer Mike Gioulakis), the team at Ingenuity incorporated VFX including the twinkling stars and UFOS which circle above Allison. The overall effect is purposefully staged and inorganic; it’s apparent Allison is “not quite at home” in either world. By the end of the song, Allison is completely transformed in full alien makeup, beaming upwards toward the spotlight of a UFO – perhaps finally in her right place.
“Allison is a serious student of cinema,” says Bahat. “She is already a very confident filmmaker who knows what she’s after and is just now getting the chance to put her ideas on film at scale. Working on this video alongside her was a purely creative experience.”
2024 AICP Awards Tour Concludes with Stops in Dallas and Chicago
The 2024 AICP Awards Tour concludes with stops in Dallas and Chicago this month as it wraps up its tour of cities across the U.S. The National Tour brought presentations, panels and screenings to marketers, advertising agencies, production and post production companies. The AICP Awards will be in Dallas on Thursday, November 14th, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by the Chicago event, set for Thursday, November 21st at The Old Post Office. Tickets are available now for both events at www.aicp.com. In Dallas, the program kicks off at 6:45 pm with a happy hour, followed by the screening and panel discussion at 7:30. The evening ends with a networking reception from 8:30 to 11:30. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas. Appearing in Dallas will be Abe Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste; Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content, Southwest Airlines; and Isaac Pagán Muñoz, VP, Executive Creative Director of PepsiCo Foods. The panel will review selected winners from the suite of the AICP Awards programs, offering insights into what made them rise to the top of their respective categories and share their viewpoints on key trends in the industry. The Chicago stop starts at 6:00pm with a happy hour, followed by the presentation and screening at 7:00pm. A reception caps the event, starting at 8:00pm and concluding at 11:30pm. The Old Post Office is located at 433 W Van Buren Street in Chicago. The panel there will feature 2024 AICP Awards Curators and Winners from the marketer, agency, production and post production sectors who’ll highlight this year’s winners. The conversation will include a discussion about the winning work, including insights... Read More