Inside episode one: Maisie Peters & director James Ogram
The debut episode focuses on British singer-songwriter Maisie Peters and director James Ogram, tracing the creative choices behind the visuals for Peters’ recent tracks “Audrey Hepburn” and “You You You.” The film-style approach shows how a director’s early references and storyboards evolve into final shots and performances.
Why the series matters for artists and creators
Music videos remain a central marketing tool: they help songs cut through the noise, build fan loyalty and give tracks a visual shorthand that can amplify streams and social reach. Until now, the creative decisions behind those images have mostly stayed off camera—Directed By changes that by turning production choices into practical lessons for artists, managers and filmmakers.
Practical takeaways for your next video
Alongside the episode, Spotify sat down with James Ogram to unpack his process. The episode surfaces a handful of actionable ideas any artist or director can use:
- Let the song lead. Start from the lyrics, mood and emotional beats—the strongest visuals grow directly from the music.
- Use cinematic references. Borrow moods and textures from film or TV (Ogram cites works such as Sean Price Williams’ The Sweet East as an aesthetic touchstone) and adapt them so the reference becomes an original visual voice. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- Bring a director’s signature—but stay true to the artist. The best videos balance a director’s craft with the performer’s identity so the finished piece rings authentic.
- Just make things. For emerging directors the single best strategy is to keep creating—each project builds the experience and contacts that lead to bigger shoots.
Part of Spotify’s bigger push into video
Directed By arrives as Spotify deepens its investment in video formats. The company expanded music videos in beta to Premium users across the U.S. and Canada in late 2025 and has been rolling out new video features and playlists aimed at making visuals a core discovery tool on the platform. For creators, that shift means there are more places to show official videos—and more demand for high-quality visual storytelling.
Directed By is a succinct, practical watch for anyone making videos: it shows that great visuals start with listening closely to the song, borrowing thoughtfully from other media, and committing to a clear point of view—then doing the work to bring that idea to life.
