In an unprecedented collaboration between Saatchi & Saatchi, Genero.tv, BUG Music Videos and Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the music of James Brown will be brought to the attention of a whole new generation through the art of filmmaking.

Saatchi & Saatchi is throwing down the gauntlet to the international filmmaking community by creating a challenge to bring to life some of the most significant tracks of the “Godfather of Soul” in the form of a music video: Sex Machine, Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World, and Try Me.  Following the success of last year’s Moby competition, Saatchi & Saatchi wanted to bring a new twist to this year’s competition by working with a legendary artist who has influenced and crossed many generations.

James Brown changed the course of popular music, and UMe and the James Brown Estate are making some of his finest work available for the first time for interpretation by a new generation of film directors.  Other than live footage, none of the songs featured in the Music Video Challenge has a music video, so this is a great opportunity for young filmmakers to become the director of the official promo for one of these tracks.  On June 1, UMe will release 20 James Brown albums digitally for the first time. These classic releases are from his back catalogue from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, many of which have been long out of print.

The Grand Prize offered to the winning film director is to work on a project in a key office in the Saatchi & Saatchi global network.  Entrants will be given the chance to revisit James Brown’s archive, and interpret it with fresh eyes.  The deadline for entries is June 25, 2012, 23:59 GMT.  In addition, UMe is looking for official videos for each of the songs.

The judging panel responsible for selecting the finalists and overall winner will consist of members of the Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide Creative Board, Genero.tv, BUG and  UMe. Also, directors selected for this year’s Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase will be invited on to the judging panel to help select the winner.  The twelve finalists will be revealed mid-July and the winner announced on the Genero.tv competition page on July 30, 2012.      

For more information on the Music Video Challenge, including eligibility and how to enter go to:  http://genero.tv/jamesbrown