James Cunliffe

Directing

New Skool Community

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The Hidden Archive: Free Creative Tools, Resources and a New Teleprompter App Over the past few years, I’ve created a slightly ridiculous number of things. Books. Apps. Courses. Music. Videos. Experiments. Resources. Some useful, some strange, and quite a few that sit somewhere in between. One of the things I’ve wanted to do for a while is create a single place where I can bring more of this work together and make it accessible to people who might find it useful. That place is The Hidden Archive Skool community. The idea is to build a growing library of creative tools, resources, courses and experiments for people interested in creativity, technology, storytelling and the changing world of creative work. And there’s already quite a bit inside. Introducing Archive Prompter The newest addition to the Archive is Archive Prompter, a teleprompter app I’ve been developing to solve some of the frustrations I’ve had when recording videos. As someone who spends a lot of time talking to cameras, recording presentations and trying to remember what I was supposed to say next, I wanted something simple, clean and genuinely useful. Archive Prompter has grown from that idea into its own little application, with different ways of displaying and controlling scripts depending on how you like to work. Rather than keeping it tucked away as another personal project, I’ve decided to make Archive Prompter available through The Hidden Archive’s free tier. But it isn’t the only thing available for free. Rob Like a Robot | Free eBook I’ve also added my book Rob Like a Robot to the Archive as a free download. The book explores creativity, automation and the strange relationship between humans and machines — particularly the idea that as technology becomes increasingly capable of doing repetitive work for us, perhaps the goal shouldn’t be to compete with machines by becoming more machine-like ourselves. Instead, we should be asking what technology can free us to do. It was written during an earlier chapter of my own exploration into creativity and technology, but many of the ideas feel even more relevant now as AI rapidly changes the creative landscape. Creative Archetypes You’ll also find the Creative Archetypes app available on the free tier. This was an experiment inspired by the idea that we all approach creativity differently. Some of us explore. Some build. Some challenge. Some nurture. Some obsess over understanding how everything works. Creative Archetypes is designed as a playful way of exploring those different creative instincts and perhaps understanding a little more about how you personally approach the creative process. Between Archive Prompter, Rob Like a Robot and Creative Archetypes, I wanted the free side of the community to contain things that are genuinely useful in their own right. You don’t need to subscribe to a paid tier just to find something worthwhile. Going Deeper Into the Archive For those who want to explore further, there is also a premium tier that opens up more of the work I’ve created over the years. Premium members get access to additional resources connected to Field Notes, my series of pocket investigations exploring ideas around culture, psychology, technology and the stranger corners of human experience. That includes access to the presentation slides I’ve created for the series, allowing you to dig into the research and ideas behind the videos in more detail. There’s also access to some of my older music and albums, projects from different periods of my creative life that haven’t always had an obvious home online. And for people interested in learning the practical side of creative production, premium members can access my 2D Character Animation course. The course explores my process for building and animating 2D characters, taking you through the workflow behind creating characters and bringing them to life through tools such as Photoshop and After Effects. You can also take the first module for free:   Building a Creative Library Ultimately, The Hidden Archive isn’t really intended to be a single course or product. I see it more as a library that can continue growing alongside the things I’m already doing. When I build a useful tool, it can go into the Archive. When I create a course, I can add it to the library. When a Field Notes investigation produces interesting research or resources, I can share them there. And when I inevitably disappear down another creative rabbit hole and emerge several weeks later with some strange new experiment, there’s now somewhere for that to live too. I’m also increasingly interested in exploring accessible creative technology, particularly free and open-source tools that can help people create without needing expensive subscriptions or enormous budgets. So over time, I hope The Hidden Archive becomes a useful collection of tools, ideas and knowledge for anyone trying to make things, learn new skills or simply explore where creativity and technology might be heading next. There’s plenty more planned. But for now, the doors to The Hidden Archive are open. You can join the community for free, download Archive Prompter, read Rob Like a Robot, explore Creative Archetypes, and have a look around. Join The Hidden Archive: https://www.skool.com/the-hidden-archive-4393

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The Hidden Archive

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What is The Hidden Archive? The YouTube channel finally got a rebrand. I realised two years ago that my YouTube page was starting to feel uncurated. The simple truth was that being multidisciplinary, and wanting to explore a wide variety of mediums, had led to a kind of anti-niching. In my own way, I was navigating the principle of correspondence. In creative abstraction terms, that essentially means gaining an understanding of multiple fields and then connecting the dots between them to deepen my understanding of creativity as a whole. That said, I realised that on the surface, this focus was beginning to look unclear. So I split the channel into three: one for music, one for creative tutorials, and one for the exploration of myth, technology, storytelling and ideas. And I really got drawn into this new direction. Since the switch-up, I’ve created two series. The first is The Hidden Archive, a documentary-style video essay series covering a wide range of topics; from UFOs and the Gnostic creation story to the hidden psychological patterns that repeat across human history.   I also have Field Notes, which is a more raw, presentation-led educational format that I record from my desk rather than the studio. These are pocket investigations into subject matters that keep me curious about the world.   I briefly want to talk about the creative direction behind the rebrand. The logo itself is heavily inspired by occult symbolism. The further I dig into the subject of psychology, the more occult themes tend to emerge. I find that a lot of old occult symbols lack readability, though, so I wanted to make The Hidden Archive logo feel less complex. There’s a dual meaning to the logo design. Carl Jung’s Red Book has had a huge influence on my life, and there’s a vision he has about a well at the top of a mountain. From this well flows water, which acts as a metaphor for wisdom. That knowledge travels down from the peak to all those who seek it. There’s a small circle at the top of the peak in the logo. The lines travelling down around the silhouette of the person signify that movement of information. The silhouette receives the wisdom at the centre and sits within the target of an outside force. The message is really this: if you watch this channel, you will be targeted with new ideas. The split silhouette represents balance. The teal colour represents the water from above, while the contrasting gold suggests that the ideas explored on the channel hold real-world value. To people outside of the creative industry, the logo might just look like random lines and circles, or maybe an alien getting abducted. But it has been crafted with intention. And if you’re a curious mind, now you know what it represents. I plan on running The Hidden Archive channel in the background as an outlet for expression, but also as a place where I can provide value to those who want to gain a better understanding of the world we exist within, and how we can get the most out of it.

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What Are UFOs?

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What Are UFOs and What Do They Say About Humanity? Back in 2024, I went down the rabbit hole of UFOs/ UAPs. It was around the time David Grusch hit the scene and it really did seem like we were going to get disclosure any day. There was an energy around the topic, it felt charged, so much so that I found I could rarely think of much else. I read American Cosmic by Diana Pasulka, picked up Elizondo’s Imminent, watched all the congressional hearings on the topic, and got hooked on AJ’s The Why Files. The whole topic was a special interest of mine right until January 2025, when News Nation released a video with US Air Force veteran Jake Barber, of a UAP crash retrieval of a giant egg. The evidence… A video that looks like someone poking a normal sized egg with a stick in low resolution… And honestly, that video switched me off from the subject all together until I started to see patterns re-emerging once more. More recently I spent 6 months working on a series called ‘The Red Book’ which investigated Carl Jung’s Libre Novus, bringing his visions to life, and using the stories and lessons as a lens to view the modern world. Eventually I discovered that Jung had wrote about UFOs in 1958. Carl noticed that UFOs seem to emerge in times of a meaning crisis, which would ultimately become the thesis of the investigative video I made on the topic. I wanted to lay out a timeline of UFO encounters across history, from the alien cave paintings in Western Australia, which are potentially 4000-17000 years old, to the more modern sightings and stories around the Nimitz Tic Tac video. And it all gets a little bit strange to say the least. I feel like I’ve done a good job of condensing the heart of the topic into 35 minutes, exploring UFOs from a multitude of angles, using visuals to help others better understand the recurring patterns that emerge. But where do I draw my own conclusions on the subject matter? I have never seen a UFO, although I have had strange synchronicities in my life that have made it near impossible to remain nihilistic. My gut feeling is that when we feel unsatisfied with reality, there’s something within us that draws us to the sky and hopes that there is something beyond our current understanding of reality. I also think from a philosophical point of view, that we shouldn’t sit back and hope that saviors will emerge from the sky. Instead, we should find ways of living that have the potential to align the world and put it on a brighter path. While I think there probably is more to reality than we can fully comprehend, we should remain humble to the fact that we don’t have those answers and we should be skeptical of those who say they do without substantial evidence to back it up.

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The Gnostic Creation Story

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Why This Story Is Valuable While researching the Red Book series, I’d occasionally read comments linking Jung’s work to Gnosticism. I was raised by Christians, and although I’m agnostic myself (if I had to put a label on it), I’m still interested in the history of religion and more recently whether the stories hold any value in the modern world. I eventually made my way to an Alex O’Connor video with Bart Erhman where they outlined the core aspects of the Gnostic Creation Story, from the Apocryphon of John. Which then led me to a translation of those texts here: http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/apocjn-davies.html It’s a wild take on the ‘true’ nature of Christianity. That turns a lot about that tradition on its head. If you want to know how, I recommend you watch the video. I think like any story it can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. If you’re like me, with a slight technological bias, you might draw parallels with simulation theory, I enjoy finding relevant symbolism in these kinds of stories, but above all else the gnostic world view felt like an appropriate lens to view the current state of geopolitics and global affairs. The story itself is about a narcissistic and jealous ruler who projects a false narrative to his subordinates with the intention of control and manipulation. It’s a theme that we’re all too familiar with and I think that’s why the story resonates with so many people. Because there’s this glimmer of hope that each and every one of us has the capacity to break away from a broken system, that we have the potential to see through the lies and do something about it, and that’s a powerful archetypical idea. I think a lot of people in society feel helpless as the bigger players make moves that we can’t fully comprehend, yet whose actions cause significant harm to ourselves and those around us. The messaging in this story, at least to me, reminds me of the butterfly effect, where a single flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause a sequence of events that changes the nature of reality for everyone. I think we need more butterflies aligning and flapping in a better direction, and if nothing else I’d like this video to imbue a sense of hope in those who watch it. To help them understand that they can make an impact, and that there’s still a reason to try and do the right thing, even in a world that doesn’t seem to reward it.

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The Roko’s Basilisk Documentary Post-mortem

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On the 28th April, I released my latest single ‘Callie’s Quest‘ aptly named after my amazing wife Martina Callegari who has been a beckon of positivity, always encouraging my creative pursuits. I’ve always loved making music but after failing to secure a spot on Artlist’s platform as a creator, I decided to dust myself down and start up a new project. The plan was to revisit documentary filmmaking, which had been on my mind for a while. Mini docs used to be my bread and butter while working as a videographer in Manchester, UK. I’ve shot, edited, and directed dozens of shorts, some of my favourites were Jordan Thomas // Track To Tokyo for UK Sport and Music Worth Fighting For, which I’d worked on with my former business partner Luke Barnett. I seem to have this problem of overscoping my personal projects. Trying to do too much with too little time and resources. I’d love to be in a position to hire the many talented creatives out in the world but with how expensive the cost of living is. It makes it close to impossible for me at the moment. That urge to create never really goes away for me, it’s a hunger that’s never sated. It doesn’t matter if I’m working a full-time gig or I’m busy with freelance, I always want my next project to be bigger and better than the previous. It’s why I haven’t shied away from AI technology. I’m seeing creators big and small using it and the truth is I don’t want to be left behind by ignoring it. All that said, it’s allowing me to produce more creative content, to a higher standard and quicker than ever before. I lived through analogue to digital. Spent nearly two years creating training data for Epic Games Metahuman Creator while at Cubic Motion… Being a creative in an increasingly more complex digital world has been my whole career so far. What’s bigger than the approaching AI singularity and the duality of what it means to be human? That’s what I found myself asking, and 2 weeks after releasing my last single I’d finished a 35 minute documentary/ video essay about Roko’s Basilisk. It’s a modern day Pascal’s Wager. Having grown up in a religious household, becoming an atheist and then agnostic, It felt like the right time to revisit the topics of spirituality viewed through the lens of technology.     It’s not perfect by any means but the fact that I could make this within 2 weeks (albeit ridiculous hours) made me happy as a writer/ director/ producer. If I was just a motion designer/ editor I could see myself being frustrated because there’s a real fear of becoming irrelevant as the process is automated away. Still, if you’re a generalist like myself, you find yourself bouncing ideas off of AI and working with it to problem solve faster than you would on your own. AI is essentially another team member, it takes leadership and direction to get the most out of these tools (if you can call them that). I find myself talking to them as if they are people that I care about and want to work with. What I get back is enthusiasm that matches my own as well as novel solutions that I otherwise might have missed. I used my own custom GPT that has trained off of my book ‘Rob Like A Robot‘ it’s specifically tailored to  help structure feature length documentary style projects. I spent 2 days compiling notes around Roko’s Basilisk, checking in with numerous thought leaders to understand their take on the topic. I explored my own understanding of psychology, religion, mythology and the human condition. Once I had 13 pages of notes, I uploaded them to my custom GPT and discussed breaking the topic into 10 chapters that made the most sense from a linear filmmaking perspective. 2 more days were spent refining the script. On the 5th day I read and recorded the entire thing myself to get an understanding of the overall length of the video. On the 6th day, I’d used Elevenlabs to generate the additional voices used throughout the documentary. Audio is never perfect from Elevenlabs, it takes a tremendous amount of editing. Luckily Adobe Enhancer does a lot to bolster the overall quality and you can get as many takes as you like. The ASMR voice used over the titles was originally without reverb, I wanted her to feel eerie and I had the perfect VST for the job. On the 7th day, the script was converted into a Google Sheets document where each line corresponded with a shot number. I then noted down which lines I was going to create titles for, which I was going to Stable Diffusion some stills for, and which needed more tailored motion design elements to explain difficult concepts. Everything else was going to be stock footage, toned down to black and white to try and make the piece feel more cohesive. By day 8 I had all of the voice over audio and music layed out for each chapter in Adobe Premiere Pro. I wanted to make sure the piece had the right energy from the sound alone before I started adding any visuals. Days 9 – 12 consisted of finalising the motion design assets, sourcing footage, cutting, grading and doing minor effects work. The 13th day was a major sound design day, utilising Splice’s sample library, which gave me access to incredibly unique sounds that probably not many filmmakers consider as it’s a website primarily for musicians not editors. The final day we spent in review and going over minor fixes. It’s set to release Friday 17th, April 18:30 GMT. I am absolutely shattered, this was a complete mammoth of a project t0 push over the line in such a short amount of time but it was also a fun challenge that pushed me to develop some new skills and figure

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The role of the director in the video production process

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In the video production process, the director plays a crucial role in bringing the vision of the project to life. From pre-production to post-production, the director is responsible for guiding the creative direction of the project and ensuring that all elements come together seamlessly. Here’s a look at the role of the director in the video production process: Pre-production: In the pre-production phase, the director works with the producer and the rest of the creative team to develop the concept and vision for the project. This might include things like writing the script, storyboarding, and casting. The director is responsible for ensuring that the concept is clear and the vision is achievable within the constraints of the project. Production: During the production phase, the director is responsible for overseeing the filming of the project. This might include things like blocking and rehearsing the actors, setting up shots, and working with the cinematographer to achieve the desired visual look. The director is also responsible for ensuring that the performances of the actors are consistent and effective. Post-production: In the post-production phase, the director works with the editor to craft the final cut of the project. This might include things like selecting the best takes, cutting the footage together, and adding special effects and sound. The director is responsible for ensuring that the final cut is cohesive and tells the story effectively. In summary, the director plays a crucial role in the video production process, overseeing the creative direction of the project from pre-production to post-production. This includes developing the concept and vision, overseeing the filming, and crafting the final cut. By working closely with the producer and the rest of the creative team, the director ensures that all elements of the project come together seamlessly and that the final product tells a cohesive and effective story.

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The skills and qualities of a good video director

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A good video director is a creative and technical leader who is able to bring the vision of a project to life. Whether it’s a short film, a music video, or a commercial, a good video director is able to guide the creative direction of the project and ensure that all elements come together seamlessly. Here are some of the skills and qualities of a good video director: Creative vision: A good video director has a strong sense of creative vision and is able to develop and articulate a clear concept for the project. This might include things like the overall look and feel of the project, the tone and style of the storytelling, and the performance of the actors. Leadership: A good video director is a strong leader who is able to guide the creative team and ensure that everyone is working towards the same vision. This might include things like rehearsing and blocking actors, working with the cinematographer to set up shots, and communicating with the editor during post-production. Technical knowledge: A good video director has a strong understanding of the technical aspects of video production, including things like camera angles, lighting, and sound. By having a solid technical foundation, a video director is able to effectively communicate with the crew and ensure that the technical elements of the project are executed properly. Adaptability: A good video director is adaptable and able to think on their feet. Things don’t always go according to plan on a film set, and a good video director is able to roll with the punches and come up with creative solutions when things go awry. Overall, a good video director is a creative and technical leader who is able to bring the vision of a project to life. By having a strong sense of creative vision, strong leadership skills, technical knowledge, and adaptability, a good video director is able to guide the creative direction of the project and ensure that all elements come together seamlessly.

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Creating a music video: a step-by-step guide

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Music videos are a powerful way to bring a song to life and create a visual experience for your audience. Whether you’re an artist looking to create a music video for your own music or a filmmaker looking to create a music video for a client, here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a professional-quality music video: Start with a clear concept: Before you start filming, take some time to brainstorm ideas and come up with a clear concept for your music video. What is the message or theme you want to convey? What is the mood or tone you want to create? Having a clear concept will help guide your decisions as you move forward. Write a treatment: Once you have a clear concept, it’s a good idea to write a treatment – a detailed outline of your music video. This should include a description of the setting, the characters, the plot, and any special effects or visual elements you want to include. Scout locations: Once you have your treatment written, it’s time to scout locations. Look for locations that fit the mood and theme of your music video and have the right look and feel. Assemble your team: Now it’s time to assemble your team. This might include a director, a cinematographer, a production designer, and any other crew members you need. Make sure to choose people who have the skills and experience to bring your vision to life. Pre-production: During pre-production, you’ll work with your team to finalise your plans, create a shot list, and get everything in place for filming. This is also the time to finalise your budget and schedule. Filming: Now it’s time to start filming! Follow your shot list and make sure to capture all the footage you need. Remember to pay attention to lighting, composition, and other technical details to ensure that you get the best possible footage. Post-production: Once filming is complete, it’s time to move into post-production. This is where you’ll edit your footage, add music and sound effects, and create any visual effects or motion graphics you need. By following these steps, you’ll be able to create a professional-quality music video that showcases your talent and captures the attention of your audience.

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The process of developing a concept for a video

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Developing a concept for a video is an important first step in the video production process. Whether it’s a short film, a music video, or a commercial, a well-defined concept is essential for guiding the creative direction of the project and ensuring that all elements come together seamlessly. Here’s a look at the process of developing a concept for a video: Define the purpose: The first step in developing a concept is to define the purpose of the video. This might include things like the message that you want to communicate, the target audience, and the call to action. By defining the purpose of the video, you’ll have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with the project. Brainstorm ideas: Once you’ve defined the purpose of the video, it’s time to brainstorm ideas. This might involve things like sketching out rough storyboards, writing down ideas for characters and dialogue, or simply jotting down notes about the overall look and feel of the project. The goal at this stage is to generate as many ideas as possible, even if they’re not fully fleshed out. Refine the concept: After you’ve brainstormed a number of ideas, it’s time to refine the concept. This might involve things like selecting the best ideas from the brainstorming session, fleshing out the characters and plot, and creating a detailed outline of the video. By refining the concept, you’ll have a clear and detailed plan for the project. Present the concept: After the concept has been refined, it’s time to present it to the rest of the creative team. This might include things like presenting a detailed outline or storyboard, or simply pitching the concept to the team. By presenting the concept, you’ll be able to get feedback from the team and make any necessary revisions before moving on to the next stage of the process. In summary, the process of developing a concept for a video involves defining the purpose of the video, brainstorming ideas, refining the concept, and presenting it to the creative team. This allows you to create a clear and detailed plan for the project that guides the creative direction and ensures that all elements come together seamlessly. By following this process, you’ll be able to develop a strong concept that serves as the foundation for the success of the project.

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Working with a cinematographer to plan and execute shots

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Working with a cinematographer to plan and execute shots is an important part of the video production process. The cinematographer is responsible for capturing the visuals of the video and setting the overall look and feel of the project. Here’s a look at the process of working with a cinematographer to plan and execute shots: Discuss the concept and vision: The first step in working with a cinematographer is to discuss the concept and vision for the video. This might involve things like sharing the script, the storyboard, and any reference materials that you have. By discussing the concept and vision, you’ll be able to get the cinematographer’s input and ideas on how to best capture the visuals of the video. Plan the shots: After you’ve discussed the concept and vision, it’s time to plan the shots. This might involve things like determining the camera angles, the lighting setups, and the movements of the camera. By planning the shots, you’ll have a clear and detailed plan for how to execute the visuals of the video. Scout the location: After the shots have been planned, it’s time to scout the location. This might involve things like checking the lighting, the angles, and the overall look and feel of the location. By scouting the location, you’ll be able to make any necessary adjustments to the shot plan and ensure that the location is suitable for the shoot. Execute the shots: After the location has been scouted, it’s time to execute the shots. This might involve things like setting up the camera and lighting equipment, rehearsing with the actors, and capturing the footage. By executing the shots, you’ll be able to bring the visuals of the video to life. In total, working with a cinematographer to plan and execute shots is an important part of the video production process. By discussing the concept and vision, planning the shots, scouting the location, and executing the shots, you’ll be able to capture the visuals of the video and create a cohesive and compelling visual experience.

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