Next year, singer Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of their songwriting partnership. In honor of the occasion, John has teamed up with YouTube for a worldwide search titled “Elton John: The Cut” to find filmmakers to make music videos for three of his hit songs — “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer” and “Bennie and the Jets.” Watch an announcement video featuring John and Taupin below.
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The competition for each song will focus on different artistic elements: submissions for “Rocket Man” will feature animation; “Tiny Dancer” will be live-action; and “Bennie and the Jets” will feature choreography. John, Taupin and a panel of judges will select three winners, all of whom will also receive $10,000 to support future creative projects. The winning entries are slated to premiere on YouTube in the summer of 2017.
YouTube will provide the winners with the use of YouTube facilities to create their videos. Their production will be supported by Pulse Films, the studio behind Beyonce’s “Lemonade.”
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“We’re excited to partner with YouTube to bring together generations of artists and music lovers around a shared passion for storytelling,” Elton John said in a statement to Variety. “YouTube is a rich tapestry of creativity, and I can’t wait to see how the breadth of talent from the dance, live-action and animation communities apply their vision to these cherished songs.”
“Elton John: The Cut” launches today with entries officially opening to the public on January 9, 2017 and closing January 23. For more information, visit the search’s official website.
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