The X Factor Single for 'Together for short lives' tops the charts in the UK - the single's video by director Trudy BELLINGER

Director Trudy BELLINGER c/o CROSSROADS FILMS, London captured the star qualities of the legendary X-Factor casting show's finalists, as well as the accompanying Christmas single in emotional images.

The charity single is a cover version of Rose Royce's mega-hit 'Wishing on a Star' – and quite an appropriate title too in terms of the casting show's finalists. Yet, the fact that 100% of profits will be donated to the ‘Together for Short Lives’ charity (formerly known as ACT & Children's Hospices UK), the title suddenly has a much deeper and profoundly more touching meaning.

Trudy's spot was produced by Syco and is already the fourth single by the X-factor participants. The live takes from the hospital were produced on a visit by the finalists. They document the sheer unbelievable lust for life held by all the patients and their admiration and excitement to meet the stars in person.

During the visit, Trudy encouraged the kids to express their own wishes in art, supported by the finalists. The resulting artworks will become part of the single's poster campaign – one of which will even be used as the single cover.

The song was recorded at Shepperton Studios, supported by the boy bands 'One Direction' and 'JLS'. The song debuted on ITV2 at the end of November and was performed during the next live show. It only took a few hours for the single to be catapulted to the top of the British billboard charts.

Trudy on the hospital and the show: "The hospice is an amazing place with all the people working there doing the most incredible job. I was so moved by the children and their families. I have to say, it put everything into perspective. The performance day was in total contrast to the low key /lo fi /small crew of the hospice visit. On this day I had over 40 performers to shoot as I had all 16 of the finalists as well as JLS and One Direction. That's a lot of hair, make up and styling!

I tried to adapt the angles and shots for each performer as much as I could within the given time. It was a tough call to show the sincerity of each performance yet still create something that looks beautiful and sustains interest. I shot more dramatic shots with wind, mist, leaves, shooting stars etc but when we cut these with the hospice footage it kind of felt inappropriate and we all thought going simple and pure sat better with the documentary footage.

I was at the live show when they all performed it against a backdrop of the documentary footage - afterwards I met a few of the parents of the children who were so grateful and so touched by the video, it made everything so worthwhile."


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