Auteurs: Romanek, Sigismondi, Gray

1. Auteurs: Romanek, Sigismondi, Gray

2. “99 Problems” • 2004, Jay-Z • Dir. Mark Romanek • 4 VMAs, 3 MVPAs • Autobiographical • Shot in Marcy Projects in Bed Stuy • A bit of controversy over last scene • “Death” of Jay-Z and “birth” of Shawn Carter

3. “Criminal” • 1997, Fiona Apple • Dir. Mark Romanek • 1998 VMA, Best Cinematography • Bit of controversy over content (borderline child pornography, body issues, etc.) • Explores adolescence, sexuality, and voyeurism • Apple says song is about sexual agency

4. “Scream” • 1995, Michael Jackson feat. Janet Jackson • Dir. Mark Romanek • Response to how media treated Jackson in 1993 • $7million to make, MJ gave all creative control to Romanek • Influenced many videos, including TLC “No Scrubs” • 3 VMAs, 11 nominations

5. “Shake it Off” • 2014, Taylor Swift • Dir. Mark Romanek • References to other pop videos (i.e.“Mine”by Beyonce´) • It's intended to be satire and play on current MV trends and cliches, but... • 2.7Billion views

6. “Hurt” • 2003, Johnny Cash • Dir. Mark Romanek • Shot at the House of Cash 7 months before he passed • Found footage

7. “Closer” • 1994, Nine Inch Nails • Dir. Mark Romanek • Making of... • Experimentation with film stock and use of silent film-era camera • Set built to use all natural light • Censored, but made NIN popular. Reznor LOVED the video! • “Inspired” by several works • Photography of Joel-Peter Whitkin • Francis Bacon, Figure with meat • Brothers Quay, Street of Crocodiles(1986) • ^^^also influenced Tool's“Prison Sex”and“Sober” • Rudolph Hausner

8. Mark Romanek • American, “classically” trained in film • One Hour Photo (2002), Never Let Me Go (2010) • Frequently uses Tom Foden as Art Director • Sig: Photographic, meticulous, laborious in execution of style, texture/shadow/light • Tech: meticulously planned sets; color; light; props; concern for authenticity in formal elements; emotional weight on the edge of frames; lines and curves; develops back stories to videos w/ talent; motifs and repetition in video; props create continuity • Style: uses settings (big/small) to reflect music and you feel the space; body as instrument; creates robust texture where layers synergize; high art and pop culture references (“samples” from both); hold and pop of actors • Auteur: Sensation and visual overload; voyeurism; sense of history; art

9. “I listen to the song over and over again until I don’t hear it anymore and it becomes part of my subconscious. That is when reality starts to bend and melt away and I begin to receive images.” ~Sigismondi

10. “The Beautiful People” • 1996, Marilyn Manson • Dir. Floria Sigismondi • Fragmented shots and fast cutting • Force/allow the audience to do interpretive “work” through montage • Manson reveals a process

11. “I wanted to talk about a totalitarian society where people were being used. the dictator (the character Manson played) had a skin colored rubber coat that I designed where all the seems were stitched together like the skins of the people. This is how the dictator got his strength. I wanted to use medical equipment to show the restraint and power the government has on us.” ~Sigismondi

12. “Blue Orchid” • 2005, The White Stripes • Dir. Floria Sigismondi • Adam & Eve apple story

13. “Untitled” • 2003, Sigur Rós • Dir. Floria Sigismondi

14. “E.T.” • 2011, Katy Perry feat. Kanye West • Dir. Floria Sigismondi • 2, 2011 VMAs

15. “Mirrors” • 2013, Justin Timberlake • Dir. Floria Sigismondi • 2013 VMA for Video of the Year and Best Editing

16. Floria Sigismondi • Canadian photographer and artist • The Runaways (2010) • Sig: jittery camera and movement; Surrealism • Tech: camera moves; speed play in editing and production; makeup and wardrobe • Style: props have life and work w/ music; color play; sets like install art; talent as characters; fairytale and fantasy; camera as character; gothic and steampunk aesthetics; nothing is given to the audience (we must think) • Auteur: Futurism; Exploration of technology in relation to humans; Process; Life cycles (birth/death); Beauty?

17. F. Gary Gray • American director, often narrative • Friday (1995), Set It Off (1996), The Negotiator (1998), The Italian Job (2003) Straight Outta Compton (2015) • Sig: Swooping smooth camera, exploits lyrics, “clean” sets, straight forward stories w/out twists • Tech: camera movement (dolly, pan, crane); continuity editing; diegetic sound and dialog; canted angles; low angles on talent; hard light • Style: realism and sometimes hyperrealism; plays off of lyrics; desaturated and sepia tone or saturated (color play); artists as real/authentic people; BIG (Hollywood action film aesthetics); flash and lights; reflections • Auteur: Social and racial issues; Authenticity of performer

18. “It Was a Good Day” • 1993, Ice Cube • Dir. F. Gary Gray • Themes of racial and police violence • Video is continued in“Check Yo Self”(Dir. ???)

19. “Natural Born Killaz” • 1994, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube • Soundtrack for Snoop Dogg's Murder Was the Case (1994, Dirs. Fab 5 Freddy and Dre)

20. “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” • 1994, Outkast • Dir. F. Gary Gray • Follow up to“Player's Ball” (1993, Dir. P. Diddy, which you hear in the beginning diegisis)

21. “Ms. Jackson” • 2000, Outkast • Dir. F. Gary Gray

22. “Waterfalls” • 1995, TLC • Dir. F. Gary Gray • Video directly reflects socially conscious lyrics (promiscuity, HIV, drug dealing, etc.) • 4 VMAs, Video of the Year