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Director Dael Oates vision of Purgatory is a place where one is a caught in a loop of sorts, hunting themselves.

UK Channel 4 commissioned Lenka Clayton and James Price to create People In Order, a series of short portrait films that reveal something about life by arranging people in scales:

Age / Human beings from age 1-100.
Birth / 34 women arranged by length of pregnancy (weeks 4 - 41).
Love / 48 couples arranged by length of relationship (in descending order).
Home / 73 households arranged by income (400,000 - 3,240 pounds).

Videographer, Khalid Mohtaseb captured some remarkable footage of the aftermath from the earthquake that struck Haiti. The footage which was captured on a Canon 5D Mark II was shot just a week later.

Here is a beautiful journey through Thailand and Cambodia that was captured on the Canon 5D MarkII.

I still have yet to see a single episode of True Blood; however; I adore the title sequence. Here you can see the Digital Kitchen designed title-open, as well as the making of.

Founder of Prologue, Kyle Cooper’s film title sequences have certainly influenced most motion designer’s of my generation; his work on Se7en is truly one of my favorite credit open’s made. Here he discusses how he is inspired by process.

(via motionographer)

Homunculus is a very amusing short film made by some friends at Humble that deals with a number of rambunctious moldy spore characters with veracious appetites. The film combines time-lapse photography of a decaying feast with darling little 3D characters.

Good enough for Kubrick is good enough me. I just happened upon the title design reel of Pablo Ferro, the creator for opening film credits of such classics as A Clockwork Orange and Dr. Strange Love: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb.

Director Anthony Atanasio is a successful commercial director with a masterful visual style. I came across his nightmarish experimental short film, The Persistence of Memory and had to share it.

My friend and very talented editor, Damion Clayton shared with me this wonderful project that he just completed for Lego. The short film is an inspiring tale about incomplete creative ideas that finally click together.

10 Minute Tales is a short film series created by the Sky1 network. Deep & Crisp & Even is a highly stylized, quirky, dialogueless love story from the series, directed by Brett Foraker. You can see his brilliant commercial work here.

Swedish fashion label Whyred commissioned a rather surreal short film, La Vitesse Et La Pierre which is composed entirely of still images. The project reminds me of Chris Marker’s La Jetee.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros is the musical brainchild of LA based musician Alex Ebert. The project’s music is the backbone to a twelve part music video saga called SALVO. Kisses Over Babylon is the second installment in the series. The mood of the video feels equal parts Sergio Leone and Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Several years ago, a friend showed me street-art by his ex-roommate, a woman who went by the named of SWOON. I was enamored with what I saw and it certainly was no surprise that in the immediate years to follow, her work would be championed by Deitch Projects and the Museum of Modern Art. Here she is featured in a segment from D.I.Y. America , a serialized show produced by Wieden & Kennedy, that features people at the forefront of America’s creative counter culture.

Massive Attack’s latest album, Heligoland, releases February 10th. In the meantime, you can check out the music video for Paradise Circus, a track which features vocals from Hope Sandoval. The video is composed of x-rated footage from the 1973 cult classic porno, The Devil In Miss Jones inter-cut with current interviews of the film’s star Georgina Spelvin discussing titillation and her life in erotic films. (NSFW)

I first heard of artist Chris Parks, after seeing the movie The Fountain for which he was commissioned to create atmospheric plate images of the cosmos. Parks films chemical reactions to create fluid paintings; the process is entirely organic and no computer FX have been used to manipulate the images.

Dame Dash and music video directors Coodie & Chike have teamed up to launch Creative Control, a very cool web outlet for inspired content.

This is Procrastination.

I was very excited to learn that Mark Romanek is in post-production on his second feature film, an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. 

Allison Schulnik is a painter and stop-animator. Something about her short film, Hobo Clown makes me think of the serial killer John Wayne Gacey who at one time had dressed up as a clown name Bobo. During his incarceration he took to painting clowns. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

Here is part of a BBC documentary on Kraftwerk that recently aired.

Here are 20 movie villains represented as pumpkin carvings.

Here is a wonderful rare hour long interview with Alfred Hitchcock from 1973. His voice alone makes me so happy.

(via Kottke)

Watching the trailer for Mutiny Bikes - Let’s Get Mystical makes me wish I had learned to do just a few BMX tricks. Sadly, I couldn’t because I did a nice thing and lent my brand new Haro to a friend as a kid; he managed to leave it at another kid’s house where it was stolen from the drive way. You still owe me Brian Getz and yes, I’m still salty about it.

Kooky people with kooky obsessions and hobbies like the fellow in my previous post make me happy. I truly admire the spirit of people who live life marching to the beat of another drummer, even when that means driving a car that looks like a giant telephone. Here is the trailer for Automorphosis, a documentary on art car enthusiasts. On a similar note - check this out.

I remember once seeing something on TV about a woman who can swim long distances in extremely cold water. In fact, she successfully swam a mile in the frozen waters of the Antarctic wearing only the usual swim suite, goggles and cap. This ability is absolutely rare. I thought of her when I heard about the subject of Thomas Hilland’s short documentary Sweat - Timo Kaukonen is a four-time World Sauna Champion who enjoys sitting in the extreme heat that would cause other people serious skin burns.

The Golden Age of Soccer is a captivating documentary film on a semi-professional league based out of Corona Park in Queens, New York. Many of the players who are middle aged men have played professionally in their homelands. Some have even competed in the World Cup. They are just as passionate about the game as when they were younger men. Check out the trailer or see the film here.

I love Will Ferrell and I love this PSA for protecting health insurance execs.

I’ve lived about a mile from Flatbush and Fourth Ave. for nine years and have never once seen the dancing traffic cop. Now I feel that my life in Brooklyn won’t be complete until I see him.

These ex-advertising creatives have turned lemons into lemonade.

Check out interviews with some of the most established documentary filmmakers talking about their occupation at the Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary site.

HBO launched a new image campaign with a website dedicated to a rather surreal film plot line.

The Movie Title Stills Collection site is a wonderful reference resource in which design frames from film credit sequences are searchable by year.

Gordon Parks is to photography as Jackie Robinson is to baseball, an African-American male who began the process of tearing down walls that should never have existed in his field. A collection of his work containing 4,000 prints and 20,000 negatives has just found a home at Purchase College - State University of New York.

Here is a wonderful side by side test that compares the high definition images captured from the Canon 5D MKII with the Panasonic Lumix GH1 and The RED One. The footage appears to be shot in natural daylight and night without any additional lighting.

Last night, I caught one of the documentary films in The Pursuit of Excellence series from filmmaker Mark Lewis on PBS. The film, Synchronized Swimming takes an in-depth look at the passion, sacrifice, and determination it takes to compete on two of the top youth synchronized swimming programs in the US. The film is truly one of the most cinematic documentaries I’ve ever seen. The camera takes great pleasure in capturing the visual spectacle that is this little known sport. The film can be purchased through PBS for $10 and is certainly well worth it.

In the world of film production, the RED HD camera has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue. There is no doubt that the camera offers quite a bit for a relatively small price tag. I thought that I’d share three projects that were shot on the camera and are all quite beautiful.  The first is a music video for the band Delphic. The second is a video for Damien Jurdado. And lastly, is the clip for Heartbreaker by MSTRKRFT.

One Day Like This by Muziektelevisie may look like film, but it’s not. Actually, the video utilizes consumer equipment and a DIY approach (including a homemade lens adapter) to capture a wonderful cinematic look. Similar results were achieved on a project entitled Een Hommage aan de Wipomolen and another called Vague Millimeter.

I suppose that there is a certain amount of truth to the adage that every generation is bound to grow older and proudly talk about how things were different when they were younger. Looking back. I find that I often use film and music as a mile marker to help create sense memories of what a certain time or age was like. The films of John Hughs left a huge impression not only on me but probably everyone I grew up with. His work touched on a profound awkwardness and sense of aloneness in the world that comes with being a teenager. These films defined a generation. To me, they very much help to keep the memories of my childhood fresh.

Just a few years ago, I rented The Breakfast Club because my girlfriend had somehow never seen it, even though she grew up in the US during the 80s. She was definitely ambivalent about watching a film about a bunch of high school students. I couldn’t blame her. After all, the teen genre really has since offered nothing to speak of. All that I had to say to ease her doubts was that this film was a classic created by the guy who made Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. And by the end of film, she truly understood why this film is so important to me. Sounding a bit older and fulfilling that cliche that comes with age, I can whole heartedly say that they don’t make them like they use to.

In today’s NY Times, frequent collaborator Molly Ringwald reflects on her experiences with John Hugh’s who passed away last week at 59.

The Coen Brother’s new film entitled A Serious Man hits theaters October 2nd. The trailer itself is a piece of film art.

If you were given two to five years to live what would you do? A friend once shared with me the oddball reel of a young filmmaker named Patrick O’Brien aka Transfatty. His perverse sense of humor spawned projects with titles like Super Model Meat Sports and The Man With the Smallest Penis In Existence And The Electron Micro-scope Technician Who Loved Him. At the age 30, Patrick was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis which is commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

On average, ALS takes two to five years to claim the life of it’s victim. Regretfully, there is currently no treatment to prolong life or subdue the terrible pain onset from ALS. In a bold move, O’Brien’s film work has taken a more serious turn as he has made it his life’s work to document his journey living with ALS. This trailer for the film is absolutely the most moving reminder I’ve seen in quite some time of the fragile existence of the human experience. I can’t urge you enough to get involved and donate to the Patrick O’Brien Foundation to see that this project sees completion.

Food, Inc. is a new documentary that examines the industry and politics surrounding the food we eat. A while back, I worked with designers to conceptualize several of the film’s graphic segments including the opening title sequence. The film is currently in theaters nationwide.

While I’m not a member and have no authority in the matter, I have a few suggestions for nominees into The Sons of Lee Marvin. Staying with the theme of entertainers, George Thorogood and Gary Busey both seem like good candidates. Nick Nolte and Ron Perlman also get my vote.

Nathan Love is a 3D design/animation studio that was started by some of my old school-mates. These guys absolutely excel at strange character design. I’ve always been impressed with their work, but think that they really outdid themselves with this short horror film piece called Blood Trail.

Using movie clips arranged in order by content, Matt Zoller has constructed a montage consisting only of tracking shots that follow characters. This clever project made me smile, though I was a bit bummed by the exclusion of Paths of Glory.

Though I’ve never attended the OFFF events, I really applaud the opening credit sequences that have been commissioned for the annual series. Here is work created for last year’s conference in NYC and here are the 09 Portugal titles. Also, these titles for F5 conference by Dvein are pretty cool too.

These two animations have provided me with endless laughter. Dumbland is a series of senseless and aggressive cartoons made by David Lynch. Words fail to describe Rejected, an utterly absurd collection of wonderfully immature short animations by Don Hertzfeld of Bitter Films.

Jim Jarmusch gave a wonderful interview for The Film Society of Lincoln Center and discussed the process of making his newest project, The Limits of Control.

Mike Tyson was a polarizing figure of sports when I was growing up. Never before had such a monster stepped into the ring. He was simply terrifying and we, his audience looked forward to each match like a crowd eagerly awaiting the carnage at an ancient Roman gladiator spectacle. On one hand, he was a vicious brawler and on the other a very young kid thrust into a confusing world of celebrity, money and greed. After suffering a major upset, his career fell into a downward spiral. James Toback’s documentary film, Tyson allows the boxer to tell his own story. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing this film because it was edited by a friend. Read what the NY Times has to say about the film here.

It’s been several years since Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Audrey Tautou collaborated on the Amelie follow-up, A Very Long Engagement. The director and actress have reunited to create this magical film in promotion of Chanel No.5.

Tribal DDB Amsterdam have collaborated with director Adam Berg to freeze time in Carousel. This beautifully executed short film was created to promote the new Phillips 21:9 TV. Here is a behind the scenes making of the project.

The trailer for the short film The Death of Salvador Dali is brilliant looking. The film which was directed by Delaney Bishop imagines Dali seeking out the help of Sigmund Freud to help add a little bit of craziness into his artwork.

Chris Cunningham has stepped back into the advertising arena with this elegant commercial for Gucci. Here is a behind the scenes look at the making of Flora.

Michel Gondry has launched his official site. For only $19.99 you can email a picture of yourself and he will personally sketch your portrait. Another available goodie is a roll of toilet with Gondry’s doodles scrawled all over so that you can “wipe your ass with Michel’s good ideas.”

Utilizing time-lapse photography and what appears to be a shift-tilt lenses, a photographer named Keith Loutit manages to make people seem like toy miniatures placed in colorful landscapes. These films are documents of twelve months of life in Sydney.

(via kottke)

There has always been an unlimited supply of white men, but there has only been a limited supply of human beings.

- Little Big Man (Film by Arthur Penn)

Skate boarding tricks captured beautifully in slow-motion + explosions + Spike Jonze = title intro to Lakai Fully Flared.

My favorite children’s story has been adapted for the big screen. Here is the first trailer released for Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are.

Here is the trailer for Jim Jarmusch’s latest film, The Limits of Control.

Fifty People - One Question: Where would I wish to wake up tomorrow?
Asked in Brooklyn & London.

With the devastation our interconnected global economy here, it may be time to start considering salvagepunk and use cinema as a guide of what to be wary of.

The promise beneath this? Keep the technology, keep consumption, but make it “thoughtful”, make it conscious, make it responsible. Gild your laptop, hammer some bronze, and think of the slow dance of the new wind-turbines on the horizon.

Crips & Bloods: Made in America is a forthcoming documentary on the history of the the two rival gangs. The films’s director, Stacy Peralta posted a statement on the project’s website addressing why he wanted to address the subject.

I set out to make Crips & Bloods: Made in American to answer the following questions: if affluent, middle-class white American teenagers were forming gangs, arming themselves with automatic weapons and killing one another, how would our country respond? Would our government step in to investigate the crisis, counsel the victims, heal the community, and direct funds towards a lasting solution? Or would our government allow this violence to continue unabated, decade after decade after decade?

Here is a teaser for a documentary on the one and only old school hip hop lyrical genius Big Daddy Kane. Now somebody has to make one on Eric B. and Rakim.

The end of the week feels like a great time for a little creativity via destruction. My friend Wyeth of Labour design made this great little short film piece for the Scion 10 filmmaker showcase.

The mind works in odd ways. When I got out of bed this morning, I was immediately inspired to find a quirky short film that I had seen several years ago. Here is Copy Shop by director Virgil Widrich. The film tells the bizarre story of a copy shop attendant who begins to duplicate himself over and over.

Julien Cottereau is Sick As A Dog.

The theme of this music video mixtape is “taking a walk.”

Director: Ross Harris
Artist: Elliot Smith
Song: Miss Misery

Director: Walter Stern
Artist: The Verve
Song: Bittersweet Symphony

Director: Baillie Walsh
Artist: Massive Attack
Song: Unfinished Sympathy

Director: Jonathan Glazer
Artist: UNKLE
Song: Rabbit In Your Headlights

Director: Mark Romanek
Artist: Beck
Song: Devil’s Haircut

Director: James & Alex
Artist: Coldplay
Song: Yellow

Director: Anton Corbijn
Artist: Depeche Mode
Song: Enjoy the Silence

Director: A/V Club
Artist: Morrissey
Song: I Have Forgiven Jesus

Ed Ulbrich is the visual effects Executive Producer at Digital Domain and a frequent collaborator of film director, David Fincher. Straight out of film school, I had the pleasure to work with him. On several occasions, I found myself engaged in conversations with Ed about the future of filmmaking and the role technology will continually play. I was always inspired by his sense of enthusiasm and tenacity to be at the forefront of an inevitable shift. Over the last several years, he has lead a team of over 150 digital artists to create seamless FX for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Here he gives a TED talk on the long process of creating a digital Bratt Pitt that is both emotive and realistic.

PT Anderson’s Boogie Nights was adapted from a film that he had made while still in High School. See The Dirk Diggler Story here.

(via kottke)

At a young, I was exposed to a range of comedians beginning with Charlie Chaplin and eventually found myself watching Abbott & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, and of course The Three stooges. But one of the earliest truly potty-mouthed performers that I took notice of was of my grandparents generation, Don Rickles. Check out this documentary on “Mr. Warmth” the living legend of comedy.

Since it is Friday, I’m feeling a certain sense of silly relief. Here is the Jalopy Hour. This quirky little film was directed by Jeffery Plansker. I’ve posted about him and some of his other work before.

I thought I’d share two worthwhile programs that I watched on PBS this week. The Lobotomist is a documentary that tells the story of Dr. Walter Freeman’s rise and fall in medicine. He was the creator of a surgical procedure that was once used for a wide array of psychological conditions, known as a transorbital lobotomy. While some questioned his methods, Freeman’s treatment became so common and easy to perform that many thousands of patients underwent it. In fact, he once personally performed twenty five transorbital labotomies in one day, while another physician outdid him with seventy five in a single day. The arch of Freeman’s career truly is fascinating.

Now we move from science to the economy. The Frontline program produced an insightful episode on how Wall Street and our credit markets collapsed a few months ago like a house of cards. Inside the Meltdown is a gaze into the current economic disaster, beginning with the Bear Stearns bailout last spring. The documentary paints a terrifying portrait in a language that allows for anyone not familiar with the banking industry to understand what happened, why and who the major players were. Unfortunately, this is just the first chapter in a story that is far from over.

Martin De Thurah is a Danish filmmaker with a brilliant mind for creating striking, dreamy visuals. He arrived on the music video scene a few years back with a video for Carpark North in which angst ridden adolescents are seen spastically dancing, tussling, and flying through the rooms of their school. His work is often characterized by moody lighting, seamless special FX, and a painters eye for detail. In addition to videos, he has spent the last several years working on a handful of film projects. In this interview, Martin De Thurah discusses his video work and cinema endeavors. His reel can be seen here. Be sure to check out his latest video for Glasvegas.  Additionally, he talks a bit about that project here.

Sky Arts and the English National Opera commissioned Sam Taylor Wood, Werner Herzog, and Dougal Wilson to each make a short film.

While in art school, I use to visit Kim’s Video on St. Mark’s Street almost daily at one point. I would watch two to three films a day. The store provided me with an endless library of hard to find selections. So it is fair to say that Kim’s Video has played a huge role in providing me with a film education outside that of my cinema studies in college. Regrettably, St. Mark’s has morphed into something of a typical shopping experience and video rental has become an impossible business forcing Kim’s to close. Even worse, when Mr. Kim offered up to donate his collection upon a few conditions, nobody in the city could make a realistic offer. The good news it that the collection will not go to waste and is being sent to Italy for a rather interesting archival project. It is unfortunate and frustrating that with all of the space in this city, nobody could make an agreeable offer to preserve part of our culture.

I’ve never been one to make best of or favorite lists. However, I’ve always had plenty of recommendations when it comes to cinema. The following is a list of surreal and unusual films that have profoundly influenced me. The films are listed in no particular order.

Brazil by Terry Gilliam / Trailer

Dead Man by Jim Jarmusch / Trailer

Little Murders by Alan Arkin / Trailer

The Fall by Tarsem Singh / Trailer

Delicatessen by Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro / Trailer

The Holy Mountain by Alejandro Jodorowsky / Trailer

A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick / Trailer

The Tenant by Roman Polanski / Trailer

El Topo by Alejandro Jodorowsky / Trailer

King of Heats by Philippe de Broca

Catch 22 by Mike Nichols / Trailer

Alice by Jan Svankmajer / Trailer

Little Big Man by Arthur Penn / Scene

Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders / Trailer

MASH by Robert Altman / Trailer

Solaris by Andre Tarkovsky / Trailer

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover by Peter Greenaway / Trailer

Being There by Hal Ashby / Trailer

Dreams by Akira Kurosawa

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Terry Gilliam / Trailer

Barton Fink by Joel and Ethan Coen / Trailer

Eraserhead by David Lynch / Trailer

The Butcher Boy by Neil Jordan / Trailer

CREATOR INTERVIEW SERIES : DAN SULLY

Some people were born to do very practical things like solve mathematical equations or to put out fires and enforce the law. And then there are the others, the right brained folk. This is an on-going series of interviews with people who have chosen to spend their lives creating.

DAN SULLY is a UK-based music video director. He has become one of Europe’s most unique young voices creating promos for the likes of Elbow, Starsailor, and The Courteeners. His work recently earned top honors at the European Promax and World BDA Awards. He is represented by Flynn Productions.

Can you tell us a little about your filmmaking background. Did you have any sort of formal training?

I studied film at the University of Bournemouth, where I made a few shorts and one music video. I chose the course because it seemed to be heavy on the practical side of things - actually going out there and making stuff.  I’m pretty skeptical about formal trainings in general. I only learnt about filmmaking by making films, and obviously still learn loads with every project I do.  When I left Uni, I wanted to make films as soon as possible - I was really eager and impatient. I love music and at that time the only realistic avenue for getting any kind of budget as a young filmmaker was through record labels, so it seemed like the perfect kind of filmmaking for me to give a go. I emailed loads of labels, but eventually got a project by approaching an artist after a show. I made my first video for a record label at 21 and couldn’t believe it when it got played on MTV - that was for a UK hip hop artist called Jehst. That really spurred me on.

Are you drawn towards making visuals for particular kinds of music or acts?

Definitely. Music video directors always want to make music for their favourite bands, but it is sometimes more complicated than that. You may love an artist but may not be the best person to make them a video. I think every good director has a sensibility which can obviously match or mis-match the sensibility of an artist. I think you get the best videos when those sensibilities are in synch. I was lucky when I made the video for Howling Bells, as I consider their aesthetic to be similar to the kind of stuff I’m into. Whenever I write a treatment, I’m always trying to satisfy my own aesthetic tastes, so it can be an uphill struggle if the band’s aesthetic sensibilities rub me up the wrong way. But sometimes, if the track is right and it all clicks, I tend to drift off and have an idea of what I want to do pretty much straight away. I would love to make a video for Deftones or Interpol.  But I think I’m pretty easy to please. As long as the music has some sort of cinematic or visceral edge, I’m happy.

How did you initially come to work with Simon Raymonde’s label, Bella Union Records?

This was a fluke if I am honest. A friend of mine, David who works at MTV (where I have also worked for the past 5 years) was in touch with Simon Raymonde who explained that he was trying to look for a director to take on a low budget video for Howling Bells. David put him in touch with me and it all went from there. I was in the right place at the right time. That was my bit of luck I suppose. Making videos for Bella Union was a real privilege for me. I really respect Simon and love the label. I was so happy to be able to go on and make four videos in total for them.

What are some of the biggest influences on your creative process?

The kind of film I enjoy watching is when you can tell that it’s a talented crew - a good director and DP just bowling around shooting beautiful images in great locations with great art direction and well chosen cast etc…  I’m not as much into graphic or tricksy stuff, although I can appreciate that too. So, naturally I try to shoot the kind of videos that I like - rooted in strong art direction and good photography. I like taking an aesthetic and pushing it a little so that the film has its own identity - usually an extension of the art direction and sensibility of the band or artist. Some directors come from a graphics background, or a post background, or theatre or whatever - but I just locked myself away for years and watched films obsessively - so my first love is cinema and that has influenced what I like and how I approach videos I guess. Right now I love Roy Andersson and lots of Swedish directors actually, but recently I was also blown away by the film, The Beat That My Heart Skipped. I’d call that film a master-class in direction.

At what point did you start working with Flynn Productions and how has that changed the way you’ve been able to make videos?

Flynn got in contact after seeing the videos I did for Bella Union. At that point I was still unsigned. It was around June/July 2007. They were like ‘ok, we’ll give you a go’. It was incredibly exciting for me. I had been waiting for that moment for about five years, chugging away producing and directing low budget videos in my spare time whilst holding down a day job. Producing the videos myself around my day job was starting to turn my hair grey (literally!). I must mention that I did have some help in that time - people like Verity Wilcocks and Jules Powell stepped in and helped me when I needed it. But working with Flynn was exciting because it gave me that freedom to concentrate more of the creative side of things and I knew that Flynn was a good company. It seemed like it could be the beginnings of me starting a career making films professionally. The truth is that I started to make videos just as budgets have plummeted so it hasn’t been a walk in the park, but I am still positive for the future.

You’ve mentioned that budgets are falling. Yet in the last year, you’ve worked with some of the biggest acts on your reel, including Elbow and Starsailor. Perhaps you can take us through one of these projects. How did it come about? What was production like etc?

The Starsailor job was enjoyable because the idea came very automatically after listening to the track just a couple of times. Also, Carole the commissioner was very organized and gave me plenty of time to pre-produce and post produce the job. The only stressful aspect of it was the shoot, where I literally binned my shot-list after we started running over about four hours into the shoot. I pretty much busked the whole video from there on in, which was very stressful. But everyone involved in the shoot was great, including the band and it all came together in the edit.

Some directors are very hands on in the post process and even cut their own work. Can you tell us a little about your experience in this phase. Do you edit your own projects? How do you like the process to go? Is it a phase in which you like to discover or do you prefer to put the pieces together?

At this stage in my career I really love cutting my own videos. I tend to have a very exact idea of how each sequence in the video is going to be cut before I shoot the video, so a lot of the offline is just piecing those bits of the jigsaw back together. So far, I have cut all of my own videos apart from the video for Joe Lean and The Jing Jang Jong on which I worked really closely with Matt Nee at Flynn Post. That was a really positive experience and Matt did a great job. I recognize that there will come a time whereby, I will regularly collaborate with editors but at the moment I love that intense offline experience where you just shut yourself off in a small room for a few days and cut away until you’re happy. 

If budgets are shrinking, it must be hard to sustain a living on just videos. Are you involved in commercials or any other creative discipline?

I think nine out of every ten directors making videos today are involved in some other creative discipline. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with that per se, and it’s not impossible to make a living from videos, but you would have to be making at least one 20k video every month in order to survive in London and that kind of work rate is pretty rare. I’ve balanced making videos with working for MTV; I produce a music show called Gonzo for MTV TWO and direct some multi-camera shows and live music for MTV too (for Duffy, Glasvegas, Primal Scream etc…).  Commercial-wise, there have been a few initial rumblings about a few projects through Flynn and that is something I want to pursue.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a young director making videos in the UK?

Lack of time really… because whilst you try and establish yourself, you will always have to balance making videos with other work. But if you are passionate enough and hungry enough, then you will always make it work. I mean, I dedicate a lot of weekends and evenings to music videos at the moment, but I’m happy to keep grafting away for the time being. Also, low budgets mean that you have to be really creative in order to keep delivering fresh ideas.

What is your dream project to direct?

I would like to direct some raw, run-and-gun British features shot on film in London - on the streets that I see every day, featuring people like the people I know. I want to make a trilogy about Love, Work and Death… You know, nothing too big! I want to write the stories, workshop the scenes with actors and then take a small, tight crew and bowl around London shooting them. That would be my dream project right now.

Any advice or words of wisdom to other young filmmakers wanting to make video promos?

If you want to be a filmmaker just go out and make films. I know that sounds flippant, but it’s true. If you want to make videos, just go out there and shoot some music videos for anyone. Don’t worry if you don’t have any money - time is just as valuable.

View Dan Sully’s newest video for Starsailor’s single Tell Me It’s Not Over. See his other works here.

Michael Winterbottom is one of the most unique and prolific filmmakers in cinema today. With each project he ventures into new territory sliding in and out of genres with ease. What I have found to be so particularly alluring about his work, is that there is a clear voice that is always looking for new ways to use the medium of film. In the last few years, he has experimented with blurring documentary into more traditional forms of story telling, resulting in a seemingly new language. Now, he has taken on Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine as a point of departure. The pairing of Winterbottom and Klein is sure to make for an intense film.

Grand Luncheonette is a short documentary about an old-world hot dog shop that use be located in the heart of Times Square. I remember when I first moved to NYC and walked by this place. It was one of those special spots that makes you think, “they don’t make them like that anymore.” The film was directed by Peter Sillen and edited by Brett Nicoletti.

There is an inherent responsibility that comes with directing a documentary film. With each edit, the director is given the choice to show or not show, and ultimately influence an audience with their version of the “truth” on a given subject. In the last year, there were two particularly important documentaries that saw theatrical release. Errol Morris’ Standard Operating Procedure is arguably one of the most important documentaries ever made, simply because of the questions it raises about “truth,” “documentation,” and “responsibility.” This film is not only challenging for the filmmaker, but the viewer as well. It asks us to step outside of a more comfortable place and forgo the idea of film as entertainment entirely.

The other film that I am thinking of which treads in territory that is both treacherous and necessary comes from the controversial filmmaker, Tony Kaye. After conquering the world of advertising with his own genre defining style, Kaye found the spotlight in Hollywood with his heavily criticized film American History X. The story behind the film’s creation had perhaps become more contentious than the movie itself, leaving Kaye on the outside of a studio run system. He returned to commercials and music videos where his career had begun. All the while, Kaye was allocating his profits into a self-financed documentary project that would take well over a decade to complete. With Lake of Fire, Kaye charges head-on towards one of the most difficult topics of social consequence facing this nation, a woman’s right to choose. Throughout the film, Kaye manages to stay unbelievably unswayed and focuses his efforts on trying to understand what is shaping the argument on both sides. The film is exceptionally hard; there is no question about that. It is also exceptionally important. Kaye did an admirable thing and it’s up to us, the viewer to face it.

Here is an interview with Tony Kaye in which he discusses his experience with Lake of Fire.

Somehow I got the idea in my head a while ago that it is good luck to spot a rat on the tracks while waiting for a subway. The larger the rat, the better the luck. That said, the thought of touching, holding or cuddling with one had always struck me as a terrible idea until this summer. My landlord asked me to look after his son’s two pet rats while they were away. The commitment was a month long relationship that somehow grew from almost disgust to a sort of fondness. Everyday, I’d drop by to feed them and make sure they had water. In the beginning I’d lift open the tops of their cages and quickly look after their needs. And then they grew on me. When I entered the room they were clearly happy, climbing on their bowls to greet me, desperately begging for attention.

And then of course, there is the charming rat named Remy with a penchant for the culinary arts in PIxar’s Ratatouille. This also happens to be my girlfriend’s favorite film; I’ve now seen it countless times. So I guess it’s fair to say that rats aren’t so bad. But this is a bit much; check out director Matthias Hoene’s short docu-film about a Fancy Rat Show.

Today while doing some research, I visited the site of one of my favorite graphic design firms. Why Not Associates have created many brilliantly unique typographic projects over the years, ranging from environmental works to short films. Ever since I first saw this piece created for Virgin, I’ve been dying to use neon in a project.

CREATOR INTERVIEW SERIES : JASON BOTKIN : PART 2

(interview continued from part 1)

Though SGF is located in LA and the roster of directors are all American, a great deal of the productions are for UK based artists and labels. How did this come to be?

When we first started the company Paul and I went to London to meet with labels and to look for a partner company or a rep. We met Alexa Haywood who was one of the first independent reps in the UK. She was repping FM Rocks, Stink. Another story that cracks me up - just before I went to London, I called Craig Fanning at FM Rocks to see if he would recommend Alexa. He basically told me that the UK market is a money pit and not to bother, again, cut to … 

Alexa is an amazing rep, she helped me build my company from nothing. Our first video was for a band named, The Glitterati. After that one British job followed the next, before we knew it we were big in Britain. For the first few years we were basically a UK music video production company in Los Angeles. USA / UK video markets are pretty different, it was difficult to crossover to American videos with UK bands on the reels. There were certain videos that we did that have worked well in both markets and we’ve used those over the years to make the transition. I’m really pleased now with the spread we have in both markets, I can’t imagine relying on just one. 

Is it a viable expectation for a director to make videos for a living?

Well, I guess that depends on how you want your DVD retrospective to look. It’s near impossible to make a living if your not willing to bend to market pressures every once in awhile. There are a handful of directors out there that can do less than hip, big budget acts and still bring some level of sophistication and artistic integrity to the project. I think Paul and Charles have been pretty successful walking that line. I would say that if your goal is to get into commercials you shouldn’t expect to make a living in videos first. With a few exceptions, I think career music video directors have a much harder time getting into commercials. To give you a better idea - I have one director out of five that makes his living off videos. 

Do you currently have any plans for feature film work or any other creative endeavors in the pipeline?

Sure, I’m actually developing a feature comedy about daytime TV actors. I’ll keep ya updated.

What projects are you most proud of and why?

I’m notoriously critical of the work that comes out of SGF. It’s really hard to make a great video, I can only count on a single hand the videos we’ve done that I think measure up. I’ve always been proud of Charles’ Duncan James video. That was a super cheesy song / artist (no offense Virgin) that was made into something much greater by the video.  Josh & Xander’s Jakob Dylan video was definitely a highlight last year. Paul’s first FFAF and Skye videos have always been dear to my heart. I was proud of Vince’s Editors video and Keith’s video for BPA wasn’t too shabby either. I have been fortunate to work with such amazing directors,  beats the hell out of rolling burritos. 

CREATOR INTERVIEW SERIES : JASON BOTKIN : PART 1

Some people were born to do very practical things like solve mathematical equations or to put out fires and enforce the law. And then there are the others, the right brained folk. This is an on-going series of interviews with people who have chosen to spend their lives creating.

JASON BOTKIN is the founder and Executive Producer of Streetgang Films, a premier music video production company that has produced work for celebrated artists ranging from Muse and Queens of the Stone Age to Jakob Dylan and Editors . He has been kind enough to take the time to discuss the business of making music promos with me as the first subject of the Creator Series.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background as a filmmaker and how you came to eventually open SGF?

Without going too far back I went to film school at Cal State Long Beach, with a concentration on directing. My senior film was in a few festivals including the Maryland Film Festival. Right after I graduated, I was offered the chance to partner with a good friend on a successful chain of Mexican restaurants in Seattle. It was just a two year commitment and I had some sizable student loans to take care of so I agreed to do it. I really enjoyed running my own business so when I returned to Los Angeles, I decided that I wanted to open up my own production company. I was attracted to the business model of commercial production - quick turnarounds on production, low office overhead and freelance labor. I got an office PA position with a commercial company named Cucoloris Films in Venice Beach. I quickly became head of production, working directly under stalwart executive producers, Linda Stewart and Bernie Wesson. After 4 years I moved out on my own and started Streetgang Films. Paul Minor was the first director, we both graduated from the same class at CSULB and had already done two videos together. It’s funny looking back at that time. I remember asking Paul just before we decided to quit our jobs if he wanted to do commercials or music videos, cut to…

How long has the company been around and what has changed since it’s inception?

The company started in 2003. The first few years were a wild ride for sure. Coming from a directing background I tended to EP more for the art and less for the business. We were eager to build the reels and to get noticed by commissioners. I don’t think we made our fees on a single job for the first year. I tried to keep my overhead low by doing all the office / accounting / vault work myself in my living room. We certainly had some rough spots, but somehow we always managed to squeak by. Eventually, it just started getting easier. I think production is really about longevity, it’s about being around long enough to prove to everyone that you’ve learned your lessons. We eventually passed a threshold a couple of years ago where the business was sustainable. Once I was able to secure the business financially it enabled me to find that balance as an executive producer between art & commerce. An EP from another company told me last year that my roster is known in the industry as a group of artists. As we were talking about money, he didn’t intend that as a compliment. I certainly could be rolling deeper but I’m proud that I’ve kept the doors open without the support of a commercial division while maintaining that kind brand identity.

How has the music video industry changed since you’ve been involved with it and where do you see it going?

Streetgang started in the salad days of music videos. I’ve never known the gilded age that everyone talks about. My whole business plan was about being a smaller, scrappier company that can survive in this type of environment. Admittedly, I have said a few times that things can’t get any worse, only to find that they most certainly can. However, I do think we’ve found a nice market niche. Most of my directors are influenced heavily by feature work so there is always an emphasis on production value regardless of the budget. I think there will always be a place for that type of work as there are artists that simply can’t be done on the cheap. I am learning however that there is more to life than lens flares. Keith Schofield is a director that is much more idea driven and I think he rounds out the roster nicely. Where do I see the industry going? It can’t get any worse than this, happy days are coming! 

How has the internet changed the way music videos are made?

As far as I’m concerned, it hasn’t changed much of anything. Label briefs have always asked for conceptual ideas that create “water cooler moments” while making sure that their artist looks great. We’re still filmmakers in the end, it doesn’t matter if it’s on your TV, internet, phone or Sundance - it still has to be cool.

(continued…)

Here is the third and final installment for the playlist of music videos made by cinema directors. Be warned; not all but certainly some of these videos are a bit embarassing, so I’ve made the list a little longer than usual. Now that I’ve posted 42 of these videos, I can’t help but to wonder what it says about filmmaking in general that I could only find two notable women who have made both features and videos. Here are parts 1 & 2.

Director: Bennett Miller
Artist: Bob Dylan
Song: When the Deal Goes Down

Director: Tim Burton
Artist: The Killers
Song: Bones

Director: Abel Ferrara
Artist: Ben Folds Five
Song: Don’t Change Your Plans

Director: Jared Hess
Artist: The Postal Service
Song: We Will Become Silhouettes

Director: Hughes Brothers
Artist: Korn
Song: Thoughtless

Director: Sam Peckinpah
Artist: Julian Lennon
Song: Too Late for Goodbyes

Director: Tony Kaye
Artist: Soul Asylum
Song: Runaway Train

Director: D.A. Pennebaker
Artist: Bob Dylan
Song: Subterranean Homesick Blues

Director: David Lynch
Artist: Michael Jackson
Album: Dangerous
Note: More of a promo than music video but worth including.

Director: Bill Plympton
Artist: Kanye West
Song: Heard ‘Em Say

Director: Alex Proyas
Artist: Sting
Song: All This Time

Director: Tony Scott
Artist: George Michael
Song: One More Try

Director: John Singleton
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Remember the Time

Director: Spike Lee
Artist: Public Enemy
Song: Fight the Power

Director: Michael Moore
Artist: Rage Against the Machine
Song: Sleep Now In the Fire
Note: This one holds a special place in my heart. I did the extras casting. It was such a fun project to work on and everyone was so gracious.

Director: Danny Boyle
Artist: Iggy Pop
Song: Lust For Life
Note: I’ve abstained from including film tie-in music videos. This is the exception simply because Iggy Pop is so weird and great.

Director: William Friedkin
Artist: Laura Branigan
Song: Self Control

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Artist: Gianna Nannini
Song: Fotoromanza

While millions of people toasted their New Year last night, I opted for a quiet evening on the couch. I hadn’t seen Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A TIme In the West since college. The film is just as amazing as I had remembered, though I hadn’t realized that Leone had collaborated on the story with Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci. The film also boasts one of the most fantastic opening title sequences that I have ever seen. I still find it a bit surreal that there is an entire genre of cinema (spaghetti westerns) that is constructed around a specific period of American history and told through the voices of Italian directors.

A few weeks ago, I posted a playlist of music videos that were made by director’s who are primarily known for their work in cinema. It’s fascinating to see the varying degrees of success and how each uses the medium. Here is the second installment of three on that theme.

Director: E. Elias Merhige
Artist: Marilyn Manson
Song: Cryptorchild

Director: The Brothers Quay
Artists: Tom Waits
Song: Sparkle Horse

Director: Harmony Korine
Artist: Sonic Youth
Song: Sunday

Director: Vincent Gallo
Artist: John Frusciante
Song: Going Inside

Director: Len Wiseman
Artist: Rufus Wainwright
Song: Across the Universe

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Artist: Michael Penn
Song: Try

Director: Rian Johnson
Artist: The Mountain Goats
Song: Woke Up New

Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Artist: Metallica
Song: The Day That Never Comes

Director: Derek Jarman
Artist: The Smiths
Song: Ask

Director: Gore Verbinski
Artist: Monster Magnet
Song: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

Director: George A. Romero
Artist: Misfits
Song: Scream

Director: John Landis
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Thriller (Long Version)

In this interview, Iranian film director Abbas Kiarostami discusses everything from allegory in cinema to the responsibility of the filmmaker.

“What is reality? I think the origins of any fiction film has to be something real. Documentary film does not exist. The moment a director makes one simple move with the camera, or joins two different clips together, he has made a choice - whether it’s label is ‘fiction’ or ‘documentary’.”

While Neil Gaiman is a writer probably best known for his mysteriously dark tales, he has also penned several books for children with illustrations by Dave McKean. One of those stories, Coraline has been brought to the screen by Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas.  This very promising looking animated film opens in theaters February 6.

Japan: Robot Nation is a short expose style short film that explores how the nation may go about dealing with a quickly dwindling population. When people are too exhausted from work to have sex and reproduce, who will run the factories or take care of the elderly? Japan is on track to have too much work and not enough people to do it. Allowing for greater immigration is one approach to solving the problem, but a rather unlikely answer when considering the historical view of outsider’s in a such an ethnically proud country. However, in a culture that is already fascinated with anthropomorphisising so many different kinds of non-human characters, daily interaction and dependence on robots may not be such a huge leap.

Going to the gym really is a chore. What if it were more like a video game? Check out the short film Cecil by Terri Timely.

The winter chill is in the air today. It’s that time of the year when the front yards of my neighborhood are transformed into a carnival of tacky holiday decor. No house is complete without an inflatable something or other. But to prove that I am no Grinch or Scrooge, I’ve decided to share a few short film clips to express my holiday cheer.

I believe both Santasm and Warm And Fuzzy Feeling were directed by Mike Kuntz. (NSFW)

100 classic illustrated horror film posters part 1 & part 2.

Everyone has a story to tell. This is a beautifully photographed short documentary film about Martin the Tailor. He is a Holocaust survivor who came to the US in 1947. Starting out as a floor boy, the endearing man would eventually own the very company that gave him his first job in this country. Martin’s success as a tailor has even lead him to the White House where he has created custom suits for US presidents.

The holiday season usually means it’s that time of the year when we’ll catch half naked models frolicking around on a beach in a black & white fragrance commercial. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it seems like a bit of a tired formula. I look forward to the day that I turn on the tube and find a perfume ad as bizarre as this short film created by fashion photographer Eugenio Recuenco for Loewe’s odor “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás”.

(via Wicked Halo)

Here is a playlist of music videos that were created by directors who are most known for their feature film accomplishments.

Director: Gus Van Sant
Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Song: Under the Bridge

Director: Wong Kar Wai
Artist: DJ Shadow
Song: Six Days

Director: Marc Caro
Artist: Indochine
Song: Savoure le Rouge

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Artist: Jean Michel Jarre
Song: Zoolook

Director: Todd Haynes
Artist: Sonic Youth
Song: Disappearer

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Artist: The Raconteurs
Song: Steady As She Goes

Director: Gaspar Noe
Artist: Placebo
Song: Protege-Moi (Banned X Rated Video)

Director: Sofia Coppola
Artist: The White Stripes
Song: I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (Starring Kate Moss)

Director: Lynne Ramsay
Artist: Doves
Song: Black and White Town

Director: John Sayles
Artist: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Song: I’m On Fire

Director: Martin Scorsese
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Bad (Full Short Film Version)

Director: Wim Wenders
Artist: U2
Song: Far Away, So Close

A few years back, I worked on the design of the Criterion Collection dvd release of the documentary Hoop Dreams. Since then, I’ve wondered what has happened to the two young high schoolers featured in the film who had ambitions of rising from poverty to make it in the NBA. The Chicago Tribune has caught up with both men now in their mid 30s.

(via kottke)

Today I feel like sharing a few film trailers. The first trailer is for a film by Luc Besson and is called Angel A. I just saw the movie last night and couldn’t stop smiling; it is really something extraordinary. This film is now out on DVD.

Let the Right One In comes as a recommendation from a friend who has seen it several times already. Three words: Swedish vampire film. In theaters now.

Lastly, while I’m not a huge comic book fan, I am so excited for the release of Watchmen. This is the newest trailer for the film. The graphic novel is sitting on my desk waiting to be read.

One of my favorite people in the world is a too talented for words animator that I met upon my arrival at art school in New York.  Cameron Baity eventually became my housemate and co-conspirator in a plan to rid the world of all that is bad and replace it with really creative smart stuff. Our home became a sanctuary for other idealists to drink like fish, play chess, and draw until their fingers swelled like sausages or til the sun rose (whichever came first). Our minds were filled with absurdity.

I worked deep into the night on a film about a man who comes to the realization that he is indeed the very fish that lives in his fishbowl. Cameron went to town on a stop-motion film in which his character had an existential discovery of his own; something about sound and growth. The character’s giant mouth was constructed from a metal wrist-watch band. I remember donating my toe nail clippings for the character’s oversized hands. I also can recall a project that was never fully realized. There was an animation that was concerned with an impish character possessing the largest set of testicles you’ve ever seen. He was a trapeze performer forced to perpetually swing or suffer the consequence of being eaten to death by demonic-muscle-men-things that waited below.

We were mostly quixotic in the kinds of work we wanted to make. So I was truly proud when I found out that Cameron recently directed an episode of Moral Orel for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The series is concerned with a boy whose thirst for church and “soul insurance” is only matched by his father’s desire to spank his behind til it blistered red. Very well done Cam!

The gang over at Shilo and my friend, cinematographer Martin Ahlgren are some of the most inspiring and creative folks that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I was so excited when I heard that they would be collaborating on a project for Guiness beer. The results are pretty brilliant.

For more on Shilo and how they do what they do, check this out.

Gus Van Sant is quite a prolific filmmaker. His newest project sees Sean Penn as Harvey Milk.

Everyone is talking economy. Lets talk about the hidden cost of war.

Bill Maher has teamed up on a film with the director of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The project, Religulous simply aims to ask people questions about god and religious faith. In promotion of the film that opens this week, Maher went onto the Daily Show with John Stewart and gave an outrageously awesome interview.

More on the film from the NY Times.

My heart is broken. Paul Newman has passed away at 83. I feel personally saddened as if he were someone I knew so well. Perhaps this is a testament to his unmatched talents as a performer and a humanitarian. More than any other actor, I’ve long hoped that I may one day be fortunate enough to work with Newman. I think I really just wanted to get close enough to say “thanks.”

Sir Ben Kingley as Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat. Just another reason he deserves that knighthood.

Peter Greenaway has long been one of my very favorite filmmakers. His experimentation and fascination with: language, books, painting, typography, design, cinema, theater and future forms of expression guides him to create in a language all his own. When considering his obvious desires to expand the visual language of film outside of cinema’s proverbial frame, it was no surprise to read that he had been working on some sort of online video game. What I had no idea of was that Greenaway has been up to much more than that. With the launch of his new official website, you can keep tabs on Greenaway’s lastest endeavors.

It seems that David Lynch will be hosting some sort of online competition. I wish I knew a little more about it. One place to stay tuned with information is this resourceful David Lynch fan site.

I’ve always believed that the great power that artists carry with them is the ability to evoke an emotional reaction from a stranger without even stepping foot in the same room. Nagi Noda’s whimsical work makes people feel good; it reminds us to use our imaginations no matter how wild they may be. As a young female artist she has truly defied obstacles and traditions while fully embodying the title “creative director.” With a vision all her own Nagi Noda has seamlessly slipped from one medium to another charming us along the way. So it is with a profound sadness that I share the work of Nagi Noda, whose life was cut way too short just a week ago at the age of 35.

Nagi Nada’s official website

Nagi Noda’s Music Video Work

A short documentary on the the disappearing honeybees that illustrates the species’ grave importance to our ecology and food supply.

It is quite interesting to see how films are marketed outside of their country of origin. Here is a collection of Polish poster designs dating back to 1940

Filmmaker and music video director Grant Gee created something special when he followed Radiohead around the world filming them during the OK Computer tour. The resulting film. Meeting People is Easy captured a band on top of the world and frustrated with their sudden larger than life image. Ten years later, Gee has pieced together Joy Division; a documentary on the story behind the nearing success and tragedy of Joy Division.

Not since Chris Cunningham’s arrival onto the music video landscape has anyone raised the creative bar so high and challenged the medium altogether. Videos over the last several years have suffered from dwindling budgets, often mediocre concepts and cheap imitations of what others have already done. Though there certainly have been some very memorable promos of late, I’ve yet to see any that I believe to be “ground breaking.” Until now.

To promote their most recent album, The Arcade Fire created interactive-web-based music videos. The first video is for the album’s title track Neon Bible. While I have seen plenty of interesting web-interactive projects, I have never seen anything like this before, and certainly not to promote music. A few months later, the band released another interactive video for The Black Mirror that completely knocked me on my ass. The second video contains six individual tracks of audio that allow the viewer to mix the song on the fly to their liking creating their own version of a score for a rather surreal silent film.

watch Neon Bible

watch Black Mirror

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working on a shoot with Golden Gloves Champion Rena Anakwe. Below is a teaser frame from the dailies.

I’ve been hearing rumors for years about Alejandro Jodorowsky making another film. Apparently, developments are a reality and the cult director has been taking steps forward with concept art. The script is complete and will feature Nick Nolte and Marilyn Manson. Expect nothing less than genius.

Nine Inch Nails have amassed a huge arsenal of free content for their fans to check out in the last few years. The latest is a series of show rehearsals shot by by Trent Reznor’s creative collaborator Rob Sheridan. Seeing that Robin Finck is back in the band and these sessions are flawless, I’m feeling pretty bummed that the tour doesn’t have any NYC stops planned.

A few nights ago, I met a group of other directors at a little summer roof party. One of the directors, Joe Stevens was telling me about a short documentary that he recently finished. The film’s focus is on a group of teens in Queens who have taken to rigging big stereo equipment to their BMX bikes. Coincidentally, yesterday I came across a nice bit of press on the project. Made in Queens looks quite interesting.

Thunder is threatening us with showers in NYC. I’m glad it held out for today, instead of last night when I attended a Rooftop Films event at The Old American Can Factory. I caught the New York premier of In a Dream, a documentary in which the director investigates his own father’s quixotic and obsessive life as a mosaic artist. The film has recently been acquired by HBO Documentary Films and will air early 2009. Keep an eye out, it’s a pretty special film.

Why is America Fucked?

Here is a different kind of Font Conference than most designers might expect.

A production casting company called House made a pretty clever promotional film in which a gang of models sing an a capella version of I Wanna Be Your Dog (by The Stooges). The film was directed by Georgie Greville.

Until now, I hadn’t heard anything in the way of controversy surrounding Pixar’s latest release WALL-E. I find it ridiculous and sadly germane to the film’s subject matter that there will always be those folks on the bottom of the human evolutionary ladder who consistently look at the world through some sort of backwards-asshole-lens.

For the release of their single The Moneymaker, the band Rilo Kiley made a music video which stars real adult entertainers. In conjunction with the video, director Autumn de Wilde made a short documentary about these performers and their lives in porno.

I have a neighbor who is keen on making paintings of places in New York. He is drawn towards subjects that represent an old world, places that are hanging by a thread to exist. Yesterday, he told me about a graveyard for tugboats that exists in Staten Island. Apparently, there are literally hundreds of boats docked in their final resting place. Some of these ships are wooden tugs dating back to the early 20th Century. Curious to see what these may look like, I found a flickr photo-set that someone had taken of the area. I also, found some info on a short film made about this very place.

Director Matt Bass is working on a documentary called Sk8face, about the evolution of skateboard graphics.

It’s time for a double dose of Kubrick related postings and here is round two. Telegraph has printed excerpts from a number of Kubrick’s letter correspondences throughout his career.

(via Daring Fireball)

Channel 4 UK commissioned a short, 3 minute film in which people talk about the impression on their lives made by Stanley Kubrick’s films.

(via Daring Fireball)

Doug Pray is a documentary filmmaker who has made several films that deal with the creative fruit of counter culture. He was commissioned by Clorox to make this short film documenting the making of a reverse-graffiti mural by Paul “Moose” Curtis. The mural is created by simply washing away dirt. Its good to see a chemical company like Clorox starting to think in a greener way.

A young man named Matt Harding has created the most uplifting dance in the world. He shot a 4 minute film in which he is seen dancing his little jig in different locations around the globe. Matt dances everywhere from Madrid to Mumbai, from Timbuktu to New Guinea too. The project started out as a little personal fun idea that evolved into a sponsored journey. Truth told, this web film evokes a certain kind of charm that Hollywood could never produce. With the democratization of means and distribution of projects via the web, the most personal of ideas can be conveyed and this is the heart of the magic here. Though the film has currently been viewed on youtube over 5 million times, I didn’t think anybody should miss this. More on the this surreal undertaking from the NY Times.

Hitler’s commercial film production goes sour. They’ll need to fix it in post.

Channel 4 UK has gone to painstaking detail to recreate the set of The Shining for a commercial promoting a season of Kubrick cinema. The spot is outrageously perfect.

(via Coudal)

At a BBQ last night, a friend told me about the new website of avante-garde filmmaker and writer Jonas Mekas. Though in his 80’s, the site is testament to Mekas’ active career and passion.

Mekas has always been concerned with the preservation of cinema and the importance of bringing film to the people.  As a founder of The Anthology Film Archives, he has done just that. This is his foray into the modern world of the web. The site offers previews of work that can be downloaded for a modest fee. In addition to Mekas’ own films, works by other filmmakers including: Kenneth Anger, Marcel Duchamp, and Jim Jarmusch are available for download. The site is a wonderful example of how the web has put the power of distribution back into the hands of the creators.

Here are some interesting thoughts on the current state of music videos and their cultural impact.

For their newest music video, The Long Blondes staged a rather unique dog show. The disconnect between the lyrics and visuals couldn’t be more perfect. I’m not sure which is catchier; the track or the video?

Heinz created a socially relevant commercial with a surprise twist.  That twist drew complaints from 200 viewers and led to the banning of the commercial. There is nothing like a little self censoring to appease a few bigots. I find it hard to understand how Heinz signs off on the creation and airing of this commercial, and then retracts because of a little heat. Either the corporation wants to be a socially progressive voice or they don’t.

Watch a freckled girl in rainbow tiger-striped lycra pants dance in slow motion with her chicken. Dust it off and jerk it.

Martin Ahlgren is a friend and truly brilliant director-of-photography. He has shot visually stunning projects for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Common, and Jet. Martin has launched a new web site with an extensive collection of work that includes his collaborations with directing greats like: Jonas Akerlund, Matthew Rolston, Robert Hales, and Floria Sigismondi.

The film world mourns the loss of special-effects guru Stan Winston; he’ll be missed greatly.

Many of us will walk through life never really knowing “what we want to do with ourselves.” Others may discover late in life what their great passion is. For some folks dog grooming is where its at. But how does one become a dog groomer? If you live in New York, you go to the New York School of Dog Grooming. Documentary director, Amy Nicholson, made a very surreal short film called Beauty School about this very institution.

With the advent of high-definition technologies, filmmakers have feared the demise of celluloid. Now that studios are attempting to de-grain films for their DVD release, why bother shooting on a film based medium at all? Confusing the film restoration process with the unethical destruction of an intended aesthetic will just speed up the death of a medium and pervert history.

(via kottke)

Apple has hired director David Fincher to make a TV ad to introduce the new iPhone 3G which starts at $199.

It’s time for another music video mixtape. It’s the right season to use the theme “shake it.”

Naked Ape - Fashion Freaks - (Dir. Zombie Duck)

The Bubblebeez - Dr. Love - (Dir. Tom Kuntz)

Alex Guadino - Destination Calabria - (Dir. Eran Creevy)

Benny Benassi - Satisfaction - (Dir. Dougal Wilson)

Etienne Charry - Astroclub  (Dir. Gabriel Malaprade)

Freaks - The Creeps - (Dir. Marcus Adams)

Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh - (Dir. Matt Kirby)

Detroit Grand Pubahs - Sandwiches - (Dir. Spencer Susser)

Eric Prydz - Call On Me - (Dir. Huse)

Goldfrapp - Train - (Dir. Dawn Shadforth)

LFO - Freak - (Dir. Daniel Levi)

There truly couldn’t have been a more appropriate director than Anton Cobijn to tell the story of Ian Curtis and Joy Division on the silver screen. Though the film only was given limited theatrical release, Control is now available on DVD.

The Coen Brother’s new film has an extraordinary cast.  See the trailer for Burn After Reading.

The annual New York City free Summer arts festival River to River is underway. The series which features dance, movies and music will offer performances from the likes of Ted Leo, Sonic Youth, and Atlas Sound. Today post punk legends Wire will play pier 17 at South Street Seaport 7pm.

Sigur Ros have always curated fantastic video and artwork to accompany their releases. In support of the band’s free single download Gobbledigook, regular collaborators Arnie & Kinski directed a video  inspired by and in collaboration with photographer Ryan McGinley. The video falls in line with McGinley’s nudist themed photo series recently on show in New York.

Remembering Sydney Pollack.

Holy Motorhead!!! A documentary on Lemmy is in the works.

Hammer & Tongs is the moniker used to represent the work of producer Nick Goldsmith and director Garth Jennings. The two have collaborated on many successful music videos over the years for artists including Beck, Blur, Fatboy Slim, and REM. In 2005 they made the leap from videos to feature films with their adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. They have returned with their new film Son of Rambo; which follows two boys obsessed with Rambo: First Blood as they attempt to make a sequel with their video cameras.

Nick Park’s company Aardman has brought us the likes of Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, and of course Creature Comforts. The animation shop has now teamed with Animal Planet to produce 11 wonderful shorts aimed at teaching us how to be more eco-friendly. The series is called Animals Save the Planet.

Blu is a graffiti artist with a rather unique approach. He has taken to animating his giant wall illustrations. His darkly comedic style in which characters spawn new forms recalls the work of animation guru Bill Plympton. Enjoy Blu’s short film Muto and be sure to click around his site.

Alejandro Jodorowski is a cinema genius like no other. The success of his film El Topo made him “the father of the midnight movie.” His films have been described as political, surreal, offensive and psychodelic.  All of these descriptions are as accurate as they are false. His body of work has been created as a quest for truth and enlightenment. For decades his films were only available on pirated VHS dubs and were banned in many countries. Now a set of three Jodorowsky films and accompanying soundtracks are available including: Fando y Lis, El Topo, and The Holy Mountain.

Mister Lonely is Harmony Korine’s first film in eight years. He has created a world in which impersonators live together on a commune, and Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe find love. Here is a little more info on where Korine has been since his last film and how his newest one came to be. Mister Lonely is in theaters now.

Barnaby Roper is a fashion photographer and music video director. Natasa Vojnovic is a model from Belgrade. They collaborated on this short experimental fashion film in which Natasa bares all. She discusses leaving belgrade and what it means to be here in America.

French electro group Justice have stirred something of a ruckus with the video for their new single Stress. Obviously inspired by Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971), a young group of modernized droogs uniformed in jackets adorned with the band’s logo are seen making a malenky bit of the old ultra-violent. Perhaps what is most troubling to those offended by the video is not the aggressive nature of the gang, but rather the very clear color of their skin. The boys appear to be of North African and Middle Eastern decent; in other words the Parisian lower-class. The video directed by Romain Gavras has drawn much comparison to La Haine (1985) because of its documentary style of execution. While certainly intriguing and well executed, the video never offers up the kind of social complexity that would allow us to understand this kind of behavior.

In 2004 British animator Simon Robson created What Barry Says, a rather critical short animation on America’s politics of war. The film stands as a reminder that the war in Iraq is still going on and was never a just cause.

Recently, I posted about Amnesty International’s TV ad depicting the process of waterboarding. The spot was actually the second of three commercials in the organization’s Unsubscribe Campaign. The first spot portrays interrogation techniques known as stress positions. During the filming of both ads, the actual tortuous process displayed was carried out to ensure authenticity.

What assumptions do we think a total stranger might make about us? In this split-screen film we observe people as they observe other people. 

(via Ticklebooth)

Holy Bollywood!!! Busby Berkely would be proud. This is too precious.

Radiohead has teamed up with MTV EXIT on a campaign designed to raise awareness about human trafficking. In a music video for the track All I Need, the band takes the subject matter head on. That’s right; all of the stuff we use and consume is made somewhere by somebody else.

I just came across a blog devoted to one of my favorite parts of filmmaking. The Art of the Title Sequence is dedicated to great title design in cinema and TV. What a lovely idea. Currently the site is displaying an eclectic mix of designs old and new.

Abe Kogan performed as a human cannonball from 1946-1980. He still dreams of flying.

Below is something of a music video mixtape that I’ve put together.  The theme is “kissing.”

The Teenagers - Homecoming - (Dir. Kinga Burza)

New Order - Krafty - (Dir. Johan Renck)

Doves - The Man Who Told Everything - (Dir. Sam Brown)

Nine Black Alps - Bitter End - (Dir. Terry Hall)

Soon - Serenade the City - (Dir. Sir Taki)

Animal Collective - PeaceBone - (Dir. Timothy Saccenti)

Koop - Island Blue - (Dir. Jean Francois Julain)

Air - All I Need - (Dir. Mike Mills)

Kent - Karleken Vantar - (Dir. Johan Renck)

Sonic Youth - Sunday - (Dir. Harmony Korine)

Supernatural Superserious is REM’s 14th studio album. The band collaborated with director and blogger Vincent Moon to create an interactive website in support of the new album. The site works within the spirit of Moon’s Blogotheque Take-Away series in which bands are filmed performing impromptu performances in the most unexpected of places.

Amnesty International has created a TV ad that depicts the tortuous process of waterboarding.

Photographer David Michalek directed Slow Dancing, a large scale series of 43 slow motion video portraits of some of the most accomplished dancers from around the world. Using high-speed HD cameras designed for scientific research, the project expands 5 seconds of dancing into a 10 minute long installation. Slow Dancing has already made stops to NYC’s Lincoln Center and the LA Music Center. On the project’s website, you can take a closer look at the dancers and view clips from the installation.

Doug Aitken is a renowned multimedia artist who has worked with video installation, sculpture, and photography.  In 2006, he published Broken Screen: 26 Conversations. The book compiles conversations with artists in which they discuss their desires to work outside of conventional linear narrative forms. Aitken engages his fellow artists—including Werner Herzog, Ed Ruscha, Robert Altman, Kenneth Anger, Claire Denis, Amos Vogel, and Alejandro Jodorowsky—in discussion, as opposed to critical interviews. Below are some choice quotes:

“I almost feel like the process of filmmaking is a performance itself. The act of filmmaking becomes an extension of the performance on-screen.—Matthew Barney

“…I got fired again and again because people like Jack Warner, the cofounder of Warner Brothers, would say, ‘who has actors all talking at the same time?’ Well I haven’t had many experiences in real life where people don’t talk all at the same time. People don’t wait around for each other to shut up before they speak.”—Robert Altman

“…the notion of a beginning and an end is a rational formulation that I don’t use anymore. For me, life is not continuous. If I have a beginning and end in one of my films, its not a real beginning or end. These things don’t exist.”—Alejandro Jodorowsky

Controversial animation director Ralph Bakshi is best known for his cult classic Fritz the Cat. If you aren’t familiar with his work, think Robert Crumb as a filmmaker. Bakshi is also credited with elevating rotoscope animation techniques to new levels with his version of The of Lord of the Rings (1978) and American Pop (1981). The truth is that Bakshi is a rebel. He is literally the Cool World to a more mainstream Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

In recent years, Bakshi has spent the better part of his time working as a painter. He will be in attendance on Thursday April 17th for the opening of his work at the Animazing Gallery.

Phillips commissioned auteur Wong Kar Wai to direct a short film to show off their new Aurea line of flat panel TVs. The result is There is Only One Sun, a French language film that seems heavily inspired by Godard’s Alphaville. The director continues to explore how to juxtapose mod aesthetics from the 60’s with a technicolor science-fiction future. In true Wong Kar Wai fashion, cooler than cool characters struggle with the pains of love. 

Designer Jakob Trollback is curious about the constraints of the music video format. He experimented with the idea of creating a visual echo of a song’s expression, as opposed to a conceptual response. At last years TED conference Trollback introduced the results of his experiment which is set to David Byrne and Brian Eno’s “Moonlight in Glory.” 

Errol Morris discusses Abu Ghraib and the importance of a photographic moment. 

Errol Morris discusses the role of the re-enactment as a means to investigate truth.

Morris’ newest film, Standard Operating Procedure opens in theaters April 25th. The film examines the Abu Ghraib torture incidents and the photos that serve as proof of the events.

Harold and Kumar may have found their way to White Castle, but now the guys are in a whole lot of trouble for different reasons. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay releases nation wide April 25. I have nothing else to say.

When REM’s Losing My Religion music video began to air on MTV, a new chapter in music promos began. A brilliant young director with a taste for ornate art direction named Tarsem was the visionary behind the video. His theatrical style and Hieronymous Bosch-like sense of detail paved the way for a successful career as a commercial director. Having garnered a slew of awards, it was clear that he would begin to make feature films, and unique ones at that.

Tarsem Singh’s first feature film, The Cell (2000) received very mixed reviews and was often criticized for placing style in front of content. Regardless, the director proved his masterful ability to deliver a spectacle. And now, 8 years later he has finished his 2nd feature film The Fall. The project sees him again paired with renowned costume designer Eiko Ishioka (Bjork’s Cocoon, Bram Stoker’s Dracula) and appears to be slated for a Spring release. If the website is any indication, we should be in for a visual feast.

Martin Scorsese and The Rolling Stones are continuing to make film and music history with Shine a Light. If you’ve never been able to afford the Stones outlandishly priced concert tickets in the past, here is your opportunity to see the band perform at the legendary Beacon Theatre through the lens of Scorsese. The film releases April 4th and will be playing in IMAX for those of you interested in seeing Jagger and Richard’s wrinkles in super sharp detail. I can’t imagine whose genius idea that was. 

Film directors Werner Herzog and Errol Morris are both profoundly unique in the stories that they tell. Here is a conversation between the two in which they trace back their long friendship and discuss topics ranging from each other’s work to their experiences going together to visit serial killer Ed Kemper in prison.

Additionally, Errol Morris has a new documentary called Standard Operating Procedure releasing to theaters April 25th.  The film focuses on the events and photos surrounding the Abu Ghraib prison torture affair.

David Lynch has a thought or two about watching movies on your telephone.

Director Alex Gibney’s latest documentary Taxi to the Darkside faced censorship from the MPAA for an honestly designed poster.

Jeffery Plansker is a commercial director and photographer. He has also directed music videos for the likes of Radiohead and Sound Garden. Plansker was approached by Sony to make a project to show off one of their newer HD cameras. He created a beautifully photographed short film in which image influences sound to create something of a score.  The film entitled Lion Still has Wings begins with a note that it was made using the “truncated turbo-pascal editing system,” which is apparently a random edit principal. More on the making of the film.