Directed in 2007 by W.I.Z., a video director from Great Britain. W.I.Z. has directed a number of high-concept videos for major music artists from the United Kingdom and the United States, including Massive Attack, Kasabian, Oasis, and Arctic Monkeys. Many of these videos, in addition to featuring the song and the performers, also follow a running narratives that often contain a political or social message.
This had a David Lynch sort of bizarreness to it - like it was filmed backwards or something - very eerie. The party scene with the beatbox or whatever you want to call it is fantastic!
They could have ditched the whole storyline and just had the creepy monkey version of the band it would still make this list.
Directed in 2001 by Traktor, a Swedish production team of five directors and two producers. They have produced more than 300 television commercials. Other music videos to their credit include Song for Shelter / Ya Mama by Fatboy Slim and Die Another Day by Madonna.
I was already a Johnny Cash fan long before this, but some of my friends began to take notice of him after he covered this Nine Inch Nails song.
Directed by Mark Romanek in 2002 and Wikipedia says the video “has been hailed by many critics and fans alike as the most personal and moving music video ever made.”
Romanek was given his first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Video in 1996 for “Scream,” a collaboration between the pop superstar siblings Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. The video, which cost $7 million to make, is cited as the most expensive ever made.
uh, Christopher Walken dancing is a stroke of genius. Many forget that his roots were in musical theater ebfore getting into the movies, and heis early films featured him dancing.
Yet another Spike Jonze video. It won six MTV awards in 2001 and also won “best video of all time” in April 2002.
This song launched the animated band. The video helped with its anime roots. Both were very new and different. So is the Gorillaz web site.
Directed by comic book artist Jamie Hewlett and animator Pete Candeland in 2001. Hewlett was co-creator of the virtual band Gorillaz and the comic strip Tank Girl and co-creator of the band directing all their videos. In 2006 Hewlett’s artwork for Gorillaz was nominated for the Design Museum’s ‘Designer of the Year’ award and Hewlett was named the Designer of the Year.
Gorgeous rich saturated colors and great cinematic lighting. Also, liked keeping the story from the child’s perspective including the Charlie Brown-esqe technique of keeping his mother’s head off frame.
Directed buy Chris Milk, 2004. Milk has directed videos for U2, Green Day, Kanye West, Courtney Love, Audioslave and Gnarls Barkley. He also has directed several television commercials including one for Nintendo.
Fun to watch - the creative visual approach offers good synergy with the edgy staccato of the 2003 song.
Directed by Michel Gondry is a French Academy Award winning screenwriter, film, commercial and music video director. He began his career as a filmmaker began with creating music videos for the French pop group Oui Oui, in which he also served as a drummer. His film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” won critical acclaim and showed his flair for inventive visual style.
Great song - and the last thing you would think of for the music video is Moulin Rouge-esque costumes and set design and a supporting role by b-movie legend Eric Roberts, but it works.
Directed by Sophie Muller in 2004. Muller has directed over a hundred music videos and has had long collaborating partnerships with No Doubt, Gwen Stefani, Annie Lennox, Garbage and others. Click here for other videos by Sophie Mueller
