NEWS: 2008 SXSW Music Video Winners

With SXSW underway and Video Static hopelessly distracted, we will be taking a break through Monday. We leave you, however, with the music video winners from the 2008 SXSW Film Festival:

Winner:
TV on the Radio "Me-I"
Mixtape Club & Daniel Garcia, directors
full credits and hi-res Quicktimes at www.mixtapeclub.com/projects/tvontheradio/

Special Jury Award Winner:
Group Sounds "Temporarily in Love"
Randy Scott Slavin, director
full credits and Quicktime via Group Sounds Videostatic.com posting

Special Jury Award Winner:
Cornelius "Fit Song"
Keigo Oyamada & Koichiro Tsujikawa, directors
flash version via Everloving Records Brightcove player

COMMENTARY: Dr. Harding's Test

Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the flashing lights.

There's been a lot of news this week about how the new Gnarls Barkley video "Run" has been "banned" by MTV due to something called the Harding Test.

Here's the deal...

Perhaps you remember all those stories from a few years back about kids going into seizures while watching Pokemon. That story was about as overblown as this one, but there is indeed a small chance (1 in 17,500 to be exact) of a child — especially one with epilepsy — experiencing a seizure due to photosensitivity.

The most notable effort to stem this problem in the U.S. was requiring video games to come with warnings about the epileptic risk. U.K. broadcasters have taken a stricter approach, requiring all televised content to be pre-screened to ensure that any flashing lights and repetitive patterns do not surpass certain thresholds that may make it more likely to induce seizures. The test most often used is called the HardingFPA Flash and Pattern Analyser.

Since many videos consist of flashing lights and patterns, it is not uncommon to have problems when submitting them to MTV UK and other English channels. The videos are not "banned," they just need to either be re-edited or have the strobe intensity toned down to pass this test. It's not a big deal, really.

So, the Gnarls Barkley video "Run" has not been "banned" by MTV or MTV UK. It did, however, reportedly fail a broadcast test that all UK channels run in order to minimize the chances of causing seizures among a very small percentage of viewers.

If you are a music video producer, here is what you need to know:

• If there is a chance the video will be on MTV UK, you should be somewhat cognizant that  excessive flashing lights and dizzying patterns may cause the video to fail the aforementioned Harding Test.
• If it does fail, you can either re-edit or do a color correction in order to minimize the intensity of the objectionable parts. (The Harding Test actually tells you the exact timecode and images that are in violation of the acceptable levels)

If you are a music video fan, here is what you need to know:

• Absolutely nothing. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy the pretty pictures and call a doctor if you start to feel funny.

If you are a manager or a publicist or a record executive, here is what you need to know:

• Applying the word "banned" and "MTV" is guaranteed news. So, the next time your video doesn't pass standards at MTV, don't just quietly re-edit. Leak out word that the video has been BANNED and watch the news and blog mentions roll in.

NEWS: Battles "Atlas" Plug Award Winner

And the video winner at the annual indie-fixated Plug: Independent Music Awards...

Battles "Atlas" (Warp) — directed by Timothy Saccenti

Enjoy it in Quicktime or via YouTube  below... Full list of winners over at the Plug site .

NEWS: MVPA Awards Deadline This Week

The submission deadline is looming for the 17th annual Music Video Production Awards Association Awards... This major industry event bestows awards for all technical categories — even including best hair and best colorist/telecine — and draws a veritable who's who of directors, producers and commissioners.

All entries must be in by this Thursday, March 6, by 6pm PT.

Details on how to enter are at oes.mvpaawards.com/howtoenter/ with category/fee breakdowns at oes.mvpaawards.com/categories/

NEWS: Free Counting Crows Raw Footage

Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz describes this pretty darn cool "make your own video" promotion much better than I could. And it's Friday. I'm tired.

Adam Duritz:  So this was the thinking: people like to make their own videos nowadays. All you have to do is look at YouTube and you know it's true. Sure, there are all the big expensive videos the bands make themselves, the ones MTV and VH1 play, but there are way way way more that people just make by themselves. There are millions of talented people out there and lots of them have cameras and computers so they make videos.

I was checking a bunch of them out one day and my mind was wandering and I suddenly had a thought. I was thinking about how cool it was when some bands put their 24 track recordings up for download so that anyone could do their own mixes of the songs.

Now before you even go down that road, let me tell you that none of you are getting within a million miles of remixing our songs so don't even trip on that. But...

....I remembered that our friend Ehud had been around the studio with a camera crew when we were recording Saturday Nights and he had been at my house in the Garden when were doing a lot of the demos for Sunday Mornings. Not only that but he had been out with the crew at around 18 shows last Summer as well. I mean, we were actually in the process of editing together videos ourselves of all the tracks on the record right then.

And that's when it occurred to me...what was the one thing no one had ever given their fans? What was the one thing all those people making their own videos and setting them to our songs had no access to?

Footage. It was so simple. Why hadn't anyone ever thought of it? Pure raw footage of the band. That's what all those people needed to really make cool videos. All they needed was footage...and we had a ton of it.

So welcome to the NEW Counting Crows Download Page.

Beginning today, you're going to get raw footage of the band recording and playing the songs live. So you can do whatever you want with it. Make a video by just editing together the stuff we give you. Make up your own plot, act it out your self or with your friends and then insert the band footage into just like we do when we make OUR videos. Or just check it out and see what Immy looked like on a single take of a song. It's up to you. It's yours now.

When you're done, whether you make it with your cellphone or with a professional camera, share it with us and everyone by uploading it to the Counting Crows Video YouTube Channel here:

Counting Crows MYOVideo

http://www.youtube.com/countingcrowsmyov
ACCOUNT NAME: countingcrowsmyov
PASSWORD: satsun1492

We're going to try and give you different stuff every week or two for a while or until we run out of things we're actually "allowed" to give you but it all starts right here with 4 different feeds of studio footage from "1492". Here's what you get:

1) Me
2) Immy tearing his guitar to shreds
3) Immy (he was pretty annoyingly everywhere on this song) pummeling his bass into pulp
4) Jim beating the living crap out of his drum kit.

So have fun. Enjoy. Let's see what you can do. Make us something cool and then give it to us so we can show it to EVERYONE.

And stay tuned for the announcement in the next few weeks of what you're getting next...because we GOT more so you're going to GET more.

Oh yeah, keep in mind that these are just single takes semi-synched to the finished song so they may not match exactly.

NEWS: RW Media Signs Michael Maxxis

Director Michael Maxxis has signed with RW Media for representation. Maxxis most recently directed the  Ours video(s) "Live Again/God Only Wants You."

NEWS: Innovative Signs DP Jon Fordham

DP Jon Fordham has signed with agency Innovative Artists, where he will be repped by Jeff Mahoney for all videos and commercials.

Fordham's video credits include:

• Cobra Starship "The City Is At War" —  directed by Whitey McConnaughy
• Thursday "Ladies and Gentlemen: My Brother, the Failure" — directed by Travis Kopach
• Buckcherry "Everything" — directed by Travis Kopach

NEWS: Bucks Boys Productions Launches

Producing partners Jonathan Becker and Joshua Greenberg have launched L.A.-based production company, Bucks Boys Productions. The first video produced through the company is the instantly notorious Kanye West "Flashing Lights."

Directors signed to Bucks Boys include:

• Ondi Timoner — director of the feature film Dig!
• Justin Janowitz
• Zeta Brown

Gina Corona is on-board as the company's  rep. Visit BucksBoys.com for more details.

NEWS: Davy Grolton Video Offshoots By Purple Cow

Foo Fighters have always been pretty darn savvy when it comes to music videos, so it's no surprise that they realize the new economics of the music video. Why just get a music video, when you can cleverly cut and set up different elements from the shoot into different promotional tools.

In an ideal world (for the Foos), "Long Road To Ruin" would have spun off an actual, yet goofy and tongue-in-cheek soap opera like the one parodied in the video. Instead, RCA had Purple Cow Post editor Brian Kushner isolate the band's performance as the "Davy Grolton Band" at a mall for use as a viral clip, in addition to several behind-the-scenes takes and parody spots for fictional Foo Gossip features that were featured on Entertainment Tonight and Pat O'Brien's show The Insider. --> watch the Davy Grolton mall performance of "Long Road To Ruin" and the "FF Exclusive" clips "A Night On The Town" (or via PurpleCowPost.com)

NEWS: Phil Griffin Goes To Rockhard & RFM

Director Phil Griffin has signed with Rockhard Films and will be repped by Robin Frank Management.

Griffin has been one of the top video directors out of the UK, largely working with such pop acts as Westlife, Dannii Minogue, Daniel Bedingfield and Girls Aloud.

Griffin is best know in the US, however, for his Amy Winehouse videos "Rehab" and "No Good." He was recently with Anonymous Content, which produced his "Good Friends And A Glass Of Wine" video for Leann Rimes.

NEWS: Grammy Music Video Winners

Although you wouldn't know it by the telecast, the Grammys actually bestow a whole lotta awards. The winners for the music video field are as follows:

Best Short Form Music Video
(For an individual track or single promotional clip. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer.)

• Johnny Cash "God's Gonna Cut You Down" - watch
  Tony Kaye, director; Rachel Curl, producer
  [American Records/Lost Highway Records]

Best Long Form Music Video
(For video album packages consisting of more than one song or track. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer of at least 51% of the total playing time.)

• Madonna — The Confessions Tour - info
  Jonas Akerlund, director
  Sara Martin & David May, producers
  [Warner Bros.]

NEWS: Lanette Phillips Repping Refused TV Roster

Production company Refused TV has announced that Lanette Phillips Management who will now be repping the roster.

Refused TV directors include:

• Aggressive (Bloc Party, Juanes, The Click 5, Killswitch Engage, Hoobastank)
• Popcore (Saosin, Kent, Underoath, Jon Butler Trio)
• Travis Kopach (Circa Survive, Thursday, Panic at the Disco, Straylight Run)
• Lex Halaby (Meg & Dia, Atmosphere, mewithoutYou, Hoobastank, Cobra Starship)
• Whitey McConnaughy (Cobra Starship, Band of Horses, The Thermals, The Gossip)
• Josh Graham (Underoath, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Saves the Day, Isis, Neurosis)
• Behn Fannin (The Melvins, Nurses)
• Scrambled Visual (Paramore, Shadows Fall, The Bled, Snoop Dogg)
• The Beta Movement (Crystal Castles, The Willowz, We Are The Fury)

Watch video samples at Refused.tv or videostatic.com's Refused TV category.

TURN ON YOUR TV: Sean Lennon "Friendly Fire" in HD

Director Michele Civetta's dreamlike music video suite for Sean Lennon's 2006 album Friendly Fire is getting the HD treatment all month on HDNet.

Previously available as a DVD add-on with the CD release, this is a pretty sweet opportunity to revisit one of the more ambitious and unusual music video efforts in recent years. And, it's damn star-studded with appearances by Hollywood gossip regulars Lyndsay Lohan, Bijou Phillips, Asia Argento, and Devon Aoki. 

Tune in this Sunday, January 20 @ 7pm ET or Monday, January 21 @ 5am ET.

And, be sure to check out the Video Static interview with director Michele Civetta about Friendly Fire.

NEWS: PromoNews and BUG In The UK

My kindred spirit David Knight over in the UK has climbed out from under the wreckage of discontinued UK video trade Promo with the creation of Web site PromoNews.tv. It's been up for a little while now, but seems to just be hitting its stride now.

As a typically short-sighted American, the  news of the world will always be slightly out of my reach. So, if you want to be fully informed of music video news over in the UK, I suggest you add it to your bookmarks. Just don't visit it more often than Video Static.

Also, if you're in London, I suggest you pop in on David Knight's BUG: The Evolution Of Music Video program at the BFI Southbank on January 31. Full details and links to previous videos featured in BUG at bugvideos.co.uk.

NEWS: NY Presentation On Musicals To Michael Jackson

Let's get ready to moonwalk...

NY Press Film Critic Armand White continues his series of music video lectures at NYC's Lincoln Center this Friday, January 18, with Pop Video Artists And The Hollywood Influence. The 90 minute presentation will trace the journey of choreography from film musicals to the early, epochal music videos of Michael Jackson and his sister, Janet Jackson.

Tickets are $11 each and the event is co-presented by the Dance On Camera Festival and Scanners: The New York Video Festival. Full details at filmlinc.com.

NEWS: DNA Signs Lil X

Director Lil X has signed with DNA for all music video and commercial work. He will be repped by Inga Veronique of Sugar Management, in addition to DNA's in-house team of executive producer Missy Galanida and rep Isaac Rice.

X's latest and/or greatest includes...

• R. Kelly & Usher "Same Girl"
• Korn "Coming Undone"
• Kanye West "Workout Plan"
• Usher "Yeah"
• Sean Paul "Gimme The Light"

NEWS: Picture Vision Signs Speer & Lazzaro For Country

Nashville production company Picture Vision is welcoming a couple "I'm From Hollywood" directors for representation in the country market.

Scott Speer — Signed with HSI for mainstream work. Credits include:

• Paris Hilton "Nothing In this World"
• Switchfoot "Stars"
• Brandi Carlile "The Story"

Brian Lazzaro — Credits include:

• Rilo Kiley "Portions For Foxes"
• Rooney "I Should've Been After You"

NEWS: IMF Going Off The Air

Universal Music Group's video channel IMF: International Music Feed has been acquired by the arts and creativity network Ovation TV. A press release today makes it official; Further details are at this Multichannel News article.

Not good news for music video fans, since it spells the end of a vibrant 24/7 video channel dedicated to artists from all around the world.

Details:

• IMF has essentially ceased its programming operations as a standalone entity. Programming VP Dennis Boerner is no longer with the company and exploring other opportunities. His contact info will be in the free, weekly email newsletter.
• January 9 is the end of the broadcast run: Ovation TV will take over IMF's channel 157 position on Dish Network channel.
• IMF will cease programming on all other distributors — like Verizon FiOS, Joost and various mobile carriers — at the end of this quarter. Certain elements will continue to be seen on Ovation TV
• Bottom Line: Ovation TV gets a new channel slot that expands their reach by 60% to 25 million households. Universal gets an equity position in Ovation TV (and who knows what other compensation, since full terms weren't disclosed).
• Bottomer Line: There's one less place on TV to see music videos.

Top Ten Videos of 2007

Welcome to the end of the year. Video Static will be taking a much needed holiday break through January 2.

2007 was an amazing year for us and 2008 is shaping up to be even better. Big huge gigantic enormous massive THANK YOUS to everybody who has helped this site with advertising and/or information. We rely on both to keep in business and we are eternally grateful for the support. Don't be shy if you wanna get on baord.

We leave you with a Top Ten Video List of 2007... Instead of true number rankings, I've grouped them thematically and included short, somewhat relevant and/or cleverish rationales.

Top Ten Videos of 2007:

1. Snoop Dogg "Sensual Seduction" — Melina, director
   — This took some serious balls. Snoop unleashed a perfect, silly and totally unexpected homage to '80s r&b funk videos.
2. Alanis Morissette "My Humps" — no director credited
   — This took some serious humps.
3. Serj Tankian "Empty Walls"  — Tony Petrossian, director
   — Humorous and harrowing. War ain't child's play.
4. Chamillionaire "Hip Hop Police" — Marc Klasfeld, director
   — Chamillionaire as the new Eddie Murphy?
5. Justice "D.A.N.C.E." — Jonas & Francois, directors
   — Much better than most Gap ads.
6. Feist "1,2,3,4" — Patrick Daughters, director
   — Also much better than most Gap ads. And, a damn fine iPod nano ad. And way better than most videos.
7. Spoon "The Underdog" — Keven McAlester, director
   — Indie rock's greatest tracking shot and best band.
8. Grizzly Bear "Knife" — Encyclopedia Pictura, directors
   — Weirder and more elaborate and more ambitious than almost anything else this year.
9. Animal Collective "Peacebone" — Timothy Saccenti, director
   — Aliens are our friends.
10. Modest Mouse "Dashboard" — Motion Theory, directors
    — Life is a fishing metaphor. Unless you're Tom Cochrane, in which case it's a highway and you want to ride it all night long.

Happy Holidays. See you in 2008.

NEWS: MTV2 Subterranean Top 20 Videos

MTV2's indie rock show Subterranean is celebrating the top 20 videos of the year as voted by viewers and fans. Tune into the December 17 episode of Subterranean to see the top 10, or visit mtv.com to see 'em all. Number one honors went to Pinback "From Nothing To Nowhere" directed by Joshua Nichols. Nice.

MTV2 Subterranean Best of 2007:

1. Pinback "From Nothing to Nowhere"
2. Ted Leo "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb"
3. Interpol "No I In Threesome"
4. Queens of the Stone Age "Sick Sick Sick"
5. Albert Hammond Jr. "101"
6. 1990s "See You At the Lights"
7. M.I.A. "Boyz"
8. P.O.S. "Bleeding Hearts Club"
9. Battles "Atlas"
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Down Boy"
11. Cavil at Rest "Who's There"
12. Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova "Falling Slowly"
13. The National "Apartment Story"
14. Aesop Rock "None Shall Pass"
15. Minus the Bear "Knights"
16. The Shins "Australia"
17. Interpol "The Heinrich Maneuver"
18. Apples In Stereo "Energy"
19. Chin Up Chin Up "This Harness Can't Ride Anything"
20. Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye"

Visit mtv.com to watch some/all/none in whatever order you like. Nice, right?

NEWS: Radar Festival Videos Online For Voting

The Radar Festival is one of the better music video contests out there for two main reasons: 1) Aspiring directors are able to use pre-selected tracks from name-brand artists like Maximo Park, Kylie Minogue, Maps, Sondre Lorche and The Good The Bad And The Queen; and 2) The prizes actually give the winners get real experience at production companies and record labels.

A shortlist of finalists are up at dazeddigital.com/projects/radar/, where you can watch and rate each video through January 11. The results will then be tabulated and winners will be announced at an award ceremony on January 12 as part of the London Short Film Festival at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (tix are available).

Seventeen winners will get commissions of about $2,000 to create videos for the participating labels. Production companies Black Dog, Draw Pictures and TBC will each pick a winner for "mentoring," while Qoob.tv will dole out about $2k to the best student entry.

Watch and rate all the videos at dazeddigital.com/projects/radar/.

DVD: Scissor Sisters "Hurrah: A Year Of Ta-Dah"

Scissor Sisters cap off another year of massive international success — ie: not so much here in their homeland, the USA— with the DVD release of Hurrah: A Year Of Ta-Dah. The set includes a full concert shot at London's O2 arena, four music videos — including the stellar "She's My Man" and "Land Of A Thousand Words" — an acoustic performance, various shorts and a one hour documentary that was directed by Ben Hoffman, produced by Aimee Phillips and edited by Rival Editorial's Steve MacCorkle. Trailers and clips are available at ScissorSisters.com or via YouTube here or here.

It's on sale at Amazon.com for $19.98.

NEWS: Grammy Music Video Nominations

Grammy nominations were released this morning, with the following music video nods...

Best Short Form Music Video
For an individual track or single promotional clip. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer.

• Johnny Cash "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (American/Lost Highway)
    -  Tony Kaye, director; Rachel Curl, producer
• Feist "1234" (Cherrytree/Interscope)
    -  Patrick Daughters, director; Geoff McLean, producer
• Gnarls Barkley "Gone Daddy Gone" (Downtown/Atlantic)
    -  Chris Milk, director; Barbara Benson, producer
• Justice "D.A.N.C.E." (Downtown/Vice/Ed Banger/Because)
    -  Jonas & Francois & So-Me,  directors/producers
• Mute Math "Typical" (Warner Bros./Reprise/Maverick/Sire)
    -  Israel Anthem, director; Brandon Arolfo, producer

Best Long Form Music Video
For video album packages consisting of more than one song or track. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer of at least 51% of the total playing time.

• Dierks Bentley "Live & Loud At The Fillmore" (Capitol Nashville)
  -  Russell Thomas, director; James Whetherly, producer
• R. Kelly "Trapped In The Closet Chapters 13-22" (Jive/Zomba)
  -  R. Kelly, Victor Mignatti & Jim Swaffield, directors; Ann Carli, producer
• Madonna "The Confessions Tour" (Warner Bros.)
  -  Jonas Akerlund, director; Sara Martin & David May, producers
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Various Artists "10 Days Out - Blues From The Backroads" (Reprise)
  -  Noble Jones, director; Kenny Wayne Shepherd, producer
• Various Artists "Liberacion - The Songs Of The New Cuban Underground" (Petrol/EMI)
  -  Reuben Fields, director; Dean Bates, producer

A full-list can be found at Grammy.com...

NEWS: Fuse Presents Videos That Rocked The World

There are music videos and then there are music videos that rock the world. Fuse will be breaking down the stories of ten such videos in the aptly named miniseries Videos That Rocked The World. Each episode will tackle one video, exploring the actual production and its impact. The fun kicks off Monday, November 26, but hardcore video junkies who will surely be lamenting the lack of daily VideoStatic updates while we take short Thanksgiving break these next couple days can visit fuse.tv's Videos That Rock section for sneak peaks and exclusive content.

And, be sure to set your DVR's as follows...

Pre-Game: Saturday, November 24 @ 2pm

• #1 Countdown: 25 Greatest Videos

Week 1: Fuse Videos That Rocked The World week of November 26 – 30 @ 10pm

• Monday: Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
• Tuesday: Madonna "Like A Prayer"
• Wednesday: Run-DMC "Walk This Way"
• Thursday:  OK Go "Here It Goes Again"
• Friday: Guns N' Roses "Welcome To The Jungle"

Week 2: Fuse Videos That Rocked The World week of December 3 – 7 @ 10pm

• Monday: Van Halen "Hot For Teacher"
• Tuesday: Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time"
• Wednesday: Public Enemy "Fight The Power"
• Thursday: Alanis Morissette "You Oughta Know"
• Friday: Beastie Boys "Fight For Your Right"

PS: Those bemoaning the absence of any Michel Gondry and/or Spike Jonze videos on that list, should check out the "Video Directors That Rocked Your World" clip in the fuse.tv Videos That Rocked The World Player in which bands hype their favorite directors and those two auteurs get their fair props.

PPS: Can somebody explain how Samwell "What What (In The Butt)" was omitted? Come on!

NEWS: 2008 Plug Music Video Nominees

Nominees have been announced for the 2008 PLUG Awards, which celebrates the best from the independent music community. Nominees were picked by the PLUG Cartel — a wide collection of industry professionals and tastemakers like Video Static (hey!) — but the ultimate winners will be chosen via online voting at plugawards.com, so if you're passionate: Vote early, vote often.

Nominees for Best Video are...

• Aesop Rock "None Shall Pass" (Definitive Jux)
  — Ordinary Kids, directors
  
• Bat For Lashes "What's A Girl To Do?" (Caroline)
  — Dougal Wilson, director
  
• Battles "Atlas" (Warp)
  — Timothy Saccenti, director
  
• Emily Haines And The Soft Skeleton "Our Hell" (Last Gang Records)
  — Jaron Albertin, director
  
• Escort "All Through The Night" (Escort Records)
  — Irvin Coffee, director
  
• José González "Down The Line" (Mute)
  — Andreas Nilsson, director
  
• Justice "D.A.N.C.E." (Downtown / Vice / Ed Banger)
  — Justin & Francois, directors
  
• Liars "Plaster Casts Of Everything" (Mute)
  — Patrick Daughters, director 
• Maximo Park "Our Velocity" (Warp)
  — Nima Nourizadeh, director
  
• Menomena "Rotten Hell" (Barsuk)
  — War & Julius, directors
  
• St. Vincent "Jesus Saves, I Spend" (Beggars Banquet)
  — Andy Bruntel & Bucky Fukumoto, directors
  
• The Shins "Phantom Limb" (Sub Pop)
  — Patrick Daughters, director

NEWS: Heidi Gregory Repping Ghost Robot Roster

Heidi Gregory is now independently representing the Ghost Robot directing roster. Here is a rundown of Ghost Robot's directors and recent videos...

• Encyclopedia Pictura - Grizzly Bear "Knife" 
• Joey Garfield - RJD2 "Work It Out"
• Elliot Jokelson - Holy Hail "Born Of A Star"
• Keven McAlester - Spoon "The Underdog"
• Adam Neustadter - Fountains Of Wayne "Someone To Love"
• Tommy Pallotta - Zero 7 "Destiny"

NEWS: Josh & Xander Join Streetgang

Streetgang Films announced the signing of directors Josh & Xander for international music video production.  They will be repped by Lanette Phillips Mgmt in the US and Alexa Haywood @ Free Agent UK in England.   

Josh & Xander's music video credits include:

• Cat Power "Where Is My Love?"
• The Postal Service "Such Great Heights"
• System Of A Down "Lonely Day"
• The Stills "Still In Love"
• Death Cab for Cutie "A Movie Script Ending"

Hi-res samples of all these videos are at StreetgangFilms.com...

NEWS: Lanette Phillips Repping Jesse Dylan

Lanette Phillips Management is now representing director Jesse Dylan for music videos. Dylan's credits include:

• Nelly Furtado "In God's Hands"
• Lenny Kravitz "Mama Said"
• Lenny Kravitz "It Ain't Over Til It's Over"
• Tom Waits "God's Away On Business"
• Elvis Costello & The Imposters "Monkey To Man"

Jesse Dylan remains signed with production company Form.

NEWS: RW Media Announces New Signings

Music video director representation company RW Media has announced a trio of new signings for the US:

• Christian Lamb of Frank The Plumber - A director/set designer/video designer who directed the video content seen during Madonna's 2006 Confessions tour. Other credits include directing the forthcoming Incubus live DVD set Look Alive and a recent Counting Crows concert performance of their debut album August And Everything After at NYC's Town Hall for a future DVD release.
• Stuart Gosling of Panda Productions - A DP and director. Directing credits include Vanessa Amorosi "Kiss Your Mama" and Tom Jones "Black Betty." He was also the DP on Good Charlotte "Dance Floor Anthem."
• Kalle Haglund of Hof - Director of the new Hives video "Tick Tick Boom" as well as the band's "Main Offender" and "Walk Idiot Walk." Other video credits include Kaiser Chiefs "I Predict A Riot" and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion "Burn It Off." Haglund is with Colonel Blimp for the UK.

REMINDER: CMJ Video Panel

If you're in NYC and registered for CMJ, please come by the music video panel tomorrow, Tuesday October 15 at NYU's Frederick Loewe Theater (map). Things kick off at 2:15.

Here are the full details. Hope to see you there.

MUSIC VIDEOS: BACK IN EFFECT
The proliferation of on-demand services and sites such as YouTube have induced a major music video come-back. This panel includes video directors, artists and video industry professionals.

MODERATOR:
Steven J Gottlieb, Video Static

PANELISTS:
Courtney Smith — MTV/MTV2/mtvU/MTV.com, Manager of Label Relations
Damon Williams — Music Choice, Vice President of Programming
Hannes Hayha    —  lyricist/bassist/animator for the band Lodger
Michele Flannery — YouTube, Music Manager
Travis Kopach — Refused TV/Dignity & Shame, music video director

DATE/TIME:
Tuesday, October 16 @ 2:15 – 3:15pm

WHERE:
Frederick Loewe Theater: Room 300 (map)
35 W. 4th St
New York, NY 10012

REFRESHMENTS:
Sorry. Bring your own.

NEWS: MTVU Woodies Performers Announced

MTV's 24-hour college network mtvU announced the notorious Amy Winehouse as the headliner for the fourth annual mtvU Woodie Awards. The Academy Is... and Spank Rock are also set to perform at the ceremonies, to be held November 8 at Roseland Ballroom in NYC. The show will premiere simultaneously on mtvU and mtvU.com November 15th at 8pm ET.

The Woodies is the only award show to honor the music voted best by the college audience. See a full list of nominees here.

NEWS: RFM Signs Director Bernard Gourley

Robin Frank Management is now representing director Bernard Gourley of Immigrant Film. Credits include:

• 50 Cent f/ Robin Thicke "Follow My Lead"
  
• Talib Kweli "Hot Thing"
• Hurricane Chris "A Bay Bay"
• Lil' Flip feat. Lyfe jennings "Ghetto Mindstate"
• DJ Khaled f/ Consequence, Kanye West & John Legend "Grammy Family"
• E-40 "Tell Me When To Go"

NEWS: Yell Prod Signs Jeff Richter and Jeremy Rall

Yvette Lang-Einczig of Yell Productions has announced that she is now repping Jeff Richter of Earthquake Edit and Jeremy Rall of Anonymous. Richter is well known as an editor and will be focusing on live concert productions through Yell Productions — he was a director/producer/editor on the Dave Matthews Band: The Gorge DVD. Director Jeremy Rall's credits include videos for Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli and Federation.

NEWS: Vh1 Hip Hop Honors

The Vh1 Hip Hop Honors debut tonight, Monday October 8, at 10pm EDT. Honorees for this fourth annual celebration of classic rap are:

• A Tribe Called Quest
• Missy Elliot
• New Jack Swing — Not an artist, but a hip-hop subgenre that was essentially a rap/r&b hybrid engineered by producer Teddy Riley and associated with former Uptown Records executive Andre Harrell.
• Snoop Dogg
• Whodini
• Wild Style — The 1983 feature film celebration of hip-hop and graffitti artists.

Visit hiphop.vh1.com for profiles and videographies of all the honorees, plus lots more content...

NEWS: Music Video Panel at CMJ Moderated By Video Static

Mark your calendars. Video Static will be moderating a Music Video panel discussion at this year's CMJ Music Marathon in NYC. The topic? Basically, it'll be about the state of the business/art in light of the on-demand/online revolution.

Pre-registration for CMJ Music Marathon is still open. Full details at cmj.com. Your badge will get you admission (on a first-come, first-served basis) to all the panels and performances. Acts confirmed for CMJ include Spoon, M.I.A., Justice, Band Of Horses and hundreds more.

Here are the full details. Hope to see you there.

MUSIC VIDEOS: BACK IN EFFECT
The proliferation of on-demand services and sites such as YouTube have induced a major music video come-back. This panel includes video directors, artists and video industry professionals.

MODERATOR:
Steven J Gottlieb, Video Static

PANELISTS:
Courtney Smith — MTV/MTV2/mtvU/MTV.com, Manager of Label Relations
Damon Williams — Music Choice, Vice President of Programming
Hannes Hayha    —  lyricist/bassist/animator for the band Lodger
Michele Flannery — YouTube, Music Manager
Travis Kopach — Refused TV/Dignity & Shame, music video director

DATE/TIME:
Tuesday, October 16 @ 2:15 – 3:15pm

WHERE:
Frederick Loewe Theater: Room 300 (map)
35 W. 4th St
New York, NY 10012

REFRESHMENTS:
Sorry. Bring your own.

NEWS: Terrero Films Signs Steven Oritt

Terrero Films has announced the signing of director Steven Oritt. He is being repped by Laure Scott.

Oritt directed the recently released DVD A Year and A Night G Love and Special Sauce, which chronicles exactly that. He has also directed music videos for Sugarcult, Pete Yorn, Lostprophets and The Starting Line.

NEWS: Lanette Phillips Mgmt. Repping Bryan Barber

Lanette Phillips is now representing director Bryan Barber. In addition to directing the Outkast feature film Idlewild, Barber's credits include the following videos:

• OutKast "Hey Ya"
• OutKast "The Way You Move"
• Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man"
• UGK "International Player's Anthem"
• The Game f/ Kanye West "Wouldn't Get Far"

Bryan Barber remains signed with Believe Media...

NEWS: Lanette Phillips Mgmt. Now Repping Josh Forbes

Director Josh Forbes of Winch & Pulley is now being represented by Lanette Phillips. If you haven't seen his recent work, now's the time to get on-board:

• Great Northern "Home" — A wild and hallucinatory After Effects journey into the occult and pharmacology with animation by Matt Smithson aka Man vs. Magnet aka creator of the classic Battle Of The Bands short.
• Sea Wolf "You're A Wolf" — A steady and smooth performance video with Sea Wolf's Alex Brown Church and a backing band that's basically a who's who of the Silverlake indie rock scene.
• Submarines "Peace And Hate" — An underwater aventure/love story.

IN MEMORIAM: Mark Weinstein

It was a tremendous shock to hear that Mark Weinstein passed away this week and it is with sadness that I relay that news.

Anybody with any connection to the music video programming or promotion world probably knew Mark Weinstein. He had been involved with music videos for about as long as MTV. As one of the first freelance music video promoters —€” hence the name of his company, Rock 'n' Roll Freelance (aka R 'N R, for short) —  Weinstein quickly became associated with rap music in the early days of the genre, promoting and working with such groups as De La Soul, Kid 'N Play, 3rd Bass, Slick Rick and many others in their prime. Weinstein remained passionate about music video promotion — he actually emailed me on Monday about some new video priorities he had — even as he branched out into executive producing and commissioning videos. Prior to all that, he founded and wrote the Production Preview column for the now defunct music video trade magazine CVC Report — the same column that I began to write over ten years later and eventually lead me to where I am now.

Mark would often refer to certain associates as "music people." That was probably the highest compliment  you could get from him. A music person is somebody in this business for the right reasons. Somebody who lives and breathes and thrives upon the discovery of new music. Somebody who then takes that spark and shares it with as many as people as possible.

Mark was a music person to the core. He will be missed.

A group of associates and friends are hosting a celebration of Mark's life next week in NYC. They are also soliciting for any photographs and memories about Mark which you would like to share. If you are interested in either, please email: markweinsteinmemorial@gmail.com.

NEWS: mtvU Woodies Nominees And Details

Looking for the inverse of MTV's VMAs? Well, look no further than MTV — well, mtvU to be exact.
MTV's college network celebrates its commitment to indie rock and emerging acts with the fourth annual mtvU Woodie Awards — scheduled for November 8 at Roseland Ballroom in NYC. The show will premier November 15 at 8pm ET simultaneously on mtvU and mtvU.com, with a rebroadcast on MTV2 November 18 at 12:30am ET.

The Shins lead all nominees Nominees with three nods, while Modest Mouse, Gym Class Heroes, Lily Allen, Justice, Linkin Park and The Academy Is... are each up for two apiece. Winners will be decided via online voting that runs through November 2 at mtvu.com.

Check out the full list of categories and nominees after the jump. As always, you should vote early and often.

Categories and nominees for the 2007 "mtvU Woodie Awards"are:

Woodie of the Year – (Artist of the Year)
The artists who made the biggest splash on mtvU and the college music scene this past year.

• Amy Winehouse (Universal Republic)
• Common (Geffen)
• Gym Class Heroes (Atlantic/Fueled by Ramen)
• Lily Allen (Capitol)
• The Shins (Sub Pop)

The Breaking Woodie – (Best Emerging Artist)
mtvU is where new developing artists are test driven for the first time by the toughest critics around: college students.  One of this year’s newest artists will win the coveted “Breaking Woodie.”

• Boys Like Girls (Columbia)
• Peter Bjorn & John (Columbia)
• Rich Boy (Interscope)
• Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird)
• Tokyo Police Club (Paper Bag)

Left Field Woodie – (Most Original Artist)
They’re genre-busters. They resist classification.  They came out of left field, and we’re still not sure what section of the record store to find them in.   

• CSS (Sub Pop)
• Klaxons (Geffen)
• Madvillain (Stones Throw)
• Rodrigo y Gabriela (ATO)
• The Knife (Mute)

Best Video Woodie  – (Best Video of the Year)
The music video that is so incredible, we’d watch it even without the music.

• Justice "D.A.N.C.E." (Downtown/Vice)
• Motion City Soundtrack "Broken Heart" (Epitaph)
• RJD2 "Work It Out" (XL)
• Say Anything "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" (J)
• TV on the Radio "Province" (Interscope)

The Good Woodie – (Greatest Social Impact)
The award for the artists whose commitment to a social cause has effected the greatest change this year. 

• Alicia Keys "Keep a Child Alive"; promoting care for HIV/AIDS-infected children in Africa (J)
• Guster "Reverb"; "greened" more than 600 concerts in the last three years (Warner Bros. Records)
• Linkin Park  "Music for Relief"; aids victims of world catastrophes and combats global warming (Warner Bros.)
• Red Jumpsuit Apparatus;  mental health awareness efforts (Capitol)
• Thom Yorke – "Friends of the Earth"; fighting for legislation to prevent global warming (Beggars Group)

Performing Woodie – (Best Tour)
For those artists who take to the road and never let up, always giving that memorable live performance.

• Daft Punk (Capitol)
• Lil’ Wayne (Cash Money/Universal Motown)
• Muse (Warner Bros.)
• The Academy Is… (Atlanti/Fueled by Ramen)
• The Rapture (Universal Motown)

Alumni Woodie – (a.k.a. The You’re Still OK in our Book Award)
For the artists who’ve graduated into the wide world of mega-stardom, but who haven’t forgotten where they came from.  And we’re proud to say, “We knew them when…”

• Bright Eyes (Saddle Creek)
• Modest Mouse (Epic)
• Spoon (Merge)
• Talib Kweli (Warner Bros.)
• The Shins (Sub Pop)

Viral Woodie – (Most Downloaded, Streamed, Blogged, etc.)
A category for those acts that crashed servers and blew up the World Wide Interwebs all year long.  For the next four weeks, these artists will go toe-to-toe on mtvU.com, with college students propelling their favorites into the finals. The four artists left standing will battle it out for the (not contagious) “Viral Woodie.”

WEEK 1

• Akon "Don't Matter" (Universal Motown)
• Gym Class Heroes "Shoot Down the Stars" (Atlantic Records/Fueled by Ramen)
• Lily Allen "Smile" (Capitol Records)
• Linkin Park "What I've Done" (Warner Bros. Records)
• The Shins "Phantom Limb" (Sub Pop Records)

WEEK 2

• The Academy Is… "We've Got a Big Mess On Our Hands" (Atlantic Records/Fueled by Ramen)
• M.I.A. "Boyz" (Interscope)
• Modest Mouse "Dashboard" (Epic)
• The Decemberists "O Valencia! (contest version)" (Capitol)
• T-Pain featuring Yung Joc "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')" (Jive)

WEEK 3

• Arcade Fire "Neon Bible" (Merge)
• DJ Khaled, "We Takin’ Over"(Koch)
• Fall Out Boy "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" (Atlantic/Fueled by Ramen)
• Paramore "Misery Business" (Atlantic/Fueled by Ramen)
• Shiny Toy Guns "You Are the One" (Universal Motown)

WEEK 4

• Cold War Kids "Hang Me Up to Dry" (Downtown)
• Justice "D.A.N.C.E." (Downtown/Vice)
• Meg & Dia "Monster" (Warner Bros./Doghouse)
• My Chemical Romance "Welcome to the Black Parade" (Warner Bros.)
• T.I. "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)' (Atlantic)

NEWS: BET Hip Hop Awards Nominees

The nominees are out for the 2007 BET Hip Hop Awards. This celebration of  "urban music artists at the top of their game" will take place October 17 in Atlanta with a debut broadcast scheduled for October 17 at 8pm ET/PT. Comedian Katt Williams will host and performers include Nelly, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Common.

T.I. leads all Hip Hop Awards nominees with nine nods, while Lil Wayne is up for seven awards and Kanye West for six Hip Hoppies. The other multiple nominees are Common, Jay-Z, Ludacris, 50 Cent, Diddy and UGK.  Also, KRS-One will (deservedly) receive the  "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Award.

Nominees for Video Director of the Year are:

• Bryan Barber
• Benny Boom
• F. Gary Gray
• Chris Robinson
• Hype Williams

Nominees for Best Hip-Hop video are:

• 50 Cent "I Get Money"
• Chamillioinaire f/ Slick Rick "Hip Hop Police" (directed by Marc Klasfeld)
• Common"The People" (directed by Neon)
• Ludacris f/ Mary J. Blige  "Runaway Love" (directed by Jesse Terrero)
  
• UGK f/ Outkast "International Players Anthem" (directed by Bryan Barber)
• Kanye West "Stronger" (directed by Hype Williams)

Stay with us through the jump for a full nominee list...

Nominees for the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards

BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO

• 50 Cent "I Get Money"
• Chamillioinaire f/ Slick Rick "Hip Hop Police"
• Common "The People"
• Ludacris f/ Mary J. Blige "Runaway Love"
• UGK f/ Outkast "International Players Anthem"
• Kanye West "Stronger"

BEST COLLABO

• Birdman & Lil' Wayne "Stuntin' Like My Daddy"
• Diddy f/ Keyshia Cole "Last Night"
• DJ Khaled f/ Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, and Lil' Wayne "We Takin' Over"
• Fabolous f/ Ne-Yo "Make Me Better"
• UGK f/ Outkast "International Players Anthem"

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE

• Common
• Lil' Wayne
• T.I.
• Ludacris
• Kanye West

BEST MOVIE

• Gridiron Gang
• Idlewild
• Shottas
• Smokin' Aces
• Stomp the Yard

BEST DANCE

• 2 Step
• Aunt Jackie
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Crank Dat Soulja Boy
• Pop, Lock, & Drop It

LYRICIST OF THE YEAR

• Common
• Lil' Wayne
• Jay-Z
• T.I.
• Kanye West

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

• Bryan Barber
• Benny Boom
• F. Gary Gray
• Chris Robinson
• Hype Williams

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

• Mannie Fresh
• Polow Da Don
• Swizz Beatz
• Timbaland
• Kanye West

MVP

• Common
• Lil' Wayne
• Jay-Z
• T.I.
• Kanye West

TRACK OF THE YEAR

• A Bay Bay by Hurricane Chris  (produced by Phunk Dawg)
• Big Things Poppin' (Do It) by T.I. (produced by Mannie Fresh)
• Can't Tell Me Nothing by Kanye West (produced by Kanye West and DJ Toomp)
• I Get Money by 50 Cent (produced by Apex)
• Party Like A Rockstar by Shop Boyz (produced by Pit)

CD OF THE YEAR

• Common Finding Forever
• Jay-Z  Kingdom Come
• Ludacris Release Therapy
• Nas  Hip Hop Is Dead
• T.I.  T.I. vs. T.I.P.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

• Hurricane Chris
• Lil Boosie
• MIMS
• Plies
• Rich Boy

DJ OF THE YEAR

• DJ Drama
• DJ Enuff
• DJ Irie
• DJ Khaled
• Tony Neal

HUSTLER OF THE YEAR

• 50 Cent
• Diddy
• Lil' Wayne
• T.I.
• Jay-Z

BEST UK HIP HOP ACT

• Dizzie Rascal
• JME
• Kano
• Klashnekoff
• Lethal B
• Wiley

BEST RINGTONE

• Crime Mob f/ Lil Scrappy "Rock Yo Hips"
• Hurricane Chris "A Bay Bay"
• MIMS  "This Is Why I'm Hot"
• Rich Boy f/ Polow Da Don "Throw Some Ds"
• T.I. "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)"

THE ALLTEL PEOPLE'S CHAMP (VIEWER'S CHOICE)

• Birdman & Lil' Wayne "Stuntin' Like My Daddy"
• DJ Khaled f/ Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe and Lil' Wayne "We Takin' Over"
• Lil Boosie f/ Foxx and Webbie "Wipe Me Down"
• MIMS "This Is Why I'm Hot"

NEWS: Koch Announces Raging Nation Imprint

When we said director Dale "Rage" Resteghini was "driven and determined," it may have been an understatement. Koch Records has announced the formation of Resteghini's own imprint, Raging Nation Records. The first release through the Raging Nation/Koch aegis will be for Knoxville, TN metal band Straight Line Stitch.

Koch senior VP of marketing John Franck says in the press release, "In addition to bringing new acts to the table, Raging Nation will serve as a creative hub under which we'll funnel any and all visuals pertaining to the music acts that Dale helps bring in -- Straight Line Stitch is the perfect band to get it started with. Raging Nation will be responsible for the creation/execution of all visual aspects of the SLS project including photo shoots, videos, exclusive mobile/digital content, TV commercials, web design etc."

NEWS: DNA Signs Director Toben Seymour

Production company DNA has announced the signing of director Toben Seymour to its roster. The director's video directing credits include:

• Willowz "Jubilee"
• Maps "You Don't Know Her Name"
• Pony Up "The Truth About Cats & Dogs"

PS: Seymour's best know clip is probably the above-mentioned Willowz "Jubilee" video, which predated the similar "light animated "ad directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris for Sprint. That said, it's an old, albeit very cool trick. Lovers of the genre can also go back to 2006 and check out the Japanese short  Pikapika: The Lightning Doodle Project. Or, better yet, make your own.

NEWS: MTV VMA Ratings Recap

The ratings for the 2007 MTV VMAs were up 23% from last year and were the "highest rated telecast on ad-supported cable year-to-date among P12-34." (translation: Ratings blew away anything else on basic cable this year except for that damn High School Musical 2, which debuted August 2 of this year and was the highest rated basic cable telecast of all time. HSM2 also scored records in the kid demo of ages 6-to-11 and those damn tweens aged 9-to-14. [source])

More importantly, I think, MTV.com set records for itself in terms of unique visitors and streams. The site garnered  2.6 million unique visitors to the site on Awards day — up 40% from last year — and overall traffic was 32% higher than their previous best day ever. As of 3:30 pm Monday, MTV.com had delivered six million streams of VMA related content. Less than one million of that number of streams occur ed on Awards night, so don't be surprised to watch that number keep growing at an impressive clip as people realize just how much content from the Awards show was not on the telecast.

All numbers and factual sorta stuff is from today's MTV Telecast Press Release.

Also, Britney Spears' live performance is still considered horrendous by all sentient human beings.

NEWS: MTV VMA Recap And Winners

The MTV Video Music Awards are dead, long live the MTV Video Music Awards.

The 2007 edition of the show — which generated way more pre-press and pontification than any I can remember in recent years — is the culmination of a deconstructive process that has been ongoing since the original 1984 installment. Besides the new award categories, the new venue and every other tweak, the show was noteworthy — if not revolutionary — for being a large-scale introduction to the concept of a "choose your own" event. The TV version you saw was just a sampler and the fact that it was a one time only broadcast is irrelevant:  There was no definitive show and it certainly wasn't designed to be a fixed TV event. It was designed to compel viewers to fire up their laptops and check out whatever turned them on — leading to tons of content available on-demand at mtv.com from the numerous concurrent performances that were barely hinted at on-air.

If it was drama they were after, then MTV certainly got that. And it's kind of fitting that those moments — Kid Rock vs. Tommy Lee in the battle for Pamela or Kanye's latest demand for more respect and airtime no matter how much he's already been granted — happened largely off-camera. The show ain't about the show no more and maybe MTV is no longer about giving you the One Thing that everyone must consume, but rather giving everything and then letting the viewer — if we can call this participant/controller a mere "viewer" —  sort it all out. It certainly matches the fragmented, Internet-fueled zeitgeist of the moment. In that spirit — or more likely, due to my scattered, hungover brain after a long evening — I offer two lame puns to end this hungover recap of last night. Choose the one that floats your boat. 1) What happened in Vegas probably won't stay in Vegas, and/or, 2) VMAs 2.0 were a huge gamble (get it?) that may seem puzzling now, but could turn out to be as influential as version 1.0.

So, without further ado, here's the award winners and a recap from Video Static contributor Kevin Holy who dutifully watched the show and was kind enough to report on what he saw and what he thought.

2007 MTV VMA Winners:

• Video of the Year: Rihanna f/ Jay-Z "Umbrella"
• Male Artist of the Year: Justin Timberlake
• Female Artist of the Year: Fergie
• Best New Artist: Gym Class Heroes
• Best Group: Fall Out Boy
• Best Collaboration: Beyonce and Shakira "Beautiful Liar"
• Quadruple Threat: Justin Timberlake
• Monster Single of the Year: Rihanna f/ Jay-Z "Umbrella"
• Best Direction: Samuel Bayer for Justin Timberlake: "What Goes Around ..."
• Best Editing: Ken Mowe for Gnarls Barkley "Smiley Faces"
• Best Choreography in a Video: Marty Kudelka for Justin Timberlake "My Love"

Kevin Holy's take:

When MTV's Video Music Awards rolled out its first low-rent red carpet in 1984, it was a makeshift bandwagon for the cutting edge, often threatening to fly the planet off as it collided musical acts far and wide on a single stage. It was an often-brilliant formula that worked for almost two decades, but the sheen has faded in recent years as MTV struggles to remain relevant in the face of a collapsing music industry and a new cultural revolution found in Blackberries and iPods.

With the 2007 Video Music Awards MTV has reinvigorated its flagship program, and possibly saved its own reputation as arbiter of youth culture, by throwing one of the livest parties in awards show history. Set inside the roaming hallways, luxury suites, clubs, and the Pearl theater of Las Vegas' Palms Resort Casino, the ghosts of artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna resonated not just literally - in Chris Brown's performance of "Billie Jean," for instance - but figuratively as the past, present and future of MTV collided in a pop culture supernova that seemed to vibrate the entire hotel.

The show got off to an OMGWTFLOL start as Britney Spears awarded viewers the laziest performance in VMA history, slinking around on stage half-miming her comeback single "Gimme More," a performance which shut down PerezHilton.com for more than an hour last night.

The parties didn't stop as the performances and awards scrolled by without getting hyperactive or becoming a parody. There were challenges to MTV to play more videos - both by Justin Timberlake, numerous awkward moments that live shows thrive on, and countless moments of mind-blowing brilliance. The final award of the night, Video of the Year, went to Rihanna for "Umbrella" - a decidedly anti-climactic choice knowing that Kanye West was waiting somewhere to dis Justice. But nevermind. If we learned anything last night it's that, In the face of a rising tide of technology, MTV can still throw one hell of a party. Now about those missing categories...

[All photos from this post are from MTV.com. Visit their VMA photo section for lots more]

NEWS: MTV VMAs This Sunday Eve

The MTV Video Music Awards kick off Sunday at 9pm ET. Performers include Britney Spears, who has officially been confirmed to open the show, plus Kanye West, 50 Cent, Common, Akon, Foo Fighters, Gym Class Heroes, Mark Ronson, Rihanna and many others. Full list at MTV's VMA central.

Nominees can be found via Videostatic.com

NEWS: Radar Festival Deadline Is October 8

If you're an aspiring music video director willing to roll the dice on a contest, then The Radar Music Video Festival is probably worth your time (and money, but just a little bit). Here's what it is and what you do:

1. Visit radarfestival.com
2. Take a look and/or listen through the 16 tracks that have been offered up by various record companies for you, the aspiring director, and pick the one for which you would like to make a video. If you live in the UK, you can do it all through a s Radar curated iMix that's at iTunes. If you're in the US or anywhere else, you'll have to do some searching through iTunes or you can email Radar for MP3. PS: The tracks offered are all from namebrand acts, including The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Sondre Lerche, Maps and Kylie Minogue. One catch (if it can be called a catch) is that you have to buy or acquire the track you ultimately want to pick.
3. Pay up, Pay up. Your entry fee is $20. If you're a student, it's free.
4. Entries are due October 8, so get to work. All entries will be judged by a panel of video commissioners and all winning vids will be available online for screening.
5. Prizes? Each participating label will choose their own winner and will "decide whether" to award him or her a $2,000 commission to make a video. Various production companies, including Black Dog and Draw Pictures, will also choose directors to "mentor." And, the best student entry  will win $2,000 from Qoob.tv. (note: All prize moneys are actually offered in Pounds. Video Static converted and rounded off to the nearest dollar amount)
6. Even if you lose, you get to utilize your video on your reel  and enter it into festivals or make your loved ones watch it on a loop at your next  family gathering.
7. One last thing. If you win, there's a good chance you'll be in Video Static like last year's victor, James Healy . See? I just mentioned him again. Winning is the gift that keeps giving.

NEWS: Portable Film Festival Voting Deadline Sept 7

Everyone knows how much of a drag a film festival can be. The traveling to exotic, ritzy destinations. The parties. The hobnobbing. The drinking. Enter The Portable Film Festival. It's not actually meant to replace any film festival and it's probably not ideal for agoraphobics since the "portable" part of the title refers to the fact that you can download and then transfer all of their content to the portable media player of your choice

A free registration at the site will allow you to download whatever you want at the site. If you sign up before September 7, you can even vote for your favorites to win awards that are dubbed The Hoppers (Yes, the Portable Film Festival emanates from Australia).

There are 20 videos in the music video category, including work by director Patrick Daughters for The Shins and Feist, and director Melodie McDaniel for Blonde Redhead .

NEWS: DNA Signs Director Christopher Sims

DNA has announced the signing of director Christopher Sims. His music video credits include:

• Saosin "Voices"
• Hawk Nelson "Zero"
• Anberlin "Godspeed"
• Lamb Of God "Laid To Rest"

NEWS: Lanette Phillips Management Announces Roster

Longtime music video production executive Lanette Phillips has officially announced the formation of her director representation company, Lanette Phillips Management. Her roster includes the following companies and directors for music videos.  Click on the appropriate companies for video links and other work samples. Select credits are listed next to each director.

Alturas Films

• Darren Aronofsky — feature credits: Requiem For A Dream, Pi, The Fountain
• Arie Posin  — feature credits: The Chumscrubber, Over My Dead Body
• Joel Schumacher  — feature credits: Batman & Robin, Phantom Of The Opera; Music videos: Seal "A Kiss From A Rose" and Smashing Pumpkins "The End Is The Beginning Is The End" (co-directed with Dayton/Faris)

Furlined

• Vaughan Arnell — Robbie Williams "Sin Sin Sin" and "Something Stupid, George Michael "Rock DJ" and Jamiroquai "Space Cowboys"
• Douglas Avery — Mat Kearney "Nothing Left To Lose," Pepe Deluxe "Salami Fever," Augustana "Stars And Boulevards," Cornershop "Lessons Learned From Rocky..."
• Ramon Bloomberg — Raconteurs "Hands" and Broadcast "Tender Buttons"
• Family — Lady Sovereign "Those Were The Days"
• Lynn Fox — Bjork "Oceania" and "Nature Is Ancient" and Maximo Park "Graffiti"
• Pleix — Groove Armada "Get Down" and Basement Jaxx "Cish Cash"
• Terri Timely — Midlake "Young Bride" and Joanna Newsom "Sprout And The Bean"
• Dougal Wilson — Bat for Lashes "What's A Girl To Do," The Streets "Fit But You Know It," Dizzee Rascal "Dreams" and LCD Soundsystem "Tribulations"

Jonny Vegas Productions

• Jonathon Sudbury aka "Jonny Vegas" — Making of specials for Justin Timberlake, Pink, Three Days Grace

TIGHTFilms

• Josh & Xander — Postal Service "Such Great Heights," System Of A Down "Lonely Day," Cat Power "Where Is My Love"

Marcos Siega/Hungryman

• Marcos Siega — All American Rejects "Dirty Little Secret," Blink-182 "All The Small Things," System Of A Down "Chop Suey" and  Weezer "Beverly Hills" and "Keep Fishing

Day O Productions

• Muto — Shiny Toy Guns "You Are The One"

Sharp-Ford

• Sharp-Ford — Scissors For Lefty "Lay Down Your Weapons," Sage Francis f/ Jolie Holland "Got Up This Morning" and Irving "Jen Nothing Matters"

Streetgang Films

• Vincent Haycock — Mellowdrone "Oh My" and Assassins "Guilty"
• Shawn Kim — Autolux "Turnstile Blues," Hot Hot Heat "Let Me In"
• Paul Minor — Red Jumpsuit Apparatus "Face Down" and Muse "Starlight"
• Charles Mehling — BRMC "Ain't No Easy Way Out" and "Stop," The Kooks "Ooh La," Keith Urban "I Told You So" and Dierks Bentley "Long Trip Alone"

The Viral Factory:

• The Viral Factory — Viral promos for Trojan, AXE, Microsoft, Samsung, Remington, Hewlett Packard and The Sun Ford Sportka

In addition to her music video work, Phillips also produced the 2006 film Love Is The Drug — directed by Elliott Lester — and is currently producing Raised In The Ring, a documentary by director Todd Kellstein about child fighters in Thailand.

NEWS: Refused TV Signs Josh Graham

Refused TV has announced the signing of director Josh Graham for music videos. He remains with A Common Thread for commercials.

Graham is both a motion graphics designer and a live action director. And, he's guitarist for indie band Red Sparowes. Directing credits include videos for The Dillinger Escape Plan, Isis, Saves The Day and Underoath. Visit his website Suspended In Light for more info.

NEWS: Tim Royes Passes Away

It is with sadness that I relay the news that the music video community lost director/editor Tim Royes. His former rep, Laure Scott, shares the following:

"The beautiful Tim Royes passed away in a tragic accident in NYC last weekend. He was loved from New York to Los Angeles and his home in London. He was with The A & R Group for a few years before he went on to RSA and then Academy. He was a long time editor and friend of Sam Bayer. Tim had the gift to make people around him laugh!  He will be missed so much."

Tim Royes won Best Editing In A Music Video at the 2005 MTV VMAs for Green Day "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams." Royes also edited several other videos that Sam Bayer directed for Green Day, including "American Idiot" and "Holiday." He also directed videos for Sugababes, Richard Ashcroft, Faith No More and many other  acts. His directing work can be seen at academyfilms.com.

NEWS: Merge @ Crossroads Signs Gil Green

Director Gil Green has signed with Merge @ Crossroads, where Tommy Labuda of Labuda Management will represent him for music video work.

Green's latest credits include:

• DJ Khaled f/ Akon, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Baby and Lil' Wayne "We Takin' Over"
• Elephant Man feat. Wyclef Jean "Five O"
• Akon "Don't Matter"
• Kat DeLuna feat. Elephant Man "Whine Up"

NEWS: 2007 MTV VMA Nominees + info

MTV unleashed details of its 2007 Video Music Awards and, as promised, it represents a bit of a shake-up...

The VMAs will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on September 9 at 8pm EST. Not only is Las Vegas a new city to host the event, but this year's ceremony will only air in its original form live. In other words, don't expect the show to be on infinite loop after the initial broadcast. All repeats of the show will be in "remixed" form that will be "programmed by and for the viewers."

Superproducer Timbaland has signed on as the show's "maestro," overseeing a series of collaborative "one time only" performances. The roster, so far, includes Foo Fighters, Kanye West, Fall Out Boy, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Lily Allen, Mark Ronson and Chris Brown.

Categories and nominees were announced during today's episode of TRL. Justin Timberlake and Beyonce lead the pack with seven nominees each, while Kanye West and Rihanna are both up for five Moon Men. The list of nominees — including several new categories — is as follows:

2007 MTV VMA Nominees

Video of the Year

• Amy Winehouse "Rehab"
• Beyonce "Irreplaceable"
• Justice "D.A.N.C.E."
• Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around ... "
• Kanye West "Stronger"
• Rihanna f/ Jay-Z "Umbrella"

Male Artist of the Year

• Akon for "Don't Matter," "I Wanna Love You" f/ Snoop Dogg, "Smack That" f/ Eminem
• Kanye West for "Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Stronger," "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been" — DJ Premier remix) f/ Nas, KRS-One and Rakim
• Justin Timberlake for "Let Me Talk To You/ My Love," "SexyBack" f/ Timbaland, "What Goes Around ..."
• T.I. for "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)," "You Know What It Is" f/ Wyclef Jean, "What You Know"
• Robin Thicke for "Can U Believe," "Lost Without U," "Wanna Love You Girl" (remix) f/ Busta Rhymes and Pharrell

Female Artist of the Year

• Amy Winehouse for "Rehab," "You Know I'm No Good"
• Beyonce for "Irreplaceable," "Beautiful Liar" f/ Shakira
• Fergie for Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)," "Glamorous" f/ Ludacris, "Fergalicious" f/ Will.I.Am
• Nelly Furtado for "Maneater," "Say It Right"
• Rihanna for "Umbrella" f/ Jay-Z

Best New Artist

• Amy Winehouse for "Rehab," "You Know I'm No Good"
• Carrie Underwood for "Before He Cheats"
• Gym Class Heroes for "Clothes Off," "Cupid's Chokehold/ Breakfast in America"
• Lily Allen for "Alfie," "Smile," "LDN"
• Peter Bjorn and John for "Young Folks"

Best Group

• Fall Out Boy for This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race," "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
• Gym Class Heroes for "Clothes Off," "Cupid's Chokehold/ Breakfast in America"
• Linkin Park for "What I've Done"
• Maroon 5 for "Makes Me Wonder"
• White Stripes for Icky Thump"

Most Earthshattering Collaboration

• Akon f/ Eminem "Smack That"
• Beyonce and Shakira "Beautiful Liar"
• Justin Timberlake f/ Timbaland "SexyBack"
• Gwen Stefani f/ Akon "The Sweet Escape"
• U2 f/ Green Day "The Saints Are Coming"

Quadruple Threat of the Year

• Beyonce
• Bono
• Jay-Z
• Justin Timberlake
• Kanye West

Monster Single of the Year

• Avril Lavigne "Girlfriend"
• Daughtry "Home"
• Fall Out Boy "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
• Lil Mama "Lip Gloss (No Music)"
• T-Pain f/ Yung Joc "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')"
• Timbaland f/ Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian "The Way I Are"
• MIMS "This Is Why I'm Hot"
• Plain White T's "Hey There, Delilah"
• Rihanna f/ Jay-Z "Umbrella"
• Shop Boyz "Party Like A Rock Star"

Best Director

• Jake Nava for Beyonce and Shakira "Beautiful Liar"
• Matthew Rolston and Christina Aguilera for Christina Aguilera "Candyman"
• Samuel Bayer for Justin Timberlake: "What Goes Around ..."
• Hype Williams for Kanye West: "Stronger"
• Joseph Hahn for Linkin Park: "What I've Done"
• Chris Applebaum for Rihanna f/ Jay-Z:"Umbrella"

Best Editing in a Video

• Jarett Figl for Beyonce and Shakira "Beautiful Liar"
• Ken Mowe for Gnarls Barkley "Smiley Faces"
• Hollee Singer for Justin Timberlake: "What Goes Around ..."
• Peter Johnson and Corey Weisz for Kanye West: "Stronger"
• Igor Kovalik for Linkin Par: "What I've Done"

Best Choreography in a Video

• Frank Gatson for  Beyonce and Shakira "Beautiful Liar"
• Rich & Tone and Flii Styles for Chris Brown "Wall To Wall"
• Jamaica Craft for Ciara "Like A Boy"
• Tanisha Scott for Eve "Tambourine"
• Marty Kudelka for Justin Timberlake "My Love"

NEWS: Merge @ Crossroads Signs Paul Fedor

Director Paul Fedor has signed with Merge @ Crossroads for music videos and commercials. Labuda Management will represent him for music videos.

Paul Fedor's directing credits include:

• Flyleaf "All Around Me"
• Evanescence "Lithium"
• Augustana "Boston"
• Jimmy Eat World "The Middle"
• P.O.D. "Youth Of The Nation"

NEWS: CADS Video Awards Winners + Video

The 12th annual CADS Music Vision Awards were held the other night in London (June 27 at the Troxy Cinema, to be exact) and Video Static has gotten hold of the winners list and a couple on-the-scene videos from t he gala.

First: the winners. If you're not from the UK or a registered anglophile, most of these might be new to you. All of them are worth watching. Good stuff.

• Best Director: Saam (Partizan) — Saam's video credits include the Klaxons videos "It's Not Over Yet" and "Golden Skans."
• Best New Director: Sarah Chatfield (Colonel Blimp) — video credits include Noisettes "Scratch Your Name" and Lily Allen "Alfie"
• Best Video: Justice vs Simian "We Are Your Friends" — Rozan &
• Schmeltz, directors
• Best Pop Video: Lily Allen  "Alfie"  —Sara Chatfield, director
• Best Rock Video: The Horrors "Sheena Is A Parasite" — Chris Cunningham, director
• Best Dance Video: Justice vs Simian "We Are Your Friends" — Rozan &
• Schmeltz, directors
• Best Budget Video: Minilogue "Hitchhiker's Choice" — Kristofer Strom, director
• Best Online Video: Robbie Williams "The 80's" — Nahuel Lerena & Pato Byrne, directors
• Best International Video: Feist "1234" — Patrick Daughters, director
• Best Producer: Grace Bodie (Partizan)
• Best Commissioner: Ross Anderson (Polydor)
• Best Art Direction: Hot Chip "Boy From School" — Jay Burridge, art director
• Best Cinematography: Kasabian "Empire" — Tom Townend, DP
• Best Editing: Kasabian "Shoot The Runner" — Joe Guest, editor
• Best Telecine: Gnarls Barkley "Who Cares" — George K at Clear/VTR, colorist
• Best Visual Effects: Kaiser Cheifs "Ruby" — Stylewar, vfx artists
• Best TV Commercial: My Chemical Romance "The Black Parade" (Warner Music) — Brett Sullivan, director
• Best Music DVD: Gorillaz "Phase 2: Slowboat to Hades" (Parlophone) —  JC Hewlett and Pete Candeland, directors
• Best Live DVD: Take That "The Ultimate Tour" (Polydor)
• Best Music Channel: MTV2 UK

Second: video from the event. Two of em. Interviews with lots of inebriated UK music video people. Hosted by the lovely and talented Jen Herrera. Courtesy of Wax Music TV.

Part 1:

Part 2:

NEWS: BET Awards 2007 Winners

And the music/video winners from last night's BET Awards are...

• Video of the Year: Beyonce "Irreplaceable"
• Best Group: Gnarls Barkley
• Best Hip-Hop Artist: T.I.
• Best Collaboration: Ludacris f/ Mary J. Blige "Runaway Love"
• Best New Artist: Jennifer Hudson (she also won Best Actress honors)
• BETJ Cool Like That Award: Gerald Levert
• Best Gospel Artist: Kirk Franklin
• Best Male R&B Artist: Ne-Yo
• Best Female R&B Artist: Beyonce
• Viewers Choice Award: Birdman and Lil Wayne "Stuntin' Like My Daddy"

Visit BET.com for a full recap, or tune in to BET June 29 at 8pm for a rebroadcast. (PS: The BET playlist was frozen this week due to the awards)

NEWS: CMT Names New Music Programming Exec

Jay Frank will be joining CMT as Senior Vice President, Music Strategy, in August, once he relocates to Nashville. The move was formally announced yesterday by CMT Senior VP and GM Brian Phillips. To quote the press release directly, "Frank will oversee CMT’s Music and Talent division, and all of the network’s on-air and digital music initiatives across multiple platforms, including CMT’s vast range of properties such as films, games, touring and other program enterprise businesses."

Jay Frank comes from Yahoo! Music where he served as Vice President of Music Programming and Label Relations.

NEWS: CADS UK Music Video Awards Scheduled

The 12th annual CADS Music Vision Awards is scheduled for June 27 at the Troxy Cinema in London. Sponsored by the UK-based music video trade publication Promo, CADS07 will celebrate the past year's best music videos, DVDs and TV productions (from a UK perspective).

Kasabian leads all bands with nominations for their three 2007 videos, "Empire," "Shoot The Runner" and "Me Plus One." Gnarls Barkley is close behind with a total of five nominations for "Who Cares?," "Smiley Faces" and "Gone Daddy Gone." The leading directors in terms of nominations are WIZ and Dougal Wilson with five apiece and Saam with four.

Vying for Best Director are:

• Dougal Wilson
• Marcus Adams
• Patrick Daughters
• Saam
• Sam Brown
• WIZ

Other categories include Best Editing in a video, Best Art Direction in a video, Best Music TV Channel and many more.

A full list of categories and nominees, plus additional information on the event can be found at www.promonews.co.uk/cads07.

NEWS: MVPA Award Winners

The winner of the 16th Annual MVPA Awards are as follows:

• Lifetime Achievement: Wayne Isham, director
  (see photo at right of Isham and Merge @ Crossroads executive producer Joseph Uliano)
• MVPA Hall Of Fame Video: Prodigy "Smack My Bitch Up" — Jonas Akerlund, director
• Kratz Award For Creative Excellence: Devin Sarno and Lydia Sarno, Warner Bros.
• Video of the Year: Christina Aguilera "Hurt" — Floria Sigismondi & Christina Aguilera, directors (Revolver Film Co)
• Director of the Year: Chris Milk of Radical Media
• Directorial Debut: Neon of Partizan for Common "A Dream"
• Best Video/Under $25,000: Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah"
  — Jay Martin, director
• Direction of a Male Artist: Justin Timberlake "My Love"
  — Paul Hunter, director (HSI)
• Direction of a Female Artist: Christina Aguilera "Hurt"
  — Floria Sigismondi & Christina Aguilera, directors (Revolver Film Co)
• Direction of a New Artist: Lily Allen "Smile"
  — Sophie Muller, director (Factory @ Oil Factory Inc.)
• Direction of a Band: Muse "Knights Of Cydonia"
  — Joseph Kahn, director (HSI)
• Adult Contemporary: The Fray "How To Save A Life"
  — Mark Pellington, director (Merge @ Crossroads)
• Alternative: Beck "Cellphone's Dead"
  — Michel Gondry, director (Partizan)
• Electronic Music: Faithless "Bombs"
  — Howard Greenhalgh, director (Believe Media)
• Hip-Hop: Kanye West "Touch The Sky"
  — Chris Milk, director (Radical Media)
• Pop: Justin Timberlake "SexyBack"
  — Michael Haussman, director (HSI)
• R & B: Beyonce f/ Jay Z "Déjà Vu"
  — Sophie Muller, director (Oil Factory)
• Rock: U2/Green Day "The Saints Are Coming"
  — Chris Milk, director (Radical Media)
• International: Damien Rice "9 Crimes"
  — Jamie Thraves, director (Factory @ Oil Factory)
• Animated: Guster "One Man Wrecking Machine"
  — Drew Lightfoot, director (Revolver Film Co)
• Cinematography: Muse "Knights Of Cydonia"
  — Christopher Probst, DP
• Editing: Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"
  — Ken Mowe, editor
• Colorist / Telecine: My Chemical Romance "...Black Parade"
  — Beau Leon
• Special Effects: U2/Green Day "The Saints Are Coming"
  — Sway, effects artists
• Computer Effects: Dashboard Confessional "Don't Wait"
  — Rich Lee (Proof Inc./IEVFX)
• Art Direction: The Raconteurs "Steady As She Goes"
  — Trae King, art director
• Choreography: Pussycat Dolls "Buttons"
  — Robin Antin & Mikey Minden, choreographers
• Styling: My Chemical Romance "Welcome To The Black Parade"
  — Colleen Atwood, stylist
• Hair: Gwen Stefani "Sweet Escape"
  — Danilo, hair stylist
• Make-Up: AFI "Love Like Winter"
  — Maranda Widlund, make-up artist

Witty commentary and photos may follow...

NEWS: DNA Signs Adria Petty

Production company DNA has announced the signing of director Adria Petty, whose credits include:

• Mat Kearney "Undeniable"
• Regina Spektor "Us"
• Ditty Bops "Wishful Thinking"

She will continue to be represented by Robin Frank Management, in conjunction with DNA.

NEWS: Special Awards and Presenters Set For MVPA Awards

The  16th Annual Music Video Production Awards is scheduled for this Wednesday, May 16 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Doors are at 6pm, with the ceremony set to begin at 7:30. Tickets are $165 and available at the door.

In addition to all the previously announced categories, the MVPA will also be bestowing several honorary awards:

• Lifetime Achievement to director Wayne Isham
• Kratz Award for Creative Excellence to Lydia Sarno and Devin Sarno of Warner Bros.
• Hall of Fame Video Award to director Jonas Akerlund for Prodigy "Smack My Bitch Up"

The host for the evening is comedian Jimmy Pardo. Presenters and celebrities scheduled to appear include Christina Aguilera, Jesse McCartney and "Weird" Al Yankovic, Directors expected to be in attendance include Paul Hunter, Joseph Kahn, Mark Pellington, Joseph Kahn, Floria Sigismondi, Chris Milk, Frank Borin and many others.

NEWS: Labuda Repping Revolver Films

Tommy Labuda of Labuda Management is now representing the directors at Revolver Film Company for music videos. The full list and select credits are as follows:

• Floria Sigismondi — Christina Aguilera "Hurt" / The White Stripes "Blue Orchid"
• Michael Palmieri  — The Strokes "Juicebox" / Belle And Sebastian "White Collar Boy"
• Noble Jones  — Robert Randolph "Ain't Nothing Wrong..." / Goo Goo Dolls "Better Days"
• Fluorescent Hill — Taking Back Sunday "12 Days Of Christmas"
• Drew Lightfoot — Constantines "Working Full Time" / Guster "1 Man Wrecking Machine"
• Andrew MacNaughtan — She Daisy "In Terms Of Love"
• Lisa Mann — The Used "The Bird And The Worm"
• Micah Meisner — K-os "Electrik Heat" / Broken Social Scene "7/4 Shoreline"
• Roboshobo — Blood Brothers "Set Fire To The Face On Fire"
• Speedway Films — live shoots for Korn, Jane's Addiction
• Stardust — The Futureheads "Decent Days & nights"
• Charlie White — Interpol "Evil"
• Wendy Morgan — Ambulance "Primitive"
• Graydon Sheppard — Hidden Cameras "Awoo"

Visit Revolver Films for additional credits and to watch most of these videos...

NEWS: Above The Line Site Launch + Contest

This week marked the beta launch of AboveTheLine.TV, a new site designed to be a social networking hub for those in the music video industry. To celebrate the occasion, AboveTheLine.TV is hosting a contest: Members can upload a music video and have peers/friends/relatives/pets rate it. The video with the highest rating by this Monday, May 7 will win an all-expense paid trip to attend the Music Video Production Awards on May 16. The package include roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, a pre-show dinner, limo ride to and from the event, plus tickets, of course.

NEWS: Greencard Pictures Short Contest

Production company Greencard Pictures is hosting a very short film competition in which filmmakers and other creative types are called upon to submit shorts that are fifteen to thirty seconds in length that deal with the theme of "inventions."

Prizes are as follows:

• First Prize: $2,000 and a feature on the frontpage of Greencard's Web site
• Second Prize: A set of steak knives. Just kidding. It's a Video iPod and a feature on Greencard's Web site
• Third Prize: An iPod Nanoand a feature on Greencard's Web site
• Winners will also appear on TheDailyReel.com.

Judges include Daily Reel managing editor Alexandra Delyle, Spike TV's digital media executive Vincent Farrell and you're truly.

Full details on the competiton can be found at Greencardpics.com.

NEWS: Draw Pictures Signs Frank Borin For UK

Draw Pictures has signed director Frank Borin for UK representation. Borin's music video credits include:

• Ima Robot "Creeps Me Out"
• Rocco DeLuca "Colorful"
• plus videos for Good Charlotte, Bowling For Soup and Simple Plan as part of the directing team Smith N' Borin

Borin will be repped in the UK by Draw Pictures' Jen Herrera. Yvette Lange-Einczig of Yell Productions remains his US rep.

NEWS: Havoc Launches Video Program on DirecTV

VOD provider Havoc — primarily carried by Comcast and Cox systems — has launched three interactive music video programming blocks on DirecTV's channel 101. Designed to be like a virtual jukebox, Havoc On The 101 will let viewers to control the content of each show in real time by texting in votes through mobile phones. Texted messages will also appear alongside the videos, thereby allowing viewers to chat with one another or shamelessly promote their MySpace pages (or whatnot). All in all, Havoc will be broadcasting over 20 hours of music video content and reaching 16 million homes through DirecTV alone.

Further information, including playlists and airtimes can be found at havoctv.com/101.

NEWS: Placebo Seeks Stars Via Motionbox.com

In bad news for casting couches, video sharing site Motionbox.com has teamed with Placebo and the Capitol Records Group  to collect footage for the band's next video. Fans are being called upon to film and then submit single-camera shots of themselves singing Placebo's new single, "Running Up That Hill," in its entirety.  Selected bits of the submitted footage will then be edited into a montage that will serve as the video for the tune.

Aspiring video stars can visit motionbox.com/placebo for full details — including links to download the instrumental version of the track and a copy of the lyrics. The "contest" ends April 6 and is limited to 1,000 entries.

NEWS: Uncle Signs Rich Newey

Director Rich Newey has joined the music video roster at Uncle. Newey's credits include:

• Bone Thugs N Harmony f/ Akon "I Tried"
• Christina Aguilera f/ Missy Elliott "Car Wash"
• Nappy Roots f/ Anthony Hamilton "Po' Folks"

NEWS: 2007 MVPA Award Nominees

Nominees have been announced for the 16th Annual MVPA Awards, to be held May 16 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

The nominees are:

Director of the Year

• Chris Milk of Radical Media for:
  
  • Gnarls Barkley "Gone Daddy Gone"
  • Kanye West "Touch The Sky"
  • U2 & Green Day "The Saints Are Comin"
• Floria Sigismondi of Revolver Film Co for:
  
  • Muse "Supermassive Black Hole"
  • Christina Aguilera "Hurt"
  • The Raconteurs "Broken Boy Soldier"
• Michael Haussman of HSI for:
  
  • Chris Cornell "You Know Me"
  • Justin Timberlake "SexyBack"
  • Jennifer Lopez "Que Hiciste"
• Philip Andelman of Partizan for:
  
  • Fort Minor "Where'd You Go"
  • John Mayer "Waiting For The World To Change"
  • Silversun Pickups "Well Thought Out Twinkles"
• Samuel Bayer of HSI for:
  
  • Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around"
  • My Chemical Romance "The Black Parade"
  • The Strokes"You Only Live Once" + "Heart In A Cage"

Directorial Debut

• Common "A Dream" — Neon, directors (Partizan)
• Dashboard Confessional "Don't Wait" — Rich Lee (DNA)
• Guster "One Man Wrecking Machine" — Drew Lightfoot, director (Revolver Film Co)
• Ludacris f/Pharrell "Money Maker" Melina, director (F.M. Rocks)
• Talib Kweli "Listen" — Syndrome, director (Robot Films)

Best Video Produced for Under $25,000

• Guster "One Man Wrecking Machine" — Drew Lightfoot, director (Revolver Film Co)
• Wolfmother "White Unicorn" (defaced) — Bandito Bruce/Kris Moyes, directors
• Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" — Jay Martin, director
• The Blood Brothers "Set Fire To The Face On Fire" — Roboshobo, director (Revolver Film Co)
• CSS "Alala" — Cat Solen, director (Partizan)

Direction of a Male Artist

• Damien Rice "9 Crimes" — Jamie Thraves, director (Factory @ Oil Factory)
• Jesse McCartney "Right Where You Want Me" — Big TV!, director (DNA)
• Justin Timberlake "My Love" — Paul Hunter, director (HSI)
• Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around" — Samuel Bayer, director (HSI)
• Weird Al Yankovic "White & Nerdy" — Al Yankovic, director (Radical Media)

Direction of a Female Artist

• Christina Aguilera "Hurt" — Floria Sigismondi & Christina Aguilera, directors (Revolver Film Co)
• Hilary Duff "Play With Fire" — Alex & Martin, director (Partizan)
• Kelis "Bossy" — Marc Klasfeld, director (Rockhard)
• Lady Sovereign "Love Me Or Hate Me" — Brian Beletic, director (SMUGGLER/Stink)
• Regina Spektor "Fidelity" — Marc Webb, director (DNA)

Direction of a New Artist

• Corinne Bailey Rae "Put Your Records On" — Sam Brown, director (Flynn)
• CSS "Alala" — Cat Solen, director (Partizan)
• Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" — Robert Hales, director (HSI)
• Lily Allen "Smile" — Sophie Muller, director (Factory @ Oil Factory Inc.)
• Silversun Pickups "Well Thought Out Twinkles" — Philip Andelman, director (Partizan)

Direction of a Band

• AFI "Love Like Winter" — Marc Webb, director (DNA)
• All-American Rejects "It Ends Tonight" — Wayne Isham, director (Merge @ Crossroads)
• Elefant "Lolita" — Philip Andelman, director (Partizan)
• Ima Robot "Creeps Me Out" — Frank Borin, director (Shadow Screen)
• Muse "Knights Of Cydonia" — Joseph Kahn, director (HSI)

GENRE CATEGORIES:

Adult Contemporary

• Christina Aguilera "Hurt" — Floria Sigismondi & Christina Aguilera, directors (Revolver Film Co.)
• Dixie Chicks" Not Ready To Make Nice" — Sophie Muller, director (Oil Factory)
• The Fray "How To Save A Life" — Mark Pellington, director (Merge @ Crossroads)
• Norah Jones "Thinking About You" — Ace Norton (Partizan)
• Regina Spektor "Fidelity" — Marc Webb, director (DNA)

Alternative

• Beck "Cellphone's Dead" — Michel Gondry, director (Partizan)
• Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" — Robert Hales, director (HSI)
• Kasabian "Empire" — W.I.Z., director (Factory @ Oil Factory)
• Morning Runner "Oceans" — Laurent Briet, director (Black Dog)
• Thom Yorke "Harrowdown Hill" — Chel White, director (BENT)

Electronic Music

• CSS "Alala" — Cat Solen, director (Partizan)
• Faithless "Bombs" — Howard Greenhalgh, director (Believe Media)
• Fatboy Slim "That Old Pair Of Jeans" — Jon Watts, directors (SMUGGLER)
• Moby "New York New York" — Evan Bernard, director (Chelsea Pictures)
• Tiga "Far From Home" — Nagi Noda, director (Partizan)

Hip-Hop

• Common "A Dream" — Neon, directors (Partizan)
• Jurassic 5 "Work it Out" — The Malloys, directors (Black Dog)
• Kanye West "Touch The Sky" — Chris Milk, director (Radical Media)
• Ludacris f/Pharrell "Money Maker" Melina, director (F.M. Rocks)
• Talib Kweli "Listen" — Syndrome, director (Robot Films)

Pop

• Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man" — Bryan Barber, director (F.M. Rocks)
• Gwen Stefani "Wind It Up" — Sophie Muller, director (Oil Factory)
• Justin Timberlake "SexyBack" — Michael Haussman, director (HSI)
• Lady Sovereign "Love Me Or Hate Me" — Brian Beletic, director (SMUGGLER/Stink)
• The Rapture "Wooh! Alright - Yeah!" — Ben Dickinson, director (Greencard)

R & B

• Beyonce f/ Jay Z "Déjà Vu" — Sophie Muller, director (Oil Factory)
• Cassie "Me & U" — Ray Kay, director (Rockhard Films)
• Ciara "Promise" — Diane Martel, director (DNA)
• India.Arie "I Am Not My Hair" — Barnaby Roper, director (Flynn Prod's./Collaboration Factory)
• Shareefa "Cry No More"  — Melina, director (F.M. Rocks)

Rock

• Elefant "Lolita" — Philip Andelman, director (Partizan)
• Fall Out Boy "A Little Less 16 Candles" — Alan Ferguson, director (Anonymous Content)
• U2/Green Day "The Saints Are Coming" — Chris Milk, director (Radical Media)
• Living Things "Bombs Below" — Floria Sigismondi, director (Revolver Film Co)
• Wolfmother "Woman" —Alex & Martin, directors (Partizan)

International

• Hot Chip "And I Was A Boy From School" Garth Jennings/Hammer & Tongs, director (Anonymous Content)
• Arctic Monkeys "View From the Afternoon" — W.I.Z., director (Factory @ Oil Factory)
• Damien Rice "9 Crimes" — Jamie Thraves, director (Factory @ Oil Factory)
• Robbie Williams "She's Madonna" — Johan Renck, director (Black Dog)
• Spinto Band "Oh Mandy" — Jon Watts & Sean Donnelly, directors (Colonel Blimp)

Animated

• Death Cab for Cutie "Someday You Will Be Loved" — Ace Norton, director (Partizan)
• Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" — Robert Hales, director (HSI)
• Gnarls Barkley "Gone Daddy Gone" — Chris Milk, director (Radical Media)
• Guster "One Man Wrecking Machine" — Drew Lightfoot, director (Revolver Film Co)
• Softlights "Heart Made Of Sound" — Kris Moyes, director

TECHINICAL CATEGORIES: (specific credits for the technical categories have not been announced yet)

Cinematography

• Kanye West "Touch The Sky"
• The Killers "When You Were Young"
• Muse "Knights Of Cydonia"
• Secret Machines "Lighting Blue Eyes"
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs Gold Lion"

Editing

• 30 Seconds to Mars "From Yesterday"
• AFI "Miss Murder"
• Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"
• The Fray "How to Save A Life"
• U2/Green Day "The Saints Are Coming"

Colorist / Telecine

• Christina Aguilera "Hurt"
• Justin Timberlake "SexyBack"
• The Killers "When You Were Young"
• Matt Costa "Cold December"
• My Chemical Romance "Welcome To The Black Parade"

Special Effects

• Beck "Cellphone's Dead"
• KT Tunstall "Suddenly I See"
• Thom Yorke "Harrowdown Hill"
• U2/Green Day "The Saints Are Coming"
• Wolfmother "Woman"

Computer Effects

• Common "A Dream"
• Dashboard Confessional "Don't Wait"
• Faithless "Bombs"
• Gnarls Barkley "Gone Daddy Gone"
• Switchfoot "Oh! Gravity"

Art Direction

• 30 Seconds to Mars "From Yesterday"
• AFI "Love Like Winter"
• Christina Aguilera "Hurt"
• Norah Jones "Thinking Of You"
• The Raconteurs "Steady As She Goes"

Choreography

• Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man"
• Justin Timberlake "My Love"
• Missy Elliott "We Run This/Badman"
• Moby "New York New York"
• Pussycat Dolls "Buttons"

Styling

• Christina Aguilera "Hurt"
• Dixie Chicks "Not Ready To Make Nice"
• Justin Timberlake "SexyBack"
• Kanye West "Touch The Sky"
• My Chemical Romance "Welcome To The Black Parade"

Hair

• Beyonce f/Jay Z "Déjà Vu"
• Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Woman"
• Gwen Stefani "Sweet Escape"
• Kelis "Bossy"
• Muse "Knights Of Cydonia"

Make-Up

• AFI "Love Like Winter"
• Evanescence "Lithium"
• Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around"
• Peaches "Boys Wanna Be Her"
• Rihanna "SOS"

NEWS: Laure Scott Repping Mr Boomboom

Laure Scott is now representing famed director Stephane Sednaoui's production company Mister Boomboom for music videos. The roster includes Sednaoui, new signing Aaron Stewart-Ahn, Nathaniel Goldberg, Greg Kadel, Cleo Sullivan and Guzman.

NEWS: Ifilm Music Video SXSW Guide

Let's say you work in the music business and you're the only person in your office who's not in Austin, TX for the annual SXSW shindig. Whether you want to just waste some time, keep in the loop or build your simmering rage into a full boil: Ifilm.com is there for you. A special SXSW page has launched at ifilm.com/sxsw, featuring approximately 500 videos from bands showcasing at the music festival. ifilm will also be posting interviews, performances and other footage all shot live from Austin.

For a taste of what's to come, check this short video about what to bring to SXSW. Remember, it's no fun if you leave your inflatable cheetah at home.

NEWS: Red Hot Chili Peppers Video Contest

Red Hot Chili Peppers jump into the music video contest fray with by far the best prize package yet. Fans and/or aspiring and/or established directors are called upon to create videos for Stadium Arcadium track "Charlie" and upload them to YouTube. The winner will receive:

• The honor of having their clip be the "official" video for the single
• A trip to meet the band and see them live in Paris
• $5,000

Full details can be found at warnerbrosrecords.com/rhcp, while the submitted videos so far and some additional info — including a video invitation by singer Anthony Kiedis — are at a RHCP YouTube group.

NEWS: iTunes To Exclusively Debut New Jim Jones Video

KOCH recording artist Jim Jones will have the honor of being the first rapper to receive a music video world premiere on the iTunes Store. The new video "Emotionless" will be exclusively available this Tuesday, March 13 at a limited-time price of $0.99 and bundled with a short form "making of" special.

This is the second clip off Jones' hit album Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product Of My Environment). Like "We Fly High," the video for "Emotionless" was directed by the team of Dale "Rage" Resteghini and Jim Jones, and produced by Resteghini's Raging Nation Films.

NEWS: 3-D Music Videos?

An article in today's New York Times sheds light on one potential future for music videos: 3-D. Writer Jeff Leeds reports that Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine has struck a deal with filmmaker James Cameron (Titanic, Terminator) to produce both short and long form content with the Fusion 3-D equipment. The lone work mentioned in the article is a 3-D version of Gwen Stefani's "Wind It Up" that was shot concurrently with the regular version.

Visit the NYTimes for the full story... Further details at the official press release: Music Leader Interscope Records and James Cameron Partner for Cutting Edge 3-D Production of Music Videos, Concert Films and More

NEWS: Buckcherry Video Fan Contest

If you missed out on your chance to be a "Crazy Bitch," Buckcherry is giving you one more shot at fame. Fortune? Not so much. Fans are being called upon to create their videos for new single "everything" and upload the homemade clips to a special YouTube  group by March 9. The band will choose their favorite clip and feature it on their homepage and MySpace page for at least a month. The winner and a guest will also receive roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, tickets and VIP access to a Buckcherry concert in London on March 20.

The entry form and additional details can be found here.

NEWS: Labuda Signs Meiert Avis

Labuda Management is now representing music video vet Meiert Avis. The director's credits include:

• Matchbox Twenty "Unwell"
• Audioslave "Like A Stone"
• Jennifer Lopez "Baby I Love U"
• Avril Lavigne "Happy Ending"
• Bruce Springsteen "Brilliant Disguise"
• Bruce Springsteen "Human Touch"
• U2 "Where The Streets Have No Name"

His videos will continue to be produced through his own company, Pusher.

NEWS: Uncle Signs Paul Fedor

Uncle has signed director Paul Fedor. His most recent music video credits include:

• Evanescence "Lithium"
• Augustana "Boston"

NEWS: Yell Prod's Repping Martin Weisz

Yvette Lang-Einczig of Yell Productions is now repping director Martin Weisz, whose credits include the soon to be released features The Hills Have Eyes 2 and Grimm Love, plus the following videos:

• Live "The Dolphin's Cry"
• Soil "Halo"
• Puff Daddy "P.E. 2000"
• Korn "Make Me Bad"

All of the videos, and more, can be watched at the video page of MartinWeisz.com

NEWS: Refused TV Gets Whitey McConnaughy

Refused TV has signed director Rob "Whitey" McConnaughy, whose credits include:

• The Thermals "Pillar Of Salt"
• Band Of Horses "The Great Salt Lake"
• Panther "You Don't Want Your Nails Done"
• and even some videos for bands not signed to Sub Pop, including Turbonegro, Piebald and Kinski. (correction: Kinski is on Sub Pop too. Doh!)

NEWS: Laure Scott Repping Highway 114

Laure Scott is now independently repping Highway 114 Pictures. Their directorial roster includes:

• Margaret Malandruccolo
• Andrew Bennett
• Ismael Muniz
• Nicolas Hill
• Dori Oskowitz

NEWS: Visual Artists To Rep Rock Jacobs

Director Rock Jacobs of Rush Films is now being represented by John Randolph of Visual Artists. His credits include:

• Mistah F.A.B. "Ghost Ride It"
• The Frontline "What You Want"

NEWS: Grammy Video Winners

You'll be forgiven if you have no idea who won in the music video categories at the Grammy Awards. As was the case with most categories, these awards weren't televised. After all, how can you possibly give out more than a handful of awards in a three and a half hour ceremony and still have time for way too many celebrity karaoke performances and the always compelling address by the Grammy president?

So, the winners of Field 31 — Music Video are:

• Best Short Form Video: 
OK Go "Here It Goes Again"
  Dan Konopka, Damian Kulash, Jr., Timothy Nordwind, Andy Ross & Trish Sie, video directors/producers
• Best Long Form Video: Bruce Springsteen "Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run
  Thom Zimny, video director/producer

Other thoughts on the Grammys: (This is kind of a blog, after all. I should be allowed to prattle on every now and then.)

1. Video Static's first annual "Thanking God Early And Often" award goes to Mary J. Blige. Congratulations.
2. Thank you, Neil Portnow, president of the Grammys, for sparing us the plug for the insanely ineffective "What's The Download?" anti-piracy campaign. Unfortunately, the subject of your address was the lack of music education classes in public schools and a plea for viewers to contact their elected leaders and ask for more funding. A noble cause, yet quite possibly the least pressing matter facing either the music business, or our nation.
3. Can a proverbial fork be placed in the ass of cover tunes? Do we need Carrie Underwood sucking the life out of a Bob Wills tune? Do we need to see Rascal Flatts performing "Hotel California?" I don't even think we need to see The Eagles "Hotel California."
4. And, in a bit of news that proves all my quibbles are rather meaningless: The Grammy Awards were the highest rated program of the night, a nice change from last year when the telecast was left in the dust by an episode of American Idol.

NEWS: Mike Kaminsky New Rep For Refused TV

Mike Kaminsky has joined Refused TV as the production company's new rep. He will also be assisting Cathy Pellow as executive producer. Full contact info will be in the weekly/free Video Static newsletter.

NEWS: Noise Pop Festival Film Line-Up

Because everything is better when it's a competition, Cinemasports — an organization that bills itself as "the Iron Chef of filmmaking" — will be hosting a music video contest March 3 at the 2007 Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco. Teams will have 10 hours to create a complete music video to be be screened and judged that evening. Each team can provide its own legally acquired music or use a track from a select list of Noise Pop-approved bands. Details on the contest are at Cinemasports.com. (editor's note: It would be remiss of  me to write about a music video contest without referencing 30frame's take on the phenomenon)

In other news sure to be of interest to music video fans, Noisepop will be screening several features and documentaries that are focused on music, including:

• Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' At Him?)
• You're Gonna Miss Me  — a documentary about Roky Erickson
• Far Off Town: From Dunedin To Nashville  — A documentary about David Kilgour
  
• Sonic Youth:  Sleeping Nights Awake (a live document shot by teen students as part of the non-profit group Project Moonshine)

Visit Noisepop.com for more details, including a performance line-up that boasts Autolux, Cake, The Dandy Warhols, Sebadoh and many others...

NEWS: Call For MVPA Awards Submissions

The Music Video Production Awards has sent out a call for entries to their annual MVPA awards show. All submissions must be made online this year; Full details — including cost and upload instructions — can be found at their website mvpaawards.com. All submissions are due by Sunday, February 11.

NEWS: Radical Media signs Nzingha Stewart

Director Nzingha Stewart has signed with @radical.media. Her director credits include videos for a wide variety of artists such as Dashboard Confessional, Keyshia Cole, Ying Yang Twins, and Jagged Edge.

NEWS: Yell Prod's Repping Bernard Gourley

Yvette Lang-Einczig/Yell Productions is now representing director Bernard Gourley of Immigrant Film. Gourley's credits include:

• Lil' Flip feat. Lyfe jennings "Ghetto Mindstate"
• DJ Khaled f/ Consequence, Kanye West & John Legend "Grammy Family"
• E-40 "Tell Me When To Go"

NEWS: Radar Festival Winner

The Radar Festival came to its thrilling conclusion last Friday, January 19 at the Apple Store in London. The video competition called for amateurs to create music videos  — using Apple's iMovie or Final Cut Pro — for any one of the many tracks made available by record labels Domino, Warp and Tummy Touch.

The overall winner was James Healy for the Clark video "Herr Barr" — seen in the attached photo with Colonel Blimp's John Hassey (left) and Draw Pictures' Jen Herrera (center).  Healy received a cash prize of £1,000 and a representation contract with production company Colonel Blimp. A full list of winners can be found at The Radar Festival's site, while most of the winning clips by UK directors can be found at the bbc.co.uk film network.

Special thanks to Jen Herrera of Draw Pictures for moonlighting as the chief of Video Static's London bureau and getting that fine picture.

NEWS: Dave Meyers' The Hitcher Opens

@radical.media music video director Dave Meyers makes his true big screen debut this weekend with The Hitcher, a remake of the 1986 horror flick of the same name. It is produced by Michael Bay with the team of Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, who previously produced remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror. The Hitcher stars Sean Bean, Sophia Bush and Zachary Knighton.

The director's only other full-length movie credit is for the 1999 genre comedy Foolish, which was written by Master P and starred Eddie Griffin.

NEWS: Uncle Music Video Div Launches

Santa Monica-based production house Uncle has announced the launch of a music video department with Scott Kalvert as executive producer. Simran Leigh Brown will be repping the roster, which currently consists of Benny Boom, Erik White and Juwan Lee. Rounding out the music video division are in-house producer Roger Urbina and manager/coordinator Gina Corona.

NEWS: Editor Michael Barnett 1976 - 2007

It is with sadness we announce that editor Michael Barnett of Aisle Five Studios passed away this morning at the age of 30. Barnett was involved in an automobile accident in the West Los Angeles area.

Michael Barnett's family will host a memorial service on Friday, January 12, 2007 at 5:00pm at the offices of Aisle Five Studios, located at 100 Market Street, Third Floor, Venice, CA 90291.

NEWS: Travis Kopach Signs With Refused TV

Director Travis Kopach has signed with production company Refused TV, where he will be repped by executive producer Cathy Pellow. Kopach's music video credits include:

• Panic! At The Disco "Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have..."
• Meg & Dia "Monsters"
• Matchbook Romance "Monsters"
• Koufax "Isabelle"

NEWS: Yvette Lang-Einczig Forms Yell Productions

Longtime F.M. Rocks executive Yvette Lang-Einczig is no longer with the company and has announced the formation of Yell Productions, her own independent repping firm. Her director's roster includes:

• Bryan Barber
• Bille Woodruff
• Dale Resteghini
• Frank Borin
• Paul Fedor
• Sanji
• Tony Duran

Full contact details for Lang-Einczig will be in this Friday's edition of the free weekly Video Static newsletter.

NEWS: FM Rocks Reported To Be Restructuring

Numerous reports have come in that production company F.M. Rocks is restructuring, with several staffers laid off. The main rumor we're hearing is that the company will be exiting the music video production business. More info as it comes in and gets confirmed...

F.M. Rocks has been home to Bryan Barber, Paul Fedor, Erik White and other top-line directors.

NEWS: Black Dog Signs Melina

Black Dog Films has announced the signing of Melina to its roster of directors. Her music video directing credits include:

• Ying Yang Twins feat. Wyclef "Dangerous"
• Ludacris feat. Pharrell "Money Maker"
• Lloyd Banks "Help"
• Shareefa "Cry No More"

NEWS: Antville Music Video Award Winners

My curmudgeonly friends over at the music video bulletin board Antville have announced  the winners of their first ever music video awards. Nominations and final voting were all decided by members of the Antville community.

Categories and Winners, if you please:

BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Hot Chip "Over & Over"
Nima Nourizadeh, director / Partizan, prod co

MOST FUN VIDEO
Deichkind "Ich Betäube Mich"
Alex & Liane, directors / BigFish, prod co

BEST ANIMATED VIDEO
Wolf Parade "Modern World"
Adam Bizanski, director / Joyrider Films, prod co

BEST PERFORMANCE VIDEO
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Gold Lion"
Patrick Daughters, director / Black Dog, prod co

BEST NARRATIVE VIDEO
Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton "Doctor Blind"
Jaron Albertin, director / Spy Entertainment, prod co

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Jaron Albertin
Spy Entertainment/Rokkit, prod co's

BEST UNKNOWN/UNSIGNED DIRECTOR
Kris Moyes

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Trish Sie for OK Go "Here it Goes Again"
Produced independently

BEST EDITING
Rob Ryang for The Album Leaf "Always for You"
Aaron Stewart-Ahn, director / Otaku-House, prod co

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Tim Green for Vitalic "Poney Pt. 1" aka Birds
Pleix, director / Colonel Blimp, prod co

Awards for the Best New Director and Best Art Direction categories were nixed, due to the lack of an "undisputed ballot." Karl Rove would be proud.

Visit Antville for links to all the winners and the shortlist of nominees.

NEWS: Aisle Five Studios Address Change

Production company Aisle Five Studios has relocated earlier this month to a new office space. Please update your address book (if you'd like):

Aisle Five Studios
100 Market Street, Third Floor
Venice, CA 90291

NEWS: Refused TV Signs Popcore

The Swedish directing/producing collective known as Popcore has signed with Cathy Pellow's Refused TV for music video representation. Popcore recently snagged headlines with a surprise Grammy nomination for the Underoath video "In Regards To Myself." That video, in addition to a behind-the-scenes special and several other clips can be seen at popcorefilm.com.

NEWS: Oil Factory New Address

Production company Oil Factory has relocated. The new address is:

2045A South Barrington Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90025

The main phone number remains (310) 432-2900.

NEWS: Music Video Grammy Nominees

Nominees for the 49th annual Grammy Awards were announced this morning in Hollywood. The music video categories shape up like this:

Best Short Form Music Video (For an individual track or single promotional clip. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer.)

• Big & Rich "8th Of November" (Warner Bros.)
  Robert Deaton, George Flanigen & Marc Oswald, video directors; Robert Deaton, George Flanigen, Steve Lamar & Marc Oswald, video producers
• The Killers "When You Were Young"  (Island Def Jam)
  Anthony Mandler, video director; Gina Leonard, video producer
• OK Go "Here It Goes Again" (Capitol)
  Dan Konopka, Damian Kulash, Jr, Timothy Nordwind, Andy Ross & Trish Sie, video directors; Dan Konopka, Damien Kulash, Jr., Timothy Nordwind, Andy Ross & Trish Sie, video producers
  
• Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California" (Warner Bros.)
  Tony Kaye, video director; Rachel Curl, video producer
• Underoath "Writing On The Walls"  (Solid State/Tooth & Nail)
  no director or producer credited

Notes/Thoughts: The Underoath video was directed and produced by the Swedish collective Popcore Film. At this point I'm not sure if their credit omission is due to some Grammy rule or someone's incompetence. The OK Go nomination will probably get all sorts of industry people riled up since it's not a "real" video. It is, however, more memorable and had more of an impact than everything else so look for it to win.

Best Long Form Music Video (For video album packages consisting of more than one song or track. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer of at least 51% of the total playing time.)

• Terence Blanchard "Flow: Living In The Stream Of Music" (Jazziz Music & Video)
  Jim Gabour, video director; Robin Burgess & Jim Gabour, video producers
• Death Cab For Cutie "Directions" (Atlantic)
  Noah Gelb, Nick Harmer, Jill Kaplan & Aaron Stewart-Ahn, video producers
  
• Gorillaz "Demon Days: Live In Manchester" (Virgin)
  J.C. Hewlett, video director
  
• Madonna "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" (Warner Bros.)
  Jonas Akerlund, video director; Susan Applegate, Angela Becker, Keeley Gould, Shelli Jury & David May, video producers
  
• Bruce Springsteen "Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run" (Columbia)
  Thom Zimny, video director; Thom Zimny, video producer
  

Notes/Thoughts: Although the Bruce Springsteen documentary has some absolutely amazing and important archival footage that sheds new light on what is arguably the greatest rock album of all time, Death Cab For Cutie deserve to win for Directions, an ambitious music video version of  the hit album Plans.

NEWS: Vem Signs With The Artist's Co.

The Artist's Company has announced the signing of director Vem to its roster. Vem's video credits include:

• Five For Fighting "The Riddle"
• Kaci Brown "The Instigator"
• The Click Five "Catch A Wave"

Vem will be repped by Laure Scott.

NEWS: Kaboom Goes Boom With Brandon Dickerson

Kaboom Productions Executive Producer/Founder Lauren Schwartz has announced the formation of music video division Boom with director Brandon Dickerson.

Dickerson has directed videos for Switchfoot, Sixpence None The Richer, and Vince Gill, among many other artists. He has previously been repped by Spiral Films, Propaganda, and Merge @ Crossroads.

NEWS: The Directors Bureau Signs Patrick Daughters

Acclaimed director Patrick Daughters has signed with The Directors Bureau. Daughters' recent music video credits incude:

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Gold Lion"
• Beck "Nausea"
• The Blood Brothers "Lazer Life"
• Muse "Stockholm  Syndrome"

NEWS: Black Dog Signs Ben Dickinson

Black Dog Films has announced the signing of director Ben Dickinson to its roster. Dickinson's credits include the video videos:

• The Rapture "Whoo! Uh Huh! Yeah! Alright!"
• The Rapture "Get Myself Into It"
• Supersystem "White Light/ White Light"
• The Juan MacLean "Give Me Every Little Thing"
• Blood of Abraham "Calling All Citizens"
• VHS or Beta "Night on Fire"
  

NEWS: Music Choice VOD Hits NYC

The Music Choice VOD network launched on NYC's Time Warner Digital Cable today. Programming is spread across two channels: Channel 1027 offers On-Demand music videos from various rock genres, pop and country; Channel 1028 has a focus on hip-hop, r&b and Latin music.

Music Choice is carried nationwide by Time Warner, Comcast and Cox.

NEWS: MVPA Directors Cuts On Tuesday

The 9th annual MVPA Directors Cuts Film Festival, to be held Tuesday, December 5 at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre. In addition to screenings of previously unseen or unedited videos from an impressive list of directors — including Encyclopedia Pictura, Liam Lynch, W.I.Z., Evan Bernard, and Ben Mor — the event will feature an opening and closing receptions, in addition to a Q&A session with attending directors.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or through Fandango: $25 for members; $35 for non-members.

NEWS: Jen Herrera Joins Draw Pictures

Jen Herrera is leaving Robin Frank Management — and the United States — to join Draw Pictures in London as the company's head of music video. Directors repped by Draw Pictures include Uwe Flade, Ulf, Caswell Coggins, Lee Lennox and Rupert Jones. Herrera officially starts the new gig tomorrow, December 1.

NEWS: Decemberists Dead To Colbert

Speaking of bears and other threats to America, last night's episode of The Colbert Report found the beloved, yet clearly insidious rock band The Decemberists getting called out by revered pundit Stephen Colbert for stealing his "Green Screen Challenge" concept for their own recently announced mtvU-sponsored contest. Watch the public flogging here.

Now, you can not only replace the green screen from The Decemberist's "Oh Valencia" video in hopes of fame and an iMac, but you can also insert footage of Colbert showing off his lightsaber skills into the Decemberists video and receive an even better prize: The respect of Stephen Colbert. Extra credit, presumably, if you use Colbert's swordsmanship to chop off singer Colin Meloy's head.

Here are the links:

• Colbert green screen footage and submission info
• Decemberists green screen footage and submission info

Stay tuned for news on this escalating bit of Viacom cross-promtoional synergy war

NEWS: Updates on The Mine, Dean Karr, Catherine Finkenstaedt

Director Dean Karr's production company The Mine — founded in 2000 — has effectively closed, according to numerous source. Karr is responsible for many hit videos, including the groundbreaking clips  Marilyn Manson "Sweet Dreams" and Dave Matthews Band "Crash Into Me", in addition to more recent work for Seether, Damian Marley and Nickel Creek.

Karr and his longtime producing partner Arthur Gorson are now running his jobs through KARMA, which is headed up by their another ex-Miner, Yamani Watkins.

Catherine Finkenstaedt, the former executive producer at The Mine, has landed at commercial house Go Film where she is in the process of assembling an alternative media department which will focus on internet content, short films and music videos.

DVD: Kissology - The Ultimate Kiss Collection

When it comes to combining visuals with music and using imagery to sell records— especially in the pre-MTV days — there's little point in debating the prominence of Kiss. VH1 Classics Records collects early TV appearances, live concert footage and promo clips in the DVD box set Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection Vol. 1 1974-1977. Highlights include the Mike Douglas Show episode where comedian Totie Fields correctly guesses that Gene Simmons is "a nice Jewish boy" and an absurd spot on the 1976 Paul Lynde Halloween Special.

Kiss "Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection Vol. 1 1974-1977" (VH1 Classics)
various directors | Alex Coletti, producer | Roger Coletti, co-producer | Derek Ambrosi, editor

NEWS: Streetgang Films Partners With HKM

Production company HKM has announced a partnership with Executive Producer Jason Botkin's Streetgang Films, whose roster includes Charles Mehling, Paul Minor, Shawn Kim and the most recent addition, Shafei & Levitz.

Other HKM satellite companies include Rock Fight and The Directors Bureau.

NEWS: MVPA Director's Cuts Festival Line-Up

The Music Video Production Association has announced the line-up  of shorts films and a few previously unseen and/or unedited versions of music videos for the 9th annual Directors Cuts Film Festival, to be held Tuesday, December 5 at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre.

The directors showing work are:

• Adam and Dave
• Ben Mor
• Benjamin Weinstein
• Encyclopedia Pictura
• Ethan Lader
• Evan Bernard
• Greg Jardin
• Happy
• Liam Lynch (Queens Of The Stone Age "Burn The Witch" video)
• Nash Edgerton
• Noble Jones
• Robert Hales (Gnarls Barkley "Smiley Faces" video)
• Todd Strauss- Schulson
• W.I.Z. (Arctic Monkeys "View From The Afternoon" video)

Tickets will be available beginning in November through The Egyptian Theatre box office.

NEWS: RFM Repping Adria Petty

Director Adria Petty is now being represented by Robin Frank Management. Petty has directed visually distinctive videos for Regina Spektor, The Ditty Bops, Stellastarr and other artists.

NEWS: Hwy 114 Signs Margaret Malandruccolo

Highway 114 Pictures has announced the signing of Margaret Malandruccolo for U.S. video work. The company's Justin Cronkite will be representing the director, whose credits include clips for Swollen Members, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Tiesto, and Dwight Yoakam.

NEWS: BET Hip-Hop Awards Nominees

BET announced the nominees for its first ever BET Hip-Hop Awards show, to be taped at Atlanta’s Atlanta's Fox Theatre on Nov. 12 and then aired on Nov. 15. Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Young Jeezy and T.I. are confirmed to perform, while Grandmaster Flash will be honored with the Icon Award.

Video Nominees are as follows:

HIP-HOP VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Busta Rhymes "Touch It Remix"
• Common - "Testify"
• Lupe Fiasco "Kick, Push"
• T.I. "What You Know"
• Yung Joc "Goin' Down"

ELEMENT AWARD: VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

• Benny Boom for the following:
  
  • Bow Wow f/ Mike Jones "Fresh Azimiz Remix"
  • Busta Rhymes "Touch It Remix"
  • Busta Rhymes "Touch It"
  • David Banner f/Jazze Pha "Touchin"
  • Lil Wayne "Hustler Musik/Money On My Mind"
  • Lil Wayne f/ Robin Thicke" Shooter"
  • Mack 10 f/ Nate Dogg "Like This"
  • Mobb Deep f/ 50 Cent & Nate Dogg "Have A Party"
• Dr. Teeth for the following:
  
  • Juvenile "Way I Be Leanin"   
  • Lil KeKe f/ Paul Wall & Bun B "Chunk Up The Deuce"   
  • Paul Wall f/ Mike Jones & Bun B "They Don’t Know"   
  • Pitbull f/ Pretty Ricky "Everybody Get Up"   
  • Slim Thug f/ Young Jeezy, Slick Pulla & Killa "Diamonds Remix"   
  • T.I. f/ UGK "Front Back"   
  • Tango Redd f/ Lloyd "Let’s Cheat"   
  • The Notorious B.I.G. "Spit Ya Game"
• Hype Williams for the following:
  
  • Kanye West f/ Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"   
  • Kanye West" Drive Slow"   
  • Lil Jon "Snap Yo Fingers"   
  • LL Cool J f/ Jennifer Lopez "Control Myself"   
  • LL Cool J f/ Lyfe Jennings "Freeze"   
  • Smitty "Diamonds On My Neck"   
  • Young Jeezy "My Hood"   
• Little X for the following:
  
  • Beenie Man f/ Akon "Girls"   
  • Young Dro f/ T.I. "Shoulder Lean"   
  • Sean Paul "Temperature"   
  • E-40 f/ T-Pain & Kandi "U And Dat"   
  • Sean Paul f/ Keyshia Cole Give It Up To Me"   
  • Shaggy f/ Olivia "Wild 2 Nite"   
• Sanaa Hamri for the following:
  
  • Cham f/ Alicia Keys "Ghetto Story Chapter 2"
  • The Notorious B.I.G "Nasty Girl"

The rest of the nominees can be found after the jump...

HIP-HOP TRACK OF THE YEAR
"Goin' Down" - Yung Joc, Produced by Nitti
"Ridin'"- Chamillionaire f/ Krayzie Bone, Produced by Play-N-Skillz
"Stay Fly" - Three 6 Mafia f/Young Buck, 8 Ball & MJG, Produced by DJ Paul & Juicy J
"Touch It" - Busta Rhymes, Produced by Swizz Beatz
"What You Know" - T.I., Produced by DJ Toomp

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Cham
Chamillionaire
Lupe Fiasco
Rick Ross
Yung Joc

ELEMENT AWARD: PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Jermaine Dupri
Kanye West
Lil Jon
Nitti
Swizz Beatz

HIP-HOP MVP OF THE YEAR
Chamillionaire
Lil Wayne
T.I.
Young Jeezy
Yung Joc

ELEMENT AWARD: LYRICIST OF THE YEAR
Busta Rhymes
Common
Lil Wayne
Lupe Fiasco
T.I.

ELEMENT AWARD: BEST HIP-HOP DANCE OF THE YEAR
Chicken Noodle Soup
Hyphy (Go Dumb)
Motorcycle
Shoulder Lean
Snap

BEST HIP-HOP MOVIE
ATL -  Chris Robinson, director
Beef: 3 -  Peter Spirer, director
Boss'n Up -  Dylan C. Brown, director
Get Rich or Die Tryin' - Jim Sheridan, director
Waist Deep - Vondie Curtis-Hall, director

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE
Busta Rhymes
Kanye West
Missy Elliott
T.I.
Yung Joc

BEST COLLABO
Busta Rhymes f/ Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks, Papoose & DMX  "Touch It Remix"
Cham f/ Alicia Keys "Ghetto Story Chapter 2"
Chamillionaire f/ Krayzie Bone "Ridin"
Nelly f/ Paul Wall, Ali & Big Gipp "Grillz"
Young Dro f/ T.I. "Shoulder Lean"

HIP-HOP CD OF THE YEAR
T.I. -  King
Kanye West -  Late Registration
Young Jeezy - Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter II

HIP-HOP HUSTLER AWARD
Diddy
Jay-Z
Ludacris
Nelly
T.I.

ALLTEL WIRELESS PEOPLE'S CHAMP AWARD
Busta Rhymes "Touch It Remix"
Chamillionaire f/ Krayzie Bone "Ridin'"
Dem Franchize Boyz f/ Peanut & Charlay "Lean With It, Rock With It"
Lil Jon f/ E-40 & Sean Paul (YoungBloodZ) "Snap Yo Fingers"
Rick Ross "Hustlin"
Young Jeezy "Trap Star/Go Crazy"

NEWS: Labuda Mgmt. Repping Michele Civetta

Tommy Labuda of Labuda Management is now representing Quintessence director Michele Civetta for music videos. Civetta just directed all the videos from Sean Lennon's Friendly Fire CD/DVD. Read Video Static's interview with Civetta for more details on the project.

NEWS: YouTube Deals With Google, SonyBMG, UMG

"What we really want to do is in six to 12 months, maybe 18 months, to have every music video ever created up on YouTube" - YouTube co-founder Steve Chen [source]

That ambition took a few more steps toward actuality with several announcements today by the video sharing site.

1. Google announced that it will be acquiring YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock. Google will maintain the YouTube brand identity alongside its own Google Video. Read the Google/YouTube press release for full details.
2. Universal Music Group and SonyBMG have both agreed to let their content be used on YouTube in exchange for undisclosed revenue sharing agreements. The deals will let YouTube offer official videos from both labels, while also allowing the label groups' music to be  incorporated in user created content that is uploaded to the site. A similar agreement was struck with Warner Music Group in September. Full details are at the following YouTube press releases: UMG/YouTube, SonyBMG/YouTube.

NEWS: Oil Factory Signs Life Garland

Director Life Garland has joined the roster at Oil Factory. The director's credits include the VMA award-winning Chamillionaire video "Ridin," in addition to Juvenile's "Slow Motion" and Lil Jon's "Get Low."

NEWS: Heidi Gregory Repping Michael Sarna

Heidi Gregory Management is now representing director Michael Sarna for all music video work. Sarna's credits include clips for Smashmouth, Anthrax and Orgy, in addition to the Gigantour DVD, which features performances by Megadeth, Dream Theater, Fear Factory and other hard rock acts. The director has also worked second unit on videos for 50 Cent and Blink-182, plus many feature films.

NEWS: MTV Tres Launches

MTV officially launched their new channel MTV Tres today, taking over the channel positions previously held by MTV Espanol and fellow Viacom property Mas Musica.

MTV Tres is a bilingual channel that celebrates the musical crossroads between Latin and American cultures. The channel features a wealth of original programming, some of which are Latino versions of familiar MTV hits, including MiTRL (TRL), Pimpeando (Pimp My Ride) and Quiero Mis Quinces (My Super Sweet 16).

For an idea of the types of videos on MTV Tres, visit either of the MTV Overdrive properties Los Hits or Emerging Artists, which are spotlighting clips from Mana, Chelo, Daddy Yankee, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Mario Vazquez and Miranda.

Read more at Detroit Free Press or NY Times.

NEWS: MTV Europe Awards Announces Noms

Nominees for the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards were announced this week. Unlike MTV's Video Music Awards, the EMAs celebrate music and recording artists, as opposed to just music videos. In fact, the lone video category is Best Video, with the following nominees:

• Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" — directed by Robert Hales of HSI
• Justice Vs Simian "We Are Your Friends" — directed by Rozan & Schmeltz of Partizan
• Kanye West "Touch The Sky" — directed by Chris Milk of @radical.media
• OK Go "A Million Ways" — directed by OK Go
• Pink "Stupid Girls" — directed by Dave Meyers of @radical.media

The MTV Europe Music Awards is scheduled for November 2 in Copenhagen with host Justin Timberlake.

NEWS: Bill Yukich Joins rOOm

Post production facility rOOm has announced the signing of editor Bill Yukich to its staff. Yukich has edited hundreds of music videos, including hits for Metallica, Jay-Z feat. Beyonce, Hole, Marilyn Manson and Justin Timberlake, just to name a few.

His first major project for rOOm is a video for Deathray's "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)" — which supports and is compiled from footage of the Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animated cartoon flick Open Season. Yukich is also confirmed to edit the upcoming Paris Hilton video "Nothing In This World," directed by HSI's Scott Speer.

NEWS: MVPA Director's Cuts Call For Entries

The Music Video Production Association (MVPA) has issued a call for entries to their ninth annual Director's Cuts Film festival. The series spotlights short films or non-performance videos from directors best known for their music video work.

Full details can be found on the MVPA Director's Cuts submission form. All entries must be received by October 2, with the event slated to be held at Hollywoo'd Egyptian Theatre in early December.

NEWS: YouTube Announces Deal With WMG

YouTube's promise to become a repository for every music video ever made begins to officially take shape thanks to the announcement today of an advertising revenue sharing deal with Warner Music Group.  The deal will allow music videos from all of the label group's artists — Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day and T.I., just to name a few currents — plus associated content like interviews and behind-the scenes features to legally reside on the popular site. And, in great news for schmucks people who like to upload videos of themselves dancing to their favorite songs, this deal will also cover the usage of WMG tracks in user-created content — thanks to an identification system that will be used to keep track of WMG content and manage appropriate royalties.

Read the YouTube/WMG press release. Additional details are at: Reuters UK, MSNBC/Financial Times, or the Associated Press.

This announcement comes on the heels of a speech by Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris in which he stated that YouTube and MySpace are "copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars... How we deal with them will be revealed shortly." [source: Reuters]

IN MEMORIAM: Herve Romain 1969 - 2006

Many of us in the music video community are mourning the unexpected death this week of our friend and colleague Herve Romain. It is an understatement to say that he will be missed.

I would like to send my deepest condolences to his family and closest associates, especially at Interscope Geffen A&M, where he worked with utmost dedication for many years.

In lieu of flowers, it is respectfully requested that donations be made on the behalf of Herve Romain to either of the following charities:

American Stroke Association
1 Union St - Suite 301
Robbinsville, NJ 08691
www.strokeassociation.org

Laura Rosenberg Foundation Inc.
73 Crystal Court
Hewlett, NY 11557
www.laurarosenbergfoundation.org

IN DEPTH: Frank Borin on RHCP iTunes Originals

In addition to Apple's announcement of new iPods and a slick new version of iTunes that includes the addition of full-length movies to their store, the company also unleashed the first entirely video edition of iTunes Originals — a series that spotlights bands through exclusive live recordings and interview segments.

The first act to get the video treatment is Red Hot Chili Peppers. A few of the band's official music videos are mixed  with new footage of the band being interviewed and performing their hits.

Director Frank Borin — who oversaw the live performance shoot —  fills us in on the details:

It was shot at Rick Rubin's mansion where they recorded the album.  The concept was simple as they wanted to capture just pure, raw and edgy performance at the place where they played everyday for a year. The requirements were that I shoot HD since that's what Apple finishes on, but they still wanted it to have a grainy super 8 look.  And the other catch was that each song could only be performed once to truly capture that raw live feeling.  So I shot six songs... One take each with 5 cameras.

Visit iTunes for more on the Red Hot Chili Peppers iTunes Originals.

NEWS: mtvU Woodie Nominees

mtvU has announced the nominees for the second annual Woodie Awards, a unique ceremony that lets college students vote for their favorite artists. Winners will be announced at a live event scheduled for October 25 at NYC club Roseland Ballroom, which will then be broadcast November 2 on mtvU A half hour version with highlights from the show will also be subsequently shown on MTV and MTV2.

Categories and nominees are as follows...

Woodie of the Year -- (Artist of the Year) - The artists who made the biggest splash on mtvU and the college music scene this past year.

• Angels & Airwaves (Geffen)
• Atmosphere (Rhymesayers)
• Gym Class Heroes (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• Panic! at the Disco (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• The Academy Is (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)

The Breaking Woodie -- (Best Emerging Artist) - mtvU is where new developing artists are test driven for the first time by the toughest critics around: college students. One of this year's newest artists will win the coveted Breaking Woodie.

• Arctic Monkeys (Domino)
• Chamillionaire (Chamillitary/Universal Motown)
• Imogen Heap (RCA Victor)
• Lupe Fiasco (1st & 15th/Atlantic)
• Plain White T's (Hollywood)

Left Field Woodie -- (Most Original Artist) - They're genre-busters. They came out of left field and surprised us so much, we'd still have no idea what section of the record store to look for them in. They resist all classification.

• Gnarls Barkley (Downtown/Atlantic)
• Gogol Bordello (Side One Dummy)
• Imogen Heap (RCA Victor)
• Lady Sovereign (Def Jam)
• Wolfmother (Interscope)

Best Video Woodie -- Live Action -- (Best Live Action Video) - The music video that's so incredible, we'd watch it even without the music.

• 30 Seconds to Mars "The Kill" (Virgin)
• Feist "Mushaboom" (Cherry Tree/Interscope)
• Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins "Rise up With Fists" (Team Love)
• Jurassic 5 "Work It Out" (Interscope)
• The Raconteurs  "Steady As She Goes" (V2 - Artemis)

Best Video Woodie -- Animated -- (Best Animated Video) - The music video that makes all of your favorite Sunday cartoons look foolish.

• Against Me "From Her Lips To God's Ears" (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" (Downtown/Atlantic)
• Gorillaz "El Manana" (Virgin)
• Mark Ronson "Just" (!K7/Rapster)
• Psapp "Hi" (Domino)

The Good Woodie -- (Greatest Social Impact) - The award for the artists whose commitment to a social cause has effected the greatest change this year.

• Juvenile - Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts (Atlantic)
• Ludacris - Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts (Disturbing Tha Peace)
• Pearl Jam - Environmental Protection (J)
• Rise Against - Political Awareness and Activism (Geffen)
• Serj Tankian (System of a Down) - Armenian Genocide (Columbia)

Road Woodie -- (Best Tour) - For those artists who take to the road and never let up, always giving
that memorable live performance.

• Cartel (Epic)
• Hellogoodbye (Drive Thru)
• Nightmare of You (East West)
• Taking Back Sunday (Warner Bros.)
• The Fray (Epic)

International Woodie -- (Favorite International Artist Award) - mtvU embraces musicians from all over the world and honors this year's crop of international up-and-comers, including artists from Jamaica to Australia to the UK.

• Arctic Monkeys (Domino)
• Cham (Madhouse/Atlantic)
• Corrine Bailey Rae (Capitol)
• SIA (Astralwerks)
• The Subways (Warner Bros.)

Alumni Woodie -- (a.k.a. The You're Still OK in our Book Award) - For the artists who've graduated into the wide world of mega-stardom, but who haven't forgotten where they came from. And we're proud to say, "We knew them when..."

• AFI (Interscope)
• Fiona Apple (Epic)
• Ghostface Killah (Def Jam)
• MUSE (Warner Bros.)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers (Warner Bros.)

Streaming Woodie -- (Most Downloaded) - For four weeks, top acts on the college scene go toe-to-toe on mtvU.com, with college students streaming their favorites into the finals. The four artists left standing at the end will battle it out for the Streaming Woodie.

Week 1

• Atmosphere "Say Hey There (Gotta Go to Mexico)" (Rhymesayers)
• Gym Class Heroes "Cupid's Chokehold" (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" (East West)
• The Academy Is "Checkmarks" (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• The Fray "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (Epic)

Week 2

• All-American Rejects "Move Along" (Interscope/A&M)
• Matisyahu "Youth" (Epic)
• Motion City Soundtrack "Hold Me Down" (Epitaph)
• OAR "Lay Down" (Atlantic)
• Taking Back Sunday "Makedamnsure" (Warner Bros.)

Week 3

• Armor for Sleep "The Truth About Heaven" (Equal Vision)
• Death Cab for Cutie "Crooked Teeth" (Atlantic)
• Hellogoodbye "Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn" (Drive Thru)
• Imogen Heap "Hide and Seek" (RCA Victor)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California" (Warner Bros.)

Week 4

• Arctic Monkeys "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor" (Domino)
• Cage "Shoot Frank" (Definitive Jux)
• Nightmare of You "I Want to Be Buried In Your Backyard" (East West)
• Panic! At the Disco "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies" (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• The Academy Is "Slow Down" (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)

NEWS: Buckcherry Crazy Bitch Video Suit

If you've been trolling the internet for Buckcherry's now infamous "Crazy Bitch" video to no avail, there is a reason why it's gone missing. A lawsuit has been filed against the band, their current record label and other related companies on behalf of a 16 year old girl who claims she was coerced into appearing topless and in various sexual scenarios for the video shoot. According to sources, however, all participants in the video has to show proof that they were over 18 years old and sign a release form further reaffirming their age. Band attorney Skip Miller is quoted in several news stories as stating "This woman filled out a release form with false information. And once it was determined this woman was underage, the video was removed."

Read more at the LA Times, this widely syndicated Associated Press story or almost any music news site.

NEWS: MTV Overdrive Now Mac Friendly

MTV has made their broadband platform MTV Overdrive compatible with Macs just in time for the VMAs. The channel works perfectly in both Safari and Firefox, so Mac users can now watch music video, popular shows like  Subterranean, and lots of special content on demand.

NEWS: RW Media Repping Joyrider Films

RW Media is now representing the roster of directors at Joyrider Films for music videos in the United States. Directors signed to Joyrider include Adam Bizanksi (The Shins, Wolf Parade) and Reuben Sutherland (The Doves).

NEWS: Koch Promotes Executive John Franck

KOCH has announced the promotion of executive John Franck to Senior VP of Marketing. Formerly the label's VP of Marketing, Franck will report directly to Executive VP/GM Alan Grunblatt.

Franck will continue to create and implement all day-to-day marketing activities, in addition to commissioning the label's music videos and overseeing all other aspects of visual marketing and creative services.

NEWS: HGM Repping Ramaa Mosley & Aaron Ruell

Heidi Gregory/HGM is now representing the directors Ramaa Mosley and Aaron Ruell for music videos. Both directors are signed with commercial house Uber Content. Mosley has directed spots for such brands  as  Adidas, Toshiba and Rockport, in addition to music videos for Tonic, Creed and other acts. Ruell's work includes the opening titles to Napoleon Dynamite, plus spots for Virgin Mobile, McDonalds and Kellogg's.

NEWS: Minnesota Snowbate Production Incentive

Minnesota has restored funding to the Minnesota Film & TV Board’s “Snowbate” production incentive program, which will provide a 15% reimbursement of below the line production costs incurred in the state. In order for music videos to qualify, the overall budget must exceed $100,000 and 60% of that must be spent in Minnesota. Full details on the program — and on producing in Minnesota — can be found at the Minnesota Film & TV Board’s site.

NEWS: Dropped Documentary

For every commercially successful band, there are at least another 100 — if not 1,000 — left by the wayside. Although some might tell you that most bands don't make it because they're just not good enough, fans and those behind-the-scenes know that failure often stems from a mixture of bad luck, bad timing and bad decisions. The documentary feature film Dropped is the story of some of these bands — the ones that signed with record labels, released albums and seemed to be on the verge of fulfilling their dreams, only to get abruptly "dropped." Above and beyond that, however, the film was a way for executive producer Nicole Ehrlich to shine attention on a slate of directors she respected and who — through a similar combination of bad luck and bad timing — she had not yet been able to work with in her role as video commissioner at Geffen Records.

The bands and directors featured in Dropped are:

• Hot Karl directed by George Meeker
• Bush Tetras directed by Molly Schiot and Mariah Garnett (aka Molly & Mariah)
• Murphy’s Law directed by Farah Khalid
• Burning Star directed by Av Accius
• Whiskey Biscuit directed by Rosser Goodman
• Spearhead directed by Joyce Williams
• OPM directed by John Logsdon.

Each director had complete creative control and all proceeds from the movie are going to charity. Dropped was acquired by the Sundance Chanel and is available for rent through Netflix.com

NEWS: Anonymous Signs Jake Nava

Anonymous Content has officially announced the signing of director Jake Nava to their roster for music video and commercial work.

Nava's credits include two MTV VMA award-winning clips for Beyonce — "Naughty Girl" and her duet with Jay-Z, "Crazy In Love" — in addition to videos for System Of A Down, The Rolling Stones, Mariah Carey, Natasha Bedingfield, and most recently, Paul Oakenfold featuring Brittany Murphy.

NEWS: Director Hobos With Guns Joins Factory

The director known as Hobos With Guns has signed with Factory Features. Hobos With Guns directed the debut video "Lonely Train" for Roadrunner rock act Black Stone Cherry.

NEWS: Breaking Down The VMA Numbers

For those who like to keep score, here are the numbers for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards...

Most nominated directors:

• Sophie Muller of Oil Factory : seven — all for Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
• Tony Kaye of Above The Sea : seven — all for Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
• Marc Webb of DNA : six — for three videos: A.F.I. "Miss Murder," All-American Rejects "Move Along," and Ashlee Simpson "Invisible"
• Shane C. Drake of Red Van Pictures : five — all for Panic! At The Disco "I Write Sins..."
• Johan Renck of RSA Films : five — all for Madonna "Hung Up"
• Hype Williams of Naaila Ent. and Stillking Films:  four — for three videos: Beyonce "Check On It," Jamie Foxx "Unpredictable," and Kanye West "Gold Digger"
• Bryan Barber of F.M. Rocks : four — all for Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man"

Most nominated production companies:

• HSI Productions: eleven
• F.M. Rocks: eleven
• Black Dog/RSA Films: ten
• DNA: nine
• Above The Sea: seven
• Red Van Pictures: five
• Oil Factory: five
• Anonymous Content: four   

NEWS: MTV VMA Nominees and Performers

Nominees and an initial slate of performers have been announced for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, to be broadcast live on August 31 from NYC's Radio City Music Hall. Red Hot Chili Peppers and Shakira lead all nominees with seven nods apiece, while Madonna, Panic! At the Disco and Christina Aguilera also scored multiple nominations. A full list of nominations appears after the jump.

In one significant change to previous VMAs, fans will be able to vote online for their favorites in all non-technical categories. And, while a host has still not been announced, the initial slate of performers includes Panic! At the Disco, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, T.I., Ludacris and The Killers.

UPDATED: The 10 Years video nominated has been confirmed to be the second version, directed by Kevin Kerslake. Pertinent credits have also been inserted for all the technical credits (editor, choreographer, etc.). Full details can be found at the official MTV VMA press release.

The nominees are:

• VIDEO OF THE YEAR
  
  • Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man"
  • Madonna "Hung Up"
  • Panic! At The Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
  • Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
• BEST DIRECTION IN A VIDEO
  
  • 10 Years "Wasteland" (version 2) — Kevin Kerslake, director
  • AFI "Miss Murder" — Marc Webb, director
  • Common "Testify" — Anthony Mandler, director
  • Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" — Robert Hales, director
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California" — Tony Kaye, director

• BEST MALE VIDEO
  
  • Busta Rhymes "Touch It Remix"
  • James Blunt "You're Beautiful"
  • Kanye West f/ Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"
  • Nick Lachey "What's Left Of Me"
  • T.I. "What You Know"
• BEST FEMALE VIDEO
  
  • Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man"
  • Kelly Clarkson "Because of You"
  • Madonna "Hung Up"
  • Nelly Furtado f/ Timbaland "Promiscuous"
  • Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
• BEST GROUP VIDEO
  
  • The All-American Rejects "Move Along"
  • Fall Out Boy "Dance, Dance"
  • Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"
  • Panic! At The Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
• BEST RAP VIDEO
  
  • 50 Cent "Window Shopper"
  • Busta Rhymes "Touch It Remix"
  • Chamillionaire "Ridin' "
  • T.I. "What You Know"
  • Yung Joc f/ Nitty "It's Goin' Down"
• BEST R&B VIDEO
  
  • Beyonce f/ Slim Thug "Check on It"
  • Chris Brown "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)"
  • Jamie Foxx f/ Ludacris "Unpredictable"
  • Mariah Carey "Shake It Off"
  • Mary J. Blige "Be Without You"
• BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO
  
  • Black Eyed Peas "My Humps"
  • Common "Testify"
  • Daddy Yankee "Rompe"
  • Kanye West f/ Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"
  • Three 6 Mafia "Stay Fly"
• BEST DANCE VIDEO
  
  • Madonna "Hung Up"
  • Nelly Furtado f/ Timbaland "Promiscuous"
  • Pussycat Dolls f/ Snoop Dogg "Buttons"
  • Sean Paul "Temperature"
  • Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
• BEST ROCK VIDEO
  
  • 30 Seconds To Mars "The Kill"
  • AFI "Miss Murder"
  • Green Day "Wake Me Up When September Ends"
  • Panic! at the Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
• BEST POP VIDEO
  
  • Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man"
  • Madonna "Hung Up"
  • Nelly Furtado f/ Timbaland "Promiscuous"
  • Pink "Stupid Girls"
  • Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
• BEST NEW ARTIST IN A VIDEO
  
  • Angels and Airwaves "The Adventure"
  • Avenged Sevenfold "Bat Country"
  • Chris Brown f/ Juelz Santana, "Run It!"
  • James Blunt "You're Beautiful"
  • Panic! At The Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
  • Rihanna "S.O.S."
• VIEWER'S CHOICE
  
  • Chris Brown f/ Juelz Santana "Run It!"
  • Fall Out Boy "Dance, Dance"
  • Kelly Clarkson "Because of You"
  • Rihanna "S.O.S."
  • Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
• BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A VIDEO
  
  • Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man" — Jerri Slaughter, choreographer
  • Madonna "Hung Up" — Stephanie Roos, choreographer
  • Pussycat Dolls f/ Snoop Dogg "Buttons" — Mike Mindon, choreographer
  • Sean Paul "Temperature" — Tanisha Scott, choreographer
  • Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie" — Sho-tyme, choreographer
• BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS IN A VIDEO
  
  • Angels and Airwaves "The Adventure" — Jack Effects, special effects
  • Beck "Hell Yes" — Hammer & Tongs, special effects
  • Missy Elliott "We Run This" — Louis Mackall, special effects
  • Pearl Jam "Life Wasted" — Fernando Apodaca, special effects
  • U2 "Original of the Species" — John Leamy & Lawrence Nimrichter, special effects
• BEST ART DIRECTION IN A VIDEO
  
  • 10 Years "Wasteland" (v.2) — Trae King, art director
  • Common "Testify" — David Ross, art director
  • Panic! at the Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" — Lindy McMichael, Jamie Drake, Erin Wieczorek, art directors
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California" — Justin Dragonis, art director
  • Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie" — Laura Fox, art director
• BEST EDITING IN A VIDEO
  
  • The All-American "Move Along" — J.D. Smyth, editor
  • Angels and Airwaves "The Adventure" — Clark Eddy, editor
  • Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" — Ken Mowe, editor
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California" — Peter Goddard, editor
  • U2 "Original of the Species" — Olivier Wicki, editor
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A VIDEO
  
  • AFI "Miss Murder" — Wells Hackett, DP
  • Ashlee Simpson "Invisible" — Jeff Cutter, DP
  • James Blunt "You're Beautiful" — Robbie Ryan, DP
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California" — Tony Kaye, DP
  • Prince "Black Sweat" — Checco Varese, DP
• BEST VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRACK
  
  • "Final Night Round 3" — Electronic Arts
  • "Burnout Revenge" — Electronic Arts
  • "NBA 2K6" — 2K Games
  • "Driver Parallel Lines" — Atari
  • "Mark Ecko's Getting Up" — Atari
• BEST VIDEO GAME SCORE
  
  • "Hitman Blood Money" — Jesper Kyd, composer/producer
  • "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter" — Tom Salta, composer/producer
  • "Dreamfall The Longest Journey" — Even "Magnet" Johansen, composer/producer
  • "Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion" — Jeremy Soule, composer/producer
  • "Electroplankton" — user generated soundtrack

NEWS: Soft Citizen Signs Sara St. Onge

Director Sara St. Onge has signed with production company Soft Citizen. Her directing credits include videos for the acts Final Fantasy, Gentleman Reg and The Diableros.

NEWS: Fuse Awards Show & New "Reality" Series

Spooky kids, rejoice! Fuse has joined forces with legendary horror mag Fangoria to present the first annual Fuse Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, which will honor the creepiest films, TV, and music. Set to broadcast on Fuse in October, the Chainsaws —  hopefully to be nicknamed the Chainys, which sounds like the perfect name for a celebration of all that is scary —  will feature a Black Carpet and categories like "Creepiest Kid," Best Decapitation Scene" and "Deathtime Achievement." Appropriate hosts, presenters and musical talent will be announced closer to the ceremony.

Fuse also announced the new weekly series The P.A., a mock reality series that depicts the misadventures of actual Fuse production assistant Josh Taub. Much of the show will be shot at Fuse's offices and feature the network's staffers in addition to special guests like Jared Leto and 30 Seconds To Mars, former Full House star/methamphetamine addict Jodie Sweetin and comedian Jamie Kennedy.

NEWS: NY Video Fest Fetes Hype Williams

Film critic Armond White will explore the work of acclaimed director Hype Williams as part of The 2006 New York Video Festival, co-presented by the Film Society and Lincoln Center. The 90-minute program "Believe The Hype: An Auteur Study Of Hype Williams — The Best Who Ever Did It" promises to be "the first in-depth auteur study of a music video artist, exploring Williams’ early work, career highlights, his collaborations with artists including Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes and featuring a special analysis of Williams’ radically re-imagined split-screen montage."

Believe The Hype is being held Wednesday, July 26, 8:30pm, at the Walter Reade Theater. Tickets are $10 and available through Filmlinc.com. Discounts are available for students and Film Society of Lincoln Center members.

NEWS: Mario Mares Joins Director Roster at Mabam!

Leading editor Mario Mares has signed on as a director with Mabam! Entertainment.  Mares' editorial credits include music videos for No Doubt, Black Eyed Peas, Audioslave, Dashboard Confessional, Alanis Morisette, Kanye West, Outkast and Linkin Park. He was also named Best Editor at the 2003 MVPA Awards for Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River." Mares remains with the company rOOm for his editorial work.

All directors at Mabam! Entertainment are now being represented by Laure Scott. The full Mabam! roster of directors consists of Gina Prince-Bythewood, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Abdul Malik Abbot, Maeyen A. Bassey, and Mario Mares.

NEWS: Spy Signs Jaron Albertin

Spy Entertainment has announced the signing of director Jaron Albertin to its roster. Albertin's credits include Death From Above 1979's "Sexy Results" and videos for Mew, Maximo Park and Circlesquare.

NEWS: Phil Harder Signs with Merge @ Crossroads

Director Phil Harder has joined the Merge @ Crossroads roster, where he will be represented by Tommy Labuda of Labuda Management. Harder has been directing videos since the late '80s, working with a diverse group of acts that includes Incubus, Prince, Foo Fighters, Hilary Duff, Liz Phair, Cornershop, Low and many more. A full list can be found at the website for Harder/Fuller, the production house run by Harder and his lontime producer Rick Fuller.

NEWS: 1171 Signs Brian Thompson

1171 Production Group has announced the signing of director Brian Thompson, whose credits include the World War II period piece video "Just Go" for the band Misdirection, currently featured on IFC Media Lab. Thompson also co-directed the web clip "It Hurts" for Angels And Airwaves.

NEWS: BET Uncut Cancelled

BET's longtime bastion of booty videos is apparently no more. BET Uncut's final episode was July 8 and, according to several sources, it will not be returning to the schedule. A very detailed report on the cancellation can be found at Black College Wire.

Those distraught over the loss of BET Uncut have a few options:

1. Sign an online petition to restore the show
2. Visit the apparently unaffiliated BETUncut.net before it gets sued out of existence
3. Watch a porn while listening to your favorite rap album

NEWS: RW Media To Rep Bernard Gourley

RW Media is now representing director Bernard Gourley, whose credits include music videos for E-40, Three 6 Mafia, and Consequence featuring Kanye West and John Legend. Gourley's videos will continued to be produced through Immigrant Film .

NEWS: BET Award Winners

And the winners for the 2006 BET Awards are:

• BET J Cool Like That: Anthony Hamilton
• Best Female Hip Hop:  Missy Elliott
• Best New Artist: Chris Brown
• Best Male Athlete: LeBron James
• Best Male R&B: Prince
• Best Male Hip Hop: T.I.
• Best Female R&B: Mary J. Blige
• Best Duet/Collaboration: Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"
• Best Gospel Artist: Kirk Franklin
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Chaka Khan
• Humanitarian Award: Harry Belafonte
• Viewer's Choice: Chris Brown "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)"
• Video of the Year: *tie* Mary J. Blige"Be Without You" and Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"

NEWS: BET Awards Tonight

The annual B.E.T. Awards kick off tonight at 8pm EST, broadcasting live from Los Angeles. The show is being hosted by Damon Wayans and will feature performances by Beyonce, Prince, Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, T.I., Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole and many other top artists.

Vying for Video Of The Year honors are:

• Beyonce feat. Slim Thug & Bun B "Check on It"
• Mary J. Blige "Be Without You"
• Busta Rhymes "Touch It" (remix)
• Missy Elliott  feat. Ciara "Lose Control"
• R. Kelly "Trapped In The Closet"
• Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"

A full list of nominees can be found at BET.com, while numerous broadband and other features are at a special Awards section of the site.

NEWS: Declan Whitebloom Added to Merge Roster

Declan Whitebloom has signed with Merge @ Crossroads for music video representation. A former  geography teacher in the U.K.  — and more pertinently, a distinguished editor who has cut  music videos for such artists as as Christina Aguillera, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears and several hundred others — Whitebloom has directed videos for for Lindsay Lohan, Jeannie Ortega, Jesse McCarthy and Aly & AJ.

NEWS: CADS Video Awards This Week

UK publications Music Week and Promo Magazine are holding their annual CADS Music Video Awards in association with MTV on June 8 at the famed Hammersmith Palais in London. The CADS celebrate the year's  best achievements by directors, producers, art directors, commissioners and other production professionals. Select categories and nominees include:

Best New Director
Adam Bartley (HSI London)
Martin de Thurah (Academy Films)
Lee Lennox (Draw Pictures)
Paul Minor (Streetgang Films)
Minivegas (Independent)
Nima Nourizadeh (Partizan)

Best Video Director
Sam Brown (Flynn Productions)
Jamie Hewlett & Pete Candeland (Passion Pictures)
Daniel Levi (Independent)
Scott Lyon (Factory Films)
Dawn Shadforth (Black Dog Films)
Dougal Wilson (Colonel Blimp)

A full list of categories and nominees can be found at musicweek.com.

NEWS: Resfest Event in Toronto

Resfest Canada is sponsoring the third installment of the Canadian Film Centre's Worldwide Short Film Festival's music video program Scene Not Herd.

Programmed by Resfest's Sandy Hunter, the 2006 Scene Not Herd lineup will boast clips from Jason Forrest, The Darkness, Ladytron, Sigur Ros, Bright Eyes, The Go! Team, Hot Chip and Mylo. Directors represented in the program include Arni & Kinski, Cat Solen and Jaron Albertin — some of who are expected to be in attendance.

Tickets are $10 and include admission into an off-site after party. They can be purchased at the door or online through the Worldwide Short Film Festival.

SCENE NOT HERD 06 (Toronto)
9:15, Friday, June 16
Isabel Bader Theatre : 93 Charles Street West
after party @ Savoy (235 Victoria Street, 3rd Floor)

NEWS: A Band Apart Closes

Several sources have confirmed that production company A Band Apart has closed its music video division. Their music video roster included the directors Michael Palmieri, Ryan Rickett and the duo Coodie & Chike. No official announcement has been made by the company yet.

A Band Apart was founded in the mid '90s by Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender.

NEWS: Yeah Yeahs Yeahs Want You For New Video

Alternative rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their label Interscope are challenging their fans to prove just how DIY they are by providing all the content for the band's upcoming video, "Cheated Hearts." The official rules as stated on the release form are fairly simple:

1. Send it on DV TAPE 
2. Dress the part!
3. Blast the music in the background and play or sing over it...
4. Get lost in the song make it YOURS.
5. Got guitar? mic? drums? Use'em! Got no such things? Fake it, use what you got around the house, be resourceful yeah!
6. Do as many performances as you need, we will edit it! Try and make them different:   FULL BODY, CLOSE-UP, MEDIUM,  FROM THE SIDE,  inside, outside, etc. Do the Nick, do the Brian, do the Karen O.
7. IMPORTANT: AT LEAST HALF OF YOUR PERFORMANCE SHOULD BE AGAINST A WHITE WALL, or sheet.  SO DO IT ONCE IN FRONT OF A WHITE WALL AND ONCE ANYWAY YOU WANT.
8. SEND IT TO US, DO IT QUICKLY....YOU WILL BE BIGGER THAN THE SOUND.

Step nine, of course, is signing the release form. Details and the release form are at the YYY Cheated Hearts page. The deadline for all submissions is June 12. (sources: Tripwire)

NEWS: Much Music Video Awards Nominations

Nominations have been announced for Canadian music video channel Much Music's annual awards show. Not counting a handful of "People's Choice" categories, the nominations break down as follows:

1. Rockers Billy Talent are the most nominated group, receiving nods in five categories for the "Devil In A Midnight Mass" video directed by Spy Entertainment's Sean Michael Turrell.
2. Other artists with multiple nominations include Kardinal Offishall, Massari and The Trews.
3. The most nominated director is RT!, who is up for 10 awards thanks to his multi-nominated videos for Kardinal Offishall, Massari.
4. Overall, the nominations are dominated by production companies TwoThreeFiveFilms and Spy Entertainment, which are respectively up for 13 and 12 awards.

Nominees for key awards include:

Best Rock Video:

• Billy Talent "Devil In A Midnight Mass" Sean Michael Turrell, director (Spy Ent.)
• Buck 65 "Devil's Eyes" Micah Meisner & Rich Terfry, directors (Revolver Film Co.)
• Kardinal Offishall "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" RT!, director (TwoThreeFive)
• Nickelback "Photograph" Nigel Dick, director (A Band Apart)
• The Trews "So She's Leaving" Stephen Scott, director (Spy Ent.)

Best Director:

• Experimental Parachute Moment (Kevin Drew and George Vale) for Stars "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" (Spy Ent.)
• RT! for Kardinal Offishall "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" (TwoThreeFive)
• RT! for Massari "Be Easy"  (TwoThreeFive)
• Sean Michael Turrell for Billy Talent "Devil In A Midnight Mass" (Spy Ent.)
• Stephen Scott for The Trews "So She's Leaving" (Spy Ent.)

A full list of categories and nominees is at muchmusic.com. The Much Music Video Awards will be broadcast live Sunday, June 18, from their headquarters in Toronto

NEWS: CMT Pure Country Channel Launches

CMT's new digital channel CMT Pure Country launches nationwide today with a promise of delivering  "uninterrupted country music around the clock." The network will spotlight the entire spectrum of country music, including such diverse artists as Johnny Cash, Gretchen Wilson, George Strait, Tim McGraw and Willie Nelson. Programming blocks on CMT Pure Country include:

• Studio 330 Sessions - An intimate, live performance series previously seen only at CMT.com
• Pure 12 Pack Countdown - A countdown of the top 12 country songs, as voted by fans at CMT.com
• Pure Vintage - A look back at classic country clips from as far back as the early '80s

CMT Pure Country reaches 12 million homes through the digital cable providers Comcast, Charter, Cox, CableOne, Mediaone, Knology, Cequel II, Armstrong and Blue Ridge.

NEWS: Mike Maguire Joins The Directors Bureau

Mike Maguire of the now defunct directing team Kuntz & Maguire has signed on with The Directors Bureau for music videos and commercials. Maguire's best known videos include "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar" for Electric Six and "Frontier Psychiatrist" for The Avalanches, all of which were produced and directed under the Kuntz & Maguire banner.

NEWS: MVPA Award Winners 2006

The 15th annual MVPA Awards were held last night, May 11, at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles. And the winners are...

• Video of the Year
  Audioslave "Doesn’t Remind Me" (Chris Milk, director - Radical Media)
• Director of the Year
   Marc Webb (DNA)
• Direction of a Male Artist
  Joseph Kahn for Jamiroquai "Feels Just Like It Should" (HSI)
• Direction of a Female Artist
  Floria Sigismondi for Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Revolver)
• Direction of a New Artist
  Mike Myerburg for The Like "What I Say And What I Mean" (Factory Features)
• Directorial Debut
  Scott Speer for Switchfoot "Stars" (HSI)

GENRE CATEGORIES

• Adult Contemporary
  Gwen Stefani "Cool" (Sophie Muller, director – Factory @ Oil Factory)
• Pop
  All-American Rejects "Move Along" (Marc Webb, director - DNA)
• Hip-Hop
  Kanye West "Heard ‘Em Say" (Michel Gondry, director - Partizan)
  R & B
  Stevie Wonder "What The Fuss" (Paul Hunter, director - HSI)
• Alternative
  The White Stripes "Blue Orchid" (Floria Sigismondi, director - Revolver Film Co)
• Rock
  Foo Fighters "The Best of You" (Mark Pellington, director - Merge @ Crossroads)
• Electronic
  Daft Punk "Technologic" (Thomas Bangalter & Guyman de Hamam Christo, director - Daft Arts)
• Cross Promotion
  Jessica Simpson "These Boots Are Made For Walking" (Brett Ratner, director - HSI)
• International
  Robbie Williams "Tripping" (Johan Renck, director - Black Dog)
• Under $25,000
  Bright Eyes "At the Bottom of Everything" (Cat Solen, director - Strato)
• Animated
  Nine Inch Nails "Only" (David Fincher, director - Anonymous Content)

TECHNICAL CATEGORIES

• Art Direction
  The White Stripes "The Denial Twist" (Jeff Everett & John Ferguson)
• Cinematography
  Audioslave "Doesn’t Remind Me" (Danny Hiele)
• Choreography
  Missy Elliott "Lose Control" (Hi Hat)
• Colorist/Telecine
  My Chemical Romance "Helena" (Bob Curreri)
• Editing
  Audioslave "Doesn’t Remind Me" (Livio Sanchez w/ Angelo Valencia)
• Special Effects
  Beck "Girl" (Motion Theory)
• Styling
  My Chemical Romance "Ghost of You" (Marjan Malakpour)
• Hair
  Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Pamela Neal)
• Make-Up
  Madonna "Hung Up" (Gina Brooke)

NEWS: RW Media Repping Dean Karr

RW Media has announced that they are now representing director Dean Karr, whose credits include the MTV Video Music Award winning clips "Sweet Dreams" for Marilyn Manson and "Crash Into Me" for Dave Mattthews Band.  Other directing credits include videos for  Deftones, Ozzy Osbourne, Cypress Hill and, most recently, Wicked Wisdom, Damian Marley, Seether, Shooter Jennings and Nickelcreek. Karr's videos will continue to be produced through his production company, The Mine.

NEWS: Ryan Rickett Joins A Band Apart

A Band Apart has signed director Ryan Rickett to their music video roster. Rickett has directed videos for the likes of  VHS Or Beta, She Wants Revenge and KillRadio. He is being repped in the US by Heidi Gregory and in the UK by Debroah Herbert.

NEWS: Ish Muniz Launches Highway 114 Pictures

Executive Producer Ish Muniz has announced the formation of his new production company, Highway 114 Pictures. Also directing under the Highway 114 banner are Eric Welch, Andrew Bennett, Ismael Muniz, Nicolas Hill and Dori Oskowitz. Justin Cronkite is with the company as the music video rep.

Ish Muniz was formerly the Executive Producer at Epix Films.

NEWS: Treasure Ent Adds Lionel C. Martin and mink

Treasure Entertainment adds Lionel C. Martin and mink to a music video director roster that also boasts G Thomas,  Agressive Inc, Brian Smith and Omar McGee.

Lionel C. Martin is a true hip-hop video pioneer. In addition to having co-founded Video Music Box, a still-running, 23 year old NYC show that is widely regarded to be the first programdedicated to rap videos, he has also directed many hip-hop icons including Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane and LL Cool J. Martin returned to the video scene in the mid-'90s, directing hits for Backstreet Boys and 'Nsync. mink has directed videos for Master P and other artists from the rapper's No Limit camp.

NEWS: MVPA Awards Update

The MVPA has released more details about its 15th annual MVPA Awards, to be held May 11 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

Comedian Patton Oswalt is the host. Confirmed presenters include Green Day, The Living Things, Ringside, Esthero and Zach Galiafinakis.

Honorary awards will be presented to The Smashing Pumpkins and directors Samuel Bayer and Floria Sigismondi.

As of this writing, tickets are still available. Visit mvpa.com for a downloadable ticker form, a full nominee list and more info.

NEWS: BET Jazz Relaunches As BET J

Long running BET channel BET Jazz — which was officially renamed BET J back on March 1— has taken on a new programming initiative to match it's updated name. BET Digital Networks Executive VP & GM Paxton K. Baker mapped out the new direction in a letter distributed to the industry this week.

While continuing to feature jazz music, BET J will be embracing soul, r&b, reggae, Latin and all related genres. Highlights to the new schedule include two new M-F primetime shows:

• Soul Sessions — a mix of r&b and soul videos from both veteran and developing artists
• Timeless — A biography series that focuses on the careers of r&b legends

Weekend programming is broken into two thematic days: Caribbean Saturdays which will boast a full line-up of reggae, Latin and other Caribbean music videos, and Soul Sundays, a survey of the soul and r&b  landscapes.

In addition to all of this music video programming, Baker promises in the letter that  there are plans to add even more hours in the near future.

BET J reaches over 26 million viewer and is carried by all major cable operators and Direct TV. Curretn artists being played on BET J include Amel Larrieux, Corinne Bailey Rae, Hill St. Soul, Jaheim, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo, Raheem DeVaughn and Urban Mystic. Look for BET J adds to be included in the weekly programming updates on Video Static.

NEWS: A Common Thread Adds Phenomenon

Production company A Common Thread has announced the signing of video director Phenomenon to the roster. Phenomenon's directing credits include videos for Eve, DMX, and most recently, former Fatty Koo member Miguel.

NEWS: French Music Video Fest Call For Entries

The third annual Festival International Des Arts Du Clips aka The International Music Video Festival (IMVF), to be held October 12 – 15 in Aix De Provence, France, has announced a call for entries. In addition to an award ceremony, the IMVF will also feature panels, director retrospectives and an exhibition area,

All music videos shot since July 1, 2005 are eligible for inclusion; A registration form is available for download from the site's Registration page.

The event is sponsored by the Academie Des Arts Du Clips, an association that "promotes music video from different creative perspectives and helps develop music  videos as an artform." Last year's Award Jury included directors Chris Milk and WIZ, and honored a range of videos, including Oasis "The Importance Of Being Idle" (directed by Dawn Shadforth), Maroon 5 "She Will Be Loved" (directed by Sophie Muller) and James Blunt "You're Beautiful" (directed by Sam Brown). A full recap of the 2005 and 2004 shows are at the IMVF site.

NEWS: Warner Bros. Production Hires

Denise Williams and Ashley Nichols have joined the Warner Bros. video department as Senior Directors of Video Production. In addition, Jill Presely has come on board as department assistant.

Contact info will be in the FREE weekly newsletter. Sign up (and don't forget you have to CONFIRM via email once you register).

NEWS: Gina Harrell Joins Universal Video Prod Dept

Gina Harrell has been named the the new Senior V.P., Video Production for the Universal Motown Republic group. She joins Amanda Allen in the department.

NEWS: Panzer & Friedman Exit Universal Production Dept

Longtime Universal-Motown video production execs Jeff Panzer and Wendi Friedman are leaving the label to start a new company that will specialize in freelance video commissioning and other creative services. Their last day at Universal is Friday, April 20.

Friedman exits as VP, Music Video Production, while Panzer reigned as The Emperor Of All Video for over a decade. During their tenure at Universal, they were responsible for commissioning videos for the label's full roster, including the Platinum stars Nelly, 3 Doors Down, Cash Money, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Godsmack and many others.

Video Static will have Panzer and Friedman's contact info in tomorrow's FREE weekly email recap, so now's as good a time as any to make sure you're signed up.

NEWS: Res Screening Set For Tuesday

Those in the L.A. area are encouraged to go check out the April installment of Res' monthly screening at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre. Scheduled for Tuesday, April 18 at 8pm, Res will be spotlighting new music videos from The Arctic Monkeys, Belle & Sebastian, Junkie XL and Hot Chip. The five finalists from The Directors Bureau's 60 Second Film Challenge will also be screened. And, an after party is being sponsored by Ultra Records to celebrate the release of Junkie XL's new album, Today.

Not bad for $10, huh? Further information at Res; Tickets at TicketWeb

NEWS: CMT Awards Winners

Keith Urban won Video of the Year for his clip "Better Life," directed by Chris Hickey, at Monday night's CMT Music Award. The other big winner of the night was American Idol Carrie Underwood, who scored awards for Breakthrough Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year for "Jesus, Take The Wheel." In the show's lone production category, Sophie Muller was named Video Director of the Year for her Faith Hill and Tim McGraw clip, "Like We Never Loved At All."

The full list of winners is as follows:

• Video of the Year: Keith Urban "Better Life"
• Female Video: Carrie Underwood "Jesus, Take The Wheel"
• Male Video: Kenny Chesney "Who You'd Be Today"
• Group/Duo Video: Rascal Flatts "Skin (Sarabeth)"
• Collaborative Video: Bon Jovi feat. Jennifer Nettles "Who Says You Can't Go Home"
• Breakthrough Video: Carrie Underwood "Jesus, Take The Wheel"
• Hottest Video: Billy Currington "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right"
• Most Inspiring Video: Brad Paisley feat. Dolly Parton "When I Get Where I'm Going"
• Video Director : Sophie Muller for Faith Hill & Tim McGraw "Like We Never Loved At All"

Visit CMT for a full recap of the awards show...

NEWS: Brett Simon Signs With DNA

Director Brett Simon has joined the roster at DNA. His directing credits include videos for The Killers, Hoobastank, The Walkmen and Unwritten Law.

NEWS: Death Cab Video Actor Turns Vigilante

Not only does James "P.J." Ransone have eternal indie cred  for his starring role in director Laurent Briet's Death Cab For Cutie video "What Sarah Said," but he's also a hero. The actor made the news yesterday for coming to the rescue of a woman who had been attacked by a rapist.

The actor prevented the rape and chased down the assailant, who he subsequently beat with a metal bar. A story in The New York Post's Page Six column quotes the actor as saying, "I pictured my mom, my girlfriend and every girl I've ever loved and thought, 'Vengeance is mine.' " Read the full story at the New York Post.

NEWS: Music Video Reality Series Planned

Shrivastava Media Group and MediaVision International are currently in pre-production for the reality series Above The Line: The Search For America's Next Music Video Director. Aspiring directors will be pitted against each other in production-related challenges that will involve making real videos with real budgets for real bands.  The grand prize winner will get to direct a "big-budget" music video and will receive a one-year director representation contract with a leading production company.

Potential contestants can still submit their applications through April 15. There are also opportunities for record labels and other sponsors. Full information can be found at nextmvdirector.com.

NEWS: MVPA Awards Nominees

The MVPA has officially announced the nominees for the 2006 MVPA Awards.  The Revolver Film Company leads all production companies with seven nominations in the award show's genre categories. Other top nominated companies in the genre categories include Partizan, HSI and Anonymous Content with six nominations each, Black Dog with five nominations, and @radical.media and DNA with four nominations each.

Vying for Director Of The Year honors at the award show will be: Chris Milk, Floria Sigismondi, The Malloys, Marc Webb and Sophie Muller. A full list of all nominees appears, as they say, after the jump.

The 15th annual MVPA Awards will be held May 11 at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets will be available at MVPA.com this week.

2006 MVPA Awards Nominees

DIRECTOR CATEGORIES

Director of the Year
The Malloys
          The White Stripes “My Doorbell”
          Jack Johnson “Sitting Waiting Wishing”
          Black Eyed Peas “Don’t Phunk With My Heart”
Chris Milk
          Audioslave “Doesn’t Remind Me”
          Natasha Bedingfield “These Words”
Sophie Muller
          Gwen Stefani “Cool”
          Garbage “Bleed Like Me”
          Faith Hill “Like We Never Loved At All”
Floria Sigismondi
          Fiona Apple “O’ Sailor”
          Living Things “Bom Bom Bom”
          The White Stripes “Blue Orchid”
Marc Webb
          My Chemical Romance “Helena”
          All-American Rejects “Move Along”
          Weezer “Perfect Situation”

Direction of a Male Artist
Beck "Girl" (Motion Theory, director)
Jamiroquai "Feels Just Like It Should (Joseph Kahn, director)
Jack Johnson "Sitting Waiting Wishing" (The Malloys, director)
Nine Inch Nails "Only" (David Fincher, director)
Rob Thomas "This Is How A Heart Breaks Pedro Romhanyi, director)

Direction of a Female Artist
Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Floria Sigismondi, director)
Feist "Mushaboom" (Patrick Daughters, director)
Madonna "Hung Up" (Johan Renck, director)
Shakira "La Tortura" (Michael Haussman, director)
Gwen Stefani "Cool" (Sophie Muller, director)

Direction of a New Artist
The Ditty Bops "Wishful Thinking" (Adria Petty, director)
Jem "They" (Laurent Briet, director)
The Like "What I Say And What I Mean" (Mike Myerburg, director)
People In Planes "If You Talk Too Much" (Joaquin Phoenix, director)
Regina Spektor "Us" (Adria Petty, director)

Directorial Debut
Bright Eyes "At the Bottom of Everything" (Cat Solen, director)
Ladytron "Destroy" (Adam Bartley, director)
Ringside "Tired of Being Sorry" (Joaquin Phoenix, director)
Regina Spektor "Us" (Adria Petty, director)
Switchfoot "Stars" (Scott Speer, director)

GENRE CATEGORIES

Adult Contemporary
Michael Buble "Feeling Good" (Noble Jones, director - Revolver Film Co)
Coldplay "Fix You" (Sophie Muller, director – Factory @ Oil Factory.)
Jack Johnson "Sitting Waiting Wishing" (The Malloys, directors - Black Dog)
Gwen Stefani "Cool" (Sophie Muller, director – Factory @ Oil Factory)
Ringside "Tired of Being Sorry" (Joaquin Phoenix, director - Anonymous Content)

Pop
All-American Rejects "Move Along" (Marc Webb, director - DNA)
Natasha Bedingfield "These Words" (Chris Milk, director - Radical Media)
Jamiroquai "Feels Just Like It Should" (Joseph Kahn, director - HSI /Exposure)
Madonna "Hung Up" (Johan Renck, director - Black Dog)
Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl" (Paul Hunter, director - HSI)

Hip-Hop
Missy Elliott "Lose Control" (Dave Meyers, director - Radical Media)
Damian Marley "Road To Zion" (Frank E. Flowers, director - Radical Media)
Matisyahu "King Without A Crown" (Paul Brown, director - Anonymous Content)
Fort Minor "Petrified" (Robert Hales, director - HSI)
Kanye West "Heard ‘Em Say" (Michel Gondry, director - Partizan)

R & B
Mary J Blige "Be With Out U" (Matthew Rolston, director - HSI /Venus)
Ginuwine "When We Make Love" (Philip Andelman, director - Partizan)
Anthony Hamilton "Can’t Let Go" (Dean Karr, director - The Mine)
Kem "Find Your Way" (Anthony Mandler, director - Box Fresh)
Stevie Wonder "What The Fuss" (Paul Hunter, director - HSI)

Alternative
Beck "Girl" (Motion Theory, directors - Motion Theory)
The Bravery "Honest Mistake" (Mike Palmieri, director - A Band Apart)
Franz Ferdinand "Do You Want To" (Diane Martel, director - DNA)
Rise Against "Swing Life" (Estevan Oriol, director - SA Studios)
Sigur Ros "Glosoli" (Arni & Kinski, directors - Exposure Films/Truenorth)
The White Stripes "Blue Orchid" (Floria Sigismondi, director - Revolver Film Co)

Rock
Audioslave "Doesn’t Remind Me" (Chris Milk, director - Radical Media)
Foo Fighters "The Best of You" (Mark Pellington, director - Merge @ Crossroads)
Living Things "Bom Bom Bom" (Floria Sigismondi, director - Revolver Film Co)
Nine Inch Nails "Only" (David Fincher, director - Anonymous Content)
Rilo Kiley "Portions for Foxes" (Brian Lazzaro, director - Black Dog)

Electronic
Chemical Brothers "Believe" (Dom & Nic, director - Oil Factory)
Daft Punk "Technologic" (Thomas Bangalter & Guyman de Hamam Christo, director - Daft Arts)
Esthero "We R in Need of a Musical ReVoLuTIon" (Noble Jones, director - Revolver Film Co)
Panther "You Don’t Want Your Nails Done" (Whitey, director - Believe Media)
Tiga "U Gonna Want Me" (Olivier Gondry, director - Partizan)

Cross Promotion
Atreyu "Her Portrait in Black" (Rob Schroeder, director - NIE)
Incubus "Make A Move" (Marc Webb, director - DNA)
Ben Moody f/Anastacia "Everything Burns" (Antti J. Jokinen, director - DNA)
Jessica Simpson "These Boots Are Made For Walking" (Brett Ratner, director - HSI)
The Twenty Twos "Another Day" ( Charles Jensen, director - Anonymous Content)

International
Franz Ferdinan "Walk Away" (Scott Lyon, director – Factory @ Oil Factory)
Jamiroquai "Don’t Give Hate A Chance" (Alex & Martin, directors - Partizan)
Kylie Minogue "Can’t Stop Giving You Up" (Alex & Martin, directors - Partizan)
Supergrass "Low C" (Garth Jennings, director - Anonymous Content/Hammer & Tongs)
Robbie Williams "Tripping" (Johan Renck, director - Black Dog)

Under $25,000
Autolux "Turnstile Blues" (Shawn Kim, director - Black Dog)
Bright Eyes "At the Bottom of Everything" (Cat Solen, director - Strato)
Death Cab For Cutie "Crooked Teeth" (Rob Schrab, director - Oil Factory)
Idiot Pilot "Day in the Life of a Pool Shark" (Shafei & Levitz, directors - Revolver Film Co)
Kennedy "Your Mama" (Joel Lava, director - Transistor Studios)

Animated
Jamiroquai "Don’t Give Hate A Chance" (Alex & Martin, directors - Partizan)
Living Things "Bom Bom Bom" (Floria Sigismondi, director - Revolver Film Co)
Nine Inch Nails "Only" (David Fincher, director - Anonymous Content)
Regina Spektor "Us" (Adria Petty, director - Revolver Film Co)
Velvet Revolver "Dirty Little Thing" (Motion Theory, directors - Motion Theory

TECHNICAL CATEGORIES

Art Direction
Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Zach Mathews)
Beck "Girl" (Matthew Holt)
My Chemical Romance "Ghost of You" (Zach Mathews)
The White Stripes "Blue Orchid" (Sue Tebbutt)
The White Stripes "The Denial Twist" (Jeff Everett & John Ferguson)

Cinematography
Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Nicola Periconi)
Audioslave "Doesn’t Remind Me" (Danny Hiele)
Sigur Ros "Glosoli" (Chris Soos)
Gwen Stefani "Luxurious" (Karsten "Crash" Gopinath)
The White Stripes "Blue Orchid" (Chris Soos)

Choreography
Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Michael Rooney)
Madonna "Hung Up" (Jamie King)
Missy Elliott "Lose Control" (Hi Hat)
My Chemical Romance "Helena" (Michael Rooney)
Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl" (Kishaya Dudley)

Colorist/Telecine
Audioslave "Doesn’t Remind Me" (Dave Hussey)
Natasha Bedingfield "These Words" (Dave Hussey)
Foo Fighters "The Best of You" (Beau Leon)
Green Day "Wake Me Up When September Ends" (Beau Leon)
My Chemical Romance "Helena" (Bob Curreri)

Editing
All-American Rejects "Move Along" (JD Smyth)
Audioslave "Doesn’t Remind Me" (Livio Sanchez w/ Angelo Valencia)
Missy Elliott "Lose Control" (Chris Davis)
Foo Fighters "The Best Of You" (Nathan Cox)
The White Stripes "Blue Orchid" (Holle Singer)

Special Effects
Beck "Girl" (Motion Theory)
Natasha Bedingfield "These Words" (Giant Steps)
Nine Inch Nails "Only" (Digital Domain)
Missy Elliott "Lose Control" (Radium)
The White Stripes "The Denial Twist" (The Mill)

Styling
Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Marjan Malakpour)
Madonna "Hung Up" (Arianne Phillips)
My Chemical Romance "Ghost of You" (Marjan Malakpour)
My Chemical Romance "Helena" (Marjan Malakpour)
The White Stripes "My Doorbell" (Marjan Malakpour – band; Aubrey Binzer & Mieke Dumont – audience)

Hair
Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Pamela Neal)
Faith Hill "Like We Never Loved At All" (Danilo)
My Chemical Romance "Ghost of You" (Lorena Lopez)
Pink "Stupid Girls" (Danilo)
The White Stripes "My Doorbell" (Yuji Kojima)

Make-Up
Fiona Apple "O’ Sailor" (Pamela Neal)
Madonna "Hung Up" (Gina Brooke)
My Chemical Romance "Ghost of You" (Lorena Lopez)
Pink "Stupid Girls" (Billy B)
Mariah Carey "Don’t Forget About Us" (Kristopher Buckle)

NEWS: Juno Awards Video Winners

Directors Christopher Mills, Micah Meisner and Rich Tefry took home Junos at last night's awards show in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

• Christopher Mills won in the category of Music DVD Of The Year for his Tragically Hip documentary Hipeponymous. Mills accepted the award alongside Tragically Hip band leader Gord Downie and Universal Music Canada executives Allan Reid and Shawn Marino.
• Micah Meisner and Rich Tefry won for their co-direction of the Buck 65 video "Devils Eyes."

A full list of winners at the annual Canadian music awards show can be found at junoawards.ca.

NEWS: Chris Robinson's ATL in Theaters

Longtime music video director Chris Robinson's feature film debut ATL opens in theaters today, March 31. A lot of factors point to this becoming a big hit among hip hop fans: In addition to Robinson's well-deserved rep as one of the most prolific and successful video directors of the past decade, the movie stars rappers Tip "T.I." Harris and Antwan Andre "Big Boi" Patton, the story is by Antwone Fisher,  and backers that includes superstar Will Smith, music impresario Dallas Austin, and TLC member Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins.

Chris Robinson has directed far too many music videos to name here, having worked with such stars as Jay- Z, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, P Diddy, Busta Rhymes and Usher. He's repped for videos by Robin Frank Management.

NEWS: Gavin Bowden Joins Plum Productions

Plum Productions officially announced the addition of director Gavin Bowden to the roster today. Well established in the music video world, Bowden has directed clips for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine and Matchbox 20. Most recently, Bowden directed a series of interstitial spots dubbed The Courier that aired on CBS and featured the Pontiac Torrent SUV. He's currently in pre-production for a Wal-Mart spot.

NEWS: Andrew Gura Signs with Partizan

Partizan's Danielle Hinde is now representing director Andrew Gura for music videos. Gura's credits include the Quasimoto & Madlib old school collage video "Rappcats Pt. 3" in addition to clips for Nas, Leela James, Saul Williams and many artists on influential indie rap label Stones Throw.

CONGRATS: Zach Merck & Amanda Allen

I am sure you will all join me in wishing the best of luck to director Zach Merck and Universal's Amanda Allen, who are getting married this weekend. I understand Zach is still deciding between Lionel Richie and Lacuna Coil as the music for their first dance as husband and wife.

Congratulations!

NEWS: SXSW Video Preview

Those who prefer their music on-screen, as opposed to on-stage, will still find plenty of options when the film component of SXSW launches on March 10. In addition to video screenings, many music video directors and music-themed films are on the schedule. Highlights include:

• Director Zach Merck's documentary Punk Like Me about a writer/family man who forms the punk rock mariachi band Carne Asada specifically to go on the Warped Tour and lives his dream
• Awesome: I Fuckin' Shot That capturres a Beastie Boys concert at Madison Square Garden in footage shot by actual audience members.
• loudQUIETloud documents the triumphant reunion of the Pixies. It was directed by Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin
• Director JL Aronson's Danielson: A Family Movie provides a look at the utterly unique and bizarre indie act The Danielson Family.
• Video director Risa Machuca — best known as a second unit director and collaborator for Chris Robinson — will be showing Shortstop, a film she co-directed with Fanny Veliz
• Directing team Terri Timely will represent with the short film A Persistant Vision
• Arno Salters unveils the animated short Playtime, which is basically a music video for the electronic group General Electrics

SXSW's music video showcase will boast clips from Laura Veirs, Plastalina Mosh, The Willowz, Sleater-Kinney and many other acts.

NEWS: Editor Mario Mares Now With rOOm

Video editor Mario Mares has joined the staff of film/tv company rOOm. Mares' most recent editing credits include Say Anything's "Alive With The Glory Of Love," directed by Kevin Kerslake, and the as yet unreleased Nine Inch Nails' video "Every Day is Exactly The Same," directed by Francis Lawrence. Other notable clips edited by Mares include No Doubt's "It's My Life," Staind's "For You" and Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River," for which he won an MVPA Award.

NEWS: MTV TRL Awards Scheduled

The annual TRL Awards will held tomorrow, Saturday at noon EST on MTV.  Artists scheduled to appear include Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Madonna, Fallout Boy, My Chemical Romance and many other stars. Chris Brown will be performing and Kelly Clarkson will be world-premiering her video "Walk Away."

NEWS: Labuda Management Adds Villains

Labuda Management is now repping Villains directors Benjamin Goldman and Philippe Andre for music videos. Philippe's credits include directing the Morcheeba video "World Looking In," while Benjamin directed the "Mercy Me" clip for Alkaline Trio.

NEWS: Res Screening in Hollywood

A Res screening event is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28 at The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The event promises videos from Death Cab For Cutie and The Go! Team, short films, an after party and even a raffle. Tickets are $10 and available from Ticketweb.

NEWS: Juno Music Video Nominees

Nominees for the 2006 Juno Awards — which is essentially the Canadian version of the Grammys — were announced at a February 15 media event in Toronto.

Nominees for the Video of The Year Award are:

• Arcade Fire "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" - directed by Plates Animation
• Arcade Fire "Rebellion (Lies)" - directed by Chris Grismer
• Buck 65 "Devil’s Eyes" - directed by Micah Meisner & Rich Terfry
• Lhasa De Sela "Con Toda Palabra" - directed by Ralph Dfouni & Brigitte Henry
• The Living Things "Bom Bom Bom" - directed by Floria Sigismondi

Christopher Mills is also up for a Music DVD Of The Year award for his work on The Tragically Hip project Hipeponymous.

The Junos will be held Sunday, April 2 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

NEWS: Gina Prince-Bythewood Now Repped by Visual Artists

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood has signed with John Randolph's company Visual Artists for music video representation. Prince-Bythewood wrote and directed the feature film Love & Basketball and directed the HBO film Disappearing Acts and the "All I Need" video for Fat Joe featuring Tony Sunshine.

Prince-Bythewood remains signed with production company Mabam! Entertainment on a roster that also boasts  her husband/feature film director Reggie Rock Bythewood, Abdul Malik Abbott and Maeyen A. Bassey.

NEWS: Cat Solen Signs with Partizan

Director Cat Solen has signed with Partizan. She will still be represented by Justine Smith of Stompbox Media.

Cat directed both the "Bowl Of Oranges" and "At The Bottom of Everything" videos for Bright Eyes.

NEWS: Zach Merck Joins Radical Media

Director Zach Merck has signed with @radical.media for representation. The director's credits include videos for many hard rock acts, including Hinder , Cold, Vaux, Life Of Agony, Atreyu and many others.

NEWS: Alchemy Signs Tony Petrossian for UK

Director Tony Petrossian has signed with Alchemy Pictures for the UK. He is still with Rockhard Films and Robin Frank Representation for the US. The director's credits include videos for Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold. Most recently, Petrossian directed a video for Mercury UK band Orson.

NEWS: Directors Bureau/Res 60 Sec Film Contest

Can you define love in sixty seconds?

Production company The Directors Bureau (TDB) and creative lifestyle magazine Res are co-hosting a very short film contest. The TDB Directors Challenge is accepting submissions of short films that are no longer than 60 seconds and be centered on the theme of love. The top five entries will be posted on TDB website and the ultimate winning filmmaker — as chosen by the TDB staff —  will receive $2,000.

Submissions are due by midnight, February 28. Complete details and rules have been "declassified" at the TDB_60 site.

Director Bureau's roster boasts Roman Coppola, Sofia Coppola, AV Club and Shynola. Staffers include Executive Producer Cayce Cole, Music Video Rep Lana Kim and Production Manager Eric Normington.

NEWS: Oil Factory Adds Director Eliot Jokelson

Director Eliot Jokelson has signed with Oil Factory for representation. Jokelson's music video directorial credits include "Staring At The Sun" and "Dreams" for TV On The Radio. He also co-directed "Fortress" for Pinback.

NEWS: Resfest Call For Entries

Resfest will be celebrating a decade of showcasing the most innovative film work at their just announced 2006 incarnation. Slated to hit 35 venues spread out over six continents, Resfest 2006 will highlight creative works in shorts, music videos and feature films, in addition to a retrospective look at the most memorable moments from Resfest's history.

Submissions are now being accepted online at resfest.com/submissions. Those wishing to take advantage of early-bird pricing and opportunities have a deadline of April 14. The final deadline for submissions is May 16.

Resfest showcases work in all genres and visual forms, including narrative, documentary, experimental, design-oriented work; entries can be live action or animated, or hybrid. Entries may be shot or created in any format: film, analog/digital video or entirely on a computer. More information can be found at resfest.com.

NEWS: Lightborne Promotions & Announcement

Cincinnati motion design and production studio Lightborne announced the promotion of several of its members. Designers/directors Tuesday McGowan and Chris Gliebe are now the co-creative directors, and Molly Donnellon has been upped from prodcer to executive producer. Lightborne will also be  creating a CG department.

Lighborne has created music videos for Bad Religion, Death Cab For Cutie, The Greenhornes and many other bands, in addition to motion design work for such clients as MTV, Comedy Central and ESPN.

NEWS: Grammy Video Winners

And the winners in the music video field at the 2005 Grammy Awards were...

Best Short Form Music Video:
"Lose Control"
Missy Elliott feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop
Missy Elliott & Dave Meyers, directors
Joseph Sasson, producer
(Goldmind/Atlantic)

Best Long Form Music Video:
"No Direction Home"
Bob Dylan
Martin Scorsese, director
Margaret Bodde, Susan Lacy, Jeff Rosen, Martin Scorsese, Nigel Sinclair & Anthony Wall, producers
(Columbia Legacy/Paramount Home Video)

NEWS: Floria Sigismondi NYC Book Signing

Photographer and music video director Floria Sigismondi will be at the NYC Virgin Megastore in Times Square 6pm TODAY, Wednesday February 8, to sign copies of her new book Immune.

Immune collects previously unseen photos of Bjork, Christina Aguilera and The White Stripes, stills from her music videos, self portraits and other work.

The Virgin Megastore is located at 1540 Broadway, between 45th and 46th streets. Lillian Berlin of rock band Living Things will be performing a DJ set at the signing.

NEWS: Dr. Teeth Now Repped By John Randolph/Visual Artists

Up and coming video director Dr. Teeth is now being represented by John Randolph of Visual Artists.  Dr. Teeth's director credits include videos for Lil Wayne, Trina, T.I., Mike Jones, Paul Wall and Slim Thug. He remains signed to The Filming Company.

NEWS: Sanaa Hamri Feature Film Opens

Sanaa Hamri's feature film directorial debut Something New, had a very respectable opening over the Super Bowl weekend, grossing $5 on just over 1,200 screens. Hamri — who is signed with Anonymous Content and represented by Robin Frank — has directed music videos for Prince, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, Jadakiss and many other r&b/rap stars.

Box office statistics from Box Office Mojo.

Other music video directors with films slated for release in 2006 include Chris Robinson with ATL and Michel Gondry with The Science Of Sleep and the Dave Chappelle concert extravaganza Block Party.

NEWS: Murder at Busta Rhymes Video Shoot

A video shoot for a remix of Busta Rhymes "Touch It" was seriously disrupted by gunfire that resulted in the death of the rapper's 29 year old bodyguard Israel Ramirez. The AK-47 used in the shooting was discovered near the scene, but no arrests have yet been made.

The production took place in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn and  rappers on location for cameos included Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Missy Elliott.

further reading/sources: Billboard | New York Times |New York Newsday

NEWS: Aaron Stewart-Ahn/Decemberists Win Plug Video Award

The Decemberists "Sixteen Military Wives" was honored as Music Video of the Year  at the 2006 Plug Awards, held last night in NYC. The clip was directed by Aaron Stewart-Ahn and can be viewed at his production company's site, otaku-house.com.

Other winners at the show included Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. A full list of winners is at plugawards.com.

NEWS: DP Eric Robbins Now Repped by NY Office

Director of Photography Eric Robbins has signed with New York Office for music video and commercial representation.

Eric was the DP on Action Action "The Game," Matchbook Romance "Monsters" and additional videos for such acts as We Are Scientists, Koufax and Straylight Run.

NEWS: Director Phil Griffin Joins Anonymous

Anonymous Content has announced the signing of director Phil Griffin for music video and commercial representation in the United States. Griffin is one of the most prolific directors in the U.K., having worked with the likes of  Daniel Bedingfield, Westlife and Mis-Teeq. A more complete list of credits can befound at mvdbase.com.

Prior to becoming a director, Griffin was a choreographer and then a member of MCA Records' marketing department where he served as a video commissioner.

NEWS: Director Shawn Kim Joins Streetgang

Streetgang Films has signed director Shawn Kim for music video productions. He will be repped in the US by Heidi Gregory and in the UK by Alexa Haywood.

Shawn's video credits include directing "Turnstile Blues" for Autolux.

NEWS: MTV Executive Reorganization

MTV has announced a reorganization of its executive staff:

• Amy Doyle, formerly VP, Music Programming is now Sr. VP of Music & Talent.
• Peter Baron, VP, Label Relations, MTV & MTV2, is now also responsible for programming MTV's VOD services and the network's new Hi Def channel MHD.
• Tony DiBari has been upped to Sr. VP, Production from his previous position as Vice President, Production.
• Ocean MacAdams, VP, MTV News will continue to helm the network's news department.
• Dave Sirulnick will lead MTV's music, production and news divisions in his new role as Executive VP, MTV Multiplatform Production.

Full details and additional changes can be found in the official press release, or at one of the many sites covering the story, including Hits Daily Double and Mediaweek.

NEWS: UPN and WB Networks to Merge

It's being reported that TV channels WB and UPN will shut down and merge into a new channel called The CW.

Expected to launch this fall, The CW will be a 50/50 joint venture between CBS and Warner Bros, who respectively own UPN and The WB. Confirmed stations to be joining the network include WGN in Chicago, KTLA in Los Angeles, and WPIX in New York.

On the music video front, it's unclear how this pending change will affect the many music video shows that air on various WB and UPN carriers. It's also unclear what will happen with UPN and WB stations that do not join the CW network.

Sources: Associated Press | Reuters | Google News

NEWS: Plug Indie Music Awards

Voting is still open for the  2006 Plug Independent Music Awards. Designed to celebrate independent and creative music, the Plug Awards also recognize independently owned and operated 'zines, college radio stations and record stores.

Voting is open to the public (yes, that means you). Go to Plugawards.com to fill out your ballot.

The Nominees for "Music Video of the Year" are:

• Aesop Rock "Fast Cars, Danger, Fire And Knives" (Definitive Jux)
• Bloc Party "Helicopter" (Vice)
• Cage "Shoot Frank" (Definitive Jux)
• The Decemberists "16 Military Wives" (Kill Rock Stars)
• Goblin Cock "Stumped" (Absolutely Kosher)
• Jason Forrest "War Photographer" (Sonig)
• Maximo Park "Graffiti" (Warp)
• The National "Daughters Of The Soho Riots" (Beggars)
• North American Halloween Prevention Initiative "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" (Vice)
• Of Montreal "Wraith Pinned To The Mist (And Other Games)" (Polyvinyl)
• Quasimoto "Bullyshit" (Stones Throw)
• Stars "Ageless Beauty" (Arts & Crafts)

Winners will be announced at a February 2 event at NYC's Webster Hall. Nominees scheduled to perform include The National, Chad VanGaalen and Cage. Tickets are available through Ticketweb.com.

NEWS: MVPA Awards Entries Being Accepted

The Music Video Production Association (MVPA) has begun soliciting for entries for the 2006 MVPA Awards Show. All entries must be submitted through a special section of the MVPA Awards site, where you can upload a 90 second sample of your video for consideration in three overarching categories of awards — musical genre, directorial and technical — which contains a total of 25 different sub-categories. There is a $60 charge ($35 for MVPA members) for each of the three main categories to which a video is submitted. The deadline for submissions is February 10.  Full information and instructions can be found at mvpaawards.com.

The 2005 MVPA Awards honored director Mark Romanek's "99 Problems" video for Jay-Z as the Video of The Year and Francis Lawrence as Director Of The Year. A full list of winners is at mvpa.com.

NEWS: MTV Spankin' New Music Week Rocks

MTV's Spankin' New Music Week Rocks kicks off this Tuesday, January 17. Highlights include special guests on TRL and numerous video premieres.

TRL performance schedule
Tuesday: Avenged Sevenfold and The Academy Is
Wednesday:  Yellowcard
Thursday: Coheed & Cambria
Friday: P.O.D.

MTV2 Unleashed video debuts through the week include:
Foo Fighters "Resolve"
All American Rejects "Move Along"
P.O.D. "Goodbye For Now"
Panic! At the Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"

Check in with MTV's Spankin' New Music Week Rocks page for additional programming elements and the most up-to-date schedules.

NEWS: Closed Captioning Requirements

If you've noticed more closed captioning (CC) logos on TV since January 1, 2006, that's due to an FCC rule that requires almost everything on TV to be closed captioned. This includes music videos. Therefore, many music video programs on broadcast TV (like Music Mix USA in Florida and other nearby states) and cable video stations like FUSE now require that submissions be closed captioned. Other stations, like MTV, have always required that video submissions be closed captioned.

There are some notable exemptions to this new law. Based on my research, the following are not required to closed caption:

• Programming that airs between 2am and 6am
• New networks that have been airing for less than four years
• Channels with revenues under $3 million and/or channels for whom captioning would exceed 2% of gross revenue
• Public access and leased access shows

Bottom line: If you have a music video and hope to have it aired on TV, you might as well get it closed captioned. It only costs a couple hundred dollars or so. If you're a programmer on a public or leased access channel, I recommend you contact your station to check their CC requirements.

To read more about the new rules, check out the FCC closed captioning page or Media Access Guide at WBGH.com. Or, get a lawyer.

NEWS: Clear Channel Starts Streaming Video

The websites of 16 Clear Channel radio stations will be launching music video on-demand services today. Users will be able to stream content from a library of thousands of music videos from  Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, EMI Music and other labels. Each station website will have customized players with interactive features that let users vote for their favorites, buy CDs and share links to each clip.

Participating markets, stations and music formats are:

New York
WHTZ - Z100 (CHR/Pop)
WAXQ - Q104.3 (Classic Rock)
WWPR - Power 105.1 (Urban)
WLTW - 106.7 Litefm (AC-Soft)

Los Angeles
KBIG - 104.3 (AC)
KIIS - 102.7 (CHR/Pop)
KYSR - Star 98.7 (Hot AC)

Boston
WXKS - Kiss 108 (CHR/Pop)
WJMN - Jam'n 94.5 (CHR/Rhythmic)

Washington, D.C.
WITH - Hot 99.5 (CHR/Pop)
WMZQ - 98.7 (Country)
WWDC - DC 101 (Rock-Alternative)

St. Louis
KSLZ - Z107.7 (CHR/Pop)
KSD - 93.7 The Bull (Country)
KATZ - 100.3 The Beat (Urban)
KMJM - Majic 104 (Urban-AC)

NEWS: Google Video to Add a Store

Google used the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce the addition of a Video Store to their Google Video offerings. Users will be able to buy and/or rent all sorts of content, including current and classic CBS programs, NBA games and videos from Sony BMG labels. Sony BMG artists include such star acts as Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Kenny Chesney, Jessica Simpson, Shakira and System of A Down.

Users will be able to download non-copy-protected content from Google Video and play it on iPods and Sony PSP Playstation Protables. The Store will be available throughout the world, but premium content that can be purchased will only be available in the U.S.

An official launch date for the Google Video Store has not yet been announced.

NEWS: John Randolph/Visual Artists To Rep Jeremy Rall

Director Jeremy Rall is now being repped for music videos by John Randolph of Visual Artists. Rall's credits include videos for Ludacris, Chingy, Beenie Man, Talib Kweli, Floetry and many others. The director remains signed with production company Anonymous Content.

NEWS: Further Details on MTV and Microsoft's URGE

Microsoft unveiled the new Windows Media Player 11 and a preview of the MTV Networks digital music service Urge at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Urge will offer a catalog of over 2 million songs that can be purchased or listened to through subscription plans, in addition to streaming radio stations, feature stories, music videos and much more. Music from Urge will be compatible with the Xbox 360 and all other portable and home devices that support Windows Media.

Urge will of course be cross-promoted on all MTV Channels and will also be integrated into their main web portals MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com. Look for Urge to be introduced when Windows Media Player 11 launches later this year.

NEWS: DNA Signs Kevin Bray and Marcus Raboy

Directors Kevin Bray and Marcus Raboy have joined the roster of production company DNA.

Both Bray and Raboy have directed many music videos over the years, in addition to feature films:

• Kevin Bray directed the movies All About The Benjamins and Walking Tall, in addition to videos for Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Folds Five, Savage Garden, Brandy and many more artists.
• Marcus Raboy's credits include music videos for the likes of Shania Twain, Naughty By Nature,  Santana and Mary J. Blige, and the Ice Cube movie Friday After Next.

NEWS: Resfest Music Video Winners

Res announced the Audience Choice and Jury Award-Winning films of Resfest 2005 at a screening event in L.A. earlier this week. And the winners are...

Audience award for best music video:

• Carpark North “Human” - directed by Martin de Thurah

Jury awards for music videos:

• Jury Prize Best Music Video: The Chemical Brothers "Galvanize" - directed by Adam Smith
• Special Jury Award: Dizzee Rascal "Dream" - directed by Dougal Wilson
• Honorable Mention: Shakedown "Love Game" - directed by Wilfrid Brimo

Resfest's inaugural music video jury  consisted of:
Doug Pray - filmmaker/director (Scratch, Hype!)
Barbara London - Associate Curator, Department of Film and Media for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.
Steven J Gottlieb - me

NEWS: CMT Goes On-Demand

CMT becomes the latest MTV Networks channel to launch an on-demand service . Starting this Friday, subscribers to Charter and Comcast will have access to the CMT VOD channel. Featured content will include segments on country music stars, live concerts and episodes of various CMT original series.

NEWS: Daniel Levi Signs with Anonymous

Production company Anonymous Content is now repping director Daniel Levi in the US for both music videos and commercials. The South African-born Levi won a Best Directorial Debut at the 2004 MVPA Awards for his LFO video "Freak." He has also directed videos for Massive Attack and Interpol.

NEWS: MTV & Microsoft Announce Urge Music Service

MTV Networks and Microsoft today announced a new digital music service called Urge. Slated to launch sometime in 2006, Urge will be a digital download service integrated into a future version of Windows Media Player. In addition to offering over two million tracks of all music genres from both major and indie labels, Urge will also provide exclusive and original MTV content. Some details and executive comments are in the official Press Release. No details can be found at Urge.com. A full unveiling has been promised for this January's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

NEWS: Resfest Screening & Awards Announcement Tonight

Our L.A. readers are encouraged to check out this evening's Res screening at the Egyptian Theatre. In addition to screening new music video and short film work (including director Cat Solen's new Bright Eyes video which is in our spotlight as a downloadable video commentary podcast), Res will be announcing the winners of the Audience Choice Awards and Jury Awards for Best Short Film, Best Music Video and Best Design Film from the 9th Annual Resfest

This is the first year that Resfest has Jury Prizes. The music video jury consisted of:
Doug Pray - filmmaker/director (Scratch, Hype!)
Barbara London - Associate Curator, Department of Film and Media for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.
Steven J Gottlieb - Video Static.com editor/shameless publicity whore

Tickets are available through Ticketweb for $10 each.

NEWS: Grammy Nominees Announced

The nominations for the 48th annual Grammy Awards were announced this morning, December 8, in NYC.

The Grammys will be held Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and  will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 – 11:30pm (EST).  Photographer/director David LaChapelle has been selected as the official artist of this year's Grammy awards. His photograph (seen at left) will serve as the event's official image and will appear on promotional posters and the program book. LaChapelle's videography includes clips for Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, No Doubt, Jennifer Lopez, Elton John and Moby. He also directed the acclaimed feature film Rize.

Nominees for the music video categories are as follows..

Best Short Form Music Video

Missy Elliott Featuring Ciara & Fat Man Scoop "Lose Control" (Goldmind/Atlantic)
Missy Elliot & Dave Meyers, directors; Joseph Sasson, producer

Gorillaz Featuring De La Soul "•Feel Good Inc." (Parlophone/Virgin)
Pete Candeland & Jamie Hewlett,  directors

Jamiroquai "• Feels Just Like It Should" (Epic)
Joseph Kahn, director; MaryAnn Tanedo, producer

Martina McBride "God's Will" (RCA Nashville)
George Flanigen, director; Mark Kalbfeld,  producer

Sarah McLachlan "World On Fire" (Arista)
Sophie Muller, director

Best Long Form Music Video

Bob Dylan - No Direction Home (Columbia Records)
Martin Scorcese, director; Margaret Bodde, Susan Lacy, Jeff Rosen, Martin Scorcese, Nigel Sinclair & Anthony Wall,  producers

R. Kelly - Trapped In The Closet (Chapters 1-5 ) (Jive Records/Zomba Label Group)
R. Kelly & Jim Swaffield, directors; Ann Carli, video producer

End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones (Warner Strategic Marketing)
Jim Fields & Michael Gramaglia, directors; Jim Fields & Michael Gramaglia, producers

Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust (Columbia Records)
Danny Clinch, director; Lindha Narvaez, producer

Brian Wilson Presents Smile (Rhino Home Video)
John Anderson & David Leaf, directors; Dave Goetz, David Leaf, Steve Ligerman, John Scheinfeld, Casey Sipes, Richard Waltzer & Brian Wilson, producers

NEWS: MVPA Director's Cuts This Monday

The 8th Annual MVPA Director's Cuts Film Festival will be held at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood this Monday, December 5th. This year's line-up of short films and previously unseen alternate edits of music videos from directors Marc Klasfeld, Chris Milk, Nzingha Stewart, Charles Stone III, P.R. Brown, Tomorrow's Brightest Minds, Cat Solen, Wormseye, Matt Lenski and  many more. Visit the MVPA site for a complete list of directors and films/videos. This year's Director's Cuts fest is the first to be held in Hollywood and is being co-presented by the MVPA and American Cinematheque's Alternative Screening

Tickets are available at the Egyptian Theater box office the night of the event, but tickets can be purchased in advance through this faxable form.

NEWS: Refused TV Gets Picked For Ripe TV

Los Angeles music video show Refused TV  bids farewell to LATV channel KJLA and traditional broadcast television with tonight's episode. Refused TV is moving to Ripe TV, a Video On Demand entity on Comcast Digital carriers and the web, where it will be available 24/7 as part of the "Ripe Rocks" programming.

Refused TV is executive produced by Cathy Pellow, who also runs the production company of the same name.

NEWS: Nordstrom Video Remix Channel

Department store chain Nordstrom has unveiled their broadband music video channel Nordstrom Silverscreen and what its calling the first ever "video remix."  Director Olivier Gondry took the original  video for "Our Lips Are Sealed" by The Go-Gos, matched it with a new audio remix by Fatboy Slim and inserted new footage of young women having a blast and interacting with the old Go-Gos, all while wearing the latest fashions (all of which is presumably available at Nordstrom). Future remixes of other classic 1980s videos are planned, including a new version of Culture Club's "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" due in early December.

This video remix of "Our Lips Are Sealed" can be viewed online at nordstromsilverscreen.com and through a downloadable, standalone Nordstrom Silverscreen player, which boasts HD-quality full-screen video and offers numerous bonus features, including the ability to try out different fashions on a mannequin. The player will also automatically update itself as new content becomes available.

The "Our  Lips Are Sealed" video remix was a Partizan production, directed by Olivier Gondry and produced by Michel Gondry. The piece was commissioned by advertising company Fallon Minneapolis and the player was developed by Maven Networks.

NEWS: Gondry and Sednaoui Confirmed for Resfest Montreal

Directors Michel Gondry and Stephane Sednaoui will both be speaking about and presenting their work  this Friday evening, November 25 at the Resfest Canada event in Montreal.  Gondry will be showcasing his Kanye West video "Heard 'Em Say" and his new White Stripes clip, "The Denial Twist."

Before you book your plane tickets, however, there is one catch. Both directors will be speaking in their native French. So, unless you're already fluent, or crazy enough to cram in some intensive instruction over the next day or so, fuhgettaboutit (as they say in Montreal).

Details, details are at Resfest Canada.

ps: Gondry fans shold visit the very fine site The Director's File to learn about the controversy surrounding the Kanye video and all sorts of delightful minutiae about the director's work.

NEWS: Streetgang Films Gets New Site, New Address and a New Rep

Streetgang Films announced that Heidi Gregory is the production company's new U.S. rep. She will be representing the company's roster of Charles Mehling, Paul Minor and Shilo. Gregory will continue repping directors in a freelance basis at A Band and The Board @ Plum Productions. Streetgang's U.K. rep Alexa Haywood of Free Agent UK Ltd remains as Streetgang's rep for European work.

The company has also relocated to a new address in Santa Monica, CA. The full address, plus information about all of the directors above and much more can be found at the company's recently relaunched streetgangfilms.com.

NEWS: Resfest in Vancouver this Weekend

Traveling film festival Resfest hits Vancouver, B.C. this weekend, November 11- 12, at the new Vancouver International Film Centre. The Vancouver installment will feature a set by DJ Circlesquare, plus several music video and short film presentations.

Resfest will also be hitting Montreal November 25 - 27 with a keynote by Stephane Sednaoui in French (it is Montreal, after all) plus a retrospective of his work. Montreal will also play host to a Beck Retrospective and the special Four Seasons Of Traktor presentation.

Information about the Canadian Resfest stops can be found at resfest.ca. Visit resfest.com for information about the event and forthcoming tour stops in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.

NEWS: Estevan Oriol Joins HSI

Director Estevan Oriol has signed with production company HSI for representation. Oriol has directed videos for Blink-182, Cypress Hill, Transplants, Rise Against and many other rap and rock acts.

NEWS: Music Video Directors Alliance Update

The Music Video Directors Alliance has collected over 275 signatures for its petition to the DGA for better representation. The group sprang into action to try to protect the rights of directors, especially in light of music videos' transformation from a promotional tool to a product that is bought and sold both individually and as part of CD, DualDisc and DVD packages.

Many of the petition's signees have left comments on the site that explain the various opinions from a director's point of view. A representative of the group also reached out to Video Static, in response to the commentary from last week, to elaborate on their aims:

You are correct, music videos are the only type of film not subject to the DGA agreements.  However, this is the VERY REASON FOR OUR PETITION.   We are the writer/directors of these works and our interests need to be represented.  The only entity that has the clout and infrastructure to do something like this is the DGA.  For instance, they already have an entire department whose sole responsibility it is to audit, collect, and distribute residuals for the TV/feature film director members.  Many of us are already members that are constantly working on DGA jobs.  However, the minute we step onto a set labeled a “music video,” all our creative rights, union protection, pension and welfare, health care, and residual participation disappear into thin air.  A music video is no longer for “promotional use only,” as many of our “work for hire” contracts state.  It is sellable, revenue generating content.

A song on itunes is 99 cents. A song with the video is 1.99.  That means that video is worth one dollar.  The director was the creator, writer, and director of that video.  As with every other format, be it TV, feature films, short films, Internet films, etc, where the work is being sold, the director needs to be compensated on the back end sale of their intellectual property.

 

COMMENTARY: Directors Petition For Their Share of Video Sales

As expected, the addition of music videos sales to the iTunes music video store has set off lots of chatter and some action about director compensation.

Practically all music videos are done as works for hire. Directors retain no rights to their ideas and footage, and they receive no compensation beyond an agreed upon director's fee. Traditionally, music videos have been used primarily as promotional tools, so the absence of back-end or royalty rights was never viewed as egregious. Videos weren't meant to be bought and sold; They were meant to act as commercials to inspire sales of albums and music. That has now changed, however. Music videos are included on DualDiscs, compiled onto retail DVDs and, with the latest version of the iTunes Music Store and certain mobile phone networks, they are even available as individual paid downloads.

Fatboy Slim's "Weapon Of Choice," directed by Spike Jonze, has been ranked the number one selling music video more often than not since music videos became an official product on iTunes. Today, in fact, it's number two, second only to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," which is presumably experiencing a Halloween sales boost. "Weapon Of Choice" is actually a near perfect example to use when directors state their case for a change in the current financial paradigm. "Weapon Of Choice" doesn't rely upon the charisma and performance of the recording artist at all, since Fatboy Slim isn't in the video. And, while the music video is a best seller, the song itself isn't even in iTunes' Top 100. I'd be willing to wager that the song itself has never cracked the iTunes Top 100 since the online store's inception. But, yet, the video is a relative blockbuster.

The "Weapon of Choice" iTunes phenomenon finally proves something that has long been obvious: Some music videos are popular for reasons that have very little to do with the song or artist. Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" is a top seller because of Spike Jonze's brilliant concept and direction, not to mention the performance of the video's star, Christopher Walken. It rightfully strikes most directors as more than a little unfair that the people most responsible for this popular work of art have been cut out of the financial equation.

Directors have a right to be appropriately compensated for their ideas and work. That doesn't mean that they are automatically entitled to the back end profits (if there are any), but it also doesn't mean that the issue should be automatically dismissed. A petition has been posted online under the banner of the Music Video Directors Alliance that asks Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted to convene an investigative panel and open dialogue with record labels and other involved entities. It's a commendable start, but if directors truly want a change they will probably need to do more than just an anonymous petition to an organization that doesn't represent some of the more prolific video directors and actually singles out music videos as the only type of film work not subject to their agreements.

NEWS: Partizan Signs Niki Roberton

Director Niki Roberton has joined Partizan, where  she will be represented by the company's Danielle Hinde.

Roberton has worked with No Address and The Strays, samples of which can be found at nikiroberton.com.

NEWS: Alex De Rakoff with The Artists Company

Director Alex De Rakoff has signed with The Artists Company, where he will be represented for music videos by Laure Scott. His credits include Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" plus videos for The Neptunes and Dido.

NEWS: Shawn M. Foster Joins A Common Thread

Director Shawn M. Foster has signed with production company A Common Thread. Foster directed or co-directed several of the videos on The Sun's "DVD album" Blame It On The Youth, including "Must Be You," "Lost At Home" and "Valentine."

NEWS: Videos on the iPod, iTunes Music Store and the new iMac

Apple has pulled off many "one more thing" moments at press conferences over the years, but the unveiling of the new iPod, the new iTunes and the new iMac is particularly jaw dropping.

First off, yes, the rumors are true. The new versions of the fullsize iPod have video playback capabilities. You can watch content on the built-in 2.5" full color screen, or use the optional AV Cable and docking station (with remote control) to connect to and watch on a TV.

Content is available through the iTunes Music Store with the brand new iTunes 6 application. Over 2,000 video items are available, including lots of music videos, six Pixar shorts and full length episodes of Lost, Desparate Housewives and other ABC/Disney TV shows. Artists represented in the "video store" include Madonna, Beastie Boys, U2, Michael Jackson, Nine Inch Nails and many others. All video clips, regardless of length, are selling for $1.99 each and encoded with the H.264 Quicktime format.

The last piece of today's Apple puzzle is the new iMac, which is clearly designed to be a true entertainment hub. These 17" and 20" flat-screen computers feature "Front Row," which is essentially an easy to use interface for listening to music, looking at photos and watching video clips and DVDs. The iMac comes bundled with a remote control and a built-in camera for video conferencing.

The new iPods start at $299. The iMac starts at $1,299. Visit Apple for more details on all these products.

ps: Video Static is accepting early holiday gifts.

NEWS: Soft Citizen Adds Two Directors

Soft Citizen has added music video directors Ante Kovac and Jeff Scheven to their roster for worldwide representation.

NEWS: Sam Aslanian Exits DNA

Sam Aslanian is exiting DNA as Vice President and Executive Producer after 15+ years with the company. He'll actually be leaving the music video industry entirely to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family.

DNA's Missy Galanida is replacing Sam as Head Of Music Video/Executive Producer. Caleb Dewart, who has produced many DNA videos over the years, is now the company's Executive Producer of Music Video.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank Sam for all his support over the years. Whether approving an ad for an issue I was working on for CVC Report, or subjecting himself to one of my long-winded interviews, Sam was always happy to help and I will always be appreciative. It's nice to see somebody in the video business ride off happily into the sunset. Best of luck, Sam!

NEWS: Video iPod Rumors

The rumors of a video iPod are reaching a crescendo today with reports of an Apple press conference scheduled for October 12. The video iPod will supposedly be unveiled on that date, as will a revamped iTunes Store that will  allow for music video downloads and purchases.

Stories on the rumor can be found almost anywhere on the web, including the Los Angeles Times and Yahoo News.

Those who like to get all contrarian are directed to the usually very reliable Think Secret Mac rumor site, which claims that next week's press conference will focus not on video iPods, but on revamps to the full-size iPod line and various computers.

Resfest Reminder for Los Angeles

Resfest kicks off its L.A. stand TONIGHT, Thursday September 29, with a keynote speech by director Mark Romanek  at 6:30pm.

Other highlights include:

• New Order: The Early Years
• Beck music video retrospective
• Four Seasons of Traktor: A Retrospective
• plus two additional music video programs and a panel on the music video business

Resfest runs through October 2 at the Egyptian Theatre.

Tickets are available to the individual events, as are a limited supply of All Access Badges. Visit Resfest to purchase tix.

NEWS: Adria Petty signs with Revolver and Stompbox

Director Adria Petty has signed with The Revolver Film Co. She is repped by Justine Smith of Stompbox Creative.

Petty's most recent work includes brand new videos for The Veronicas and Stellastarr. She also directed Regina Spektor's "Us" and The Ditty Bops' "Wishful Thinking."

For a glimpse into Petty's creative process, please check out Video Static's exclusive video commentary for her Ditty Bops video.

NEWS: Steve Stone Memorial Service

We were saddened to receive word that music video producer Steve Stone had passed away on Friday, September 16.

A memorial service is scheduled for 3pm, Thursday, September 22 at:
Waverly Chapel
1702 Fairhaven Avenue
Santa Ana, CA

Our sympathies go out to all of Steve's friends, family and associates...

FEEDBACK: Programmers on the UMG Letter

I've been receiving plenty of emails about the UMG policy change. The following are taken from open letters from two programmers with local music video shows. The first is by Chuck Foster, who has been broadcasting a Top 40 show in Maine for over 20 years. The second is by Stephen Woodward, who broadcasts a well rated hard rock program in Oregon.

Chuck Foster
All Hit Videos
Bangor, ME
weekday afternoons at 4pm EST
throughout Maine on Adelphia channel 9 (channel 12 in Bangor, ME)

Next week, All Hit Videos marks another anniversary. And sadly, possibly the last.

We hit the airwaves on September 23, 1983 playing a CHR (top 40 or "Pop") format with music videos. Its just the basics. An off camera announcer playing DJ (myself) and music videos. Its what I do. (Its what I know.)

I started in Top 40 radio during my senior year in high school, and I'm still doing that today at a 50kw FM station that I built from a construction permit 10 years ago and later sold.( happily, I am still employed there, and my ratings are still on top!)

For me, All Hit Videos has, after more than 2 decades, been a huge part of my life. It has been more of a labor of love than a monetary gold mine. Actually quite the opposite, as I have regularly reached into my own pocket to help it along. Most recently, the switch from 3/4" tape to mini DV with computer based editing set me back thousands. AHV is a one man band. Its the most basic operation it can be. It has had to be that way to exist. We reach 140,000 households all over the state of Maine, weekday afternoons at 4 PM and multiple repeats late evening and weekends. Its not a huge fancy production, but it has its fan base. Its where viewers know they can find the videos they want to see in their entirety, not just short clips.

This week, UPS delivered a letter from the folks at Universal, saying starting October 15th, I will need to pay them over $7 thousand dollars to continue to air their product for the next year. There is no mention of any sliding scale for market size or possible barter option for spots or specific product airplay. Then, I spoke to a friend in the business who indicated that 2 more major groups are about to do the same soon!

I have not had much sleep the past few nights. I don't know how this will turn out. I do not want to do "SOME HIT VIDEOS". Maybe it will have to become a hybrid show, playing a lot of new unknown acts. I Do not want to give up. But, I may have to.

BTW:I have no ill feelings towards the label reps who are following the decisions made upstairs in the corporate board rooms.

--
Stephen Woodward
Hard Times
Eugene, OR
airing on:
KWVT channel 52 in Salem, OR
KEVU channel 23 in Eugene, OR
KLSR (Fox) channel 34 in Eugene, OR
plus Comcast cable channels across the state

Until now, regional video shows, mags, webzines and college radio have been "promotional partners" for a label and its artists. Most of us do not generate enough revenue to cover more than our expenses, if that. Many of us produce our shows as a labor of love for the style of music we support. Shows like mine have a proven impact on album sales and concert attendance. In my case, I have reach in nearly half the state. The letter sent out by UMG this week, changes our standing from "Promotional Partners" to "Customers."

I seriously doubt that 95% of the regional and local video shows even generate $7,500, let alone have the ability to pay that much to UMG for video servicing.

NEWS: Andrea Giacobbe Completes NIN Tour Visuals

Director Andrea Gicaobbe (best known for some amazing videos for Death in Vegas and Garbage) has wrapped production on a series of short films and other visuals that will be seen during Nine Inch Nails' stage show on their upcoming arena tour.

COMMENTARY: The Future Of Music Video

Last week's news about UMG's letter raises a wealth of questions about the purpose and future of music videos. Rather than getting bogged down with the minutiae about the history of fees in regards to music videos (which dates back to 1983, believe it or not) I thought I would share a few thoughts:

1. Music videos do not appear more on channels like MTV and VH1 because they don't get ratings. It's that simple. Take FUSE, for example. FUSE's programming is predominantly music videos and they don't have the sort of lifestyle or reality shows that appear on other video channels. Well, of the 60 basic cable channels tracked by Nielsen, FUSE has the lowest ratings. Read this article from Broadcasting & Cable for details, plus rumors that FUSE may be bought out by Miramax masterminds Harvey and Bob Weinstein and transformed into a lifestyle and movie channel.

2. The state of music videos on traditional TV notwithstanding, music videos are insanely popular on the Internet and Video on Demand channels.

3. Major networks like MTV already pay licensing fees to record labels, as do all web sites or VOD services that wish to provide music video streams.

4. "Download to own" music videos are here. VOD forerunner Akimbo launched a service today in which customers can download and archive select content. Itunes has been quietly selling music videos as bonus content with digital album purchases for quite some time. Rumors about a video iPod have been prevalent for several months now. Although Apple CEO Steve Jobs has countered these rumors with his oft-repeated mantra that the iPod would be inferior video playback device, I think it's on the immediate horizon. While I agree that watching music videos on an iPod screen would amount to little more than a novelty, it's important to realize that new ipods already have the ability to feed audio and video to TVs through an optional AV cable or dock. It's not about watching content on your ipod; it's about using your iPod in conjunction with a TV. Just like you travel with your iPod and hook it up to a stereo, soon you should be able to connect your video iPod to a TV or home theater system and watch your music videos, shows and even movies. It's in the realm of possibility.

So, what's my point? Many people are saying that the new fee structure proposed by UMG may be a death knell for local music videos. It's triggered a huge debate and a bit of a panic. The questions we need to ask are the following:

1. Is this an instance of a record company being short-sighted? Or, are they preparing for the future?
2. Can a local video show be successful by NOT playing the hits (ie: major label music)?

Let's start a dialogue... email me your thoughts and comments. I'm happy to publish the best of what I get either anonymously, or with your name attached.

NEWS: More On UMG Video Policy Change

A September 12 letter to broadcasters sent by the Universal Music Group states that "due to the high costs associated with servicing music videos -- which, due to the many outlets we presently service cost us literally millions of dollars each year -- Universal Music Group (UMG) is changing its policy in regards to servicing broadcasters with copies of our music videos."

The new policy calls for programmers "who wish to continue to receive UMG's music videos" to sign a servicing agreement and pay an annual $7,500 fee. The policy goes into effect October 15.

Early response from programmers who have video shows on local broadcast and cable carriers has been understandably negative. It remains to be seen what the extended industry response will be. Care to contribute? Send us an email.

If I was named Drudge, I would say "Developing..." at this point.

NEWS: Universal Music Videos Promotional No More?

Video Static has learned that Universal Music Group is on the verge of drastically changing the paradigm of the music video industry.

UMG has sent a letter to music video programmers in the United States informing them that as of October 15, 2005, they will no longer receive music videos for broadcast purposes unless they pay an annual fee that has been reported to be as high as $7,500.

It's reasonable to assume that the immediate impact will be the removal of UMG recording artists from the vast majority of the 100+ local and regional music video shows on broadcast and cable carriers here in the States. The more far-reaching imapact could be huge, especially if other major label groups follow suit.

We will have much more on this story as it develops and additional details get confirmed....

Universal Music Group is the largest label group in the music business. It consists of  Geffen Records, Interscope, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Universal Records, Verve Music Group and other properties. UMG recording artists include 3 Doors Down, 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Fall Out Boy, Gwen Stefani, Jack Johnson, Jay-Z,  Kanye West, The Killers, Mariah Carey, Nelly, Sheryl Crow and many other top stars.

NEWS: Music Video Directors With New Movies

If you're the sort that likes to see if your favorite music video directors can successfully make the leap to the big screen, you're in luck. There are plenty of well-known video auteurs who have movies that are  in theaters now. I haven't seen any of the following movies, so I can offer no recommendations or witticisms. Sorry.

Junebug - directed by Phil Morrison
Phil has directed many indie rock videos over the years, including my all-time favorite: Yo La Tengo's "Sugarcube." The video stars Bob Odenkirk and David Cross as rock professors (and it's important to note that not only does it predate School of Rock by many years, but it's also much funnier).

Pretty Persuasion - directed by Marcos Siega
Marcos made his name with a series of funny videos for Blink-182. He also has another film currently in theaters, but it's kind of been under the radar: Underclassman, starring Nick Cannon.

Thumbsucker - Mike Mills
Mike is a well-known artist who has created album covers and music videos for Sonic Youth, Air and many other bands. This is his first major film.

NEWS: Resfest Details for NYC

The 2005 Resfest tour kicks off this Thursday, Sept 15, at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in NYC with a 6pm keynote speech by music video legend Stephane Sednaoui. The director will be discussing his work, which includes videos for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bjork, U2 and Alanis Morrissette.

Also on the agenda for the event, which runs through Sunday, are:

• Beck Retrospective: A showcase of Beck's best videos.
• Four Seasons Of Traktor: A screening of work by Swedish directing team Traktor. The program includes videos for the likes of Prodigy and Basement Jazz, plus commercials for MTV, Mountain Dew, Nike and many other brands.
• Infamy: After setting his sights on the Seattle grunge scene in Hype! and the art of the DJ in Scratch, this new documentary from director Doug Pray illuminates the culture and history of graffiti. Infamy was produced by Grant and Nancy Cihlar of The 1171 Production Group.
• Two By Mike Mills: Two rarely seen short films from artist/director Mike Mills.
• Cinema Electronica: A celebration of creative videos in the dance and electronic genres. The screening includes videos from Basement Jaxx, The Chemical Brothers, Circlesquare, Dizzee Rascal, Faithless,  RJD2 and The Streets, plus much more.
• Videos That Rock: The title of this screening is pretty darn self-explanatory, I think. You can expect videos from The Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, The Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Interpol, The Shins and The Sun, just to name a few.
• Inside Music Video: A panel discussion headed by RES Magazine writer Sandy Hunter with Atlantic production executive Jill Kaplan, SMUGGLER director Jon Watts and MTV2 programmer Holly Schomann.

Resfest will also be offering studio tours, product demonstrations, additional screenings, parties and a whole lot more. As an added bonus, you might even meet Mr. Video Static there, if you're lucky (or unlucky). Further information on the event can be found at the Resfest site. A full festival pass is available for $99 through Ticketweb, as are individual tickets.

Resfest will be making stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, plus cities in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and Australia. So, unless you live in Antarctica, Resfest will be coming to your continent.

NEWS: Director Michael Dowse With Soft Citizen

Director Michael Dowse has signed with Soft Citizen for representation. Although he's directed videos for the New Pornographers, Sloan and Chixdiggit, Dowse is best known for the film It's All Gone Pete Tong, which claimed prizes at the Toronto Film Festival, the Gen Art Film Festival and the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. It's All Gone Pete Tong  mixes fact and fiction as it relates the tale of a world famous DJ who decides to make a comeback after losing his hearing and nearly everything else in his life.

NEWS: Steve Carr with MotivFilms/RW Media

Director Steve Carr has signed with MotivFilms. He is being repped by Randi Wilens of RW Media.

Steve Carr's videography includes clips for such top hip-hop stars as Jay-Z and Nelly. he is also the director of the feature films Next Friday, Daddy Day Care, Dr. Dolittle 2 and Rebound.

BET ALERT: Hurricane Telethon Set For Sept 9

BET will host a telethon on Thursday, September 9 to benefit those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Kicking off at 7:30pm EST, the program will be hosted by Russell Simmons and will feature many musicians and celebrities with ties to the New Orleans area, including Wynton Marsalis, Master P and David Banner.

BET's partners for the event include the American Red Cross, the National Urban League, Russell Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Kevin Liles, the Warner Music Group, and Essence Communication.

MTV ALERT: Hurricane Katrina Concerts

MTV has announced a massive fund raising event on September 10 to benefit the Red Cross and their efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Concerts will be held in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville and Atlanta with live coverage on MTV, VH1 and CMT. Confirmed participants include Usher, Green Day, Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews Band, Ludacris, John Mellencamp, Rob Thomas and Gretchen Wilson. Look for further details to be announced in the coming days.

This is part of MTV and Viacom's larger efforts to aid in the relief efforts. Viacom has already donated $1 million to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Effort and MTV has established a special Hurricane Relief page.

NEWS: BET And Wal-Mart Team Up

BET has a new agreement with Wal-Mart that will create special BET-branded retail spaces and displays in thousands of Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club will be the offering exclusive BET Official" DVDs that will be packaged as added value content with select urban music and movie releases.

The series launched with Kanye West's Late Registration, which is available at the retail chains as a special two-pack that  contains the CD and a BET Official Presents Kanye West DVD. Content on the DVD includes several Kanye West music videos, an interview with the performer on BET countdown show 106 & Park, a BET-produced Access Granted documentary and other footage.

NEWS: Resfest Programming Announced

Programming for this year's installment of the traveling digital film festival Resfest has been announced.  The music video lineup includes a Cinema Electronica program with videos from RJD2, Chemical Brothers, Faithless and many other acts. A Videos That Rock program will highlight work from Guided By Voices, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, The Arcade Fire and Jamiroquai, just to name a few. Select Resfest dates will also feature a retrospective of Beck's videography, curated by the artist himself.

Dates and additional info can be found at Resfest.

NEWS: Labuda Management To Rep James Cox

Labuda Management announced a representation deal with director James Cox of The 1171 Production Group. Cox directed the feature Wonderland, which starred Val Kilmer, Kate Bosworth, Lisa Kudrow and many other well-known actors. His music video reel includes recent work for Flipsyde and Rise Against.

NEWS: Ace Norton Now With Partizan

Are you trapped in the grips of delirium because of director Ace Norton's "La Pump" video for Smoosh? Well, join the club. Norton recently signed with Partizan for music video and commercial representation based on the strength of that video and an artsy clip for The Faint's "Desperate Guys."

If you haven't seen the Smoosh video yet, you can find it in Quicktime at the website for their label, Pattern 25.

NEWS: Subversion Media HD Oasis Live Shoot

Boston area production company Subversion Media recently engineered a seven camera HD shoot for a June 24 performance by Oasis at the Tweeter Center. Subversion has also produced similar live shoots for Pixies, The Donnas, Interpol, New Order and many other acts.

NEWS: Hypefest Winners

Hypefest had a successful run this past weekend at CineSpace in Hollywood, CA. Over 75 short works were shown, with a few eliciting special recognition in the festival's quirky categories.

Director Joel Trussell received the Style Council Award, which recognizes "unique style and visual panache." Trussell's winning entry was the music video for The Atomic Swindlers' "Float (My Electric Stargirl)." Honorable Mention went to Director Jake Portman for his short film, "Rainy Day Fun for Children Ages 6 and Up."

The D.I.Y. Award was bestowed upon Ben Rock for his short "Conversations." Honorable Mention went to "Waking Dreams" director John Daschbach. As the name implies, The D.I.Y. Award celebrates creative work done on a budget.

Two Audience Awards singled out the work that resonated most with viewers. The Saturday screening gave the award to Director Sean Ellis for "Cashback," and the Sunday crowd coronated Director Rafael del Toro's "6 Ft. in 7 Min."

Additional Hypefest winners included:
The Eerie Prediction Award:  Toby Wilkins for "Staring At The Sun"
The Self-Help Award: Ned Farr for "How To Ace An Intervention"
The Good Life Award: Melissa Berman for "Lucky"
The Stash Magazine Animation Award: Chel White for "Magda"

Selected Hypefest shorts  will be included on an upcoming Paste Magazine DVD and on the Web site Big Film Shorts. 

NEWS: RES Event in Hollywood

Res will be hosting another installment of its monthly showcase of music videos, motion graphic work and short films. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, August 2 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Videos to be screened include the latest work from Common, Fischerspooner, Royksopp and much more. Director Ace Norton will be on hand to discuss his video for indie rock band Smoosh and NYC animator Pes will present a retrospective of his work. There is also an afterparty with DJ Josh One and free drinks. Tickets are $10 and available at Ticket Web.

NEWS: Nigel Dick Joins DNA

Music video director Nigel Dick has signed with DNA for both music video and commercial representation. Nigel has one of the most impressive resumes in all of videoland: He co-founded production house Propaganda Films and has directed nearly 300 music videos. Along the way he's directed Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine," multiple clips for Britney Spears and videos for Nickelback, Oasis, Nsync and hundreds more.

NEWS: MTV VMA 05 Nominees Announced

MTV announced the nominees today for the 2005 Video Music Awards. Green Day leads the pack with eight nominations, while Gwen Stefani and Missy Elliott had six nods apiece. Directors with multiple nominations include Dave Meyers, Paul Hunter, Alex & Martin, Marc Webb, Samuel Bayer and Sophie Muller. P. Diddy has been confirmed as host for the festivities and performers will include Green Day, Kelly Clarkson and Kanye West. The Awards will be held Sunday, August 28 in Miami.

The full list of nominees and much more info about the event can be found at MTV's VMA site. Here are the nominees for a few select categories:

Video of the Year:
Coldplay "Speed Of Sound" (Mark Romanek, director)
Green Day "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (Samuel Bayer, director)
Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl" (Paul Hunter, director)
Kanye West "Jesus Walks"  (Chris Milk, director)
Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell "Drop It Like It's Hot" (Paul Hunter, director)

Breakthrough Video:
Eminem "Mosh" (Ian Inaba, director)
Gorillaz "Feel Good Inc." (Jamie Hewlett & Pete Candeland, directors)
Missy Elliott feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop "Lose Control" (Dave Meyers & Missy Elliott, directors)
Sarah McLachlan "World On Fire" (Sophie Muller, director)
U2 "Vertigo" (Alex & Martin, directors)

Best Direction In A Video:
Green Day "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (Samuel Bayer, director)
Jennifer Lopez "Get Right" (Francis Lawrence & Diane Martel, directors)
Missy Elliott feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop "Lose Control" (Dave Meyers & Missy Elliott, directors)
White Stripes "Blue Orchid" (Floria Sigismondi, director)
U2 "Vertigo" (Alex & Martin, directors)

Best Cinematography In A Video:
Coldplay "Speed Of Sound" (Harris Savides, DP)
Green Day "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (Samuel Bayer, DP)
Modest Mouse "Ocean Breathes Salty" (Danny Hiele, DP)
Simple Plan "Untitled" (Michael Bernard, DP)
U2 "Vertigo" (Omer Ganai, DP)
White Stripes "Blue Orchid" (Chris Soos, DP)

Best Editing In A Video:
Coldplay "Speed Of Sound" (Adam Pertofsky, editor)
Foo Fighters "Best Of You" (Nathan Cox, editor)
Green Day "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (Tim Royes, editor)
Gwen Stefani "What You Waiting For?" (Dustin Robertson, editor)
Jennifer Lopez "Get Right" (Dustin Robertson, editor)
Simple Plan "Untitled" (Richard Alarcron, editor)

NEWS: Hypefest Schedule Announced

The schedule for the 2005 Hypefest film festival in Hollywood, CA has been announced. Festivities will kick off with a reception for filmmakers and VIPs on Friday, July 29, followed by two days of thematic programming. Videos slated to be screened include Beck "E-Pro," Devendra Banhart "A Ribbon," Morrissey "I Have Forgiven Jesus" and many more.

Visit Hypefest for ticket information, schedules and much more.

VIDEO STATIC BOOK CLUB: Confessions of a Video Vixen

OK, there's not really a Video Static Book Club, but if there were one, we would read Karrine Steffans' memoir Confessions Of A Video Vixen. The book recounts a terribly abusive childhood before segueing to her discovery and then success as a dancing starlet in videos for Jay-Z, R. Kelly, Mystikal, LL Cool J and other hip-hop artists. The book is getting tons of press (see here, here or here) thanks to naming names and providing lots of details about sexual encounters with some of the music world's biggest stars.

Although I usually like my smut disguised as a Philip Roth or John Updike novel, this may make my summer reading list. Buy the book at Amazon.com and let me know your reviews. If there's enough demand, I might even be swayed to create an area where we can discuss the book and share knitting secrets. Won't that be fun?

ps: In researching this post, I learned from the new issue of Time Out New York that Karrine Steffans nickname is Superhead and she's actually trademarked the word. Also, she's currently dating Bill Maher.

Live 8: Where and When To Watch

The Live 8 concerts are being held this weekend and will be broadcast on several music video networks and web sites. Here's a real quick guide to the event...

What is Live 8: Live 8 is series of concerts designed to put pressure on the G8 leaders to do something to ease poverty and other intolerable conditions in Africa
What is the G8: The G8 (aka The Group of Eight) is a meeting of leaders from the eight most powerful countries in the world. These countries (in no specific order) are: The United States, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia.
Will there ever be a G9: Oh, such a clever question. There may be a G9 someday. The G8 used to be the G7  and before that the G6. Canada and Russia are the most recent nations to join the Group.
Can we get back to Live 8: Live 8 is being organized by (Sir) Bob Geldof, who also spearheaded the massive Live Aid concerts in 1985. Unlike Live Aid, these events are trying to get your attention, not your money.
When is Live 8: Tomorrow, Saturday July 2, a mere four days before the G8 begin their meetings in Gleneagles, Scotland.
Where is Live 8: Multiple venues all around the world. The full list is London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Philadelphia, Barrie (Canada), Tokyo, Johannesburg and Moscow. A final concert  will take place in Edinburgh on July 6, as the G8 begins.
Who's playing at Live 8: Audioslave, Alicia Keys, Bjork, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Brian Wilson, Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, The Cure, Destiny's Child, Elton John, Faith Hill, Green Day, Jay-Z, Linkin Park, Madonna, Motley Crue, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd (with both Roger Waters and David Gilmour), R.E.M., Rob Thomas, Robbie Williams, Sarah McLachlan, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, Sting, U2 and many many many others.
OK, where can I watch it: AOL is going to be delivering "free, live and on-demand" coverage of the whole event. Visit AOL's Live 8 site for details. The BBC will be broadcasting the entire London and Philadelphia concerts, plus performances from other host cities. MTV, VH1 and MTVU will be broadcasting live from noon through 8pm. There will also be radio and additional TV coverage. You'll even be able to watch it on some mobile phones.

Lots of details are still being confirmed. To learn exactly which artists will be at which concerts, plus lots more about Live8's goals, visit the official Live 8 site.

Please enjoy your July 4th (or Live 8) weekend... Video Static will be back Tuesday morning with more of the usual.

NEWS: NY Minute Film Fest Call for Entries

Are you a one minute man? If so, you are in luck. New York edit/new media production house Convergence is presenting the 2005 New York Minute Film Festival. This online fest will honor the best short form (and by short form, they mean 60 seconds or less) work in five categories: Music Video, Animation, Experimental, Drama and Comedy. Online viewers will winnow the field to a total of 50 finalists (10 in each category) and then a panel of judges will decide the overall winners. Judges confirmed include directors Joel Schumacher and Leon Gast, IFC Film acquisitions exec Kelly DeVine and film producer Eric Watson.

There is a $20 fee per entry, with a portion of the proceeds earmarked for charity. Winners will be announced on November 17.

NEWS: Aisle Five Signs Mike Lipscombe

Director Mike Lipscombe has signed with production company Aisle Five Studios. Lipscombe is known for organically mixing special effects into his videos. His credits include videos for Faith Hill, Jewel, Anastacia, Bryan Adams, Richard Ashcroft, Travis, Kosheen and Natalie Imbruglia.

Much Music Video Awards Recap

The 2005 Much Music Video Awards took place on Saturday in Toronto. Billy Talent and k-os videos and their respective production companies Spy Entertainment and The Revolver Film Company were the big winners. Billy Talent won in the Best Video and MuchLOUD Best Rock Video categories for "River Below," directed by Sean Michael Turrell of Spy. K-os had two videos that were recognized with awards on Saturday; "Man I Used To Be" took the MuchVibe Best Rap Video, Best Cinematography and the clip's directors, The Love Movement featuring Micah J. Meisner and k-os, were recognized with Best Director honors. K-os' other video, "Crabbuckit," won Best Pop Video. Both k-os clips were produced by Natalie Galazka and ZebRoc through Revolver.

Spy Entertainment also boasted several other wins for directors on their roster. Chris Grismer's two videos for Death from Above 1979 were singled out: "Blood On Our Hands" won Best VideoFACT "Romantic Rights" won Best Post-Production.

A full list of winners and photographs from the big night can be found at MuchMusic.com.

NEWS: VH1 Mega Hits to be Replaced by Logo

VH1's alternative rock digital channel VH1 Mega Hits will sign off the air at the end of June to make way for the June 30 launch of Viacom's gay network Logo. This change will allow Logo to launch with a total of approximately 10 million households.

NEWS: Anonymous Adds Steven Klein

Director Steven Klein has signed with production house Anonymous Content for music video and commercial representation. Primarily known as a photographer, Klein has worked with the designers Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen and Gucci, plus recording artists Kelis, Mick Jagger and David Bowie. He also created the videos used on Madonna's "Re-Invention" tour and photographed the cover of Justin Timberlake's CD Justified.

NEWS: MTV Flux set to invade Cell Phones

MTV Networks announced today the creation of Flux, a new subscription-based service delivering entertainment and music via mobile and online networks. It will be debuting in Japan only on June 30. There are plans to launch the service in other markets in the coming months.

Flux's content in Japan will include an exclusive music video series from Japanese pop star Utada,  the MTV show Dirty Sanchez, SpongeBob Squarepants episodes, short form animation and much more. The service will cost 315 yen ($3) per month.

NEWS: AOL & SonyBMG Pound Out Exclusive Video Pact

It is being widely reported that America Online and SonyBMG are striking an exclusive deal for the music company's videos. AOL will have exclusive video-on-demand access to SonyBMG content. Sources value the deal at more than $25 million.

The story was originally tipped at Hits Daily Double and is being reported this morning by The New York Post and CNN/Money.

NEWS: A Common Thread Ropes Glen Bennett

Production company A Common Thread has signed director Glen Bennett for music video and commercial representation. Bennett has directed videos for Finger Eleven, Seether, Drowning Pool and Theory Of A Deadman, just to name a few. His videos are known for combining live action with his own visual FX work.

NEWS: Executive Switch at VH1 and MTV

MTV Networks announced last week that Christina Norman is the new President of MTV and Tom Calderone is now General Manager of VH1. Norman had been President of VH1; Calderone had been Executive Vice President of Music Programming and Talent for MTV & MTV2.

The full press release can be found at PR Newswire.

NEWS: Nominees Set For June 28 BET Awards

Nominees have been announced for the BET Awards. Ciara leads all nominees with four nods, with Kanye West, John Legend and Destiny's Child each receiving three nominations each.

Scheduled to be broadcast live on June 28 from Hollywood's Kodak Theater, the show will be hosted by celebrity couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Patti LaBelle will receive the BET Lifetime Achievement Award and Denzell Washington and wife Pauleta will receive the BET Humanitarian Award.

The nominees for all music categories are as follows...

BEST FEMALE HIP HOP
Miri Ben-Ari
Jackie-O
Remy Martin
Shawnna

BEST MALE HIP HOP
50 Cent
Jay-Z
Ludacris
Snoop Dogg
T.I.
Kayne West

BEST COLLABORATION
Ciara feat. Missy Elliott "1, 2 Step"
Destiny's Child feat. Lil Wayne & T.I. "Soldier"
The Game and 50 Cent "Hate It or Love It"
Jadakiss feat. Anthony Hamilton "Why"
Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell "Drop It Like It's Hot"
Usher and Alicia Keys "My Boo"

BEST FEMALE R&B
Amerie
Mariah Carey
Ciara
Fantasia
Alicia Keys
Jill Scott

BEST MALE R&B
Anthony Hamilton
John Legend
Mario
Prince
Usher

BEST GROUP
112
Destny's Child
Lil Jon and The Eastside Boys
The Roots
Terror Squad f/Fat Joe

BEST NEW ARTIST
Ciara
Fantasia
The Game
John Legend
Omarion

BEST GOSPEL ARTIST
Fred Hammond
Donnie McClurkin
Ruben Studdard
CeCe Winans
Kanye West

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Amerie "1 Thing"
Jay-Z "99 Problems"
John Legend "Ordinary People"
Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell "Drop It Like It's Hot"
Kanye West "Jesus Walks"

BET.com VIEWERS' CHOICE
Ciara feat. Missy Elliott "1, 2 Step"
Destiny's Child feat. Lil Wayne and T.I. "Soldier"
Mario "Let Me Love You"
Omarion "O"
Terror Squad feat. Fat Joe "Lean Back"
T.I. " U Don't Know Me"

NEWS: FUSE Summer Programming Line-up

FUSE has several new programs set to run throughout the summer...

Hiphop Confidential: A half-hour, daily, in-studio hip-hop music video show hosted by Marianela. Set to debut on June 6.

Metal Asylum: A half-hour, daily, in-studio hard rock music video show hosted by Juliya. The show debuted last week. Juliya's on-location metal show Uranium is also in production, with upcoming episodes to feature System Of A Down, Zakk Wylde and artists from the New England Metalfest.

Also, FUSE will once again be broadcasting performances and interviews from the Hot 97 Summerjam at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. This star-studded event is hosted by influential NYC hip-hop station Hot 97.

NEWS: Aisle Five Studios Relocates

Aisle Five Studios has moved to a new facility in Los Angeles. Full contact info will be available in our free weekly mailing list.

NEWS: Uwe Flade Joins Anonymous Content

Veteran director Uwe Flade has signed with Anonymous Content for music videos and commercials. Hailing from Munich, Germany, Flade has directed clips for the likes of Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand and Gomez. He is currently working on projects for Depeche Mode and Erasure, plus a music video for Koufax.

NEWS: Colourmovie Creates MVPA Awards Show Package

Design and live-action production company Colourmovie created all aspects of the identity, show open and bumpers used at the recent MVPA Awards.

Colourmovie combined photographic stills and live-action HD footage, plus 3d and 2d animations to achieve the rich look of the show open and bumpers. Producer John McGinnis provided the sound design and music.

Wanna see what you missed? Of course you do. Enjoy Quicktime links of the very beautiful and clever show open and a bumper montage.

NEWS: MVPA Awards Winner List

DNA Director Francis Lawrence was the big winner at last week's MVPA Awards, which spotlights excellence in all areas of music video production. Lawrence was named Director of the Year and also won the Best Direction of a Female Artist and  Pop Video of the Year categories for Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For." Anonymous Content director Mark Romanek and his amazing Jay-Z video "99 Problems" were singled out for Video of the Year, Best Direction of a Male Artist and Hip-Hop Video of the Year.

Show highlights included an impromptu and passionate speech from Kanye West and a truly alternative acceptance from Spike Jonze on winning Alternative Video of the Year for Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Y Control." Also, as reported earlier, Jeff Ayeroff, Peter Care and Jake Scott all received honorary awards.

And the winners are...

2005 MVPA Award Recipients

Director of the Year
Francis Lawrence
Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get It Started"
Gwen Stefani "What You Waiting For"
Janet Jackson "All Nite (Don't Stop)"

Video of the Year
Anonymous Content / Mark Romanek, director
Jay Z "99 Problems"

International Video of the Year
Exposure Films / Johan Renck
The Streets "Dry Your Eyes"

Directorial Debut of the Year
Chris Milk
Kanye West "All Falls Down"

Best Direction of a Male Artist
Mark Romanek
Jay Z "99 Problems"

Best Direction of a Female Artist
Francis Lawrence
Gwen Stefani "What You Waiting For"

Best Direction of a New Artist
Marc Webb
My Chemical Romance "I'm Not OK I Promise"

Best Video Produced for Under $25,000
Shafei & Levitz
Gift of Gab "The Rat Race"

Alternative Video of the Year
MJZ Inc / Spike Jonze
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Y Control"

Adult Contemporary Video of the Year
@radical.music / Chris Milk, director
John Mellencamp "Walk Tall"

Electronic Music Video of the Year
Smuggler / Brian Beletic, director
Fatboy Slim "Don't Let the Man Get You Down"

Hip-Hop Video of the Year
Anonymous Content / Mark Romanek, director
Jay Z "99 Problems"

Pop Video of the Year
DNA Inc / Francis Lawrence, director
Gwen Stefani "What You Waiting For"

R & B Video of the Year
HSI Productions / X, director
Usher "Yeah"

Rock Video of the Year
Black Dog Films / Samuel Bayer
Green Day "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Animated Video of the Year
Lauri Faggioni
Devendra Banhart "A Ribbon"

Cross Promotion Video of the Year
Black Dog Films / The Malloys, director
Will Ferrell "Afternoon Delight'

Best Cinematography
Samuel Bayer
Green Day "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Best Editing
David Blackburn
Blink 182 "Always"

Best Colorist / Telecine
David Hussey
Modest Mouse "Ocean Breathes Salty"

Best Special Effects
Brand New School
Muse "Hysteria"

Best Choreography
Lauri Faggioni
Michael Andrews & Gary Jules "Mad World"

Best Art Direction
Zach Mathews
Gwen Stefani "What You Waiting For"

Best Styling
Carol Beadle
The Killers "Mr. Brightside"

Best Hair
Danilo & Suzette Boozer
Gwen Stefani feat. Eve "Rich Girls"

Best Make-Up
Gina Monaci
The Killers "Mr. Brightside"

For a look at the winning clips, visit MVPA Awards.com.  Pictures courtesy of the MVPA.

NEWS: Francis Lawrence Named Director of Year at MVPA Awards

Congratulations to Francis Lawrence of DNA on being named Director of the Year at last night's MVPA Awards. Lawrence was singled out for his music videos "Let's Get it Started" for the Black Eyed Peas, "All Nite (Don't Stop)" for Janet Jackson and Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For."

Lawrence also won Best Pop Video and Best Direction of a Female Artist for his Gwen Stefan video, "What You Waiting For."

Look for a complete recap of the show once an official announcement is released by the MVPA...

NEWS: MVPA Awards Tonight

The 14th annual MVPA Awards will be held tonight at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Doors are at 6pm; the awards begin at 7:30. Good luck to all the nominees.

Jeff Ayeroff will receive the Kratz Award For Creative Excellence.The veteran record executive was involved in groundbreaking videos  for Madonna, Talking Heads, Prince, Don Henley, ZZ Top and Dire Straits, just to name a few. He also created the influential "Rock The Vote" campaign in 1989.

Director Peter Care will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Care has directed videos for Thomas Dolby, Bananarama, Depeche Mode, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and R.E.M.

Director Jake Scott will receive the MVPA Hall Of Fame Award for his classic "Everybody Hurts" for R.E.M.

Attendees at the awards are advised to check their gift bags for the official Video Static business card. These glossy bad boys are sure to be collectors' items.

NEWS: iTunes Music Store Debuts Video Downloads

Apple's iTunes Music Store is now offering additional music video content for purchase. Numerous albums now include a bonus video track that is downloaded to your computer when you purchase the full album. There are also video singles on sale for $1.98. These come with the audio version of the single and the video. These videos are viewable in iTunes and can be watched in three different ways: The first is in the "Now Playing" or "Song Selection" window that you can display at the the bottom of the Source panel (this window displays album artwork when available). Clicking that window while the video is playing will launch the content in a separate window. Finally, you can also click a button to watch the video in full screen mode. (Truth is: It's easier to just try it than follow my inelegant explanation. So if you're really curious, shell out a couple bucks on iTunes)

The videos are encoded in the Mp4 file format, compatible with QuickTime. Reports indicate that they have no DRM copy protection limitations. Video capabilities are only available on the new 4.8 version of iTunes.

Available in the Video single format on iTunes are:
The Shins "Pink Bullets"
Thievery Corporation "Warning Shots"

Albums available with bonus video include:
Dave Matthews Band "Stand Up"
Morcheeba "The Antidote"
The Go-Betweens "Oceans Apart"

NEWS: Stevie Wonder Video Narrated For The Blind

Music videos have long been closed-captioned for the deaf , but the legendary Stevie Wonder is taking steps to make his upcoming video "So What The Fuss" accessible to the blind. Featured guest Busta Rhymes recorded a descriptive track that will be accessible to viewers via SAP capabilities. While some programs have been providing descriptive tracks for some time now, this will be the first video to offer this feature.

"So What The Fuss" will support Wonder's new album, A Time To Love.

NEWS: Anonymous Signs Nick Wickham

Anonymous Content has announced the Nick Wickham, who has directed live concert shoots for R.E.M., The White Stripes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Garbage and many other acts. Wickham has also directed videos for such acts as Travis and The Corrs -- not to mention the brand new Biritish Sea Power video.

Anonymous Content is repping the director for live concert shoots, videos and documentaries.

NEWS: MVPA Host and Presenter Details

Comedian/actor Paul F. Tompkins of  the Fox show Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show and the cult HBO comedy fave Mr. Show will host the MVPA Awards Show on May 12 at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles.

Presenters at the event will include model Cindy Margolis, wrestler Chris Jericho, Nip/Tuck actress Kelly Carlson and The West Wing's Joshua Malina.

Tickets for the Awards show are available at MVPA.com

NEWS: VH1 Classic's Matzo & Metal

As Passover winds to a close, I hope all of you caught VH1 Classic's Matzo & Metal. Besides retelling the story of the Jews exodus from Pharaoh's land in its own unique fashion with Popsicle stick characters, the special also featured a Seder with a variety of Jewish metal icons. Among the attendees were Anthrax's Scott Ian, Twisted Sister's J.J. French and Mountain's Leslie West. The host was Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider  (who is only half-Jewish, for the record) and the show was sponsored by the kosher winery Manischewitz.

Those who missed the show can catch repeats this Sunday at 7am and 7pm on VH1 Classic.

The Popsicle stick animations were created by Hornet diector Aaron Stewart.

NEWS: Hammer & Tongs/Garth Jennings - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

Longtime music video director Garth Jennings of Hammer & Tongs makes his big screen directorial debut with The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, which opens tomorrow. This film version of the Douglas Adams cult novel stars Martin Dent of the hit BBC show The Office, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel and John Malkovich.

Garth Jennings has directed videos for Blur, Badly Drawn Boy, R.E.M., Beck, Supergrass and many other groups. He is repped by Anonymous Content for music videos.

NEWS: Bruce Springsteen DualDisc Out Now

While a Bruce Springsteen album release is certainly news in and of itself, the Columbia release of Devils & Dust is especially notable (and not just because it's a great album).

Devils & Dust is available exclusively in the DualDisc format. These 2-sided discs boast an audio CD on one side and a DVD on the other. Springsteen's DVD side boasts 5.1 surround and stereo mixes of the album plus five exclusive solo performances filmed by Partizan director Danny Clinch.

Devils & Dust is in stores today.

NEWS: Marc Klasfeld's Film To Debut At Tribeca Film Fest

Director Marc Klasfeld's feature film debut The L.A. Riot Spectacular is set to world premiere today at the Tribeca Film Festival. Subsequent showsing are also scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Visit Tribeca Film Festival for schedule and ticket information.

Klasfeld's satirical take on the Rodney King incident stars Snoop Dogg, Charles Dutton, George Hamilton and Emilio Estevez.

NEWS: IMF Is On The Air

Following a legal dispute,  Universal's music video channel IMF: The International Music Feed is now airing on Dish Network channel 157. The  network plays music videos from all record labels and countries. In addition to many music blocks, The IMF schedules include such specialty shows as:

• Hip Hop Society -  A 60 minute program that spotlights rap music from around the globe.
• The Bridge: Latin America - A 30 minute that showcases pop music from such countries as Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Spain, plus Spanish-language artists from the United States.
• Best Of Farmclub - This live music show hosted by Matt Pinfield and Ali Landry is repeated daily. Guests on Farmclub have included No Doubt, U2, Kid Rock and many more.

The IMF is headed by former MTV executive Andy Schuon.

NEWS: Kelly Freeman Reps DeVaux Films

Kelly Freeman is now the music video rep for DeVaux Films.  Kelly  will handle the DeVaux roster, which includes the directors Brian Frank, Demian Lichtenstein, Bruce Logan and Marshall Tyler.

NEWS: I Demand My MTV Overdrive

MTV has announced a new online on-demand service called MTV Overdrive. Billed as "the ultimate  broadband video channel." A sneak preview and an FAQ can be found at MTV.com; Those with a username and password can actually test drive a beta version the service. As is the case with many other video on-demand sites, MTV Overdrive uses Windows Media DRM and is not supported by Mac computers.

The official launch of MTV Overdrive will be April 25. Content will include full-length videos, MTV News clips, movie trailers and much more.

NEWS: MTV Awards To Return To Miami

MTV has announced that the 2005 Video Music Awards will be held in Miami for the second year in a row. The show is scheduled for August 28.

NEWS: Refused.tv Returns To The Air

Producer Cathy Pellow brings her alternative music video show Refused TV back to the airwaves of Los Angeles. The debut episode of the new season airs tonight, Monday March 29 from 11pm - midnight on KJLA broadcast channels 57 and 33. KJLA is also carried by most Los Angeles area cable providers and DirecTV and Dish satellite networks. Visit this page to find the exact channel position for KJLA on your cable or satellite system.

The episode tonight features The Kinison as guest hosts with videos from The Caesars, Head Automatica, Death From Above 1979, The Streets and many more.

NEWS: SxSw Music Video Winners

Congratulations go out to the winning videos selected at last week's SxSw Film Festival.

Badly Drawn Boy's "Year Of The Rat" won the Jury Award For Best Music Video. The clip was directed by Monkmus and produced by Douangta Inthavixay. Executive producers were Soft Citizen's Sandy Hunter and Jamie Watson. The video was released by Astralwerks Records.

Slipknot's "Vermilion" received a Special Jury Award. Rockhard Films' Tony Petrossian directed; Ben Oswa produced. Petrossian is repped by Robin Frank Management. The video was released by Roadrunner Records.

NEWS: MVPA Award Nominees Announced (Updated)

Nominees have been announced for the 14th annual MVPA Awards. Radical Media's Chris Milk leads all directors with seven nominations, including nods for Director Of The Year and Directorial Debut. Other multiple-nominated directors include Francis Lawrence, Marc Webb, Jake Scott, Sophie Muller and Spike Jonze.

The MVPA Awards are scheduled for May 12, 2005 at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles.

Click the continuation link to expand this entry and to see the full nominee list...

Nominees for 2005 MVPA Awards

Director of the Year

• Chris Milk / @ Radical Media
  • John Mellencamp “Walk Tall”
  • Kanye West “Jesus Walks”
  • Modest Mouse “Ocean Breathes Salty”

• Francis Lawrence / DNA
  • Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For”
  • Black Eyed Peas “Let’s Get It Started”
  • Janet Jackson “All Nite (Don’t Stop)”

• The Saline Project / HSI Productions
  • Eminem “Toy Soldiers”
  • The Cure “Alt. End”
  • The Hives “Two Timing Touch”

• Sophie Muller / Oil Factory
  • Sarah McLachlan “World On Fire”
  • Maroon 5 “She Will Be Loved”
  • The Killers “Mr. Brightside”

• Floria Sigismondi / Revolver Film Co.
  • Incubus “Talk Show On Mute”
  • The Cure “End of the World”
  • Living Things “I Owe”

Directorial Debut

• Kanye West “All Falls Down” / Chris Milk, director
• Interpol “Evil” / Charlie White, director
• Fatboy Slim “Wonderful Tonight” / Jon Watts, director
• Hoobastank “The Reason” / Brett Simon, director
• Devandra Banhart “A Ribbon” / Lauri Faggioni, director

Best Video Produced for Under $25,000

• Devandra Banhart “A Ribbon” / Partizan / Lauri Faggioni, director
• Beck “Black Tambourine” / Partizan / Associates in Science, directors
• Gift of Gab “The Rat Race” / Rockfight / Shafei & Levitz, directors
• Death Cab for Cutie “The Sound of Settling” / Oil Factory / Tomorrow’s Brightest Minds, directors
• 8 Bit “I Deez” / C.O.F. Productions / Stoney Sharp & Tim Ford, directors

Adult Contemporary

• Switchfoot “Dare You To Move” DNA / Marc Webb, director
• Loretta Lynn feat. Jack White “Portland, Oregon” / Oil Factory / Sophie Muller, director
• Norah Jones “Sunrise” / Believe Media-Conceive Media / James Frost, director
• John Mellencamp “Walk Tall” / @radical.media / Chris Milk, director
• Wax Poetic feat. Norah Jones “Angels” / Motiv Films / Major Lightner, director

Pop

• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / DNA / Francis Lawrence, director
• Fatboy Slim “The Joker” / SMUGGLER-Waverly / Jon Watts, director
• George Michael “Flawless” / Black Dog Films / Jake Scott, director
• Alanis Morissette “8 Easy Steps” / DNA  / Liz Friedlander, director
• Gwen Stefani feat. Eve “Rich Girls” / HSI Productions / David LaChapelle, director

Alternative

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Y Control” / MJZ / Spike Jonze, director
• My Chemical Romance “I’m Not OK I Promise” / DNA / Marc Webb, director
• Beck “E-Pro” / The Directors Bureau / Shynola, director
• The Cure “End of the World” / Revolver Film Co. / Floria Sigismondi, director
• Bjork “Oceania” / Colonel Blimp / Lynn Fox, director

Hip-Hop

• Jay Z “99 Problems” / Anonymous Content / Mark Romanek, director
• Kanye West “Jesus Walks” / @ Radical Media / Chris Milk, director
• Black Eyed Peas “Let’s Get It Started” / DNA  / Francis Lawrence, director
• Ludacris “Get Back” / MJZ  / Spike Jonze, director
• Nas “Bridge D’Gap” / DNA  / Diane Martel, director

R & B

• Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You” / DNA  / Diane Martel, director
• Beyonce “Naughty Girl” / FM Rocks / Jake Nava, director
• Usher “Yeah” / HSI Productions / X, director
• John Legend “Ordinary People” / @ Radical Media / Kanye West, director
• Prince “Call My Name” / Anonymous Content / Sanaa Hamri, director

Rock

• Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” / Black Dog Films / Samuel Bayer, director
• The Strokes “Reptilia” / Black Dog Films / Jake Scott, director
• Courtney Love “Mono” / @ Radical Media / Chris Milk, director
• The Vines “Ride” / Partizan / Olivier Gondry, director
• The Donnas “Fall Behind Me” / Oil Factory  / Tomorrow’s Brightest Minds, directors

Electronic Music

• Fatboy Slim “Don’t Let The Man Get You Down” / SMUGGLER / Brian Beletic, director
• Faithless “Mass Destruction” / Oil Factory  / Dom & Nic, directors
• LCD Sound System “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House” / Partizan / Chris Cairns, director
• Zero 7 “Home” / xxxxxxxx / Barney Clay, director
• Felix Da House Cat “Felix Da House Cat” / Hello Logan / Logan, directors

Cross Promotion

• Will Ferrell “Afternoon Delight” (Anchorman) / Black Dog Films/ Adam McKay & The Malloys, directors
• Sarah McLachlan “World On Fire” (World On Fire Fundraiser) / Oil Factory / Sophie Muller, director
• Dashboard Confessional “Vindicated” (Spiderman 2) / A Band Apart / Nigel Dick, director
• The Shins “New Slang” (Garden State) / Black Dog Films / The Malloys, directors
• Mick Jagger & Dave Stewart “Old Habits Die Hard” (Alfie) / Oil Factory / Philipp Stolzl, director

International

• Bjork “Triumph of the Heart” / MJZ  / Spike Jonze, director
• The Zutons “Confusion” / Anonymous Content / Chris Hopewell, director
• Soulwax “E Talking” / Chelsea Pictures / Evan Bernard, director
• The Streets “Dry Your Eyes” / Exposure Films / Johann Renck, director
• Jakalope “Pretty Life” / Revolver Film Co. / Lisa Mann & Vincent Marcone, directors

Animated

• Beck “E-Pro” / The Directors Bureau / Shynola, directors
• Devendra Banhart “A Ribbon” / Partizan / Lauri Faggioni, director
• Felix Da House Cat “Felix Da House Cat” / Hello Logan / Logan, directors
• Fefe Dobson “Don’t Go” / Oil Factory  / Rainbows & Vampires, directors
• Instruction “Breakdown” / @ Radical Media / Molly & Mariah, directors

Direction of a Male Artist

• Jay Z “99 Problems” / Mark Romanek, director
• Ludacris “Get Back” / Spike Jonze, director
• George Michael “Flawless” / Jake Scott, director
• Kanye West “All Falls Down” / Chris Milk, director
• Beck “E-Pro” / Shynola, directors

Direction of a Female Artist

• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / Francis Lawrence, director
• Janet Jackson “All Nite (Don’t Stop” / Francis Lawrence, director
• Beyonce “Naughty Girl” / Jake Nava, director
• Mindy Smith “Come to Jesus” / Sophie Muller, director
• Courtney Smith “Mono” / Chris Milk, director

Direction of a New Artist

• My Chemical Romance “I’m Not OK I Promise” / Marc Webb, director
• The Killers “Somebody Told Me” / Sophie Muller, director
• The Secret Machines “Nowhere Again” / Patrick Daughters, director
• Ee De “Let’s Get To It” / R. Malcolm Jones, director
• The Zutons “Pressure Point” / Charles Jensen, director

Art Direction

• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / Zach Matthews
• Sum 41 “Pieces” / Zach Matthews
• Incubus “Talk Show on Mute” / Marcos Lutyens
• The Cure “End of the World” / Sue Tebbutt
• Jay Z “99 Problems” / Happy Mase

Cinematography

• Modest Mouse “Ocean Breathes Salty” / Danny Hiele
• Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” / Samuel Bayer
• Kanye West “Jesus Walks” / Danny Hiele
• Butterfly Boucher “Another White Dash” / Joe Labisi
• Marilyn Manson “Personal Jesus” / Lukas Ettlin

Choreography

• Gary Jules/Michael Andrews “Mad World” / Lauri Faggioni
• Beyonce “Naughty Girl” / Frank Gatson Jr.
• Jennifer Lopez “Get Right” / TBD
• Janet Jackson “All Night (Don’t Stop)” / Gil Duldulao, Jr.
• Black Eyed Peas “Hey Mama” / Fatima Robinson

Colorist/Telecine

• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / Dave Hussey
• Modest Mouse “Ocean Breathes Salty” / Dave Hussey
• Sum 41 “Pieces” / Beau Leon
• Marilyn Manson “Personal Jesus” / Beau Leon
• Lindsay Lohan “Rumors” / Dave Hussey

Editing

• Black Eyed Peas “Let’s Get It Started” / Dustin Robertson
• Counting Crows “Accidentally In Love” / Lenny Messina
• Kanye West “Jesus Walks” / Livio Sanchez
• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / Dustin Robertson
• Blink 182 “Always” / David Blackburn

Special Effects

• U2 “Vertigo” / Jam Abelenet
• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / Base 2
• Alanis Morissette “8 Easy Steps” / Jack Effects
• Franz Ferdinand “This Fire” / Stylewar
• Muse “Hysteria” / Brand New School

Styling

• The Killers “Mr. Brightside” / Carol Beadle
• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / Andrea Lieberman
• Jennifer Lopez “Get Right” / TBD
• Incubus “Talk Show On Mute” / Carol Beadle
• Outkast “Roses” / Shawn Barton

Hair

• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / Danilo & Christoff
• The Killers “Mr. Brightside” / Pamela Neal
• Nelly Furtado “Try” / Gina Monaci
• Beyonce “Naughty Girl” / Kim Kimble & Damon Young
• Gwen Stefani feat. Eve “Rich Girls” / Danilo & Suzette Boozer

Make-Up

• Gwen Stefani “What You Waiting For” / Lisa Butler
• The Killers “Mr. Brightside” / Gina Monaci
• Jennifer Lopez “Get Right” / TBD
• Lindsay Lohan “Rumors” / Kristofer Buckle
• Beyonce “Naughty Girl” / Mally Rancal

NEWS: Sunset Edit Update

Fernando Villena is the editor for Kanye West’s next video, "Spaceship." Steve Rees edited the Lisa Marie Presley video “Dirty Laundry” for director Patrick Hoelck and the Relient K video "Be My Escape" for director Charles Jensen. Rees is also slated to edit Baby and Lil Wayne videos for director David Palmer.

Click on the artist links for details on each video.

NEWS: CMT Final Nominees Announced

Final nominees for the CMT Awards have been announced. The nominees for each category were selected by fans through rounds of voting; the ultimate winners will be also be determined based on fan votes.

The CMT Awards will be broadcast live Monday, April 11 from Nashville. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com.

The full list of nominees and voting details are at CMT.com.

NEWS: Watch Music Here Launches

CinemaNow announced the launch of their new venture WatchMusicHere.com, which allows consumers to purchase music videos in Windows Media format. These videos can be downloaded and viewed on PCs, and compatible portable media centers and smart phones.

Currently the site has 75 videos available from  past and current Warner Music Group artists, including Jane's Addiction, Wilco, The Used, Green Day, Pantera, Uncle Kracker, Hootie & The Blowfish and The Donnas. CinemaNow expects to have 1,500 additional videos available by December.

NEWS: Music Videos On Windows Mobile Devices

Mediapass Network announced at SxSw today the launch of a new music video download service for Windows Mobile-based devices. Mediapass Music subscribers can download music videos and load them onto their compatible portable devices with a free 30-day license. Compatible devices can be found at the Microsoft site. Videos from the service are available for online viewing and download at Mediapass.net.

NEWS: SxSw Music Video Event

If you are in Austin for the annual SxSw Conference and reading this: Get away from the computer and go see a band!

But, if you're interested: There is a music video screening scheduled for 2pm this Friday at the Alamo Downtown. The program includes videos from Kanye West, The Flaming Lips, Slipknot, Joanna Newson, The Album Leaf, Pete Miser, Badly Drawn Boy and many more.

NEWS: Music Choice and Sprint PCS Offer "Play Of The Day"

Sprint PCS announced another music video service for their customers... this time at no additional cost (kind of). Sprint PCS customers who subscribe to the Music Choice channel will now be able to watch a new music video each day.

The "Play of The Day" is included as part of the Music Choice channel that is offered as part of Sprint's Vision Multimedia Services for $5.95 a month.

Read the press release yourself at Yahoo!

NEWS: Video Ringers Come To Cell Phones

Polyphonic ring tones? Hah. That's old school. Real music ring tones? That's ok, but if you want to be next level you need video ring tones. Sprint PCS today announced music video ringers as a new option available to their customers.

Instead of just playing a tune when someone calls, these cell phones play audio in addition to the music videos. Choices include videos from T.I., Crime Mob, Big & Rich and other WMG artists. Sony BMG acts such as Frankie J and Maroon 5 will be added later this week. Video screen savers are also available.

How much you ask? Video ringers cost $3.00 each and screen savers cost $2.50.

Read the full story over at Yahoo!

NEWS: DNA Director Signings

Directors Thom Oliphant and Steven Goldmann have signed with DNA. The award-winning directors were previously partners at the now closed Nashville production company The Collective.

Oliphant has directed videos for Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Dunan Sheik and many others. Goldmann has over 200 videos to his credit, including such artists as Alan Jackson, Faith Hill and Shania Twain.

NEWS: Sunset Edit Update

Sunset Edit's Fernando Villa rides a wave of activity. He recently edited:
My Chemical Romance "Helena" (Marc Webb, director)
John Legend "Ordinary People" (Kanye West, director)
Low Millions "Elenor" (Marc Webb, director)

Also repped by Sunset Edit are:
Chip Eddy (Akon's "Lonely" for director Gil Green)
Richard Cooperman (three Michael Buble videos for director Noble Jones)

NEWS: Darren Grant's Movie #1; F. Gary Gray Is Next

Longtime music video director Darren Grant's feature Diary Of A Mad Black Woman debuted at #1 at the box office with $21.9 million.

F. Gary Gray's new film Be Cool will hit theaters March 4. Based on the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name, this sequel to Get Shorty boasts a cast of John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughan, Cedric The Entertainer, The Rock and music stars Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Christina Milian and OutKast's Andre Benjamin.

F. Gary Gray's videography is incredibly well-known and includes hit music videos for TLC, OutKast and Ice Cube. He's also directed the films Friday, The Italian Job and The Negotiator.

NEWS: Paste Magazine Film Fest

Paste Media Group have announced a call-for-entries for their Paste Shorts Fest, tentatively scheduled for the fall. All entries must be under 49 minutes long. Categories being considered include music video, animation, flash/shockwave, documentary and more.

Winning shorts will be screened at the Paste Shorts Fest, placed on a sampler DVD to be included with Paste Magazine and featured on a forthcoming retail compilation DVD.

Paste Media Group publish the very cool Paste Magazine, which covers intelligent and artistic music, film and culture. Each issue comes with a CD of new music; Some issues come with an added DVD that boasts music videos, short films, movie trailers and more.

Full information on submitting work for the Paste Shorts Fest (including fees and important legalese) can be found at Paste's website.

NEWS: Res Screening In L.A. Monday

Res Magazine will be hosting a screening on Monday, February 28 at The Egyptian Theatre. Audience Choice Awards will be presented to Peter Cornwell for his short film Ward 13 and Michel Gondry for his Steriogram video "Walkie Talkie Man." Short works from directors Jared Hess and Olivier Gondry will be screened, as will new music videos from Beck, Death Cab For Cutie and more. There will also be a reception with the filmmakers.

Tickets are $10 and are available through Ticket Web.

NEWS: MTV base Launches in Africa

MTV Networks launched a pan-African channel called "MTV base" on Tuesday, February 22. The channel's playlist boasts familiar International and American acts alongside many African artists, including Femi Kuti, Zama Jobe, Angelique Kidjo, Nameless and SSP.

MTV base is reaching 1.3 million households in Africa via cable, satellite and MMDS providers.

ps: Just in case you're wondering, MMDS is short for Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service. It's a basically a technology that allows cable companies to broadcast their signals - hence it's nickname, "wireless cable". It's popular in South America, Africa and other areas where underground cable installation is cost prohibitive. Subscribers to an MMDS service need a special converter box and antenna. MMDS is a line-of-sight technology, meaning that you will not get reception if something is blocking your antenna from the transmitter.

Aren't you glad I looked that up for you?

NEWS: Director Life Garland Signs With Labuda Management

Director Life Garland has signed with LaBuda Management for music video representation. Recent credits include videos for Nelly, Chingy, Juvenile and Lil Wayne.

Garland is still signed with his own production company, INI Creations.

NEWS: Constantine debuts at #2

Longtime music video director Francis Lawrence's big screen debut Constantine pulled in an estimated $30.5 million and debuted at #2. The country's #1 movie, Hitch, earned an estimated $31.8 million in its second week of release.

Another music video director will try his luck in movie theaters this week: Director Darren Grant's Diary Of A Mad Black Woman is set to open February 25. The film is based on the play by Tyler Perry.

NEWS: Director Phil Harder Signs With Labuda Management

Director Phil Harder has signed with Labuda Management for music video representation. Harder's most recent credits include videos for Yellowcard, Barenaked Ladies, Liz Phair and Prince.

Harder is still with his own production company, Harder-Fuller Films.

NEWS: What is the potential in mobile music videos?

Who would want to watch a music video on their cell phone? Or more precisely, who would pay to watch a video on their cell phone? Possibly more people than you think.

UK mobile carrier 3 has been offering paid music video downloads to their customers for the past six months. Yesterday they announced at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes that they have sold over 10 million of these video downloads over that time. They're charging 1.50 pounds ($2.85) per download or 5 pounds ($9.40) for a monthly package.

Two things to keep in mind:

1. This advanced form of mobile entertainment is now in the US as well. You've probably seen one of Verizon's commercial for their V Cast service here.
2. Universal has already announced that they now require licensing deals for all purveyors of on-demand music video play.

These are new frontiers for music video and new revenue streams for everyone involved.

Now, do you own due diligence:

Read the Telecoms.com news story on the 3 announcement here
Also read these previous reports about everything I mentioned right here on Video Static:
3 on Video Static
Verizon V Cast on Video Static
Universal's On-Demand Policy on Video Static

NEWS: And The Music Video Grammys Go To...

U2's "Vertigo" was named Best Short Form Music Video at the 47th annual Grammy Awards. Alex & Martin directed; Grace Bodie produced.

Best Long Form Music Video went to The Concert For George. David Leland directed; Ray Cooper, Olivia Harrison and Jon Kamen produced. The Concert For George captured a tribute concert held for the late George Harrison. Performers included Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and many more.

NEWS: Justine Smith Starts New Indie Rep Company and Joins Strato Films

Justine Smith has formed a freelance director representation company called Stompbox. She is also relaunching the music video division at Strato Films in partnership with the Director/ DP team of Paula Walker and Rolf Kesterman. Smith will be serving as Strato's Executive Producer and Rep. She was formerly with Oil Factory.

Contact information is provided in this week's Video Static Newsletter. Please sign up. It's free.

NEWS: Sundance Summary - Music Video Directors

File under better late than never...

The 2005 Sundance Film Festival featured several films directed by notable music video vets. Here's a list of films to keep an eye out for in the coming months or so...

Junebug - Phil Morrison, director
Phil Morrison's credits include videos for Sonic Youth, Superchunk and the hilarious "Sugaecube" for Yo La Tengo, which starred Bob and David from Mr. Show. The soundtrack of Junebug is also by Yo La Tengo.

Pretty Persuasion - Marcos Siega, director
Marcos Siega made his name as one of the top music video directors thanks to his Blink-182 videos "What's My Age Again?" and "All The Small Things." Pretty Persuasion stars Evan Rachel Wood, James Woods and Ron Livingston.

Thumbsucker - Mike Mills, director
Not the R.E.M. bass player, but rather a graphic design wiz who directed artful music videos for Air, Moby and many others. Thumbsucker is based on a Walter Kirn novel and features Keanu Reeves, Tilda Swinton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Vince Vaughn and Benjamin Bratt.

Rize - David LaChapelle, director
Famed photgrapher David LaChapelle has directed huge videos for the likes of No Doubt, Christina Aguilera, Elton John, Blink-182 and many more. Rize sportlights the unique form of hip-hop clown dancing called "krumping."

The Sailor's Girl - Brett Simon, director
Brett Simon has directed hit videos for the likes of The Killers and Hoobastank. He currently has videos on the air for Sum-41 and Unwritten Law. The Sailor's Girl is a short film.

NEWS: Where My 2 Headed Dogs At? MTV2 To Relaunch During Super Bowl

MTV somehow shocked the world last year with a Super Bowl halftime show that revealed that women have nipples and some of these women like to adorn them with jewelry. Shocking, yes? This year MTV has something different to offer: A relaunch of channel MTV2. According to an AP story, the MTV2 ad campaign with the channel's new 2 Headed Dog logo will be officially unveiled during a halftime commercial.

Read the story yourself at Yahoo! News.

NEWS: Robert Hales repped by Labuda Management

Labuda Magement is now repping director Robert Hales (Jet, Switchfoot).

Hales is signed with Merge @ Crossroads.

NEWS: Kerri Kleiner new rep for Oil Factory

Kerri Kleiner is the new music video rep at Oil Factory. She is replacing Justine Smith, who recently left Oil Factory pursue other options in the music video industry.

Kleiner was formerly the rep at both A Common Thread and Brass Knuckles.

NEWS: BET Founder To Leave Company

The Charlotte Business Journal reported yesterday that B.E.T. founder Robert L. Johnson will step down as C.E.O of the network.

Johnson sold B.E.T. to Viacom in 2000 for a reported $3 billion. He also owns NBA basketball team the Charlotte Bobcats.

Read the full story here.

NEWS: Universal to Video On Demand: Pay Up

According to a report in today's New York Times by Jeff Leeds, Universal Music Group will no longer provide free music videos to on-demand cable or Internet services. These companies must either negotiate licensing deals or remove all Universal Music Group content from their VOD libraries.

Doug Morris is quoted in the piece as saying, "Too many businesses have been built on the back of the content we produce... So in the future, content we produce won't just be provided for free for promotional purposes. People will have to pay if they're going to use it."

The article is a MUST read. Check it out at this link.

NEWS: Dogs With 2 Heads Are In

What is The 2 Headed Dog? Might it have something to do with a music channel with the numeral 2 in its name? Why is the Web site the2headeddog.com so damn entertaining?

Stay tuned to find out, or let the New York Post ruin the surprise.

NEWS: Music Videos On Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless announced the availability of full-length music video downloads as part of their new V Cast service. This is the first music video download store available to US customers on either the Web or through mobile technology.

Subscribers to Verizon Wireless' V Cast service ($15 a month) will be able to download music videos from Warner Music Group artists for $3.99 each. Videos will initially be available from Sean Paul, My Chemical Romance, The Used, Crime Mob, Simple Plan and Story Of The Year.

V Cast is Verizon's version of 3G, which is shorthand for new third generation mobile phone technology that allows users access to video content, games and much more. V Cast is powered by Windows Media Audio and Windows Media Video. The service is only available on select phones, such as the LG VX8000 and the Samsung a890.

For further information check out the Verizon Wireless press release or this Reuters article.

NEWS: UK Video Poll Honors Johnny Cash "Hurt"

UK mobile phone company 3 assembled a group of music celebrities to determine the top 20 music videos of all time. According to a BBC News report, the top five videos were:

Johnny Cash "Hurt"
Michael Jackson "Thriller"
Aphex Twin "Come To Daddy"
Radiohead "Just"
Michael Jackson "Billie Jean"

Panelists included Michael Stipe and Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim. Read the BBC article here.

3 mobile phones have full video capabilities , including access to programming provided by MTV.