How Michel Gondry uses

Special Effects to create his Music

Video Styles By Robyne Shovlin

About Michel GondryGondry grew up in Versailles in a family who was very influenced by pop music. In art school, he created a pop-rock band. The band released two albums and several singles until their separation in 1992. Gondry directed their video clips and also was a drummer. One of his videos was shown on MTV and when a famous singer/songwriter saw it called Bjork, she asked him to go in partnership for directing her videos. Gondry benefited by the huge budgets and therefore this led to commissions for other artists around the world and further made a lot of commercials. This made him the most highly-awarded director for a one-off commercial.

Music Videos Directed by Michel Gondry

Michel Gondry has directed 28 great music videos. Some of which would be the most famous are:

Around The World by Daft PunkThe Hardest Button to Button by The White Stripes Let Forever Be by Chemical BrothersBachelorette by Björk

Music Video StyleI have looked at ‘The Hardest Button to Button’ and ‘Let Forever Be’ out of Gondry’s music videos and they have quite similar aspects to them. They have effects and cuts and give a feeling of being in a dream and separated them from real life by using different effects. For example, in ‘the Hardest Button to Button’ he uses a sort of stop-motion way of animating and cutting his clips to make the video more jumpy. A simple yet effective idea which looks almost imaginary like dream as it is not what one would be able to see themselves in reality but in a peculiar way.

Auteur ?

Michel Gondry has his own style of directing and making his music videos, that all have an unconventional feel to them. Gondry’s style of his music videos all feel separated from the real world, like dreams, by using different camera tricks and editing. When you watch one of his videos you can see the style and instantly knowthat it is a Michel Gondry video. I believe that due to this, he is an auteur.

Behind the Scenes at Metronomy’s Michel Gondry-Directed Video Shoot

Michel Gondry compared the set to a "TV show from the 1960s, like The Monkees."

Michel Gondry's last video was for Bjork's 'Crystalline' back in 2011 which was his first.

Gondry described the song 'Love Letters' as a "mixture of The Stranglers for the piano and David Bowie a bit for the voice."

My Interpretation of Michlel Gondry’s Video Style Special Effects

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2lZMtUm9WI