Music Video Auteur

.Francois Truffaut. Theory

Francois Truffaut was one of many French film directors in the 1950’s who advocated a focus on the consumption made by the director on the style and form of a film.

His theory stated that the creativity, style and ideas of the director reflected throughout their work, meaning that there was an obvious link between films that they have directed.

Applying the theory Chris Cunningham

An English music/ film director born in Reading in the late 70’s. Chris Cunningham has worked with artists such as Madonna, Bjork and The Aphex Twins.

Aphex Twins- Come to Daddy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Az_7U0-cK0

Madonna- Frozenhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS088Opj9o0&ob=av2e

Bjork- All is full of love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAoBKagWQA

Madonna- Frozen Directed by

This music video clearly has elements horror. The music video is dark and gloomy portraying negative ideas to the audience about love. Chris Cunningham has used canted angles to show fear and uncertainty throughout the video. The editing is slow paced this connotes emotion and also allows the artist to connect to the audience. However as the speed of the music increases so does the pace of edit, this could be determined by the directors path of creativity. We can also see from this that one of Cunningham's individual style features is technical edits, for example when Madonna crashes to the ground and shatters, the pieces then turn into ravens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS088Opj9o0&ob=av2e

Chris Cunningham

Aphex Twins…

Come To Daddy

Chris Cunningham

Entropy plays a huge part in this music video. For example you wouldn’t expect to see an elderly lady being attacked my children with the same faces. Although there are redundant elements too, such as rubbish being dumped in areas with high rise flats and kids causing havoc. Also canted angles to enhance displays of confusion and the use of a hand held camera shows sequences of horror, a clear style of Cunningham's’. Fast paced editing connotes action, fear and entropy, another individual style from Cunningham.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Az_7U0-cK0

Bjork___ All is full of Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAoBKagWQA

This music video is simply about Cunningham's impressive editing. The video is not fasted paced but we can clearly identify that Cunningham's’ auteur signature is technical. The video consists of a hidden meaning which conveys alternate messages to the audience and brings out the director artistic style. The videos contains entropy through the robots kissing as if they were humans and the idea of the whole video. There are close up of the main robot showing that Chris is still connecting the video to the audience in some way.

Chris Cunningham

Chris Cunningham’s Auteur Signature By analysing work by Chris Cunningham I have found that his Auteur signature is based around horror, in both Aphex Twins and Madonna the audience is made to feel nervous and there are unexpected elements, a common feature of horror films.

His editing is in sync with the music, for example in Apex twins when the music slows down the speed the children skip is also slow. All three of these videos show impressive technical features like when Madonna turns into many birds.

Cunningham also likes to use canted angles to connote messages, maybe love or fear.

Cunningham- sum up

Technical Canted angles

Horror music+speed

Entropy Audience

is a French film, commercial and music video director and an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène.

Michel Gondry has worked with many artists such as Kylie, Paul McCartney and Bjork.

Kylie Minogue- Come Into My World http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0WELwAYgWc&feature=related

Mio Doi Todd- Open your Hearthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8QgeESiPZA

Applying the theory Michel

Gondry…

Mio Doi Todd- open your heart

In this music video the visuals are very repetitive, we see the same types of thing happening over and over. The pace of editing is very slow and some takes can last up to 40 seconds. This could be an auteur signature of Gondry’s. He also demonstrates a large depth of field and uses optical illusions to stun the audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8QgeESiPZA

Michel Gondry…

Michel Gondry…

Kylie Minogue- Come Into My World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0WELwAYgWc&feature=related

This music video is one long shot, similar to the beginning of Mio Doi Todd’s video. It reflects a very simply style of creativity but however much it may seem simple there is also a lot of technical work within. The video depends on the audience to be engaged until the end so there is understanding. The same pace is kept through the entire video which shows that the music and visuals are separate.

Michel Gondry’s …

Auteur Signature Michel Gondry’s music videos are very repetitive, there are clear examples of this in both of the music videos I researched. We can also see that Michel Gondry is a technical wizard, his videos require the audiences full attention and his videos are shot in one single long take rather than shorts cuts. He also uses optical illusions to engage the audience.

Gondry- sum up

Repetitive Long shot

Technical Illusions