There is a new era dawning on the music video horizon. And
it’s pixilated.
“My heroes were all filmmakers, like Spielberg,”
said Joseph Kahn, the man behind Eminem’s “Without
Me” and Destiny’s Child’s “Say My
Name.” “But I think the new filmmakers today are
finding different types of heroes, a different
mentality.”
This new mentality will be shown at the sixth annual RESFEST,
showcasing innovative features, shorts and music videos involving
digital production. The worldwide itinerary includes New York, Rio
De Janeiro, Osaka and Los Angeles at the Egyptian Theater, starting
today and running through Sunday.
“We just want to show very innovative work “¦
different than what you’d seen in the first 100 years of
Hollywood cinema,” said Jonathan Wells, the festival’s
curator.
This year’s music video roster signals a turning point in
the industry, with graphics-oriented design companies breaking new
ground amid established solo auteur directors. Their conceptual
works are the future of music video culture.
The next wave of digital filmmakers is opting for animation and
motion graphic design to innovate the form that they grew up with.
Design collectives like StyleWar (The Hives’ “Main
Offender”), Shynola (Radiohead’s “Pyramid
Song”), and Logan (Jurassic 5’s “What’s
Golden?”) are growing rapidly, and their music videos
constitute much of the RESFest lineup.
“Digital animation is now much more acceptable,”
said Ben Radatz, member of the six-person design collective MK12.
“It’s something that is so emphasized on the Web that
people now understand it as a second language.”
MK12 is typical of the emerging collectives: a bunch of young,
talented friends making in-house shorts and contracted television
animation, doing what they like on their own terms.
“We went off and worked separate jobs, and we realized
that we didn’t like to work for bosses that we didn’t
understand,” Radatz said. “So, we got together, had a
couple bucks in the bank, and started our own thing. It’s
worked out for us.”
In addition to their RESFEST music video entry for The
Faint’s “Agenda Suicide,” MK12 is also
responsible for the show packaging on MTV’s “Total
Request Live” and Cartoon Network’s “Adult
Swim.”
Video may have killed the radio star, but design collectives
killing the solo video director is unlikely.
“There are so many people with a digital video camera, the
guitar of the 21st century, but it’ll make the competition so
high that only a few people will get on top,” Kahn said.
“It’s a lot like rock “˜n’ roll.”
“There will always be the Michel Gondrys (The White
Stripes’ “˜Fell in Love With a Girl’) and the
Spike Jonzes (Beastie Boys’ “˜Sabotage’),”
said Radatz. “This is just a new approach.”
Unfortunately, most of the conceptual videos at RESFEST are
rarely programmed on MTV.
“Even MTV 2 has become more regimented, and it’s
very hard to see really dynamic, innovative videos,” said
Wells.
In a medium where art meets commerce head on, music video
directors can find themselves at the mercy of record labels in
order to finance their work.
“It’s a really weird place to be,” Kahn said.
“I have to believe I’m doing new, exciting things.
That’s the artistic side. But on the other hand, record
companies won’t give you a million dollars to show a nun
throwing poo at a cow.”
Bizarre and low-budget concepts like these must then rely on
other outlets, such as RESFEST.
In fact, last year’s Audience Choice Award winner, Fatboy
Slim’s “Ya Mama,” directed by Traktor, never made
it to the MTV airwaves.
Digital filmmakers hope for greater presence in future music
video culture. And it’s sooner than you may think.
“It’s a revolution in acquisition,” Kahn said.
“In fact, I’m willing to bet that in the next 5 years,
the music video industry will abandon film entirely for
digital.”
As for the design collectives, high-profile artists like No
Doubt and Moby have recently hired them, giving them hope for wider
exposure and security in the music video industry.
For more information please visit www.resfest.com