Mark Romanek Music Video Career Tribute
from Del Padre Digital
The art of the music video. The 90’s were some great times for some brilliant directors and future auteurs. You can say that the music video peaked when John Landis did “Thriller”, but the 90’s was its “French New Wave”. David Fincher, Chris Cunningham, Spike Jonze, Tamra Davis, Jonathan Glazer, Michel Gondry, and Mark Romanek were some of the best of its class. (Shoutouts to F. Gary Gray, Hype Williams, and Brett Ratner!)
ED. NOTE: It’s doubtful if the music video will regain its artistic cred in this decaying music industry. Not that there aren’t any good videos now, but the outlet for them (MTV) has lost its validity and have made music videos less and less eventful. Of course, the internet has become the solution to that problem, but save for a few (“Runaway”, dudes with 7D’s and RED cameras, La Blogotheque, Richard Ayoade) the efforts aren’t always there, nor the ambition. I am glad though that there are directors like Vincent Moon and the whole La Blogotheque scene to advance the music video art form. If Romanek, et al. were the New Wave, then these guys are the Bela Tarrs, Van Sants, Wong Kar-Wais, etc. Here’s to more music videos.
