PROFILE: Floria Sigismondi, Revolver Film Co.

Floria Sigismondi doesn't really require an introduction, but here's a very quick one: She's one of the most renowned and influential directors in music videos thanks to an utterly distinctive visual style. She's directed clips for Marilyn Manson, The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Muse, David Bowie, Sigur Ros, Interpol, Christina Aguilera and many others. She's also nominated, once again, for several MVPA Awards, including Director Of The Year, Video Of The Year (for Christina Aguilera "Hurt") and a couple genre categories.

name: Floria Sigismondi
company: The Revolver Film Co.
job/title: director

First Video: Rita Chiarelli. A sepia toned ghost story shot in a dilapidated farmhouse. I shot the owner who was in his nineties. [watch Rita Chiarelli "This Is My Life"]

Strangest Video: Harem Scarem "Blue." Based upon German expressionism, I created a fairy-tale world in black and white. It was shot on sound stock, which made the contrast super pushy. My mom, Lina, peers through a magnifying glass, enlarging her eyes to the size of her head. My dad plays a bearded hunchback and my sister plays the damsel in distress whose limbs fall apart after a bike accident with a skeleton and crow. [download the video from HaremScarem.net]

What's Next: I have been working and writing some feature film projects. I have released a second book of photography called Immune, published by die gestalten.

IN DEPTH: Fountains Of Wayne "Someone To Love"

Here's one of the many things that makes Fountains Of Wayne so special. Lots of bands namecheck specific places in songs. Always a good idea, always guarantees a great response when playing a gig there. Usually you pick your hometown, or a large market like New York or Boston. Fountains Of Wayne, however, seem to pick places based purely on absurdity or the way the names sound. This song is a perfect example with its reference to Schenectady — a faded city in upstate NY that I promise you is not a big market for this band or any other. In fact, having spent four years in college there I can tell you that the best thing about Schenectady is saying the word. And, sure enough, it sounds even better when part of rhyme.

Director Adam Neustadter also clearly loves the band, but also recognized that the razor sharp and very specific lyrics of "Someone To Love" meant he had to give life to a story that already had clearly defined characters and a basic storyline.

Adam Neustadter, director: "When I first heard 'Someone To Love,' I immediately thought of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." Not just because of Beth's last name — which may be a reference to Father Mackenzie — but because of the accurate descriptions of these lonely people and how the song answers The Beatles' questions of, "All the the lonely people, where do they all come from?  All the lonely people, where do they all belong?" Was I reading into this too much? Absolutely.

I've known Adam Schlesinger and Jody Porter from Fountains Of Wayne for a few years now and have been listening to the band since high school. FOW craft these perfect pop songs that are usually narratives, so the concept for the video had to follow the story of the song pretty closely. We got very lucky with the cast.  Demetri Martin, who is one of my favorite comedians and a brilliant guy, plays Seth Shapiro. Faryl Millet, who is also incredibly talented and has somewhat of a cult following from her show Fancy Nancy's Funny Hour, plays Beth Mackenzie. The story is about these two lonely characters living in New York, leading parallel lives right next door to each other, but with no idea the other exists. When their paths finally do cross, they blow the chance at finding love and we see that, despite being so lonely, they're still cutthroat New Yorkers who are too busy to care."

--> watch "Someone To Love"

Fountains Of Wayne "Someone To Love" (Virgin)
Adam Neustadter, director | Mark De Pace, producer | Ghost Robot, production co | Eric Robbins, DP | Jason Kileen/PS 260, editor | Ingenuity Engine, visual effects

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.

SHOT: Green Day - Samuel Bayer, director

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong with director Samuel Bayer in Oakland, CA to film a video for the band's version of the John Lennon classic "Working Class Hero." The song is off  Instant Karma: The Campaign To Save Darfur, an album of John Lennon covers that will benefit the human rights group Amnesty International's efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

artist: Green Day
song: "Working Class Hero"
label: Warner Bros.
director(s): Samuel Bayer
production co: HSI

Samuel Bayer has been Green Day's main music video collaborator in recent years, directing all the videos off American Idiot and their concert film, Bullet In A Bible.

PHOTO: 50 Cent and Benny Boom

Despite the song title, it was mostly business on the set of 50 Cent's video for "Amusement Park." Here's the rapper with director Benny Boom sort of posing for a photo during a quick break in the action. Lest you think it was all business at the shoot, fear not: There was actually a cotton candy machine and — of course — plenty of eye candy. 

NEW RELEASE: Snoop Dogg "Boss' Life"

Murder isn't always the case for Snoop Dogg. The rapper was mired in legal troubles over a decade ago which begat an epic video about his fictionalized death. Now that things are running a bit more smoothly for the D-O-Double-G, he can afford to sit back and enjoy life. In "Boss' Life," this means grabbing a cigar, admiring his ladies, and joining his alter egos for a feast of fried chicken and absinthe. Judging by the Snoops across the table, you can see that the real Snoop persona is part blunt-rolling street thug, part gothic pimp, and part Steelers fan. The real Nate Dogg? Debonair, as always. (review by Kevin Holy) --> watch "Boss' Life"

Snoop Dogg feat. Nate Dogg "Boss' Life" (Geffen)
Anthony Mandler, director | Kim Bradshaw, producer | Box Fresh, production co | Ketil Dietrichson, DP | Jeff Selis, editor

SHOT: Queens Of The Stone Age - Brett Simon, director

artist: Queens Of The Stone Age
song: "Sick Sick Sick" 
label: Interscope
director(s): Brett Simon 
production co: DNA

SHOT: Skinny Puppy - Jay Martin, director

Video shot in Wisconsin for industrial music vets Skinny Puppy...

artist: Skinny Puppy
song: "Haze"
label: Synthetic Symphony/SPV
director(s): Jay Martin
production co: DNA

SHOT: Apocalyptica - Tony Petrossian, director

Here I have a photo of director Tony Petrossian (third from left) with the members of Apocalyptica in Los Angeles for their video "I'm Not Jesus" and I can't come up with anything clever to say about a bunch of dudes in eyeliner who play heavy metal on cellos. Damn.

artist: Apocalyptica feat. Corey Taylor (of Slipknot and Stone Sour)
song: "I'm Not Jesus"
label: Sony BMG UK
director(s): Tony Petrossian
production co: Rockhard Films
rep: Robin Frank Management

SHOT: Matt White - Paul Minor, director

artist: Matt White
song: "Best Days "
label: Geffen
director(s): Paul Minor
production co: Streetgang Films
rep: Heidi Gregory Management