PROFILE: Chris Milk, Radical Media

Hyperbole be damned, Chris Milk may very well be the most creative director working in music video today. And, when you consider that he tends to work with much more mainstream acts than many of his cutting edge peers and still gets away with his unexpected flights of fancy, it's all the more impressive. His output over the past year or so has included a performance video for Green Day and U2 that doubled as a powerful statement about our government's priorities, a story of a randy bug for Gnarls Barkley, and an epic Evel Kneivalization of Kanye West. Not surprisingly, he is nominated for Best Director honors at the 2007 MVPA Awards — being held Wednesday, May 16 in Los Angeles.

name: Chris Milk   
company: @radical.media
job/title: director

First video: Chemical Brothers "Golden Path." Jennifer Heath [Milk's rep] convinced them to let me write. It seemed like a complete pipe dream. Then, to all of our surprise, they gave it to me. To their credit, Carole Fairbrother at Virgin and the Chems liked the treatment and gave me the job even though I had no videos on my reel.

Strangest Video: Courtney Love "Mono." My second video and her first as a solo artist. First meeting to go over the concept was in rehab. I'm not sure either of us were ready to make that video.

What's Next: Shooting a zero budget video for Travis right now. Feels like film school again. Fran Healy , the lead singer, and I shot with no permit in a park in Malibu last weekend. I was holding a light reflector disk with my teeth and one hand, and operating camera with the other. Would have been a piece of cake if not for the 40mph wind. 

Working on some video/sculpture installation pieces, hopefully for some sort of eventual gallery exhibit.  Shooting more still photography.

Looking for a feature film script inspiring enough to devote the next few years of my life to.

[note: visit Chrismilk.com for higher-res quicktimes of all the above videos. Click on the "moving" section.] 

NEWS: Labuda Repping Revolver Films

Tommy Labuda of Labuda Management is now representing the directors at Revolver Film Company for music videos. The full list and select credits are as follows:

• Floria Sigismondi — Christina Aguilera "Hurt" / The White Stripes "Blue Orchid"
• Michael Palmieri  — The Strokes "Juicebox" / Belle And Sebastian "White Collar Boy"
• Noble Jones  — Robert Randolph "Ain't Nothing Wrong..." / Goo Goo Dolls "Better Days"
• Fluorescent Hill — Taking Back Sunday "12 Days Of Christmas"
• Drew Lightfoot — Constantines "Working Full Time" / Guster "1 Man Wrecking Machine"
• Andrew MacNaughtan — She Daisy "In Terms Of Love"
• Lisa Mann — The Used "The Bird And The Worm"
• Micah Meisner — K-os "Electrik Heat" / Broken Social Scene "7/4 Shoreline"
• Roboshobo — Blood Brothers "Set Fire To The Face On Fire"
• Speedway Films — live shoots for Korn, Jane's Addiction
• Stardust — The Futureheads "Decent Days & nights"
• Charlie White — Interpol "Evil"
• Wendy Morgan — Ambulance "Primitive"
• Graydon Sheppard — Hidden Cameras "Awoo"

Visit Revolver Films for additional credits and to watch most of these videos...

SHOT: 50 Cent - Benny Boom, director

The 50 Cent music video onslaught in preparation of Curtis continues...

artist: 50 Cent
song: "Straight To The Bank"
label: G Unit/Interscope
director(s): Benny Boom
production co: Uncle

NEW RELEASE: Black Light Burns "Lie"

While Fred Durst is off launching a career as a film director, former Limp Bizkit bandmate Wes Borland is exorcising demons as the frontman of Black Light Burns, a super group of sorts that includes Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails) and Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails). The video for "Lie"  focuses on the debasement of Borland and will surely provide great fodder for any armchair psychiatrists: Two women first strip him down and cover him with black grease (I hope it's grease), escort him to a satanic rendezvous in the woods and then to a swank, yet strange party where he is placed in a throne. Also of note here is director Josh Evans — son of Hollywood legends Robert Evans and Ali MacGraw — who mixes in band performance that's chock-full of the spontaneous aggression that was the always a key talking point when it came to Limp Bizkit and Nine Inch Nails. -->  watch "Lie"

Black Light Burns "Lies" (l Am: Wolfpack)
Josh Evans, director | Giovanni Hidalgo, producer | Rush Films, production co | Fernando Arguelles, DP

BOOKED: Boyz N Da Hood - Dr. Teeth, director

First video off the rap groups's sophomore effort, Back Up N Da Chevy.

artist: Boyz N Da Hood
song: "Everybody Know Me"
label: Bad Boy South/Atlantic
director(s): Dr. Teeth
production co: The Filming Co.
rep: Labuda Management

BOOKED: Ray J - Dan The Man, director

Director Dan The Man — best known for a series of G-Unit DVDs and a video for Prodigy of Mobb Deep — will be directing "Good Times" for r&b star Ray-J, who in turn is best known for the following: Being Brandy's brother, a porn tape made with Kim Kardashian, and for reportedly dating Whitney Houston.

artist: Ray J feat. TKO
song: "Good Times"
label: Knockout/Platform Music Group
director(s): Dan The Man
production co: Fresh Air Films

BOOKED: Nelly Furtado - Jesse Dylan, director

artist: Nelly Furtado
song: "In God's Hands" 
label: Geffen
director(s): Jesse Dylan
production co: Form TV 
rep: Yell Productions

BOOKED: 50 Cent - Bernard Gourley, director

artist: 50 Cent
song: "Follow My Lead"
label: G Unit/Interscope
director(s): Bernard Gourley
production co: Immigrant Film
rep: Yell Productions

NEW RELEASE: Yung Berg "Sexy Lady"

Although Yung Berg is a name that verges on the edge of acceptable rap handles  — what's next, Ol' Dirty Gottlieb? — the kid has the CV you like to see in a potential rap star. Originally discovered at age 16 by DMX, Yung Berg is the first artist to come through a new joint venture between major label Epic Records and hip-hop powerhouse KOCH Records. Director Dale "Rage" Resteghini uses the video as an opportunity to clearly prove Berg's pop appeal, showing him mix it up with the sexy ladies at a late night diner hang. The coda takes a harder-edged approach, showing off the rough staccato phrasing that probably caught DMX's ears. --> watch "Sexy Lady" in Quicktime or Windows

Yung Berg "Sexy Lady" (YB/Epic/Koch)
Dale "Rage" Resteghini, director | Kim Resteghini, producer | Raging Nation Films, production co | Joe Labisi, DP | Vem/Sweat Shop Editorial, editor

BOOKED: Avril Lavigne - Marc Klasfeld, director

Normal people get His and Her towels. Celebrity couples operate on a different scale, however, so it's only right that newlyweds Avril Lavigne and Sum-41 frontman Deryk Whibley have videos in production with the same director.

"When You're Gone is shooting over three days in L.A.

artist: Avril Lavigne
song: "When You're Gone"
label: RCA
director(s): Marc Klasfeld
production co: Rockhard Films
rep: Robin Frank Management

SHOT: Sum-41 - Marc Klasfeld, director

Normal people get His and Her towels. Celebrity couples operate on a different scale, however, so it's only right that newlyweds Avril Lavigne and Sum-41 frontman Deryk Whibley have videos in production with the same director.

artist: Sum-41
song: "Underclass Hero"
label: Island Def Jam
director(s): Marc Klasfeld
production co: Rockhard Films
rep: Robin Frank Management

NEW RELEASE: Shop Boyz "Party Like A Rock Star"

Director Marc Klasfeld has done his fair share of breakthrough work for many rock and rap stars, establishing several different styles along the way. There are party rock videos for the likes of Avenged Sevenfold, but also serious portraiture based work for rappers like Juvenile. But, he's never fused those two strains together like he gets to do in the video for "Party Like A Rock Star" from up-and-coming rap group Shop Boyz. The video kind of  plays like a greatest hits reel of Klasfeld's videography, but it's an overall perfect fit for a rap song that celebrates the excess that was once the epitome of rock 'n' roll. --> watch "Party Like A Rock Star"

Shop Boyz "Party Like A Rock Star" (On Deck/Universal Republic)
Marc Klasfeld, director | Billy Parks, producer | Rockhard Films, production co | Robin Frank Management, rep | Yon Thomas, DP | Richard Alarcon, editor

NEW RELEASE: Switchfoot "Awakening"

Clearly, Switchfoot didn't want a video that took itself too seriously and they get exactly that with "Awakening." The group's free-wheeling, low-ego spirit comes across on-screen with as much focus on comedy and an enjoyably goofy concept as there is on performance and their trademark Owen Wilson-esque surfer good looks. The video features a pair of neighbors — one an office drone played by Tony Hale aka Buster from Arrested Development and the other a slacker-type – who end up battling each other in an on-line video game. This is where the clip gets truly interesting as the game takes over the screen and we get to see what can best be described as the Limited Edition Michel Gondry version of Guitar Hero. Corrugated cardboard and stop-motion visuals abound. Things take another twist when the broham's girl comes home and instead of getting mad that her guy is busy gaming, she busts out some Body Fuzion gear and joins in on the action by tapping out steps on a home-made Dance Dance Revolution quilt-controller. (review by Doug Stern) --> watch "Awakening"

Switchfoot "Awakening" (Columbia)
Brandon Dickerson, director | Lauren Schwartz, producer | Kaboom, production co

SHOT: TobyMac - Scott Speer, director

TobyMac is Toby McKeenan, a former member of  contemporary Christian group DC Talk and now a solo star with a new album, Portable Sounds, debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 sales chart. The photo shows director Scott Speer standing up and directing TobyMac (center) and his band members on a bench.

artist: TobyMac
song: "Boomin"
label: ForeFront/EMI Christian
director(s): Scott Speer
production co: Symbolic

BOOKED: Straylight Run - Travis Kopach, director

First video off Straylight Run's upcoming major label debut album, The Needle The Space. Shooting in NYC...

artist: Straylight Run
song: "Soon We'll Be Living In The Future"   
label: Universal Republic 
director(s): Travis Kopach 
production co: Refused TV

BOOKED: The Click Five - Aggressive, directors

artist: The Click Five
song: "Jenny"
label: Lava/Atlantic
director(s): Aggressive
production co: Refused TV
commissioner: Cheryl Gehbauer

MTV Adds for the Week of 5/14/07

MTV Adds:
Pretty Ricky "Push It Baby" (Atlantic)
Cartel "Say Anything (Else)" (Epic)

MTV2 Adds:
Chevelle "Well Enough Alone" (Epic)
Daddy Yankee f/ Fergie "Impacto" (El Cartel/Interscope)
Killswitch Engage "The Arms Of Sorrow" (Roadrunner)
Mims "Like This" (Capitol)
Shop Boyz "Party Like A Rockstar"  (On Deck/Universal Republic)
Underoath "You're Ever So Inviting" (Solid State/Tooth & Nail)

MTVU Adds:
As Tall As Lions "Love, Love, Love" (Triple Crown/EastWest)
Joss Stone  f/ Common "Tell Me What We Gonna Do" (Virgin)
Klaxons "Atlantis To Interzone" (DGC/Geffen)
Paramore "Misery Business" (Misery Business)
Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party "Wish Upon A Dog Star" (Columbia)
Rodrigo Y Gabriela "Diablo Rojo" (ATO)
The Used "The Bird & The Worm" (Reprise)

MTV Jams Adds:
Shop Boyz "Party Like A Rockstar"  (On Deck/Universal Republic)
Musiq Soulchild "Teachme" (Island Def Jam)
Yung Berg "Sexy Lady" (YB/Epic/Koch)

VH1 Adds for the Week of 5/14/07

VH1 Adds:
Amy Winehouse "Rehab" (Island Def Jam) 
Buckcherry "Everything" (Atlantic)
Cold War Kids "Hang Me Up To Dry" (Downtown)
Feist "1,2,3,4" (Cherry Tree/Interscope) 
James Morrison "Wonderful World" (Interscope)
Joss Stone  f/ Common "Tell Me What We Gonna Do" (Virgin)
Mandy Moore "Extraordinary" (The Firm)
Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party "Wish Upon A Dog Star" (Columbia)

VH1 Soul Adds:
Amy Winehouse "Rehab" (Island Def Jam) 
Joe "If I Was Your Man" (Jive/ZLG)
Mya "Lock U Down"  (Universal Motown)
Tamika Scott "Greatest Gift"

BET Adds for the Week of 5/14/07

Adds:
Beyonce "Get Me Bodied" (Columbia)
LAX Boyz "Ride Like This" (One) 
Shop Boyz "Party Like A Rockstar"  (On Deck/Universal Republic)

Rap City Adds:
Fabolous "Return Of The Hustle" (Island Def Jam) 
Mike Jones "My 64" (Ice Age/Asylum/Warner Bros.)
Shop Boyz "Party Like A Rockstar"  (On Deck/Universal Republic)
Slim Thug/Boss Hogg Outlawz "Recognize A Playa Boss" (Boss Hog/Koch) 

FUSE Adds for the Week of 5/14/07

Adds:
Kelly Clarkson "Never Again" (RCA)
Killswitch Engage "The Arms of Sorrow" (Roadrunner)
Paramore "Misery Business" (Fueled By Ramen)

Oven Fresh Adds:
Evanescence "Sweet Sacrifice" (Wind-Up)
Fountains Of Wayne "Someone To Love" (Virgin)
Kelly Clarkson "Never Again" (RCA)
Mims "Like This" (Capitol)
Paramore "Misery Business" (Fueled By Ramen)
Peter Bjorn & John "Young Folks" (Almost Gold)
Tokyo Police Club "Cheer It On" (Paper Bag)