PROFILE: Wayne Isham, Merge @ Crossroads

Picture the glory days of music videos and MTV. An era when — for better or worse — heavy metal and hard rock ruled the airwaves. Chances are whatever videos you think of as most emblematic of that time, Wayne Isham directed them. In fact, it's no overstatement to say that Isham created the archetype of the rock performance video. The credit list is staggering: Bon Jovi "You Give Love A Bad Name," "Living On A Prayer" and nearly every other video from the band's commercial peak. Motley Crue "Home Sweet Home," and "Dr Feelgood." Def Leppard "Pour Some Sugar On Me," Skid Row "18 & Life," Metallica "Enter Sandman," and whole bunch more. And when trends changed and pop ruled the day, Isham transformed himself into the king of grandiose pop videos. Will Smith "Miami," 'NSync "Pop," Backstreet Boys "I Want It That Way" and Ricky Martin "Livin La Vida Loca" and "She Bangs." Isham directed them all. Throw in some current hit videos for The All American Rejects, Avenged Sevenfold and Faith Hill, plus scattered clips for Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Aaliyah, The Rolling Stones and Dave Matthews Band, it becomes very clear why Wayne Isham was a very deserving recipient of a lifetime achievement award at the 2007 MVPA Awards. Shit, the fact that he's directed videos for both Julio Iglesias and Pantera should have been enough to earn that award. So, without further ado, here is the man in his own words.

name: Wayne Isham
company: Merge @ Crossroads
job/title: director

First Video: The first video I did was probably Jimi Hendrix "Are You Experienced." It was well after his death. MCA, I think, had the rights to the catalogue and did a re-release of all his material. I was a driver and delivery man for the edit house that was working on it. Being a huge Hendrix fan, I told Alan Douglas that I thought what they were doing was horrible and that I could do better.  So he told me to go ahead. Hendrix had never played the song live, so I did my own animation and took old footage and choreographed it to the track. We actually found a clip where Hendrix said the line "not necessarily stoned, but beautiful," which we were able to sync with the song. It was a dream come true to watch all the footage and it helped me learn how to choreograph images with music. [editor's note: I couldn't find the clip online, but YouTube did yield this]

Strangest Video: Having done videos for so long, nothing strikes me as strange anymore. Everything has a unique twist. But, the one that ranks at the top is probably Michael Jackson "You Are Not Alone." We had planned out all these elements for the video and then Michael had this idea where he wanted to use this Greek, classical-styled, artistic imagery. And, he wanted to appear in it naked with his wife, Lisa Marie Presley. Like they were Greek gods. It had nothing to do with the video we were doing, but I said, "OK, that's cool. We can shoot it." We set it up and as we're ready to shoot, he leads me into the trailer and says, "Have you asked her?" He wanted me to ask her to appear in the video. He was too shy. So I asked. And we did it.

What's Next: The next thing, physically, is a concert I shot with Tenacious D which is now being mixed. That's been awesome. Pure pleasure. We just started digitizing and editing a concert for Hinder. Made me feel good to be on the road with crazy fucks carrying on the spirit of rock 'n' roll. In general,  I truly believe music videos are a major factor in driving the business. They're not going away. I've been through so many ups and downs. We just need to figure out to create videos as people expect them, especially since we've set the standards so high. But, high quality filmmaking is not going away. There are so many talented young filmmakers out there that I see and it's just exciting.

NEW RELEASE: The Horrors "She Is The New Thing"

The Horrors emerge from an artist's bloody mess of a desk in this most recent excellent clip from the band's debut album Strange House. "She Is The New Thing" is a freakishly animated tale in which a portrait of a fiendish girl comes to life and bedevils the band to their very end with crows, bugs, and feral animals as her accomplices. Drawn on wrinkled paper in the style of a messy black-and-white comic, "She is the New Thing" tears apart almost every other video animated in a similar fashion. It'll also probably tear apart the censors too, so don't expect to see this broadcast on your TV. Best watch it here before they start regulating the Internet. (review by Kevin Holy) --> watch "She Is The New Thing" in Flash at the band's site or in Quicktime

The Horrors "She Is The New Thing"
(Polydor in the UK // Stolen Transmission/Island Def Jam in the US)
Corin Hardy, director | Giles Skillicorn, producer | Academy, production co | Nikki Porter/Final Cut London, editor

NEW RELEASE: White Stripes "Icky Thump"

Here's a theory: This new White Stripes video is a giant middle finger to CNN's anti-immigrant pundit Lou Dobbs. Co-directed by White Stripes frontman Jack White and The Malloys — who are newly signed to HSI Productions — "Icky Thump" is a faithful telling of White's lyrical story of a bizarre and borderline dangerous journey through Mexico. Things get a little political with some commentary that calls out the hypocrisy of most opposed to immigration reform. That said, have no fear: The song is built upon a mighty riff that I dare say betters, or at least equals Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," while the video makes a humorous wink and a nod with subtitles that feature a loose Spanish translation of the lyrics. --> watch "Icky Thump" via AOL First View

White Stripes "Icky Thump" (Third Man/Warner Bros.)
Jack White and The Malloys, director | John Hopgood, producer | HSI, production co | Giles Dunning, DP | Tim Wheeler, editor

SHOT: Kinfolk Kiashine - Vem, director

Kinfolk Kiashine and director Vem at the legendary Arcade Restaurant in Memphis for the "So Krispie" video shoot.

artist: Kinfolk Kiashine
song: "So Krispie" 
label: Universal Motown
director(s): Vem
production co: The Artists Company
rep : Laure Scott Management

BOOKED: Chrisette Michele - Andrew Dosunmu, director

artist: Chrisette Michele
song: "Your Joy" and "If I Have My Way"
label: Island Def Jam
director(s): Andrew Dosunmu
production co: The Artists Company
rep : Laure Scott Management

BOOKED: The Human Abstract - Michael Grodner, director

A music video homage to the German Expressionist classic The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari is in the works for metal band The Human Abstract.

artist: The Human Abstract
song: "Vela, Together We Await The Storm"
label: Sub City/Hopeless
director(s): Michael Grodner
production co: Tinnitus Films

NEW RELEASE: KRS-One "Hip Hop Lives"

There is a segment of the hip-hop community that will always be the true believers — the Knights Templar of the turntables— watching the bling fetishism that infuses much of the current rap landscape with a skeptical eye. KRS-One has always been on-point letting the world know exactly what  he believes to be true hip-hop, and this time he brings ultra-producer Marley Marl along to show the young ones know how it is done. Director Todd Angkasuwan does a good job of creating a visual  hip-hop timeline – from its roots in the Bronx, to the seminal Style Wars period and out to the West Coast and then the world. It is territory any true hip-hop fan knows well, but it's always nice to have the master leading a guided tour. (review by Doug Stern) --> watch "Hip Hop Lives" in Real or Windows Media

KRS-One & Marley Marl "Hip Hop Lives" (Koch)
Todd Angkasuwan, director/editor | Marquette Williams, producer |
TNT Digital Media, production co | Matt Workman, DP

SHOT: Yung Joc - Lenny Bass, director

Shot in Atlanta...

artist: Yung Joc feat. Gorilla Zoe
song: "Coffee Shop"
label: Bad Boy
director(s): Lenny Bass
production co: DNA

SHOT: Valeria - Marc Webb, director

Shot in Budapest, Hungary...

artist: Valeria
song: "Girl, I Told Ya" 
label: Interscope
director(s): Marc Webb
production co: DNA

SHOT: Colbie Caillat - Liz Friedlander, director

artist: Colbie Caillat
song: "Bubbly"   
label: Universal  Republic
director(s): Liz Friedlander 
production co: DNA