NEWS: MTV VMAs This Sunday Eve

The MTV Video Music Awards kick off Sunday at 9pm ET. Performers include Britney Spears, who has officially been confirmed to open the show, plus Kanye West, 50 Cent, Common, Akon, Foo Fighters, Gym Class Heroes, Mark Ronson, Rihanna and many others. Full list at MTV's VMA central.

Nominees can be found via Videostatic.com

NEW RELEASE: Sia "Buttons"

Celebrities do pretty awful things to their faces in the name of beauty. Nose jobs, cheek implants, lifts, collagen and botox injections. Staying pretty ain't for the squeamish and that's exactly what director Kris Moyes and Sia skewer in this viral video for "Buttons." The lovely Sia sings while enduring a series of painfully misguided face applications that look horrendous and probably stood a good chance of resulting in asphyxiation. Most of the face wrangling and mangling is truly absurd, yet not any more so than strategically injecting botulism into your skin to eradicate wrinkles. --> watch "Buttons"

Sia "Buttons" (Astralwerks)
Kris Moyes, director | The Directors Bureau, production co

NEW RELEASE: Nicole Scherzinger "Whatever U Like"

Lead Doll Nicole Scherzinger borrows a few pages from the Justin Timberlake post-N'Sync playbook in launching her solo career with "Whatever U Like." The sound is a touch more complex and challenging than the saccharine pop proferred by Nicole and her fellow Pussycat Dolls. The video's look is dark and, while I don't know if classy is quite the right word, it's certainly more austere, striking and downright artistic than you might expect. After all, one of the possible inspirations I noted after first viewing was Richard Serra — whereas the only other sculptor I ever associated with previous clips is Sal Calabro. So, as you can see, Ms. Scherzinger is an easy target which makes this video all the more impressive. It's pretty striking, to say the least, and does a perfect job in setting a tone that's distinct from the PCD personae. She's still sexy, but it's different. She actually looks turned on, as opposed to vamping to make you think she's turned on. Maybe it's the newfound freedom — though the lyrics make it clear she's perfectly happy in a submissive mode to her man — maybe it's guest stars Sean Garrett and T.I., or maybe it's director Paul Hunter. Whatever it is, it seems to be working. --> watch "Whatever U Want" in Quicktime or via YouTube

Nicole Scherzinger f/ T.I. & Sean Garrett "Whatever U Like" (Interscope)
Paul Hunter, director | Ron Mohrhoff, producer | HSI, production co | Jim Fealy, DP | Derrick Janier, editor

NEW RELEASE: Common f/ Lily Allen "Drivin' Me Wild"

This video is at times a sunny, but snarkily dismissive story where Common tells wannabe players of both sexes that their games are not quite up to snuff, but it's the blingtacular performance moments that truly stand out. Common kicks back in the Roller wearing the most formal outfit ever seen in a rap video and chills with Jeremy Piven, who seems just a bit lost without Lloyd by his side. The hip performances are given a graphic "end of the world" vibe featuring Vanilla Sky empty streets, Lily Allen with a gas mask and Banksy tank posters. Director Chris Robinson adds in plenty of stylized eye candy – down to Lily as the cross-country Astronaut and Common walking the streets in his tux as the Maitre d’ of the Apocalypse. (review by Doug Stern) --> watch "Drivin' Me Wild"

Common f/ Lily Allen  "Drivin' Me Wild" (Geffen)
Chris Robinson, director | Clark Jackson, producer | HSI, production co | Crash, DP | Jeff Selis, editor

SHOT: Obie Trice & Saigon - Artificial Army, directors

If you're gonna make a video that's a tie-in with HBO Hollywood homage/parody Entourage, you should look the part. Hence, we have the fellas of directing crew Artificial Army — Simon Chan and Joe Rubalcaba (center, left and right) — in ultra-stylish mode on the set of "Wanna Know (remix) with Obie Trice (far left) and Saigon. The video supports the meticulously titled new release Entourage: Music From And Inspired By The Hit TV HBO Original Series, which strangely omits the Jane's Addiction theme song. (click pic to enlarge)

artist: Obie Trice feat. Saigon
song: "Wanna Know" (remix)
label: Atlantic
director(s): Artificial Army
production co: Refused TV

BOOKED: The Cribs - Dan & Jason, directors

Animated video currently in production...

artist: The Cribs
song: "Don't You Wanna Be Relevant?"
label: Wichita
director(s):  Dan & Jason
production co: Hornet
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

SHOT: Emery - Major Lightner, director

artist: Emery
song: "The Party Song"
label: Tooth & Nail
director(s): Major Lightner
production co: MotivFilms

SHOT: The Apple War - O'Ryan Brody & Filmon Seyoum, directors

Shot in the band's Seattle hometown... DP'ed by Major Lightner...

artist: The Apple War
song: "Psycho Stepper"
director(s): O'Ryan Brody & Filmon Seyoum
production co: MotivFilms

NEW RELEASE: Chemical Brothers "The Salmon Dance"

Dom & Nic have sailed through five videos with the Chemical Brothers — from their groundbreaking video for "Setting Sun"through the frightening and also groundbreaking video for "Believe." The two duos' latest collaboration is a Nemo-baiting piece featuring a tank full of CG fishies who glow and flit around in front of a drugged-looking teenager. Fatlip provides the voice of a rapping fish, while a blowfish provides the beat and another fish describes the lifestyle of his brethren. A chorusline of seahorses dance and dazzle while the hapless teen collapses on the rug. Everything you would expect from Dom & Nic & Tom & Ed. (review by Kevin Holy) --> watch "The Salmon Dance"

Chemical Brothers "The Salmon Dance" (Astralwerks)
Dom & Nic, directors | John Madsen, producer | Factory Films UK, production co (repped by Oil Factory in the US) | Framestore CFC , visual fx

NEWS: Radar Festival Deadline Is October 8

If you're an aspiring music video director willing to roll the dice on a contest, then The Radar Music Video Festival is probably worth your time (and money, but just a little bit). Here's what it is and what you do:

1. Visit radarfestival.com
2. Take a look and/or listen through the 16 tracks that have been offered up by various record companies for you, the aspiring director, and pick the one for which you would like to make a video. If you live in the UK, you can do it all through a s Radar curated iMix that's at iTunes. If you're in the US or anywhere else, you'll have to do some searching through iTunes or you can email Radar for MP3. PS: The tracks offered are all from namebrand acts, including The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Sondre Lerche, Maps and Kylie Minogue. One catch (if it can be called a catch) is that you have to buy or acquire the track you ultimately want to pick.
3. Pay up, Pay up. Your entry fee is $20. If you're a student, it's free.
4. Entries are due October 8, so get to work. All entries will be judged by a panel of video commissioners and all winning vids will be available online for screening.
5. Prizes? Each participating label will choose their own winner and will "decide whether" to award him or her a $2,000 commission to make a video. Various production companies, including Black Dog and Draw Pictures, will also choose directors to "mentor." And, the best student entry  will win $2,000 from Qoob.tv. (note: All prize moneys are actually offered in Pounds. Video Static converted and rounded off to the nearest dollar amount)
6. Even if you lose, you get to utilize your video on your reel  and enter it into festivals or make your loved ones watch it on a loop at your next  family gathering.
7. One last thing. If you win, there's a good chance you'll be in Video Static like last year's victor, James Healy . See? I just mentioned him again. Winning is the gift that keeps giving.