PROFILE: Chris Applebaum, Reactor Films/Three Foot Giant

Although Chris Applebaum has always been on the short list of really solid directors, I kind of consider him underrated. Lately he's most associated with pop videos — impeccably created pop videos for tween idols like Vanessa Hudgens, Aly & AJ and Hilary Duff, to name a few — but his resume is way broader than that. As an early twentysomething director signed to the late, great Satellite Films — the former home of Spike Jonze, Mark Romanek, Kevin Kerslake, etc. — Applebaum cut his teeth on alternative videos for the likes of Possum Dixon, Eve's Plumb, Green Apple Quick Step, Ween, Superdrag and too many others to name. And, while these are probably pretty unknown names to you unless you were really paying attention in the Years When Punk Rock Broke, they were all once considered "next big things." Anyway. Jumping ahead, we get to a couple of groundbreaking, totally genius and undeniably successful videos:

1. Semisonic "Closing Time" - A masterful, perfectly executed split-screen video.
2. Fountains Of Wayne "Stacy's Mom" - One of the few videos in the past five years to actually make an impact on the general public. Even more improbably, it almost allowed video MILF Rachel Hunter to stage a comeback.

The point of all this background info is mainly to show that Chris Applebaum has paid his dues and if he's propelled into the upper echelon of video directors on the heels of winning the 2007 MTV Best Video VMA for his dazzling Rihanna "Umbrella" video, it's pretty well deserved.

name: Chris Applebaum
company: Reactor Films/Three Foot Giant
job: director

first video: It was for Material Issue. They were an alternative rock band from Chicago. This was in 1992. At the time, they were managed by Jeff Kwatinetz who now runs The Firm. Maybe he owns The Firm? The budget was $11,000 and my apartment in NYC was the hair and make-up trailer for the shoot. I got the video by cold-calling Annette Mitchell at Mercury Records. She wanted to do the video for $10,000 but we got another grand out of her for fold up chairs & lunch on set. [watch Material Issue "Everything"]

strangest video: The first video I shot for Britney Spears was prepped in the hospital. I had a sudden stomach ailment and was in Cedars Sinai for four days. The doctors told me I’d be OK for the shoot, so I had the art department, my location scout, my producer and executive producer Mike Sarkissian all camped out in the room, prepping the video with me. I was fairly jacked from a sweet morphine drip. Add the bonus of being in the hospital and it’s the perfect recipe for a director to get whatever they want. Usually costs and logistics become the biggest issues to haggle over. In this case, no one wanted to fight me. I’d recommend it to any director...even if you don’t have a particular ailment, but have spectacular health insurance. Fake it. Pop into one of the "suites" at Cedars three, maybe four days before the shoot, and just start demanding cranes, helicopter shots, and gigantic lighting packages. [watch Britney Spears "Overprotected"]

what's next:  Besides a few commercials and some feature film projects, I am really interested in just getting back to basics. I love music and I’ve always thought I’d shoot music videos for the rest of my career. The state of music is pretty bad right now… the worst I’ve ever seen. I’m really just looking for a great track I can sink my teeth into and shoot a wildly creative video for it, no matter what the budget. I’m the kid who bugged my parents to get MTV when it launched in the '80s and watched the same Cars and Asia videos over and over again. When I saw Duran Duran’s "Rio" video I decided that’s exactly what I wanted to do with my life. So, if anyone reading this has a hot new band with awesome haircuts and willing to wear pastel colored satin jackets and fly to Martinique to shoot a video, send them my way.

Visit ChrisApplebaum.com for full credits and details...

SHOT: Queens Of The Stone Age - Paul Minor, director

Behold the QOTSA girl gang as featured in the upcoming Queens Of The Stone Age video, "3's And 7's."

artist: Queens Of The Stone Age
song: "3's And 7's."
label: Interscope
director(s): Paul Minor
production co: Streetgang Films
rep: Lanette Phillips Management

NEW RELEASE: Soulja Boy "Crank That"

One word comes to mind when watching the viralicious video for Soulja Boy’s block-rocking #1 hit “Crank That,” and the word is zeitgeist. Yeah, that's right. Zeitgeist. This clip/artist/track/director combo captures the Zeitgeist of the moment. This clip/artist/track/director combo does not merely represent the music scene in 2007, it absolutely reinforces and further defines the current hot trend of young, poppy, Southern-influenced urban music in 2007:

• Goofy dance? – check
• Nursery rhyme rap? -  check
• Artist under age 20? - check

The track is so infectious you can hear on Disney radio as well as pulsing from the grimiest hooptie in the hood. The clip is directed by street rap’s omnipresent visualist Dale Resteghini.  In the same way that a fun and semi-disposable pop song like the Go-Gos "Our Lips Are Sealed" was a perfect crystallization of the music scene in the early '80s, Soulja Boy shows us where it’s at today. If only they had been "cranking that" in the fountain. (review by Doug Stern) --> watch "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"

Soulja Boy "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Collipark/Interscope)
Dale "Rage" Resteghini, director | Kim Resteghini, producer | Raging Nation, production co | Yell Productions, rep | Zeus, DP | Brian Kushner @ Purple Cow Post, editor 

NEWS: Koch Announces Raging Nation Imprint

When we said director Dale "Rage" Resteghini was "driven and determined," it may have been an understatement. Koch Records has announced the formation of Resteghini's own imprint, Raging Nation Records. The first release through the Raging Nation/Koch aegis will be for Knoxville, TN metal band Straight Line Stitch.

Koch senior VP of marketing John Franck says in the press release, "In addition to bringing new acts to the table, Raging Nation will serve as a creative hub under which we'll funnel any and all visuals pertaining to the music acts that Dale helps bring in -- Straight Line Stitch is the perfect band to get it started with. Raging Nation will be responsible for the creation/execution of all visual aspects of the SLS project including photo shoots, videos, exclusive mobile/digital content, TV commercials, web design etc."

NEWS: DNA Signs Director Toben Seymour

Production company DNA has announced the signing of director Toben Seymour to its roster. The director's video directing credits include:

• Willowz "Jubilee"
• Maps "You Don't Know Her Name"
• Pony Up "The Truth About Cats & Dogs"

PS: Seymour's best know clip is probably the above-mentioned Willowz "Jubilee" video, which predated the similar "light animated "ad directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris for Sprint. That said, it's an old, albeit very cool trick. Lovers of the genre can also go back to 2006 and check out the Japanese short  Pikapika: The Lightning Doodle Project. Or, better yet, make your own.

SHOT: Graham Colton - Nigel Dick, director

artist: Graham Colton
song: "Best Days"
label: Universal Republic
director(s): Nigel Dick
production co: DNA

PHOTO: Regina Spektor and Director Marc Webb

Looks like Regina Spektor has been dipping into the My Chemical Romance wardrobe — or is it Pretty Ricky's? — as she and Marc Webb powwow while on-location for her new "Better" video.

BOOKED: Tegan & Sara - Suzie Vlcek, director

Director Suzie Vlcek — best known for her Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye" video — is set to helm the next Tegan And Sara video...

artist: Tegan & Sara
song: "The Con"   
label: Vapor/Sire/Warner Bros.
director(s): Suzie Vlcek
production co: Revolver Film Co.
rep: Labuda Management

BOOKED: Paramore - Shane Drake, director

Director Shane Drake is on board with Paramore for the second video off the the band's Riot. Drake also directed the clip for the band's smash lead single, "Misery Business."

artist: Paramore
song: "CrushCrushCrush"
label: Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic
director(s): Shane Drake
production co: Red Van Pictures
rep: Labuda Management

note: Shane Drake remains signed with Merge @ Crossroads

BOOKED: Natasha Bedingfield f/ Sean Kingston - Gil Green, director

artist: Natasha Bedingfield feat. Sean Kingston
song: "Love Like This"
label: Epic
director(s): Gil Green
production co: Merge @ Crossroads
rep: Labuda Management