SHOT: Metallica - Thomas Vinterberg, director

The first video has been shoot for the new Metallica album, Death Magnetic. "The Day That Never Comes" was shot out in the CA desert and directed by Thomas Vinterberg (center in photo), a Danish filmmaker and co-founder, with Lars Von Trier, of the Dogme 95 movement .

More photos and details at Metallica.com.

artist: Metallica
song: "The Day That Never Comes"
label: Warner Bros.
director(s): Thomas Vinterberg
production co: Paranoid US

TUNE IN: FNMTV with ATL, David Banner, Hawthorne Heights

FNMTV, Friday night music video premieres for August 1, 2008: All Time Low, David Banner and Hawthorne Heights.

Live performance by Miley Cyrus.

8pm on MTV.

WATCH IT: Chromeo "Mama's Boy"

Simple, rotoscope line-drawing animation is the defining element of this new Chromeo video. Since the song is itself is pretty kitschy — cowbells, vocoders, oedipal lyrics,oh my — director/animator Stephane Manel keeps the tone loose, such as in the scene when he animates a low-hanging boom mic and some behind-the-scenes footage. There's an '80s music video vibe throughout, albeit not as specific as the Dire Straits homage that Chromeo cooked up with director Nima Nourizadeh for "Bonafied Lovin." --> watch "Mama's Boy" in Quicktime or via MTV.com

Chromeo "Mama's Boy" (Vice)
Stephane Manel, director, DP, editor, animator | Olivier Bassuet & Sascha Nixon, producer |Partizan, production co. | David Devaux and Richard 'Reach' Mvogo, animation assistance

NEWS: Floria Sigismondi Directing Runaways Biopic

The entire subgenre of "chicks with picks" owe a debt of gratitude to The Runaways. Best known now as the original band for Joan Jett and Lita Ford, the short-lived band from the late '70s was one of the first all-girl groups with a punk attitude and sound to break through (and then, a break-up that included lots and lots of drama with manager Kim Fowley, a legendary rock svengali who takes credit for coming up with the concept of a jailbait in lingerie rock band).

It's a perfect tale for the big screen, and it's perfect that music video auteur Floria Sigismondi is on-board to write and direct. (More details at Variety).

To celebrate, an impromptu 1,2,3 in honor of The Runaways...

1. "Cherry Bomb" = Big in Japan.
   
2. Edgeplay is a 2004 documentary about The Runaways directed by former bassist, Victory Tischler-Blue. Here's an excerpt...
3. Runaways singer Cherie Currie is now the Chainsaw Chick. She's an accomplished chainsaw carver. Seriously. Awesome.
   

SHOT: Colbie Caillat - Darren Doane, director

artist: Colbie Caillat
song: "The Little Things"
label: Universal Republic
director(s): Darren Doane
production co: LEVEL4/Refused TV

note: repped by Josh Karchmer at LEVEL4

SHOT: Jason Mraz - Darren Doane, director

Shot on location in Amsterdam, Cologne and Prague....

artist: Jason Mraz
song: "Make It Mine"
label: Atlantic
director(s): Darren Doane
production co: LEVEL4

WATCH IT: Soulfly "Unleash"

Metal band Soulfly and director Robert Sexton go back to the roots of civilization for their video "Unleash."  Inspired by Mayan culture — or, at least Mel Gibson's vicious version, as depicted in Apocalypto —  the band performs with guest singer David Peters of Throwdown in front of  a Mayan temple, surrounded by native warriors. And there's a leopard.  Yes.  A leopard. [review by Roland Trafton] --> watch "Unleash" via YouTube (plus a photo montage of director Robert Sexton and his new friend Flynn aka the leopard)

Soulfly "Unleash" (Roadrunner)
Robert Sexton, director | Ross Levine, producer | Continuum Content/White Label, production co | Laure Scott, rep | Michael Pescasio, DP | Chris Pavlica, editor

SHOT: Retro Kidz - Scenario, directors

artist: Retro Kidz
song: "New Era"
label: Brobot
director(s): Scenario
production co: Triggerhappy

BOOKED: Civet - Michael Grodner

artist: Civet
song: "Son Of A Bitch;
label: Hellcat/Epitaph
director(s): Michael Grodner
production co: Tinnitus Films/Vitamin M

MTV: VMA Nominees for Best Male + Female

Audience interaction has been the prevailing theme on MTV this summer with the FNMTV Premieres program and other initiatives. That spills over to the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, in which viewers and fans will be able to pick the category nominees.

Two categories go live each week for voting at vma.mtv.com. The results are then announced each Friday on FNMTV.

First two categories to be announced with nominees are:

BEST MALE VIDEO - view all @ VMA.MTV:

• Chris Brown "With You" - Erik White, director
• Flo-Rida "Low" - Bernard Gourley, director
• Lil Wayne "Lollipop" - Gil Green & Dwayne Carter, directors
• T.I. "No Matter What" - Self/James Lopez, directors
• Usher "Love in This Club - The Brothers Strause, directors

BEST FEMALE VIDEO — view all @ VMA.MTV:

• Britney Spears "Piece Of Me" - Wayne Isham, director
• Jordin Sparks "No Air" - Chris Robinson, director
• Katy Perry "I Kissed A Girl" - Kinga Burza, director
• Mariah Carey "Touch My Body" - Brett Ratner, director
• Rihanna "Take a Bow" - Anthony Mandler, director

Current categories up for the hacking taking are Best Hip Hop Video and Best Pop Video. Vote early, vote often.

The 2008 MTV VMAs are scheduled for September 7 at the Paramount backlot in Hollywood, CA. The host will be actor/comedian Russell Brand, best known to us Americans as the randy British rocker in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.