WATCH IT: Johnny Cash "Ain't No Grave" (Chris Milk, dir.)

The music of Johnny Cash will live on forever, obviously. Question is: How do you make a video for the legendary Man In Black that can do the same thing? Director Chis Milk oversees a unique solution to that problem with The Johnny Cash Project, a communal and open art project in which fans/artists/anyone can use a special online drawing tool to create images inspired by individual frames from archival Johnny Cash footage. Each new "frame" is then sequenced into an animated video. Some of the contributions are faithful renditions of the original footage; Others are more abstract, or add unexpected filigrees and context.

The video is never the same twice: As more and more people trace over and add art to each frame of the video, the video changes and grows. In a sense, it's alive. Much like the music of Johnny Cash. --> visit "The Johnny Cash Project @ johnnycashproject.com to add artwork, watch the video as it currently exists and explore every aspect of the video

Johnny Cash "Ain't No Grave" (American/Lost Highway)
Chris Milk, director | Jennifer Heath, Chris Milk, Aaron Koblin, producers | Aaron Koblin, technical director | Radical Media, production co | Akiko Iwakawa @ Final Cut, editor

NEW RELEASE: Shelby Lynne "Anyone Who Had A Heart"

Nashville pros Shelby Lynne and director Stephen Scott starts this video out as sleek and smooth as possible. We get lush tracking shots of a gleaming yuppie house – stainless steel appliances and lots of natural light – so perfect it could be a spot for Restoration Hardware. The realization that Shelby is not going to perform to camera is our first clue that things are not quite as they appear. When she starts listening to old vinyl and drinking Makers Mark in the middle of the afternoon, we can tell that the exterior is far smoother than the turmoil beneath Shelby’s surface. The artist finally sings one of the last lines to camera – and this bit of performance carries serious emotional weight after the visual restraint that has come before. Morale of the story: You might want to live in Shelby’s house, but not inside her broken heart. (review by Doug Stern) --> watch "Anyone Who Had A Heart" via YouTube, CMT or Quicktime

Shelby Lynne "Anyone Who Had A Heart" (Lost Highway)
Stephen Scott, director/editor | Mona Barkat, producer | Picture Vision, production co | Brendan Steacy, DP

SHOT: Willie Nelson - Dean Karr, director

If you looked like Willie Nelson and live in NYC, you may have missed your calling.

artist: Willie Nelson
song: "Gravedigger"
label: Lost Highway
director(s): Dean Karr
production co: Wild Indigo @ Karma Kollective
rep: Heidi Gregory Management

"Gravedigger" is a Dave Matthews cover and will support Willie's forthcoming album...

NEW RELEASE: Johnny Cash "God's Gonna Cut You Down"

Surely realizing that Mark Romanek's "Hurt" video is literally the final filmic word on the legendary Johnny Cash, director Tony Kaye doesn't try to resurrect or even provide an approximation of the Man In Black. The focus is on people (OK, very famous people), all clad in black and all affected by the man and his music. A series of poignant b&w portraitures spotlight a diverse cast of stars that ranges from Kate Moss to Sheryl Crow, Iggy Pop to Justin Timberlake, Chris Rock to Kid Rock, in addition to Keith Richards, Johnny Depp, Bono, Flea, Kanye West, Patti Smith, Dennis Hopper, the unlikely duo Rick Rubin and Owen Wilson, plus many others.

The video — which is reportedly based on a concept dreamt up by the creative team of Kaye, Timberlake, Rubin and Romanek — debuted last week across all MTV, VH1 and CMT platforms.

--> watch "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (via MTV Overdrive)

Johnny Cash "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (Lost Highway)
Tony Kaye, director/DP | Rachel Curl, producer | Above The Sea, production co | Peter Goddard, editor

SHOT: Willie Nelson - Ras Kassa, director

Willie Nelson and special guest Toots Hibbert give the Johnny Cash song "I'm A Worried Man" a reggae makeover. The video was shot on location in Jamaica to support Nelson's reggae album Countryman.

artist: Willie Nelson feat. Toots Hibbert
song: "I'm a Worried Man"
label: Lost Highway
director(s): Ras Kassa
production co: Karma