Famous music video director's

I have done a small research on two very famous, well-known music video directors, Emil Nava & Chris Cunningham. The reasons for them being successful in creating music video's,  are that they came up with something new, with their own original ideas; while representing their creative skills, as well as using different camera techniques, all these makes their the music video different. 

  Emil Nava 

Emil Nava has directed all of Jesse J's music videos. He states that when he went to school he knew he love music and drama, but only discovered his true talent when he picked up a video camera and started filming the props/people/locations around him. In this music video, there's is him, talking about how he worked his way up through lots of hard work and determination to become one of today's most sort after directors

Video of Emil Nava; why he decided to become a music video director, how he became successful, his first video 'Tinchy Stryder- Take me back' etc.

His first music video by Tinchy Stryder- 'Take me back'

This is his first music video, which starts with slow paced beat but then it's fast paced beat. Where we can see, rapping lines by young rapper, Tinchy Stryder, which suggest the Hip- Hop in the video and the singing by Taio Cruz portrays the R&B. As you can see, he has used a lot of close-ups of artists facial, to show their feelings, and how confident they are while they are singing this song. He has used a variety of camera technique e.g. Close-up, Establishing shots, Medium shot, Long shot, point of view shot throughout all his video. However, what I like about his work which he has done there, is his editing technique skills e.g. jump cuts, strobe effects, shot reverse shot, which gives to whole video a professional look and design as well as the traditional Hip-Hop style of culture. He has used a lot of conventional features such as: expensive and stylish clothes, e.g. hoodies, sunglasses, jewellery; to show the wealth and their high status. These are the convention of R&B and Hip-Hop. The female professional dancer's are

very sexual, doesn't have a lot of clothes on, which are conventional codes for Hip-Hop music video, where you can see them using props like stripper pole, and wearing something like a swimming costume 'bikinis' to seduce the male characters. He used a very suitable props in this music video clip, either to portrays the money the singer has, but also to gives audience simple codes and conventions of the narrative genre.

http://www.pulsefilms.com/talent/emil-nava/

According to ''Pulse films'' Emil Nava is described as '' a significant player in the UK urban pop scene. His videos match cinematic storytelling and intense artist portraits with an edgy, fast cutting style that grabs audience attention''. 

I agree with this statement, and must say I adore his work, as every music video's he has created so far, are different, original so out standing, so when you watch is one, you remember it for long time. The way how he works with the camera, and using camera shot movements are just clearly amazing. His music video's never makes me tired to watch, but always fascinate me;  loving his different perspective view on the world, as well as the cinematic storytelling- music video's are looking almost like the short movie.  

His progress, from creating music videos, to commercial world of ''advertising''. 

It is important to say that in 2011- his music video ''Price Tag'' for JessieJ received over 180 millions views and was the 1 viewed video in the U.K. and 7 most watched video on youtube. With positive feedbacks on his work, and achievements, such as: being nominated for the Best Director at the UKMVA's, winning Q Awards in 2011 for JessieJ music video called ''Do It Like A Dude''. Allowed him to work with famous artists such as: Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith and Rita Ora. Later he moved into commercials, which means directing campaign for famous brands such as: L'Oreal spot for McCann Erickson, a trailer for the BBC, Vitamin Water featuring Jessie J. 

An example of L'Oreal Paris advertising campaign

Within this advertising campaign for ''L'Oreal Paris'' we can see lovely, beautiful pop singer, Cheryl Cole, who is well-known for her solo career as well as girl's group ''Girls Aloud'' in which she has started to sing, and in 2012 they have joined back together. I believe that reasons why they decided to have her in this advertising, are that after being in X-Factor, television show, her popularity has increased rapidly, and her singles such as: in 2012- 'Call my name'', which has became her third number one single, and the song, ''Fight for This Love'', which was debuted at number one on the UK charts, and has become the best selling single of the year 2009. I must say that I really like this commercial video advertising, with Cheryl specific Newcastle accents, which makes her stands out from other famous female artists, which the audience could see in L'Oreal video's. I really like the the image of luxury, posh and glamour sense, where Cheryl wears black and gold dress costume's, matching with the black background and gold equipments,  such as: the look and design of the promoting product by L'Oreal, the straightness and hairdryer= both are in gold colour's. With very well fast cutting style, that grabs audience attention. 
Jessie J- Price Tag

As you can see, he has made a massive big progress from his first music video to this one, with different artist, by being more creative, and using different types of props from the conventional to unconventional, such as: teddy bear, and the money tree. Music video starts with slow paced beat but then it fast paced beat, where we can see close up on a giant teddy bear that is missing an eye and an arm, where he used camera zooming, which helped use to see it better. When we can see and hear, rapping lines by, Jessie J, which suggest the R&B in the video and the singing lines by B.o.B portrays the Hip-Hop gender. He has used a lot of close-ups of artists facial, to see the artists emotions, and feelings, but also to see the different type of make-up, which Jessie J, has to used when she was trying to point on something: such as: there is a significant scene, when she dressed up like a doll etc. He also has used and improved his camera technique e.g. Close-up, Establishing shots, Medium shot, Long shot, point of view shot, zooming as well as his editing technique kills. e.g. jump cuts, strobe effects, shot reverse shot. In this video, he showed his creativity on costumes/outfits of Jessie J, as well as expensive and stylish clothes of B.o.B rapper, e.g. Jessie J is wearing very out-standing and colorful costumes, and has got a lot of different identities such as: doll , like a small girl, ballerina etc. The B.o.B rappers is wearing a dark clothes, with sunglasses and jewellery on, with the car on the background; to represent the wealth and high status. These are the convention of R&B and Hip-Hop. What I like about this video is very good dance choreography, when Jessie J is dancing together with professional dancers, by using a lot of different types of props.

Here's the screen shot of others Emil Nava works. 

Chris Cunningham 

Chris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He has produced the video collection which called 'The Work of Director Chris Cunningham' and has been released in November 2004 as part of the Directors Label set.

Madonna- 'Frozen'

This music video starts with slow paced beat, where you can hear the violets on the background, but then it suddenly fast paced beat where we can hear guitar and other instruments, which gives us a bit of feeling of calm. Where we can hear soft Madonna's voice , which suggest the Trip Hop style in the video. The director, has used a lot of close-ups of artist's facial as well as a variety of camera technique e.g. Close-up, Establishing shots, Medium shot, Long shot, point of view shot. What I like about this music video, is the editing technique which director has used to it look original and different: e.g. jump cuts, special effects editing; which allows to see the artists in the same time, but in different position. I really like the costume which Madonna has on, which gives me an idea of Gothic style, as she is wearing simple black long dress. This gives a lot of credit to the whole video, but also it makes Madonna stand out from all of her own music video she has done, as it's very different, and original. This help the audience easy and quicker recognize the music video, by using very specific and out-standing costume. By trying to keep this idea of Gothic elements, the director has used a lot of blackbirds, and the scarf which return to an animal a 'black dog'. I also like that director has used both lighting, the day and the night one to represent this Gothic style of music.