2. Christopher Sweeney
Christopher Sweeney is a 32 year old music video
director situated in Soho, London. He has worked for the
likes of Lily Allen, Lana Del Rey, Sophie Ellis Bextor and
Paloma Faith, Jessie Ware, Foals and Friendly Fires.
He was nominated for
awards such as UK Music
Video Awards -
Nominated for Best New
Director
UK Music Video Awards -
Nominated for Best Indie
Video (Foals 'Blue Blood')
3.
4. The music video for "Young and Beautiful" was set to
be released on April 22, 2013, but was officially
released on 10 May 2013. The video's production was
headed by Adam Smith and Jacob Swan, with Sophie
Muller shooting the footage. Accompanied by a full-string
orchestra, Del Rey sings Dan Heath's Orchestral
version of her song in 1920s art deco fashion. She is
shown singing the song in a dark room with glittery
diamond-tears on her cheek. Jason Lipchitz
of Billboard magazine described the video as
"somber" and the singer's look as "especially
demure". Lipchitz concluded that "the clip ends
without ever reaching any kind of conclusion -- much
like the rhetorical question, 'Will you still love me
when I'm no longer young and beautiful?' at the heart
of the song." Spin's Marc Hogan described it as
"elegantly conceived, but succeeds only as much as
the music does“
http://www.christophersweeney.co.uk/projects/lana-
/lana-del-rey-young-and-beautiful
Lana Del Rey ‘Young and
Beautiful’ from The Great
Gatsby
5. Lily Allen ‘Hard Out Here’
The music video was directed by Christopher Sweeney. The music video for the song was
premiered on Allen's website on 12 November 2013. It starts with Allen
undergoing liposuction wearing full makeup. Her male manager says "Letterman says no", a
reference to David Letterman. Then he asks, "Jesus, how could somebody let themselves get like
this". She defends herself saying "Um, I had two babies’, but he and a doctor ignore her and
continue talking about her as if she is not there. Allen begins to mime and then jumps off the
operating table. Then she removes her hospital gown and begins a synchronised dance routine
with six female dancers. Allen's manager appears, demonstrating to the women that they
should twerk. The scene cuts to Allen in front of a kitchen sink, scrubbing a chrome rim as if it
were a dish. The video later references the music video for Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines", with
balloons spelling out "LILY ALLEN HAS A BAGGY PUSSY".
6. Interview with Christopher Sweeney on the Lily Allen ‘Hard Out Here’ music video he
How did this video come about. Did Lily
just come to you with the song?
They sent the song to loads of
wrote back with an idea, and it
on the lyrics really. She wanted to
something subversive and I said
something based on a hip-hop video
up.
Were you nervous about doing a video
that sent out quite an explicit message
about your own industry?
No, it all needs talking about. I just
would be hypocritical to claim that
everyone else does but we don’t do
why she joins in, and does all the
Directed
What's been your thoughts about the
huge amounts of comment and abuse
since it went up?
Everyone seems to really like it,
and it is a comeback, so I’m really
pleased for her. It’s interesting that
even though she's been away for a
while, people still look to her for as
someone to be subversive and
comment. There’s so much love for
her, so I couldn’t be happier.
What kind of changes would you like to
see in music videos in general? Do you
think there are deep seated problems
within that world?
I think it’s all about the people
making the videos, the singers, and
whether they’re happy with it. What
I don’t want to see is people
feeling that they have to act in a
certain way in order to get into the
charts. Some people like Rihanna
own it, and some people don’t. No
7. Fiat 500 Gucci
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaaDYJgFuGk
He also directed the advert for the fiat 500 Gucci
in 2007. The advert shows the car being made
with Gucci products such as shoes, bags,
sunglasses, perfume, etc.
8. Fashion Films
He has also directed 2 fashion films for Yves Saint Laurent
http://www.christophersweeney.co.uk/projects/yves-saint-laurent-menswear-
film
http://www.christophersweeney.co.uk/projects/yves-saint-laurent-figures-entwining
