2. AUTEUR?
• The work Auteur translates into the English word
‘Author.’
• The theory states that the films director should be
the main creative ‘force.’ The auteur should bring
their own personal style to the film that should set
them apart from other productions.
• They still work with others to create the film, e.g. the
producer, cameramen, writers, actors.
• However, they are still considered the author
because they retain creative control over all these
aspects.
3. EXAMPLES
• An auteurs piece of work would reflect their
signature style by having certain features.
• Clear examples of film auteurs may be Quentin
Tarintino who is known for his use of eccentric and
long dialogue such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and
Django Unchained (2012)
• Another example may be Tim Burton who focuses
on surreal aspects. He also usually features the
same actors, typically Johnny Depp and Helena
Bonham Carter. His movies have a dark and out of
the ordinary tone to them which sets them apart.
4. MARC WEBB BACKGROUND
• Mark Preston Webb is an American music
video, short film, and film director.
• He is known for directing the films The Amazing
Spiderman (2012) and the 2009 indie film 500 Days
Of Summer.
• He has also directed a plethora of music videos. We
focused on the videos for the more indie artists
because this would be more relevant to our music
video. We looked at Jesse McCartney and Regina
Spektor.
5. JESSEE MCARTNEY – BEAUTFUL SOUL
(PARRY) HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=80SL4SIUBQY
• After watching this video I found some defining stylistic features.
• Webb makes use of nature and creates picturesque shots using natural features such as
the sky, cliffs and beaches. The use of vibrant colours grasp the audience and adds to
the charm of the music video.
• I also found that it was incredibly fast paced. It was a narrative video with elements of
performance in it. The pace helped the story (teenagers on a road trip) progress quickly.
• It allowed for their to be more story in the video due to the quick cuts. This is so the
audience can get a lot out of the 2 minute song, and it almost sends them on
journey, which mimics the story line.
6. REGINA SPEKTOR – BETTER
(SHAQUIRA) HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=VCOKHCQK9RW
• This video was fairly simple. It featured the artist (Regina Spektor) in a field on her own at
first, and then eventually being joined by many duplicates of herself. The entire video is
set in this open field.
• The cinematography is particularly gripping. The gradient in the sky makes it look
generally ‘pretty’ and the sunset that comes in the video adds to this ‘cute’ vibe that
Mark Webb has created.
• The props are also ‘cute’ and ‘quirky.’ The use of a piano in the open field makes it surreal
and, again, quirky, as do the red paper parasols.
• The mise-en-scene is incredibly simple. This simplistic nature lends itself well to the song
and Spektor’s general persona. She is known for being quirky and cute, so Webb has
utilised the idea of simplicity to reflect the laid-back nature she has.
7. CONCLUSION
• Linking the Auteur theory to Mark Webb’s video:
• We combined our research from the two music videos and
came to a conclusion of the kind of stylistic features Webb
uses to have an auteur status.
• He utilises nature to create beautiful cinematography. He uses
the sky a lot in his videos and ensures that the colours are
attractive for the audience.
• He uses quirky elements in his videos to keep the audience
entertained.
• His videos are generally simple. Whether you have a narrative
video such as Beautiful Soul, or a performance video such as
Better, there is nothing incredibly surreal about them. They are
basic and rely on the artist to act in them. This makes the
audience focus on the song a lot more.
