Spike Jonze is a music video and film director known for his unique and creative visual styles. Some of his most notable music videos include "Oh So Quiet" by Bjork, "Sabotage" by Beastie Boys, and "Buddy Holly" by Weezer, where he used techniques like parody, intertextuality, and contrasting settings/tones to match the themes and meanings of the songs. While his typical videos are highly stylized, Jonze also showed his range by directing the more personal and documentary-style video for Kanye West's "Only One." Across his work, Jonze aims to have a clear connection between the visuals and lyrics of the songs he interprets.

1. DIRECTOR
CASE
STUDY
SPIKE JONZE

2. SPIKE JONZE
Spike Jonze is a music video director. He also does films, he
started off in advertising. And was co- creator of ‘jackass’
and has also acted. He was a co-founder of a magazine and
mainly shot skateboarding videos, it was after this when he
started directing music videos.

3. BJORK-OH SO QUIET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htobTBlCvUU
In this video, Jonze has made It
so as if Bjork is in a musical
this is shown because she Is
wearing bright colours and the
music sounds like it. One of the
opening close-ups show Bjork
through tyres, giving an almost
comical beginning of the video.
At the beginning Jonze has
contrasted the opening scene
with low-key lighting and a grim
exterior, this is to exaggerate the
beat of the music as the music
speeds up as Bjork leaves the
room.

4. OH SO QUIET
The editing at the beginning of the song is in slow motion as
she leaves the first room and starts to walk outside, the song
is still slow at this point, as the song speeds up the slow
motion stops. The slow motion is to build the tension and
relates to the song title of ‘oh so quiet’.
The mise-en-scene such as
dancers and colourful surrounding
compliments the musical like
parody that Jonze creates.

5. BEASTIE BOYS-
SABOTAGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE
In the opening of this video, there
are quick pans of sky scraper,
introducing the setting, like the
beginning of a TV drama as it is
fast paced and builds anxiety as
it is as if someone is scanning the
scene.
This shot shows the main
character to be running
into darkness, the back is
lit behind him suggesting
that he is running into
danger and leaving safely
behind fits with the TV
drama theme.

6. SABOTAGE
The name of the song is shown in the
video, this is used to get the feel of the
spoof crime drama, and the font is
iconic of the 70’s.Jonze has used
similar editing techniques. The
background denotes crime dramas.
The mise-en-scene sets the
scene as taking place in a fast
paced city. The use of sunglasses,
the cop badge and outfit suggest
that the character is a undercover
policeman, fitting with the 70’s cop
show parody. The title of the song
relating to the visual, is a similar
theme to Bjork’s ‘oh so quiet’ as
the are both parodying and using
intertextuality.

7. WEEZER-BUDDY
HOLLY
This opening mid-shot show
the video to be in a 50’s style,
parodying popular aspects of
the time period such as the
programme ‘Happy Days’ and
the artist Buddy Holly, as the
song is called.
The lighting in this video is very
high-key and bright which gives it a
happy feel, and fits with the genre
but is also contrasted by the genre
of music of the band as Weezer are
of ore a rocky genre which is usually
associated with black and
stereotypical things such as chaos
and rebellion, whereas this video
denotes the opposite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemivU
Kb4f4

8. BUDDY HOLLY
There is a short pause in the middle
of the video where it says ‘stay
tuned for happy days’, and the ‘to e
continued writing’ shows that it is
parodying ‘happy days’. this is to
parody the show ‘Sabotage’ and
‘Oh So Quiet’ also do something
similar. Jonze likes to use
intertextuality in his videos, this is
one of the things that make him an
auteur director.
The mise-en-scene, such as the
matching fashion, fits with the time
period the video is set in and is similar to
Buddy Holly, who they are parodying.
The audience’s outfits are also 50’s
style, fitting the theme. The video
matched the song title as the are
mimicking buddy holly. The mid shot
displays the band in their costumes and
the setting, showing its mocking nature.

9. ARCADE FIRE-THE
SUBURBS
In this long shot, the
characters are introduced.
The setting is in the suburbs,
fitting with the title of the
song. The composition is
nice in this shot of the friends
spread out.
The lighting alters from high-key to
low-key as serious things start to
happen, in this case the military are in
the suburbs. so the setting is not as
calm as it first looks. The characters
are also out of focus which could
suggest they are confused by the
situation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Euj9f3
gdyM

10. THE SUBURBS In part of the video,
there are blurred shots
and a shaky camera to
makes the character
seem disorientated and
confused.
The mise-en-scene in the video
contrasts from bikes to
helicopters. The military aspect
contrasts with the suburban side,
Jonze also used a contrast in
Bjork's video as there is a shot
that changes from a dim, dirty
room, to a bright setting.

11. KANYE WEST-ONLY
ONE
This video is different from a typical spike Jonze. This is
more about the artist and its quite personal. This video
almost looks home made and like a documentary.
This video shows that Jonze has a wide range of skills, as he
can use similar themes, but also completely contrasting ones
if he wishes. Although, this performative video does relate to
the song title as it is about his daughter being the ‘only one’
so jonze has followed Goodwin's theory here as there is a
link between the lyrics and the visuals . So, overall, Jonze
doesn’t like to stray too far from the actual meaning of the
song as it is the music that matters rather than the actual
image of the artist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibQR
0tQ0P8