This document discusses the concept of auteur theory in film and music videos. Auteur theory suggests that a director's films reflect their personal creative vision, with the director acting as the primary author. The document then examines two music video directors, Michel Gondry and Chris Cunningham, as examples of auteurs. It analyzes several of each director's music videos to identify their signature directorial styles and recurring techniques. For Gondry, this includes technical wizardry, dependence on watching the full video, repetition, and single long takes. For Cunningham, it includes fast editing, strange or unrealistic elements, reflecting the horror genre, and handheld camerawork with skewed angles.
1. Auteur Theory This theory was first put forward in the 1950s-era by François Truffaut and states that a director's films reflect that director's personal creative vision. As if he were the primary "auteur" (the French word for "author"). The author's creative voice is distinctive enough to shine through all kinds of studio interference. In some cases, film producers are considered to have a similar "auteur" role for films that they have produced.
2. Michel Gondry An example of an Auteur in music videos is Michel Gondry. Over the course of his career he has directed motion pictures including Be Kind Rewind and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. He has also worked with many established artists on their music videos including Kylie Minogue, Belinda Carlisle and Paul McCarthney.
3. Micheal Gondry's Auteur Signature After watching a selection of music videos that have been directed by Michel Gondry I believe I have found his auteur signature. In all of his music video there is; -> Technical Wizardry that the audience is marveled by, -> Dependence on the audience watching the entire video, -> A repetitive nature, -> Usually shot in one single long take rather than short, sharp cuts.
7. Mio Doi Todd – Open Your Heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8QgeESiPZA The final video I studied was Mio Doi Todd – Open Your Heart which also shows signs of Michel Gondry's Auteur Signature. -> It is repetitive.
8. -> The video uses optical illusions to stun and baffle the audience into wondering how he does these things. -> It is mostly shot in long takes, sometimes longer than forty or fifty seconds.
9. Kayne West – Heard 'em Say http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elVF7oG0pQs&ob=av2e -> In this video it is mainly filled with cartoons and black and white drawings. The audience wonders how this is done as the cartoons move, sing and speak along with the song which is a key fact in Gondry's auteur signature.
10. -> The video is also repetitive in nature and tells the same scenario of a lowly paid cabbie (Kayne West) trying to earn money from his fares who mostly short change him. -> Due to this repetitiveness the audience is drawn into watching the whole of the video to see the outcome of the cabbie's day and whether he does finally earn his money or not.
11. Chris Cunningham The second auteur that I studied was Chris Cunningham. Chris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. Born in Reading in 1970 and has worked with the likes of Aphex Twins and Madonna.
12. After watching a few music videos that Chris Cunningham has directed I believe that I have established his auteur signature; -> In each of his videos they is usually fast paced editing, -> Lots of entropy or strange and unrealistic objects/sequences, -> Reflects the horror genre, -> Lots of canted angles and snorry (hand held) cam.
13. Aphex Twins – Come To Daddy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Az_7U0-cK0 In this video the audience is shown lots of Cunningham's auteur signature; -> There are lots of canted angles, ones what are off center as if to confuse and dis enhance the audience whilst also using sequences of hand held or snorry cam. -> There is lots of fast paced editing to connote the action and suspense.
14. -> There is lots of entropy shown in this video e.g. the evil spirit coming alive from the TV and the group of children all with Aphex Twin's face. -> This video also is a clear representation of the horror genre e.g. the creepy children, the evil spirit, the dark and gloomy settings and the low lighting.
15. Madonna - Frozen The final video that I studied during the Auteur task was Madonna's Frozen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS088Opj9o0&ob=av2e -> Like the Aphex Twin's video above this video clearly represents the horror genre e.g. dark colors, cold and gloomy setting and Madonna surrounded by and turning into ravens. -> There is also lots of entropy e.g. Madonna turning into ravens.
16. -> There are lots of unsettling canted angles, -> The editing is also fast paced to connote suspense and mystery.