PROFILE: Josh Forbes, director

Director Josh Forbes is the kind of guy who uses an opportunity for self-aggrandizement like this to instead give shout-outs to other directors he respects and lots of the folks who have helped him create a whimsical and sensitive music video world full of lifesize puppets, spellbinding animation, homey production designs and a whole bunch of heart. In short, he's good people and a good director who's just now coming into his own.

Select videos include:

• Sara Bareilles "Love Song"
• Switches "Drama Queen"
• The Submarines "Peace And Hate"
• Great Northern "Home"
• The Myriad "A Clean Shot"
• Division Day "Tigers"

name: Josh Forbes
company: Winch + Pulley
title/job: director

First Video: The first video I ever directed was "Fire Safety" for Thee Spivies. I  did it for a college class. I was going to school in Denver, but shot it in Los Angeles. Well, Whittier, actually. It was one of those things where not having a clue really helped. We shot it on donated 35mm with everyone and their mother working for free. I think the final budget came to about $3,000, which to me now is absolutely absurd.

Strangest Video: The strangest video, to date, was probably "Control" for Metro Station. One of the singers is Billy Ray Cyrus' kid, and Billy Ray showed up on set, which was surreal. Also, the video is supposed to be a debaucherous party with all sorts of crazy kids doing naughty things. The final edit is pretty tame, but I felt like a sleazebag having girls take their shirts off and making people make out with each other. If you've seen most of my work, I have the emotional maturity of a fifth-grader, so it's funny to me that my idea of a risqué party involved people chugging soda and jumping in bounce castles.

What's Next: Things really seem to be taking off. I feel like I've finally assembled my dream team. My DP Marc Ritzema and I have worked together for years, but now I'm starting to bring a whole gaggle of geniuses into the Winch+Pulley family. I've recently teamed up with Ghost Town for all my post needs, and they're amazing. They've done a lot of great work with heroes of mine like Ace Norton, Toben Seymour, Alma Har'el, Nima Nourizadeh and Ray Tintori. Also, my producer Justin Benoliel works out of their office, and it's quickly becoming my second home. My rep Lanette Phillips is amazing and has really helped me step things up. In fact, it looks like I have four pretty huge videos in the month of May. I don't want to jinx anything, but keep checking in with winchandpulley.com [editor: What, you can't tell folks to just keep checking videostatic.com?] for updates.

NEWS: 2008 MVPA Nominees

Nominees have been announced for the 17th annual Music Video Production Awards Association Awards, which celebrate the best video work from a technical and production company perspective. Event details are still to be confirmed.

Patrick Daughters leads all honored directors with five nominations, including Director of the Year. Other  nominees in that marquee category are Ace Norton, Alan Ferguson, Melina and Sophie Muller.

Checking in with three directing nominations each are P.R. Brown for his Duke Spirit "The Step And The Walk" video, Israel Anthem for MuteMath "Typical" and Wade Shotter for Fujiya Miyagi "Ankle Injury." P.R. Brown is also up for two additional technical awards for Special Effects and Computer Effects. Colorist Dave Hussey of Company 3 is up for his telecine work on four videos and editor Ken Mowe is recognized for three videos. Skulley Effects gets three of the five nominations for Computer Effects. Partizan gets the honor for most nominated production company with a total of 11 nods.

Full Nomination list is after the jump (or just below, depending on how you are reading this). Awards go to directors and proudction companies, except for the technical categories.

Continue reading "NEWS: 2008 MVPA Nominees"

BOOKED: Weezer - Mathew Cullen, director

artist: Weezer
song: "Pork & Beans"
label: Geffen
director(s): Mathew Cullen
production co: Motion Theory

SHOT: The Kooks - Charles Mehling, director

Shot in Paris...

artist: The Kooks
song: "Do You Wanna"
label: Virgin (UK)/Astralwerks (US)
director(s): Charles Mehling
production co: Streetgang Films
rep: Free Agent UK / Lanette Phillips Management

SHOT: Brighton Port Authority - Keith Schofield, director

New project from Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim...

artist: Brighton Port Authority f/ David Byrne
song: "Toe Jam"
label: Southern Fried (UK)
director(s): Keith Schofield
production co: Streetgang Films
rep:  Free Agent UK / Lanette Phillips Management

NEW RELEASE: The Roots "Rising Down"

Hip Hop group The Roots sample the sounds of go-go on "Rising Up," the new single from their tenth album, Rising Down. The percussive-heavy sound commonly associated with the go-go genre  is smoothed out with synths and the voice of R&B chanteuse Chrisette Michele, while Black Thought and Washington, D.C.-based rapper Wale keep it authentic with focused performances. The somewhat voyeuristic video appears to have been shot in a hair salon, an unlikely, but intimate setting for what seems to be a mix of lively rehearsal and listening party, complete with break dancers. Since the size of the Roots crew has decreased over the years, director Rik Cordero uses the small set to boost the screen presence of the group, a smart move for a band known for its invigorating live performances. [review by Craig Belcher] --> watch "Rising Down" (via MySpace)

The Roots "Rising Down" (Def Jam/IDJMG)
Rik Cordero, director/editor | Mike Fox, producer | three/21films, production co | Jon Chen, DP

BOOKED: Ray J - Dale "Rage" Resteghini & John Franck, directors

artist: Ray J
song: "Gifts"
label: Koch/Deja34/Knockout
director(s): Dale "Rage" Resteghini & John Franck
production co: Raging Nation Films
rep: Yell Productions

BOOKED: RZA - Dale "Rage" Resteghini & Todd A, directors

artist: RZA aka Bobby Digital
song: "You Can't Stop Me Now"
label: Koch
director(s): Dale "Rage" Resteghini & Todd A
production co: Raging Nation Films
rep: Yell Productions

BOOKED: Flo Rida f/ Will.I.Am - Shane Drake, director

artist: Flo Rida feat. Will.I.Am
song: "In The Ayer"
label: Atlantic
director(s): Shane Drake
production co: Red Van Pictures
rep: Labuda Management

NEW RELEASE: Chris Brown "Forever"

Is there a chain of edgy nightclubs where the lights are always flaring and blurring around a clientèle that is mysteriously there and then not again? Usher tried to get love in such a club and now Chris Brown picks a similar spot to show off his pop king moves under the razor-sharp guidance of video legend Joseph Kahn.
C. Brown’s interest in the leading lady's J. Alba doppelganger-ness might explain why he leaps after her when she takes a tumble off a skyscraper roof. The resulting mid-air make-out scene is worthy of Hudsucker Proxy or perhaps Eminem, made all the better by perfectly landing to nail the last bit of summer-jam choreography. [review by Doug Stern] --> watch "Forever"

Artist Site

More Videos

Chris Brown "Forever" (Jive/ZLG)
Joseph Kahn, director | Mary Ann Tanedo, producer | HSI, production co | Christopher Probst, DP | Joseph Kahn and Chris Abel, editors | Robert Fox, production design

BOOKED: New Kids On The Block - Thomas Kloss, director

artist: New Kids On The Block
song: "Summertime"
label: Interscope
director(s): Thomas Kloss
production co: DNA

BOOKED: Jessi Malay - Thomas Kloss, director

artist: Jessi Malay f/ DJ Felli Fel
song: "Cinematic"
label: Warner Bros.
director(s): Thomas Kloss
production co: DNA

SHOT: Eric Hutchinson - David Mullett, director

Eric Hutchinson and director David Mullett on the set...

artist: Eric Hutchinson
song: "Rock And Roll"
label: Warner Bros.
director(s): David Mullett
prod. co: Little Minx @ Black Dog

NEW RELEASE: R.E.M. "Hollow Man"

The internet and other bits of technology may connect everything and everyone in ways never before possible, but it also leaves us stranded all by our lonesome at disparate terminals where we are bombarded by information overload. The new R.E.M. single/video "Hollow Man" seems to tackle that state of being alienated, yet never alone or apart from the unstoppable influx of information and media. A webbishy and artful video focuses on a few solitary souls, painting their disconnectedness with YouTubish blotches of pixelation and compression artifacts while a steady stream of song lyrics in bold typefaces add to the screen noise. --> watch "Hollow Man"

R.E.M. "Hollow Man" (label)
Gary Thomas & Stefan Woronko, director | Stephanie Pennington, producer | Crush Inc., production co | Sean Cochrane, DP | Crush, Inc., editor