BOOKED: Fight Fair - Robby Starbuck, director

artist: Fight Fair
song: "Pop Rocks"
label: Triple Crown/EastWest
director(s): Robby Starbuck
DP: Gregg Ephraim

BOOKED: Toby Mac - Endeavor Media, directors

artist: Toby Mac
song: "Lose My Soul"
label: Forefront/EMI
director(s): Endeavor Media
production co: Red Van Directors

NEWS: 2008 MVPA Winners

The Music Video Production Association (MVPA) used a December holiday party to officially announce the winners of their 17th Annual Awards Show.

Nominees were originally announced in May — hence the fact that all of the winning below are over six months old —  but the planned awards ceremony was delayed and then eventually scaled back to a party/announcement event.

Winners as follows, with awards given to the director and production companies, or to the appropriate technician...

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: Melina, of Black Dog Films for:

• Beyonce "Upgrade U "
• Eve "Tambourine "
• Snoop Dogg "Sensual Seduction"

GENERAL DIRECTION CATEGORIES

• Best Animated Video: Dom and Nic of Oil Factory for The Chemical Brothers "Salmon Dance"
• Best Direction of a Band: Lisa Mann of Revolver Film Co for The Used "The Bird and the Worm"
• Best Direction of a Female Artist: Wendy Morgan of Revolver Film Co for Dragonette "I Get Around"
• Best Direction of a Male Artist: Jonas Akerlund of Black Dog Films for James Blunt "Same Mistake"
• Best Direction of a New Artist: Ray Tintori of Partizan for MGMT "Time To Pretend"
• Best Video Produced for Under $25,000: Ara Soudjian of Xapnet Productions for Serj Tankian "Money"
• Directorial Debut: Ray Tintori of Partizan for MGMT "Time to Pretend"
• Video of the Year: Patrick Daughters of The Directors Bureau, for Feist "1, 2, 3, 4"

BEST DIRECTION — MUSIC GENRE CATEGORIES

• Adult Contemporary: Drew Lightfoot of Revolver Film Co for Kate Havnevik "Unlike Me"
• Alternative: Brian Savelson for Band of Horses "Is There a Ghost"
• Electronic Music: Michael Haussman of HSI for The Chemical Brothers "Do It Again"
• Hip-Hop: Ara Soudjian of Xapnet Productions for Wiz Khalifa "Say Yeah"
• International: Michel Gondry of Partizan for Paul McCartney "Dance Tonight"
• Pop: Matthew Rolston of @radicalmedia for Christina Aguilera "Candyman"
• R & B: Justin Francis of HSI  for Alicia Keys "No One"
• Rock: Tony Petrossian of Rockhard Films for Serj Tankian "Empty Walls"

TECHNICAL CATEGORIES

• Best Art Direction: Evan Rohde of Sheldon Prosnit for Ashlee Simpson "Outta My Head"
• Best Choreography: Noemie Lafrance for Feist "1, 2, 3, 4"
• Best Cinematography: Giles Dunning of Innovative Artists for The White Stripes "Icky Thump"
• Best Colorist/Telecine: Beau Leon of The Syndicate for The White Stripes "Icky Thump"
• Best Computer Effects: Duran Dubbi for Muse "Invincible"
• Best Editing: Mart Morton for The Used "The Bird and the Worm"
• Best Hair: Krystie Aeisiden for Escape The Fate "Situations"
• Best Make-up: Pamela Neal of MMA for My Chemical Romance "I Don’t Love You"
• Best Special Effects: Rozzi Famous Fireworks for Feist "I Feel It All"
• Best Styling: April Roomet for Snoop Dogg "Sensual Seduction"

WATCH IT: Mech Electric Heart "Emergency Broadcast"

There's some definite Weird Science going on in this video by director Chris Buongiorno for Mechanical Hands Electric Heart. The two technophiles spend the bulk of the clip planning every detail so they can bring the woman of their dreams to robotic life. Their experiment is a success, except the only banging their Fembot wants to do is with the gun she has pointed in their direction. --> watch "Emergency Broadcast"

Mechanical Hands Electric Heart
"Emergency Broadcast" (Roam The River)
Chris Buongiorno, director | Derek Villarreal + Nicole Taubman, producerS | xxx, production co | Parker Tolifson, DP | Paul Sabater @ Spot Welders, editor

BOOKED: Taylor Hicks - Jake Davis, director

artist: Taylor Hicks
song: "What's Right Is Right"
label: Modern Whomp/Artist2Market
director(s): Jake Davis
production co: Kleiner, Inc.

BOOKED: The Killers - Ray Tintori, director

artist: The Killers
song: "Spaceman"
label: Island/IDJMG
director(s): Ray Tintori
production co: Partizan

Top Ten Videos of 2008

Deciding a Top Ten Video list for any given year is a fairly pointless exercise. A good video for Radiohead is not a good video for Jim Jones, which in turn is not a good video for Fall Out Boy and on down the line. But, it's pretty much required that a site like this put out a list, so here we go...

Most of the videos on this list are videos that I personally liked, or videos that I thought were outstanding in regards to the music genre or underlying intention. That said, I didn't go with anything due to mere popularity or cultural importance — otherwise, "Yes We Can" would have been #1, especially since that might be the only video anybody remembers a few years down the line. And, I only picked videos that were featured on this site during the past year, mostly out of convenience.

So, with all that disclaiming out of the way, enjoy. Video Static will be back with regular updates after New Years. Have a happy, healthy whatever it is you celebrate. Thank you all for reading, clicking, advertising, sending in info, etc, etc.

Top Ten Videos of 2008

1. Weezer "Pork & Beans"
   — Mathew Cullen, director
2. Bjork "Wanderlust"
   — Encyclopedia Pictura, directors
3. Gnarls Barkley "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?"
   — Chris Milk, director
4. Brighton Port Authority "Toe Jam"
   — Keith Schofield, director
5. Beyonce "Put A Ring On It/If I Were A Boy" (she released 'em together, so why not pick em together)
   — Jake Nava, director
6. Seether "Breakdown"
   — Tony Petrossian, director
7. Adele "Chasing Pavements"
   — Mathew Cullen, director
8. Vampire Weekend "A Punk"
   — Garth Jennings of Hammer & Tongs, director
9. Erykah Badu "Honey"
   — Erykah Badu & Mr. Roboto, directors
10. Jakob Dylan "Something Good This Way Comes"
    — Josh & Xander, directors

WATCH IT: N.E.R.D. "Sooner Or Later"

Wanna know the story of 2008? Look no further than N.E.R.D. and their bookending clips from this rollercoaster year. They started the year with"Everyone Nose," a celebration of [what is now literally] Last Nights Party life, with sexed-up girls, easy drugs and a variety of opulent, yet dirty accouterments. But, now it's all crashing down and those days are over. The new video for "Sooner Or Later" reflects that free fall, showcasing Pharrell Williams and his fellow N.E.R.D.s sweeping up all that now worthless paper from the floor of a stock exchange. Welcome to the recession. Here's to a better 2009. --> watch "Sooner Or Later" via YouTube or Brightcove/Flash

N.E.R.D. "Sooner Or Later" (Star Trak/Interscope)
The Malloys, director | Tim Lynch, producer | HSI, production co | Giles Dunning, DP | Fred Foquet, editor | Paula Goode, production designer

SHOT: Man Man - Lex Halaby, director

Werewolves in love, half the cast of any/every Judd Apatow movie... director Lex Halaby looks to have a winner on his hands with this recently shot video for Man Man.

Pictured in the picture: Actor Martin Starr as the big werewolf in the back, actress Charlene Yi as the lady werewolf, SNL cast member Fred Armisen (center), director Lex Halaby (far right) and, last but not least, Man Man singer Honus Honus (lower, right).

artist: Man Man
song: "Rabbit Habits"
label: Anti/Epitaph
director(s): Lex Halaby
rep: Lanette Phillips
producer: Lauren Bratman | DP: Brett Pawlak

photo by William Bradford

NEWS: Antville Video Award Winners 08

Freewheeling music video bulletin board videos.antville.org has announced winners for their now 2nd annual readers/posters poll... Winners include:

• MOST FUN VIDEO: The BPA "Toe Jam"
  — Keith Schofield, director
• BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Björk "Wanderlust"
  — Encyclopedia Pictura, directors
• BEST ANIMATED VIDEO: Fleet Foxes "White Winter Hymnal"
  — Sean Pecknold, director
• BEST PERFORMANCE VIDEO: White Denim "Shake Shake Shake"
  — Tom Haines, director
• BEST NARRATIVE VIDEO: Gnarls Barkley "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?"
  — Chris Milk, director
• BEST URBAN VIDEO: Kanye West "Flashing Lights"
  — Spike Jonze + Kanye West, directors
• BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Beyonce "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
  — JaQuel Knight & Frank Gatson, Jr., choreographers
• BEST ART DIRECTION: Björk "Wanderlust"
  — Encyclopedia Pictura, directors
• BEST EDITING: Justice "Stress"
  — Romain Gavras, editor
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (tie):  Damien Jurado "Caskets"
  — Mike Ragen, DP
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (tie):  Justice "Stress"
  — Andre Chemetoff, DP
• BEST UNKNOWN/UNSIGNED DIRECTOR (tie): Jesse Ewles
• BEST UNKNOWN/UNSIGNED DIRECTOR (tie): That Go
• BEST NEW DIRECTOR: Romain Gavras
• DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: Keith Schofield

Visit the Awards thread at videos.antville.org for more more more...

BOOKED: Death Cab For Cutie - Walter Robot, directors

artist: Death Cab For Cutie
song: "Grapevine Fires"
label: Atlantic
director(s): Walter Robot
production co: Merge @ Crossroads

SHOT: Endless Hallway - Atom Rothlein + John Carlucci, directors

artist: Endless Hallway
song: "Solvency"
label: Wind-Up
director(s): Atom Rothlein + John Carlucci
production co: The Revolver Film Co.

BOOKED: Disturbed - Noble Jones, director

artist: Disturbed
song: "The Night"
label: Warner Bros.
director(s): Noble Jones
production co: The Revolver Film Co.
rep: Labuda Management

WATCH IT: Pink "Sober"

There's a literal kiss of insanity to this brazen new Pink video. Director Jonas Akerlund — himself no stranger to pushing the envelope through videos like "Smack My Bitch Up" and "Turn The Page" — amps up the sexuality and debauchery as Pink grapples with herself over whether to leave a destructive lifestyle. A restless stint in a padded room provides no comfort, nor does an attempt to literally seduce herself. The sexual energy of the video will certainly get attention, as will the mix of an edginess and classical styling — while the ambiguity of it all does run in direct counterpoint to the Celebrity Rehab mantra of, "What Would Dr. Drew Do?" --> watch "Sober"

Pink "Sober" (LaFace/ZLG)
Jonas Akerlund, director | Black Dog , production co