Music Video Directors

Marc Klasfeld



Marc Klasfeld is a director well known in America, he has worked with many bands and artists and has experienced directing music videos from rock to R&B.
He works with famous artists such as: Jay Z, Katy Perry,Nelly.
He has also directed music video's for these particular bands: Foo fighters, Bloodhound gang, Kid rock and the Red hot chili peppers, Jewel, Sum 41, Avril Lavigne, Aerosmith and many others with multiple MTV award wins and nominations. He has also written and directed commercials, independent films and documentaries.

He is also the founder of Rockhard, a music video production company that also houses directors Ray Kay, Sanaa Hamri, Sarah Chatfield, Mickey Finnegan, Mark Staubach and Steve Jocz. Rockhard has produced videos for Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, LMFAO, Britney Spears, Aerosmith, Prince, Mariah Carey, Kelly Rowland, Jessie J, Willow Smith, Adam Lambert, Big Time Rush and many others.
He is also a director of television commercials for Nike, NFL, NBA, Motorola, Reebok, Cartoon Network and Hummer. His best known commercial work is for ESPN's This is Sportscenter campaign, Hammer Pants Dance for the A&E Network's reality show Hammertime, Avril Lavigne's Canon campaigns and Smirnoff's Green Tea Partay viral video sang by Sebastian Siegel.

^{Marc Klasfeld is mostly well known for his directing the Sum41 music video's.}

Katy Perry "Last friday night"

"Last friday night" is a indie rock,disco and Hi-NRG song with influences of dance-pop.
The song strikes a perfect equilibrium between Katy's sex appeal and goofy, self-effacing charm. Marc Klasfeld said he got influenced by Sixteen candles, which inspired him to set up this particular storyline in the music video. The costume for Katy Perry was inspired by Betty from the American series Ugly Betty.
 Betty Suarez                                                             

  

In the video Katy Perry is basically a nerdy teenager with braces, headgear and over-sized glasses
 Kathy Beth Terry (Perry), a nerdy teenager with braces, headgear, and over-sized glasses, has just awakened the morning after a house party, surrounded by passed-out party goers. A male guest, Aaron Christopher-son (Glee star Darren Criss) opens the door to her bedroom and congratulates her on having the "best party ever." Puzzled as to what happened, she goes online, only to find pictures of herself in various compromising positions, including one picture of her licking the stomach of the boy in bed next to her. The video then goes into a flashback of the events that occurred the night before. While doing a Sudoku puzzle, Kathy hears loud music from the house next door, and goes over to complain. She is greeted by Rebecca Black (who appears as an homage to Black's viral video "Friday"), who invites her in. A nerdy Everett McDonald (Glee star Kevin McHale) ogles Terry from afar and fantasizes about being with her.

Here are some other really popular music video's he directed:

·  Aerosmith- What Could Have Been Love

·  3 Doors Down- "When I'm Gone" (gravedigger version)

·  3OH!3- "Starstrukk" (featuring Katy Perry)

·  Against Me!- "I Was a Teenage Anarchist", "Stop"

·  Alien Ant Farm- "Smooth Criminal", "Movies", "These Days"

·  Asher Roth - "G.R.I.N.D. (Get Ready It's a New Day)"

·  Avenged Sevenfold - "Bat Country" (Winner 2006 MTV Best New Artist Video Award)

·  Avril Lavigne - "When You're Gone"

·  Bloodhound Gang - "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo"

·  Bon Jovi - "Misunderstood", "All About Lovin' You"

·  Bubba Sparxxx - "Ugly"

·  Chamillionaire - "Hip-Hop Police", "Evening News"

·  Destiny's Child - "Lose My Breath"

·  Enrique Iglesias - "Don't Turn Off the Lights" (Unreleased version)

·  Far East Movement - "Rocketeer" (featuring Ryan Tedder)

When you're gone- Avril Lavigne

Before its release as a single in the United States, "When You're Gone" reached number ninety on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number seventy-seven on the Billboard Pop 100, in the Billboard issue dated 5 May 2007. The song later re-entered the charts and peaked at numbers twenty-four and sixteen, respectively. As of October 2011, "When You're Gone" sold over 1.09 million digital copies in the USA^. It also done well on the charts in Canada where it reached number eight

It features a young pregnant woman whose husband is away fighting in the war, an elderly man whose wife has recently died, and a teenage couple who are forbidden by the girl's mother to be together. The video portrays three relationships in different age groups, but in the same situation. Lavigne said that the video is very personal. In the end, the scenes break out daylight with the teenage girl returning to the where the duo were caught, the elderly man drinking to his wife in a graveyard, and an SMS from the pregnant woman's husband, with the text "I'm ok, I Miss U". Avril is then seen running in a field once more until the screen fades out. 
 

Melina Matsoukas 




Melina is another American director, who is very well known with major artists and has 
directed many music video's over the years. 

 Her work is described as, "chalk full of bright colors or crisp black and white images, smooth spotlights, and tasteful retro video models."Matsoukas says that expensive equipment is not necessary for a quality video and one should never think that way: "A good video has the right visuals, a well conceptualised story and should be exciting and elicit reaction.” In an interview for Venus Zine's Fall 2010 issue, she says about being part of the music video world, "I love it. The quick turnaround, the creativity."Regarding the concept of Solange Knowles' video "I Decided", Matsoukas stated: "This is her concept so I've definitely just developed it and put my mark on it."

Some music video's she has directed are: 

2006

• "Dem Girls" - Red Handed feat. Paul Wall & Scooby
• "Go 'Head" - Ali & Gipp feat. Chocolate Tai
• "Need a Boss" - Shareefa feat. Ludacris
• "Cry No More" - Shareefa

2007

• "Because of You" - Ne-Yo
• "Green Light" - Beyoncé
• "Kitty Kat" (co-directed by Beyoncé Knowles) - Beyoncé
• "Suga Mama" (co-directed by Beyoncé Knowles) - Beyoncé
• "Upgrade U" (co-directed by Beyoncé Knowles) - Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z

2008

• "In My Arms" - Kylie Minogue
• "Wow" - Kylie Minogue
• "Modern World" - Anouk
• "Closer" - Ne-Yo

2009

• "I Will Be" - Leona Lewis
• "So Good" - Electrik Red
• "Not Fair" - Lily Allen
• "Sweet Dreams" (I Am... Tour interlude video) - Beyoncé

2010

• "Rude Boy" - Rihanna
• "Put It in a Love Song" - Alicia Keys feat. Beyoncé
• "Why Don't You Love Me" (co-directed by Beyoncé Knowles) - Beyoncé
• "Rockstar 101" - Rihanna feat. Slash

2011

• "S&M" (co-directed by Rihanna) - Rihanna
• "Move Your Body" - Beyoncé
• "I'm Into You" - Jennifer Lopez feat. Lil Wayne
• "We Found Love" - Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

2012

• "Your Body" - Christina Aguilera
• "Losing You" - Solange
• "Looking Hot" - No Doubt