By Kristin Wilcha
The Music Video Production Association (MVPA) held its 13th annual MVPA Awards Show on May 20 at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. The awards honor artistic and technical achievements in music videos.
David LaChapelle of bicoastal HSI Productions received the award for director of the year. He earned the honor for Christina Aguilera’s "Voice Within," Jennifer Lopez’s "I’m Glad" and No Doubt’s "It’s My Life." The honor for best directorial debut went to Daniel Levi of bicoastal Smuggler for LFO’s "Freak."
Best direction of a new artist went to Michel Gondry of bicoastal/international Partizan for the Steriogram clip "Walkie Talkie Man," while Bryan Barber’s Outkast video for "Hey Ya!" garnered the awards for best direction of a male artist, video of the year, best art direction and hip-hop video of the year. (Barber is repped by F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica, for music videos, and for spots by Boondoggle, the commercial division of F.M. Rocks.) Best direction of a female artist went to Dave Meyers of bicoastal/international @radical.media/music for Missy Elliott’s "Pass That Dutch." (He is also repped for spots by @radical.media.)
The honor for cinematography went to DP Christopher Soos, repped by Radiant Artists, Santa Monica, for the Aguilera clip "Fighter," which was directed by Floria Sigismondi of Revolver Film Company, Toronto. The Aguilera video also won honors for best styling and best makeup.
The Eastman Kodak Lifetime Achievement Award went to director David Fincher of bicoastal Anonymous Content. The award is bestowed on a director who has made a significant contribution to the music video industry. Fincher, who has directed clips for the Rolling Stones and Madonna, among others, is a noted spot and feature helmer (Panic Room, Se7en) who won the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for best commercial director earlier this year on the strength of his work for Nike and Xelibri cell phones.
Gondry was given the Kratz Award for Creative Excellence, which honors creative ingenuity and fresh ideas in the clips realm. The award is named after Douglas Kratz, a Warner Bros. music video commissioner who was killed in the same plane crash that claimed the life of recording artist Aaliyah.
The 1994 Beastie Boys clip "Sabotage" was inducted into the MVPA Hall of Fame. Spike Jonze, then of now defunct Satellite directed the clip; he is now with bicoastal/international Morton Jankel Zander.
A complete list of MVPA winners is below.
Pop Video of the Year
Christina Aguilera, "Fighter." Revolver Film Company, Toronto. Floria Sigismondi, director.
Best Art Direction
Outkast, "Hey Ya!" F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica. Bryan Barber, director. Eric Beauchamp, art director.
Adult Contemporary Video
of the Year
Dave Matthews, "Gravedigger." Merge@Crossroads, Los Angeles. Mark Pellington, director.
Best Styling
Christina Aguilera, "Fighter." Revolver Film Company, Toronto. Floria Sigismondi, director. Carol Beadle and Trish Summerville, stylists.
Soundtrack Video of the Year
School of Rock, "School of Rock." Merge@Crossroads, Los Angeles. Jesse Peretz, director.
Best Directorial Debut
LFO, "Freak." Smuggler, bicoastal. Daniel Levi, director.
Best Colorist/Telecine
Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy in Love." F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica. Jake Nava, director. Company 3, Santa Monica. Dave Hussey, colorist.
Best Direction of a
Female Artist
Missy Elliott, "Pass That Dutch." @radical.media/music, bicoastal/international. Dave Meyers, director.
Best Hair
No Doubt, "It’s My Life." HSI Productions, bicoastal. David LaChapelle, director. Laurent, hair stylist.
Hip-Hop Video of the Year
Outkast, "Hey Ya!" F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica. Bryan Barber, director.
Best Special Effects
Ludacris, "Stand Up." @radical. media, bicoastal/international. Dave Meyers, director. R!OT, Santa Monica. Les Umberger, visual effects supervisor/lead artist; Ryan Thompson, visual effects supervisor/producer; Hans Payer, lead CG artist; Kiki Chansamone, lead Flame artist; Sean Wilson, lead Inferno artist; Claus Hansen, Inferno artist; Robin Scher, Mike Amron, Shuichi Suzuki and Kaori Miyazawa, Maya 3-D; Ashlee Wismach, Inferno intern; and Ellen Gaion, Combustion intern.
Electronic Music Video of
the Year
Crystal Method, "Born Too Slow." Anonymous Content, bicoastal. Gore Verbinski, director.
Best Video Produced for
Under $25,000
Mellowdrone, "Fashionably Uninvited." Little Minx@RSA, Los Angeles. Laurent Briet, director.
Best Choreography
Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy in Love," F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica. Jake Nava, director. Frank Gatson Jr., choreographer.
Alternative Video of the Year
The White Stripes, "7 Nation Army." Partizan, bicoastal/international. Alex & Martin, director.
Best Direction of a Male Artist
Outkast, "Hey Ya!." F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica. Bryan Barber, director.
Rock Video of the Year
No Doubt, "It’s My Life." HSI Productions, bicoastal. David LaChapelle, director.
Best Makeup
Christina Aguilera, "Fighter. " Revolver Film Company, Toronto. Floria Sigismondi, director. Francesca Tolot, makeup.
R&B Video of the Year
Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy in Love." F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica. Jake Nava, director.
Best Direction of a New Artist
Steriogram, "Walkie Talkie Man." Partizan, bicoastal/international. Michel Gondry, director.
Director of the Year
Christina Aguilera, "Voice Within"; Jennifer Lopez, "I’m Glad"; No Doubt, "It’s My Life." HSI Productions, bicoastal. David LaChapelle, director.
Best Cinematography
Christina Aguilera, "Fighter. " Revolver Film Company, Toronto. Floria Sigismondi, director. Christopher Soos, DP.
Country Video of the Year
Dolly Parton, "I’m Gone." Oil Factory Films, Hollywood. Sophie Muller, director.
Best Editing
The White Stripes, "Hardest Button to Button." Partizan, bicoastal/international. Michel Gondry, director. Lost Planet, bicoastal. Charlie Johnston, Geoff Hounsell and Andy Grieve, editors.
International Video of the Year
Robbie Williams, "Come Undone." HSI Productions, bicoastal. Jonas Akerlund, director.
Video of the Year
Outkast, "Hey Ya!" F.M. Rocks, Santa Monica. Bryan Barber, director.
Eastman Kodak Lifetime
Achievement Award
David Fincher, director, Anonymous Content, bicoastal.
Kratz Award for Creative
Excellence
Michel Gondry, director, Partizan, bicoastal/international.
Hall of Fame Video Award
Beastie Boys, "Sabotage" (1994). Satellite (now defunct). Spike Jonze, director.
California Gov. Newsom Signs Laws To Protect Actors Against Unauthorized Use Of AI
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off Tuesday on legislation aiming at protecting Hollywood actors and performers against unauthorized artificial intelligence that could be used to create digital clones of themselves without their consent.
The new laws come as California legislators ramped up efforts this year to regulate the marquee industry that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Americans but has had little to no oversight in the United States.
The laws also reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor who's walking a tightrope between protecting the public and workers against potential AI risks and nurturing the rapidly evolving homegrown industry.
"We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media is transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers," Newsom said in a statement. "This legislation ensures the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used."
Inspired by the Hollywood actors' strike last year over low wages and concerns that studios would use AI technology to replace workers, a new California law will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likeness. The law is set to take effect in 2025 and has the support of the California Labor Federation and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.
Another law signed by Newsom, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents dead performers from being digitally cloned for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. Supporters said the law is... Read More