Addressing the crowd gathered for the 8th annual Music Video Production Association Awards earlier this month (4/9), Billy Poveda, MVPA president and co-owner/ exec. producer of the Oil Factory, Hollywood, urged his peers to continue to "build momentum as an industry." In his opening remarks at the ceremony, which was held at the Lloyd E. Rigler Theater at the Egyptian in Hollywood, Poveda challenged the audience to focus on key issues, including the need to foster new talent with a mentorship program.
More than 600 people turned out for the gala event, which honored producers, directors, cinematographers, editors, choreographers, stylists, art directors, special effects artists, colorists, and hair and make-up artists for their "outstanding artistic and technical achievement in music video production." The evening’s presenters included Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction/Red Hot Chili Peppers, filmmaker Gregg Araki, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, Oscar-winning visual effects director Nick Brooks (What Dreams May Come), Dave Wakeling of General Public/ English Beat, Paula Abdul, and actors James Woods and Jamie Kennedy. In spite of a healthy turnout, however, few of the MVPA winners were on hand to accept their awards; the majority of them were working on clip assignments.
Multiple award-winning videos included Squarepusher’s "Come On My Selector," directed by Chris Cunningham of bicoastal/international Black Dog Films, which took home three awards; and Marilyn Manson’s twice honored "The Dope Show," directed by Paul Hunter of bicoastal HSI Productions.
The Eastman Kodak-sponsored Lifetime Achievement Award was given to director Julien Temple; in his taped acceptance speech (Temple resides in the U.K.), the director, who has segued into feature films (Vigo, Bullet, Earth Girls Are Easy), said that the clip industry has changed so much in the past two decades that he’s "amazed you (the MVPA) remember me at all," but urged the audience to continue "doing things that haven’t been done yet." Temple has directed music videos for, among other artists, the Kinks, Depeche Mode, Neil Young, Duran Duran, Whitney Houston, the Stray Cats and Tom Petty.
Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" was also inducted into the Music Video Hall of Fame. In accepting the award, director John Landis (Blues Brothers 2000, Beverly Hills Cop III), said he wanted to thank Jackson (who co-wrote and produced the long-form clip). "Michael Jackson always understood the power of film," Landis said, adding that Jackson was the first African-American artist to have a clip in rotation on MTV, and that his work has had an indelible impact on the music video industry.
The SHOOT-sponsored award for Best Directorial Debut in a music video went to Dawn Shadforth for All Seeing I’s "Beat Goes On." The clip was also named Promo of the Month by U.K.-based Promo magazine and was nominated Best Dance Video by Muzik magazine, also out of the U.K. Shadforth said she was "very flattered" to win the MVPA award, and that the clip was a project that was close to her personally.
Shadforth has been repped for clips at Black Dog Films and for spots at its sister company, RSA USA, bicoastal, and RSA Films, London, since June ’98; previously she was repped by Image Dynamic Production, London. After her debut, she directed "Special" for Garbage and last month she helmed her first spot assignment: four :60s for Teletext, a digital information service, in London. The director said the "simply executed" spots focus on different services Teletext provides, such as sports results or news, and the state of mind of the person using the service. Currently Shadforth is editing Super Collider’s "It Won’t Be Long" for Skint Records and is also scripting several jobs for London-based labels.
Shadforth comes to directing from a fine arts background. After earning a degree in sculpture from the University of Sheffield, she began experimenting with film because she felt it was a medium with a wider reach. She taught herself the technical side of filmmaking with the support of a community arts organization called Sheffield Independent Film, which offered equipment at a reduced rate.
In ’95, she made a documentary for Channel 4’s Battered Britain series called The Friend’s Tale, about a young man who idealizes a friend when they are growing up together, but becomes disillusioned when he learns about the crimes and violence the friend had committed. Shadforth followed that project with a documentary of a Warp Records tour featuring various artists, The 7 Year Glitch. That film, a combination of on-the-road documentary and performance footage according to the director, was shown at the Institute of Contemporary Art’s film festival in the U.K., and at the Solar music festival in Barcelona. Shadforth later directed All Seeing I’s latest single, "Walk Like a Panther," and a clip for XL Recording artist Basement Jaxx. Next year she hopes to develop a feature film, but will continue to pursue clip and spot assignments both abroad and in the U.S.
A complete list of winners follows:
Method Award for Video of the Year: Squarepusher, "Come On My Selector," directed by Chris Cunningham, Black Dog Films, bicoastal/international.
Sony Pictures Studio Award for Best Direction of a Music Video: Marilyn Manson, "The Dope Show," directed by Paul Hunter, HSI Productions, bicoastal.
Hollywood Rentals Award for Pop Video of the Year: Madonna, "Ray of Light," directed by Jonas Akerlund, Oil Factory, Hollywood. (Akerlund is now with HSI Productions.)
Adult Contemporary Video of the Year: U2, "The Sweetest Thing," directed by Kevin Godley, The Artists Co./The A+R Group, bicoastal.
Feature Film Video of the Year: Pras featuring Mya and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, "Ghetto Supastar," directed by Francis Lawrence, DNA Inc., Hollywood.
Dance Video of the Year: Fatboy Slim, "Praise You," directed by the Torrance Community Dance Troupe, The Director’s Bureau, Hollywood, and Satellite, bicoastal.
Urban/R&B Video of the Year: Will Smith, "Miami," directed by Wayne Isham, A Band Apart Music Video, bicoastal.
Rap Video of the Year: Busta Rhymes, "Gimme Some More," directed by Hype Williams, Big Dog Films, New York. (Williams now directs clips through HSI Productions.)
Alternative Video of the Year: Squarepusher, "Come On My Selector," directed by Chris Cunningham, Black Dog Films.
Country Video of the Year: Randy Travis, "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man," directed by Joe Murray, Squeak Pictures, Los Angeles.
SHOOT Award for Directorial Debut: All Seeing I, "Beat Goes On," Dawn Shadforth, Black Dog Films with Image Dynamic Production, London.
Best Video Made For Under $25,000: Goldie, "Mother," directed by Josh Evans, Holiday, bicoastal.
Long Form Video of the Year: Sarah McLachlan, "Surfacing Concert," directed by Sophie Muller, Oil Factory.
International Video of the Year: U.N.K.L.E. with Thom Yorke, "Rabbit in Your Headlights," directed by Jonathan Glazer, Academy Commercials, London.
Best Art Direction: Lenny Kravitz, "If You Can’t Say No," Tom Foden, directed by Mark Romanek, Satellite.
Best Styling in a Music Video: Smashing Pumpkins, "Ava Adore," Yelena Yuimchuk & Kim Bowen, directed by Dom & Nick, Oil Factory.
The Technical Achievement Award: Reel EFX, North Hollywood, Calif.
Best Colorist/Telecine in a Music Video: Dave Matthews Band, "Don’t Drink the Water," Arnold Ramm, 525 Studios, Hollywood/Santa Monica, directed by Dean Karr, Black Dog Films.
Best Hair in a Music Video: Sugar Ray, "Every Morning," Natalie McGowan-Spencer, directed by McG, A Band Apart Music Videos.
138/Colorado Award for Best Special Effects in a Music Video: Madonna, "Frozen," The Mill, directed by Chris Cunningham, Black Dog Films.
Best Choreography in a Music Video: Brian Setzer Orchestra, "Jump, Jive, An’ Wail," Travis Payne, directed by Eric Heimbold, Pure Film, bicoastal.
Background Engineers Award for Rock Video of the Year: Marilyn Manson, "The Dope Show," directed by Paul Hunter, HSI Productions.
Eastman Kodak Award for Lifetime Achievement: Julien Temple.
Best Make-Up in a Music Video: Garbage, "Push It," Gina Monaci & Jeff Judd, directed by Andrea Giacobbe, Propaganda Films, bicoastal/international.
Panavision Award for Best Cinematography in a Music Video: Crystal Method, "Comin’ Back," Ramsey Nickell, directed by Peter Christopherson, U Ground, Los Angeles.
525 Studios Award for Best Editing in a Music Video: Squarepusher, "Come On My Selector," Chris Cunningham (director/editor), Black Dog Films.
Hall of Fame: Michael Jackson, "Thriller," directed by John Landis.
