The music video visionaries

Chapter 1

Michel Gondry's playful illusions

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Chapter 2

Spike Jonze's chaotic charm

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Chapter 3

Chris Cunningham's biomechanical nightmares

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Chapter 4

Mark Romanek and Anton Corbijn's cinematic atmospheres

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YOUR GOAL

Master of The music video visionaries

Ch 1 · Michel Gondry's playful illusions

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Glossary

bass guitar line (noun)
The sequence of low, deep notes played on a bass guitar that establishes the rhythm and holds a song's groove together. In Michel Gondry's music video for Daft Punk's 'Around the World,' athletes climb up and down stairs to visually represent this bouncing beat, making the music's foundation impossible to miss.

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Gondry bygde faktisk et uendelig teater i teateret med fysiske effekter.

streetspirit See how Gondry's rotating pillars transform a forest into Björk's nested stage.

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Fun Fact

Train window illusions: A train ride from Nîmes to Valence inspired Michel Gondry to sync passing French landscapes with the beats of Star Guitar.

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mankai Star Guitar Music Video

Every tower and tree is a beat on this train ride home

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Glossary

motion-control camera (noun)
A camera system that uses computer programming to repeat the exact same movement with robotic precision. By filming multiple takes along the identical path, filmmakers can seamlessly blend different shots together—perfect for making an actor look like they are interacting with their own clone!

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I just learned how athletes climbing stairs can physically mimic a bass line.

mankai I just learned how athletes climbing stairs can physically mimic a bass line.

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So cool how Björk’s nested-theater video is an infinite play within a play.

mankai So cool how Björk’s nested-theater video is an infinite play within a play.

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Fun Fact

Playful illusions: To sync the passing scenery to the music, Gondry mapped the train journey on graph paper using household objects like oranges, forks, and shoes.

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Fun Fact

Creative Beats: Before directing hits for Björk and Daft Punk, Michel Gondry discovered filmmaking by creating whimsical music videos for his own indie band, Oui Oui.

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mankai Michel Gondry's Music Videos

He mapped the speeding train ride on a paper grid, Using forks and oranges for every beat he did.

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mankai The magic of practical effects

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The human loop of Star Guitar

mankai The human loop of Star Guitar

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Fun Fact

Lego bricks: Lego refused to sponsor The White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Girl" video, forcing director Michel Gondry to buy all the plastic bricks himself at retail stores.

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Björk and the human mind

mankai Björk and the human mind

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Glossary

illusion (noun)
An instance of a wrong or misinterpreted perception of a sensory experience. Gondry utilized a motion-control camera in 2002 to create a seamless looping street scene for Kylie Minogue.

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Quiz

Before directing music videos, Michel Gondry was a drummer for which French pop-rock band in the 1980s?

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Gossip

Which Gondry trick is coolest?

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Michel Gondry's playful illusions

mankai Michel Gondry's playful illusions

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mankai The human loop of Star Guitar

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Quiz

Which French city's train route did Michel Gondry film to create the visual rhythm for "Star Guitar"?