Music Video Director: Spike Jonze

Spike Jonze 

Spike Jonze  is a music director, film director from Rockville, Maryland, US. He is well known also for his music video collaborations with Weezer, Beastie Boys, and Bojörk. He was also a co-creator and executive producer of MTVs Jackass. He also co-founded Directors Label, with filmmakers Chris Cunningham and Michel Gondry, and the Palm Pictures company. Spike Jonze's trademark for films/music videos are off-beat in their visual storytelling, particularly their mix of live-action, animation, and puppetry. 

This is one of the many music videos that has been directed by Spike Jonze, it was a big hit in 1996, this was partly due to the special effects that were used in the video. In the video the artists are filmed lip syncing backwards, then the video is played back in reverse which gives an effect in which the artists are singing with the music but everything else is happening in reverse for example them putting their clothes on. Spike Jonze has kept the artists hip hop image as they are set in a typical urban environment in Los Angeles. But he has still stamped his own mark on the video to make it different by using this reverse technique.

This video is unique and unusual all at the same time, but is typical of Spike Jonze. The video is set in an abandoned, creepy house, the camera shows the antics of violent children (an immediate contradiction to their smart dress and cute faces) as they cause havoc whilst the band plays irrespective of their surroundings. Harsh electric lights and green filters help to emphasize the low key lighting, heightening the macabre feel of the video. The main concept is to explore the idea of ‘control’ by presenting a complete lack of it in the video. Scenes of humorously fake violence are used to parody the horror films of the 80s.