Producers/Directors Research

 Producers/Directors Research 

 
 

Introduction 
 

In this post I will be researching a range of media producers of my chosen brief (music videos), paying particular attention to the style and use of conventions in the type of media products they produce. I will be making reference to some of their existing products, which will hopefully give me an idea on how I can gain inspiration from their techniques for my own productions of both my main cast and the website. I believe by understanding the producers linked to my chosen brief, it will enable me to produce a media text that follows and reflects their style more effectively. 

 
 

Research 

 

 
Director 1: 

Nigel W. Tierney and Federico Heller (Earth - Lil Dicky) 

 

Quote by Heller: 

“I'm incredibly proud of having directed this magical video with the fantastic Nigel Tierney. Lil Dicky urges us to save the earth. A Ryot & 3DAR co-production presenting the Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation and involving the biggest music names like Ariana, Justin, Snoop, Sia, Sheeran and Leo himself.” 

 

Federico Heller is a filmmaker raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He started as an editor in television at a very young age and later evolved his craft as a VFX artist. In 2003, he co-founded 3DAR which is now among the biggest VFX and creative houses in Latin America. After a decade working as VFX supervisor and animation director, he decided to focus on directing live action. He has worked within Dark Knight, Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad. All major films within the DC universe and widely recognised around the world.  

Nigel W. Tierney is a producer and director, known for Shrek forever after (2010), Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) and Lil Dicky: Earth (2019). He is the Head of Content at RYOT (the creators of Earth by Lil Dicky). Nigel is also known for creating the world famous J/K COMEDY CLUB, a hidden club located in the heart of the DreamWorks Campus, that showcase a wide variety of celebrity comedians. Lil Dicky, being a comedian, as seen in Lil Dicky’s other works.  

When looking into both directors they have very different pasts all in film making, Heller being more skilled in Visual effects and Nigel within the cartoon industry. Both producers being very skilled with their individual work and coming together with these celebrities to create a very powerful music video.  

In comparison with the other videos studied, this is the most light hearted and comedic of the others, having a light side but also displaying a hard hitting message to those who watch the music video.  

As well as this there was another director (Tony Yacenda) who directed the live action part of the music video, who is a well known director, writer and producer, having directed DAVE (2020) which also starred Lil Dicky. 

These 3 directors all worked together when creating this music video, which not only shows how much work went into this project, but how important this message was. Having over 30 celebrities within the video and many behind the scene staff, as well as a large portion of the music being given to those companies and charities who are helping the environment, this project shows how important the environment is and how we, as an audience, need to contribute too, to social change. 

From these directors i have chosen that i will take elements of the de-equilibriums shown, they having explored at the very start of the music video boys kicking over a bin and someone telling them off for doing so. I wish to utilise the use of the youth and humanity damaging the environment, therefore i will explore this use of directing with young people. However; these directors were mostly concerned with the cartoon element which is something i will not take from this video, as my music video is focused with people and actors.

 

 

Director 2: 

Joe Hahn 

Hahn is an American musician, DJ, director and visual artist best known as the DJ and backing vocalist of the American rock band Linkin Park. Along with another member of Linkin Park, they are responsible for most of Linkin Park's album artwork. However, the featured song What I’ve Done was his work. 

The song What I’ve Done was released as the first single from their third studio album, minutes to midnight (2007) and was also featured in the Transformers film and album, being a worldwide hit and having been labeled by Warner Bros (the institution studied). 

Hahn had directed 22 songs by Linkin park and has worked with artists such as BTS, alternative rock being the biggest music style Joe Hahn has worked with, being quite different to the other artists studied, Earth by Lil Dicky being rap, modern and very humorous, where as One Republic, the next music video director studied, being more pop rock. They explore different forms of protest, Dicky’s being a Environmental and earth, like approach where as One Republic travels through the intentions of looking from the earths point of view, a message and a call of help from the planet instead of the people. Linkin Park explores a variety of issues which are not always environmentally linked, speaking from multiple views, multiple opinions, multiple voices. 

 

They relate through their passion for helping the world heal and to get the community, the people and the world working together in unity to solve these issues from directing their message to the audience, those who are either causing or suffering these problems and to come together in hopes to solve these problems. 

 

Finally, Joe Hahn in a 2003 interview told MTV that film-making was his true passion, and that "doing the music was more of an extra thing”. Directing was something he enjoyed and that spreading these messages was important. His values were not just of protest but of expressing how the band has changed, “In this farewell, there’s no blood”, saying goodbye to who they was and changing who they were to become. 

From this director i will be taking their passion for film-making and interpret that into my music video. He explored multiple issues with humanity such as political, environmental and social issues where i will take elements of the environmental and discard any political and social issues due to the purpose of my music video.

Director 3: 

Ryan Tedder 

 
 

Truth to power was written from the point of view from the earth, as a call to action on climate change, “i could tell you i was fragile” is the first word listen, Ryan Tedder not only produced but had written the lyrics to the song, he mastered it all to tell a story, meaning not only the lyrics but also what we, as an audience sees, is what is going through Tedder’s head, what he feels and his emotions all pushed into this one powerful music video. Truth to Power is about being broken by something but turning it into power to do something about it. The song, truth to power tells you to never give up and to always keep believing that there will be a solution to your problems, which can be related to the climate change, the issue at present in which the song is about. 

 

One particular lyric which i have expressed interest in my following research is I could tell you I’m immune to everything, but that’s a lie, this is showing how Tedder is scared that the planet can’t be saved anymore. The truth of the climate change also hits him, but he has trouble admitting it. The planet is in jeopardy and needs a cure, humanity being the virus. The earth is not immune to the issues we cause for it. Like a virus we plague the world, we give the world symptoms of our actions, and one day if we don’t stop then the earth could lose the fight. 

 

Tedder, having fought with mental illness, is a talented artist and expresses his emotions, fears and other insecurities throughout his career. He expresses his weakness with strength and is well crafted in the way he reacts to situations, such as climate change. In relation to the other artists, his lyrics and his music video were all personal to him, every segment of his creation and we can feel the emotions through his vocals, as he sings. 

 

Tedder, like Hahn, were both a part of the artists that directed their own music videos. Tedder a vocalist and Hahn being a backing vocalist and turntables. They both have connections with the band and can express both emotions from the vocals and the representation, where as Lil Dicky was animated and had 3 directors so messages can be confused or delivered incorrectly. 
 
Finally, this director expresses his views not from his own voice, but through the voice of the earth, that is powerful as it shows that the earths voice and the earths life is more important than that of the artist, instead of expressing his own feelings he is doing that through the voice of a higher power, that the issue isn’t his suffering, but that on the earth we live in. 

From this director i will take visual elements used, whether it be using a black and white filter during my main characters flash backs, to signify that it is a flash back, or changing the filter during de-equilibriums to show the pain that the environment feels, and the destruction.

 
 

 

Conclusion 

 

In conclusion, i have decided that through my research, i shall express the way i interpret my music video through my message as a whole, each music video expresses their message differently and i have decided i will incorporate my own understanding into my music video. 
 
I have decided that, like Tedder’s music video i will not express it through my own views, but through the eyes and views of the children. Their reactions on the environment and how they look at the world. 
 
I will, Like Hahn, express through multiple forms of destruction. Some being via different forms of destruction of the environment. Some ideas being construction, littering (a lake/beach), air pollution, overpopulation or possibly extinction. 
 
Finally, like the directors of Earth i will use the multiple voice (multiple celebrities) to incorporate the multiple voices of children, as it is the youth who is effected by the environment and i believe by incorporating that within my music video will push my meaning into perspective.