Chris Cunningham

Music Video Director

Chris CunninghamChris Cunningham is known for his unconventional, bizarre style of directing music videos. He is best known for Aphex Twin videos ‘Windowlicker’ and ‘Come to Daddy’, this ties in with the genre of music he tends to specialise in, which is electronic. He has worked with Aphex Twin on numerous times which shows that the artist’s appreciate the pure skill and effort he puts into his work, along with the fact that Chris Cunningham’s visuals seem to fit perfectly with the Aphex Twin’s music. His music videos would be described as ‘Art Music Videos’ by Diane Railton and Paul Watson, in their book ‘Music Videos and the Politics of Representation’, as his videos operate as a site of expression which variously works as an aesthetic complement to the song or vies with it for artistic consideration. His music videos are often set in dystopian urban landscapes, which give a downtrodden, nightmarish feel to the videos. To do this he often uses a reduced colour palette of blues and greys which connote a cold, harsh, hostile environment. He has worked with a range of different artists, including ones which are mainstream, these include Portishead, Bjork and Madonna bringing his own style into their videos with huge success. Bjork’s ‘All is Full of Love’ won multiple awards, including an MTV music video award for Breakthrough Video and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. It was also the first ever music video to win a Gold Pencil at the D&AD Awards. It can still be seen at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Madonna’s video for ‘Frozen’, which he directed, became an international hit and won the award for "Best Special Effects" at the 1998 MTV Music Video Awards. Working with these artists such as these, has shown Cunningham’s ability to vary in genre and style, this shows that he is open minded and can bring different ideas to completely varying situations.

Madonna - FrozenThe critically acclaimed video for Madonna’s song ‘Frozen’ won the award for ‘Best Special Effects’ at the 1998 MTV Music Video Awards. It is shot with a monochromatic bluish appearance throughout, the video shows Madonna playing an ethereal Gothic witchy, melancholy persona, with long black hair, black gowns. It is shot in the middle of a desert with a cold backdrop, I believe the setting symbolises the relationship which is being sung about in the lyrics being in limbo, with the cold harshness of the video symbolising the name of the track and supporting the idea of the relationship being ‘frozen’.

Mise-en-scene• Desert setting • Transformation of Madonna

turning into a dog • Gothic themeSound• Madonna dancing to the rhythm

Camera Work• Wide range of camera shots used

including establishing shot and high angle shot

• Pull Focus shot usedLighting and Editing• Visual effects are used throughout

the video, from Madonna floating to being turned in to a flock of birds

Aphex Twin - WindowlickerThe music video for ‘Windowlicker’ is a ten and a half minute long parody of American hip hop music videos. The video depicts two men window shopping for prostitutes. The French term for window shopping is faire du lèche-vitrine, which literally translates to licking the windows. A ridiculously long limousine (which takes 20 seconds to fully display) is used which crashes into the back of the two men’s car, a rich and powerful Richard James is presented, his features being exaggerated and he is shown with a constant grin, which makes him look satanic. The two women, among others, that then enter the limousine face’s morph into James’s likeness, they are later joined by a woman with horrifically ugly, buck-toothed, deformed face, which is a likeness of a sketch by Swiss artist H.R. Giger titled "The Windowlickers”

Mise-en-scene• Scenes of dancing• Richard James is centre of

attention• LA backdrop adds to

American hip hop theme

Sound• Cutting to the beat• Dancing used throughout

Camera Work• Wide range of camera

shots used including establishing shot and close up.

• Over the shoulder shot used

Lighting and Editing• Richard James’ face

morphed onto women• Extending limousine

length.

Bjork – All is Full of LoveThe video depicts a robotic Bjork laying on a table in the centre of a white room being assembled or repaired by mechanical arms, which appear to be from a robot. Whilst work is still being done on the Bjork robot, another Bjork robot enters and joins in singing. They start kissing passionately as the machines behind them are still working on the electronics within them. The song being called ‘All is Full of Love’ shows how anything can love including robots. There is a link between the visuals and the lyrics, showing that anything is capable of love, this fits in with Andrew Goodwin’s forms and conventions for a music video in his book ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’.

Mise-en-Scene• White and black the only

colours which are used throughout.

• Futuristic theme

Sound• Link between the lyrics

and the visuals

Camera Work• Overhead shots used• Stedicam used throughout

Lighting and Editing• 3D elements and 2D

compositing• White light throughout

Themes and MotifsChris Cunningham’s work is very Abstract, in all of his video’s.

Time lapse is an effect used by Chris Cunningham in some of his videos.

Most artists will choose to work with Chris Cunningham because of his uniqueness, and the fact that all his videos are different.