Introduction

Within this essay I will be analysing, dissecting and reviewing the history and
influences of the music video director, Spike jonez. I will also be deeply reviewing
whether the director has a specific style and genre that he prefers or usually
works with and uses when putting a music video together. I will also thoroughly
and meticulously analyse weather the director, Spike consistently works with
specific artists in the music industry or works with a diverse crowd of musicians
when directing and being a part of the production of music videos. Finally I will
be addressing and analysing the rules, regulations and codes of practises which
need to be followed when working as a music video producer.

Early life

Spike Jonez was born on October 22/ 1969 and was born in the same area where
he spent his adolescent years growing up. This was in a small area called
Maryland Rockville where he was nurtured and brought up by a nuclear family.
His small and conventional family consisted of 4 people; they were his mother,
Sandra L. Granzow his brother Sam Spiegel and finally his sister Julia Spiegal. You
may be wondering why the father is not included in my brief description of the
people in the Spiegal family. However the father, Arthur Spiegal was a distant
relation to the family and usually found himself away from the family and more
concentrated and linked with his career and work as he was the CEO and founder
of APM Management Consultants. This however did not affect the structure or
lives of the family as there was a diversity of interests and successful careers
within the Spiegal family as the mother had multiple professions and strings of
income as she was a writer, communications consultant in developing countries,
and ab artist. Spikes brother, Sam was a certified and successful producer and
DJ whilst Julia Spiegal, Spikes sister, also having a career stemming from
production and filming. Now that we have understood the birthplace, the
structure of his family and each of their careers whilst also highlighting the
relationship between the rest of the Spiegal family and the father, Arthur lets
indulge further into Spikes education.

Education

Spike jonze completed and underwent his education in the school Sans Francisco
institute in California. In fact it was here were his new identity was created and
formed. You may be wondering and trying to thoroughly understand what I mean,
however allow me to elaborate and explain. In spikes adolescent and teenage
years he was a frequent customer and face at the Bethesda community store in
California. In fact he was such a frequent consumer and customer that the
former owner of the store named Mike Henderson gave him his official nick
name, Spike Jonze. Thats correct in fact the name which he legally goes by now
was not his birth name. His original name was Adam Spiegal, nevertheless he
since changed his name in high school clearly emphasising his new identity and
image within his society. few more months passed and the newly named Spikes
was becoming involved and working for popular and famous magazines such as
freestylin as he worked as a photographer and photojournalist for the
publication. He then carried on working with the co- founders and owners of the
magazine freestylin on other projects such as Homeboy and dirt.

Career

Due to the experience and connections that Spike gained as an adolescent, this
cocktail of knowledge, understanding and experience clearly propelled him into a
prestigious and highly respected platform in the media industry. This is because
he started off with a diverse mix of professions and lines of work. Although most
of his succession and popularity came from directing and creating Music videos
whilst also collaborating with the biggest names in the music industry such as
Kanye West, Lady Gaga and Jay Z, he also had great succession and run in
screenwriting and acting as he was involved in screenwriting and co-creating
successful TV series such as Jackass and was casted and acting in various
movies such as, Where the wild things are (2009) and the film Her (2013).

In Spikes career in directing music videos and being a part of the production of
some of the most successful and biggest music videos across the globe, he did
not work in specific musical genres as he consistently worked with various
different artists in various different fields of music types and categories. For
example from his directing career spanning from 1994 to 2015, he worked with
various different iconic musicians ranging from Hip hop all the way to Rock. For
example he worked with the likes of Kanye west, biggie smalls, Ludacris and jay
Z. as he was one of the biggest influences and reasons why such a genre like hip
hop and rap was able to rise and reach the mainstream audience and become
popular as his production and creative visuals which he implemented when
directing videos allowed videos such as Kanye west, flashing lights to be viewed
over 40 million times on the internet. His production and involvement in directing
and creating biggie smalls video also West
Kanye was clearly evident on his positive effect
and influence on the genre as the Flashing itself
video light reached over 10 million views.
music video
(directed by
Spike jonez)
 Biggie smalls
skys the limit
music video
(directed by
Spike jonez)

However he has also worked with many iconic and huge pop artists such as Lady
gaga, Daft punk and Paul McCartney and was also a popular pop figure and
music director as his work with these artists proved to be a success as from his
work with Lady Gaga alone received over 5 million views and his involvement in
creating and directing Daft punks music video, Da funk also allowed the video to
receive over 20 million view as he was ultimately the core in allocating how the
video is set out and displayed.
Lady gagas music video of the
song, Dope

Directed by Spike jonez

Daft punks music video of

the song, Da funk

Directed by spike jonez

Due to his work and input in the production of music videos and the music
industry being diversified into different genres, artists and bands he has proven
to almost have a skill and high level of creativity to adjust to different music
types and its conventions and make the music video appropriate and relevant to
the Genre and music category. In fact his ability to adjust and work with many
different artists in many different Genres clearly shows how he does not have a
specific or particular style. This is because when creating and directing these
music videos he continuously and accurately followed the conventions and
typical connotations to the genre type he was specifically working with. I know
this because in his involvement and production in creating the music video of
biggie smalls song, sky is the limit, he accurately created a music clip which
clearly emphasizes and shows the connotations and conventions attached to a
hip hop genre. I know this because the conventions of a hip hop genre is
behaviours of brash and confident personalities with a huge dose of lavish living
and a reckless lifestyle. This is abundantly shown and portrayed within the music
video by spike jonez as scenes of the artist is shown relaxing in a luxurious and
expensive Jacuzzi whilst showing of his women by his mansions and exotic cars.
However in order to show the artists reckless lifestyle as youngster as he was
still making money at a young age and was spending a lot of money, the director
uses a young African-American actor as a duplicate in order to visually show how
biggie smalls was recklessly, irresponsibly and carelessly investing his money
into expensive luxuries which he already knew he couldnt afford. Spike jonze
also shows how he does not have a specific style and uses the conventions of the
genre to execute and show the narrative in Lady Gagas music video, Dope. I
know this because the genre firstly is electronic rock and the conventions and
connotations of this genre is a frustrated, angry and almost violent and
aggressive thought. These connotations attached to the genre and its
conventions clearly are replicated and shown within the music video using mise-
en scene props such as dark clothing, dull and black make up with smashed and
decimated musical instruments surrounding the artist. This clearly shows the
conventions of the rock genre which is emotions of psychological pain and hurt
with aggressive and violent outburst. Spike jonez also uses dark lighting and
almost dim brightness to stimulate a foggy and disoriented mental state and an
atmosphere of coldness and pain. The images and thoughts stimulated are also
the connotations and conventions of a rock genre.

Although Spike jonez does not use a particular style when directing and creating
music videos as he uses just the conventions of the overall genre to enhance the
narrative, we can still identify and recognise when he directs a music video. This
is because he uses and extensively adds semiotic codes in order to thoroughly
execute the narrative and genre in his music video. I know this because in biggie
smalls music video, skys the limit, many codes such as the enigma code was
frequently used at the start. For example when the music video starts, instead of
the artist himself appearing, a young lookalike appears from the shadows in an
abnormally huge mansion with several women accompanying him. This clearly
shows and emphasises the enigma code being used, as many elements of the
scene are not fully explained at first, to intentionally create tension. Whilst also
using enigma code within this music video he simultaneously uses the symbolic
code to emphasise and explain the narrative stronger. For example in the music
video older women and adult themes surround the young actor who is playing
out biggie in his teens. This clearly shows the symbolic code being used as the
director, Spike surrounds the young actor who is representing biggie in his
adolescent years by opposite and different ages In order to magnify and
emphasize his lavish and peculiar lifestyle at such a young age. This then links
back to the narrative and also the lyrics as the artist, biggie smalls was living like
an adult and wealthy, lavish man at such a young age. It also shows how his
heavy spending and reckless behaviour was transparent from a young age.

Spike jonez also uses various different semiotic codes to emphasize the narrative
within other music videos such as Daft punks da funk. I know this because
throughout the video the main character is seen to have a dogface and injured
leg whilst with a human body. The video in fact starts off with this half human
and dog like creature without no build up. This sense of confusion but intrigue
that this scene creates is purposefully executed by Spike jonez to build and
create tension within the viewer. This is an example of the director, Spike Jonez
using an enigma code. Spike jonez heavy and consistent use of semiotic codes
just carries on as he also uses other codes such as the symbolic code. This is
when opposites are significantly used to magnify and drive the plot or narrative.
For example a character or even creature like is shown slowly and depressingly
walking across a dark road. He has a human body but a face and upper form of a
dog whilst everybody is completely normal and opposite to this creature. This is
purposefully executed by Spike jonez to support the narrative that the writer
feels lonely and lost within his thought and emotion. The use of props such as
the dog mask gives of a visual representation that he is a lost and confused soul
helplessly looking for its owner.

Codes of practise and regulations that music video producers have to

consider when creating and filming a music video

There are almost an infinite amount of codes and regulations that music video
directors need to respect and follow in order to be legally able to set up a music
video such as location permission; BECTU, BBFC, MCPS, PRS, etc. within this
small segment of my essay I will highlight and thoroughly go over the main laws
that regulate and control music video directors on what they can and cant do.

When directors are firstly looking or assessing where the music video is going to
be set up, many things affect and influence the decision and ability to choose a
location. For example directors who want to film there music video in crowded or
busy areas are affected by regulations or councillors who disapprove of their
appearance on such busy public roads. This is because they are seen as a public
liability. This s because there production and equipment can affect and injure
passers-by or even affect traffic and cause diversion. Therefore directors face
certain laws which prevent them from filming in certain areas without the
permission from higher authority or insurance on public liabilities. There are also
regulations on the props that could be used when filming in outdoor places and
areas such as busy and popular roads. For example the use of fake police
vehicles or military equipment such as weaponry is not permissible or allowed
when the public are around due to the simple reasons that confusion or chaos
can break out when seeing actors convincingly pretending to be the authorities.
Therefore there must be acceptable permission from the location that this type of
filming is able to take place in the area or insurance held by the company giving
them the right to use such props in the area. However the director does not
need to convince or contact the location himself in order to earn the right to fil in
the area. This is because there are certain companies and union in each borough
that is formed to create deals with filming in that area. They are called (BFS),
Borough film services and are the first point of call when trying to film in their
area where there is certain laws and regulations which could possibly prevent
them from filming. The job of these services is then to liaise and communicate on
the behalf of the directors to the local authorities and council.

Unions such as BECTU and BBFC are also British services which are created to
defend staff, contract or freelancers workers in the media industry who are
predominantly grounded in the UK. They specifically work towards creating
equality and opportunities for everyone at work as well as protecting jobs within
this sector.

Where the unions BECTU and BBFC are services which thourghly work towards
equality and safe working environments, PRS and MCPS are services which
manage and deal with the financial security of directors or music artists. They
are services which collect and distribute royalty payments to musical artists or
directors that want to particularly use an asset owned by licensors such as these
services. However in order to create a safe but cost effective investment for the
artists and production team, they help in making sure all royalty payments are
fair and suitable for each different music artist or director wanting to purchase a
royalty.