CASE STUDY ONCASE STUDY ONCHRIS CUNNINGHAMCHRIS CUNNINGHAM

Chris Cunningham is an English music video director and video artist. He was born in Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk.

Cunningham has close ties to Warp Records since his first production for Autedure.

Videos for Aphex Twins “Come to Daddy” and “Windowlicker” are his best known.

His video for His video for BjorksBjorks “ “All is Full of All is Full of LoveLove” won multiple awards, including ” won multiple awards, including an an MTV Music Video AwardMTV Music Video Award for for ““Breakthrough VideoBreakthrough Video”, and was ”, and was nominated for a nominated for a GrammyGrammy for “ for “Best Best Short Form Music VideoShort Form Music Video”. It was also ”. It was also the first ever music video to win a the first ever music video to win a Gold PencilGold Pencil at the at the D&AD AwardsD&AD Awards..

His video for His video for Aphex TwinsAphex Twins ““WindowlickerWindowlicker” was nominated for the ” was nominated for the ““BestBest VideoVideo” at the ” at the Brit AwardsBrit Awards 2000. 2000.

He also directed He also directed MadonnaMadonna’s video for ’s video for ““FrozenFrozen””

Cunningham’s visual style is very controversial. Many of his video’s are not played on regular music channels as they are so “out there”, but this in itself has helped him create his own unique style, which he brings to each video he produces, his videos are easily identifiable. He has a huge fan base, many people loving him for his outrageous, cutting edge ideas, and the risks he makes in his video. He is not afraid of offending people, his aim is to get people to talk.

He has worked with a variety of different artists, Aphex Twins, Bjork, and Madonna. They all are different styles and genres of music, however Cunningham brings the same style, dark sinister atmosphere to each video he creates.

As you are probably already beginning to notice, Chris Cunningham, rarely uses much colour in his videos. They all tend to be very monochrome or black and white. Where he does choose to use colour, its been filmed with such an affect that it appears muted or dimmed somehow. This adds to the sinister approach of the video.

For example – these images are from the Aphex Twins Video “Come to Daddy”. Cunningham has used colours, but they are all within the same hue. Greys, Whites, Blues. There is never a bright burst of colour!

These cold colours help to emphasise the feeling of cold, eeriness, that Cunningham is trying to convey. The video is aimed to shock, scare and leave people wondering WTF!

Again Cunningham uses the same colour schemes for Madonna’s Frozen Video. The video gives us a feeling of morbidity. He uses imagery such as the crows and the black dog, these are symbolic omens of death.

Madonna is dressed in black, and looks very gothic, which was a new image for her, but she is known for her ever changing image, and music.

There is no direct relation to the visuals and lyrics, but we see Madonna lip synching, like she’s giving a personal message to someone.

The imagery again in Bjorks video, is original and controversial. Its weird and creative, and again gives the viewer something to talk about. It is also filmed with little colour, mainly in black, white and blue. Like the Frozen Video it begins with a long shot and zooms in, in the introductory music.

Unlike the Come to Daddy video this one, creates a sexual image, which is weird in itself as it’s dealing with robots, they have no feelings, they are machines. They can’t feel neither love nor pain.

Windowlicker is also another video directed by Cunningham for the Aphex Twins, like Come to Daddy, it has been cleverly edited so that it fits perfectly with the beat. I love the way this has been done, especially the bit where the guy in the limo gets out and does the dance routine. It works so well!

The video continues the weird creepy style that is seen in “Come to Daddy”, this also continues the Aphex Twins image of being known for their weird videos. It shows figures with distorted faces, which is the same as their previous video.

I like Cunningham’s video’s because he uses very little colour. I think this helps emphasise the point and mood he is trying to create, which tends to be either creepy

and weird, or sad and emotional. I will try to use very little colour in the video I create, as I’m intending to create a dark, gothic, sinister feel.

I like the carefully edited style, and pace of the Aphex Twins video’s. I think this why a lot of people like the video’s. I don’t think I will use much of this in my video, not the same way, as the editing creates an upbeat mood whereas in my track it’s the

opposite.

I like the way Cunningham is not afraid to try new and original ideas. He’s not worried about what the public think or say about his work, he finds it thrilling. He loves to create something to talk about, something new and dynamic that gets

noticed, which it shows it works, when looking at how many awards he’s been put up for, for his work.

There isn’t much of a narrative behind his video’s, but they still work well.