Director Study - Anthony Mandler

Anthony Mandler

Anthony Mandler is a music video director, as well as a film director, TV advert director and photographer. He has had extremely successful careers in photography and as a director. Having directed music videos for artists such as 50 Cent, Justin Bieber, Jay Z, Eminem and many more in the music industry. Mandler is well known for his frequent collaborations with Rihanna, having directed the music videos for hit songs such as, 'Unfaithful', 'Disturbia' and 'Diamonds'.

Anthony Mandler's style is fairly inconsistent, due to the fact that he works with a huge variation of artists, both singers and rappers through all different genres. His work can be a reflection of the artist, the genre or the story of the song, and sometimes incorporates all of these features. Anthony Mandler follows some genre conventions in his music videos. For example, in music videos for 'Find Your Love'-Drake and 'Hustler's Ambition'-50 Cent, it constantly cuts back to the artist in the studio, either singing or making their music, however most of the time they will be lip syncing or acting with the sound controls, otherwise known as pseudo. This is a stereotypical feature within Hip Hop and Rap videos.

'Hustler's Ambition'-50 Cent

'Find Your Love'-Drake

Many of Mandler's music videos contain a huge variety of settings, ranging from derelict buildings to party scenes. In 'Beautiful'-Eminem, the majority of the videos is shot in a huge empty building, which resembles a church or cathedral. The reason this setting is chosen is to juxtapose the facts stated at the beginning.

The shots in the exposition are used to add context to the video, which connotes that the video, and the derelict church/cathedral, is in Detroit, or that the location is meant the be seen as in Detroit. Also, the shots are about the success of Detroit and Michigan, but this is juxtaposed by the setting itself. This example tells us that Anthony Mandler thinks through the locations of the music videos he directs. The choice of setting can add context to the story being told through the music itself. Also, the setting should, and conventionally does, reflect the mood and narrative of the song. This means that if a song is a more upbeat 'party anthem' then it could be shot in a nightclub, or an upbeat song being accompanied by an upbeat music video. For example, 'Get Me Bodied'-Beyoncé, the music is upbeat, so Anthony Mandler has directed a music video which goes hand in hand with the track.