music: Michel Gondry

I think the list of musicians Michel Gondry has made videos for is like a who's who of pop music over the last decade or so: Bjork, The White Stripes, Beck, Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue and so on. He seems to have grown up on music and then grown into film making like a kid who keeps wearing his favorite t-shirt well into adulthood.
http://www.michelgondry.com/

Q: When did you start playing drums and why did you pick the drums? I’m always interested in what makes someone pick which instrument they want to play- who sees an oboe and says “Yes! That’s me! Double reed!”
A: It was like driving a motorbike, in terms of the testosterone's enhancement, only way safer.


Q:What drummers do you like or have learned from? I never thought of drums as a solo instrument until I wrote that question. I could listen to Jim White play by himself for hours I think…
A: I learned listening to the  Charlie Watts, which is pretty much the easiest thing to do. Later I became a huge fan of the band Booker T and the MG's and their drummer Al Jackson.


Q: Do you ever find your experience in music helpful in film? Does it affect the way you edit at all? Like in Daft Punk’s "Around the World" video where each character is a different sound- it’s very rhythmic, very percussive in visuals. (almost like those German Expressionists and their biorhythmic stuff)
A: I started by editing myself my first videos. But my drumming background was an obstacle. I HAD to cut on the beat each shot. I had to work with proper editors and learn to forget the beat. The music background came to be helpful in my understanding of the artists I was working with.

Q: Are you in a band now? I doubt you have time but….
A: Yes: it's called "BEER" And i play frequently with other people. a bit of testosterone is still needed...


Q: When you make music videos do you hear a song and come up with images or do you have an idea and then use it for a fitting a song?
A: Both. Sometime i get an idea from a song and use it for another one.


Q: How collaborative are your videos? Do you and the musicians work closely/creatively together? Have you ever collaborated musically with any of your video musicians?
A: It has always been collaborative, from my own band oui-oui to bjork to this day. It depends of the artists. Beck, for instance, doesn't brings idea, but he trusts me. Not like other artists (like Madonna) who don't bring ideas and don't trust either... not my type.

Q: What are some of the videos on the new compilation? I couldn’t find a definite set list anywhere…just a list of bands. Any highlights you want to mention? 
A:I'll send that to you later. It's not on my website michelgondry.com?

Foo Fighters, Bjork

Q: Do you remember the first music video you ever made?
A:Yes. It was from a girl i was in love with and i was making her music as well. We never got signed. Now she has plastic boobs.

Q: This question is a little too specific/nerd-worthy- in the Bjork video for Joga is it all computer generated or are some of the shots actual morphed landscapes? That video made me want to go to Iceland and I think it’s funny that it was probably all fake representations of how beautiful it is- why did you choose that method?
A: No. It was all made from pictures i took myself from a helicopter or a small airplane. Bjork accompanied me because I was scared.

Chemical Brothers, White Stripes

Q: You’ve got a bunch of feature films in the works right now, do you think you’ll keep making music videos? Why or why not?
A: Yes. It's re-envigorating. (please correct spelling)