Auteur theory

Auteur Theory

Auteur theory is a personal creative vision ,style or feature that is on going throughout the directors work. This establishes the director and makes their film or video recognisable.
The BFI Teaching Auteur study guide defines auteur theory as "a filmaker who makes films with an individual style","a filmaker who makes films with similar themes" and "a filmaker who demonstrates technical excellence".The music video director I chose is Stephane Sednaoui who I believe best demonstrates all of the above quotations.

Stephane Sednaoui is a french amercian director, producer and photographer who first began directing music videos in 1989.Sednaoui has directed videos for artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers,Massive Attack,Madonna,Milk and Garbage. Sednaoui's music videos are avant-garde the Dictionary of Media and Communication Studies defines avant-garde as "assaulting tradition and boundaries of acceptability".Sednaoui does this through  distortion,mirror effect ,blurred images ,over exposure and colour correction which is the oversaturating of colours.

"Mysterious ways" by U2 is a perfect example of Sednaoui's avant-garde techniques, at the start of the video Sednaoui uses the camrea lens to blur and distort figures that appear to be walking next to a sunset.Sednaoui uses a split screen,split screen layering effect and mirror edit to create a picture of two snakes facing each other. This artisc and distorted image is similar to the  ink blot tests  used in the psychiatric world. Some of  Sednaoui's editting in "Mysterious ways" elongates and streches out parts of the human figure for example Sednaoui elongates Bono's arms and legs whilst he stands in front of a large orange wall. This editing technique creates a unrealistic drug like world. The oversaturation of colours in the video makes the video appear brighter and more unusal pushing the boundaires of what is normally seen in music videos.

Sednaoui uses unusal angles in  "Queer" by Garbage, Sednaoui quick zooms into the lead singers face . The singer is aware that the camra is there which is not typicial in music videos ,therefore Sednaoui is breaking the boundaries of music videos. Sednaoui also films extreme low angles which can also be seen in "Queer" ,where Sednaoui films the band as if he is looking up at them from the floor performing.

In terms of Mise en scene Sednaoui films in gritty settings such as downtown parts of Amercia in "Queer" and spacious dessert areas in "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins.  Sednaoui challenges the audience expectations of the over-glamourised music videos of today.We are used to seeing women in skimpy clothing ,big cars and expensive houses in todays music videos.The outifts worn in Sednaoui's videos are grungy,casual and edgy. Unlike most music videos of today Sednaoui does not objectify women  , as women in music videos wear tight skirts and revealing tops making them appear as sexual objects.

Overall Sednaoui's approach to music videos is avant garde pushing the boundaires of what is acceptable, his surreual style and approach is both enticing and eccentric.





Queer by Garbage directed by Sednaoui





Breaking The Girl by Red Hot Chili Peppers directed by Sednaoui





Myserious Ways by U2 directed by Sednaoui