director mark romanek talks about shooting 'faint'
by will brown



10.23.03

after releasing his debut feature length film, the critically acclaimed and box office success "one hour photo," mark romanek returned to the world of music video by lensing some of the finest videos of the year including "hurt" by johnny cash and "can't stop" by the red hot chili peppers. being recognized for his cinematically dense work that is filled with unsettling imagery and bold techniques, mark won the award for director of the year from the mvpa. for his startling vision of linkin park's new single, "faint," mark projects the band's live performance into a frenzied and orgiastic state with quick cuts and an inventive concept that plays off of the lyrics in the song's chorus. mvwire.com recently discussed the making of the video with commissioner devin sarno and director mark romanek.

mvwire: what was the process in hiring mark to shoot the "faint" music video?

devin sarno: mark was on the band's incredibly short list of potential directors. generally, joe hahn, from the band, directs the band's videos, but this one fell right smack in the middle of their tour, so it was hard for him to juggle both. jeff ayeroff (from warner bros.) and myself have worked with mark several times in the past & have had nothing but remarkable results, it was a no brainer.

mvwire: as a performance video, did you have any concerns about only seeing the silhouetted figures of linkin park?

ds: personally speaking, yes, but mark was very good in articulating his vision and, quite frankly, the power of his work speaks for itself. so the more i thought about it, the more i became intrigued with the approach. the final result is a visual "push/pull" that emotionally repels & draws you in at the same time that is nothing short of brilliant. it's a piece we are all very proud of.

mvwire: how was it working with linkin park on the "faint" music video?

mark romanek: i have to say candidly that i don't usually prefer to do band videos, as there are a lot more people to deal with, and a higher risk of personality clashes. in making a video for a solo artist i can focus all the visual energy in one place. so, it was with a little trepidation that i engaged a band of six (!) members. but, as it turned out, they were among the coolest and most professional people i've ever worked with. they worked hard cheerfully, really helped rouse the enthusiasm of the fans, and even helped art-direct their own sets. aside from the giant wall of six-hundred lights acting fussy, the whole shoot was a real pleasure.

mvwire: what was your influence for writing the "faint" treatment?

mr: years ago, i saw a tape of an old alexander mcqueen fashion show and the lighting was a bit similar. they didn't have such a massive wall of lights, but i recall that the lighting all came from the front and it silhouetted the models, audience, and the photographers in a very striking way. when i heard the lyrics to "faint" the whole idea of being "ignored" resonated nicely with the idea of shooting silhouettes, and filming from behind. it seemed a novel way to shoot a rock performance.

mvwire: besides the lighting, were there other elements that helped create the greyish and brown look of the crowd and the band in the video?

mr: well, it was all pretty carefully art directed and wardrobed to stay in a neutral palette. the warm look was mostly created in telecine.

mvwire: linkin park is known for music videos with heavy visual effects, but yet "faint" with its raw performance, is their most powerful music video to date. could you briefly give your thoughts on why the video works so well?

mr: well, not all linkin park fans would agree with that assessment. based on a casual scan of the message boards, the fans seems to like the video pretty well. but, i sense a lot of them really prefer the more elaborate visuals. that said, i was called in, i think, to do something different. so, perhaps because their other videos were so eclectic and complex, i deliberately set out to strip things down. and because they're a very exciting live band, a simple approach for such a short song worked really well as a little change-up in video style for them.

mvwire: for the up and coming directors that visit our site, what suggestions do you have for shooting a performance video?

mr: my advice for shooting a performance video: don't! as soon as you show a guy strumming a guitar or singing passionately into a microphone, the chances that your video will be cliche' rises hugely. that said, if you find yourself having to shoot a performance, try to come up with some fresh approach, so it doesn't look like every other band performing film we've all seen since before elvis. also, make sure that you encourage the band to perform like their lives depend on it on every single take. energy is all-important. and i've found that a band can't really give enough or try enough odd ideas. they may feel foolish performing at an "11" for the entire song on every take, but when you get into the cutting room, that energy is the thing that creates sparks of real cinematic excitement.

click here to view the article at mvwire.com

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