David Fincher is known for directing acclaimed films such as Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He got his start directing music videos in the 1980s for artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Rick Springfield. Fincher's music videos were notable for having cinematic qualities with intricate storylines. He also frequently used techniques like overlays and urban settings. Fincher helped define the modern music video format through his innovative work.
2. David Fincher:
David Fincher started his career directing music videos, including for the
artists: Madonna, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Rick Springfield, etc.
His first directed music video was Rick Springfield’s ‘Dance This World
Away’, but he has come a long way since then, because now he is known
for directing films. For example, 2014 mystery/drama film ‘Gone Girl’,
which won 2015 People’s Choice Award for Favourite Thriller Movie, and
2015 BFCA Critics’ Choice Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also
known for the 2011 film ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’.
3. Rick Springfield - ‘Bop ‘Til You Drop’:
Rick Springfield let Fincher direct his first ever music video ‘Bop ‘Til You
Drop’ (1984), with the genre of the song being rock and pop. Here the
inspirations was from the first ‘Alien’ film, which is ironic as Fincher later
in 1992 directed the actual ‘Alien 3’ film.
The music video coordinates with the lyrics “keep on working day and
night”, thus the idea of aliens enslaving people through hard and
constant working conditions works with this concept. The music video
itself takes this idea to the extreme and another director may have done
the music video in the more conventional way. For example, a person
working in an office until late, by adding this form of extremity makes
the video itself more intriguing and exciting to watch.
However, it was one of the ‘Music Saves the People’ music videos that
wasn’t uncommon around this time. Therefore, when the music
encourages the enslaved people to break free and fight against the
aliens, it further relates to this concept.
4. Rick Springfield - ‘Dance The World Away’:
Rick Springfield was at his height of popularity in 1984, where he trusted Fincher to direct his
music video for ‘Dance The World Away’ (1985) to which the genre was pop-rock and had
some quite challenging ideas for the music video for the 22 year old young director at that
time. The ideas for the music video consisted was mixing ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’ with the
threat of nuclear obliteration.
This was definitely a challenging and confusing concept, however when watching the music
video it did make sense, as the idea and interpretation of linking the lyrics to the people by
not paying attention to war, therefore ‘Dance The World Away’. This idea was helped and
backed up by the dancing scene with the choreography, as this enhanced the dancing further
– even though the style of dancing is more ballroom and classical, it does not coincide with
the genre of music, which highlights the factor more that people are not paying attention to
the war.
Also, I think that Flincher did this in order to show the audience the great divide people give
themselves away from the topic of war. Which is the reason why all three main scenes in this
music video: one being a nuclear apocalypse, the other being a parody of a TV show, and the
third one being a ballroom dance emphasises the distance, but somehow Flincher finds a way
to still interlink the three very different scenes together – one by the lyrics and concept of
‘dance’, and the other by using words on the TV show to link both the show and the nuclear
apocalypse together, for example the sketch with ‘nuclear waste’.
Also, this music video had three different scenarios consisting of totally different outlooks: the
nuclear scene is more red, representing danger, whereas the dancing scene is more black and
white, resembling the time and era of the dancing, and the other scene is very bright and
colourful as it is representing a children’s TV show. These colours overall help to represent
each different locations and concepts more accurately.
5. Comparison:
When comparing both of Rick Springfield's music videos, it is clear that the
genres are the same. Also, both videos do take the ideas to the extreme in
order to make an impact on the viewer.
Whereas, within the music video for ‘Bop ‘Til You Drop’ is darker and does
not contain these vivid colours. I think the reason for this is because of the
overall concept of aliens being in space and therefore more the area is
darker. Also, slavery has negative connotations, so this could further relate
to this factor.
6. Madonna – ‘Vogue’:
This music video was created in 1990, and is arguably Fincher’s most famous music
video created.
Fincher used the colour contrast of black and white in order to give the classic and
glamourous feel to the music video, which feels like the peak of all of Fincher’s previous
black-and-white efforts.
The music video relates to Andrew Goodwin’s ‘Features of music video’s, as it includes
excellent choreography that adds to the visuals and the all round effect of the song. The
choreography produced an entire dance genre.
Fincher uses sharp and directional lighting in order to focus the viewers eyes to
Madonna and the choreographers.
Focal point is on the artist, through use of directed lighting, including mid-shots and
close-ups.
This music video is also listed as the best music video that David Fincher has ever
directed, and it doesn’t get more iconic, more influential or more Fincher than ‘Vogue’.
7. Madonna – ‘Express Yourself’
Another music video that Fincher has directed is another Madonna song
‘Express Yourself’ in 1989.
In this music video Fincher had a bigger budget to work with, which is clearly
shown. However, this isn’t a surprise as the studio will be willing to pay more
for Madonna music video, opposed to a lesser known artist. This also
showed huge faith in Fincher, because it was budgeted at $5 million, which at
the time made it the most expensive music video ever made, and now is
currently the third most expensive behind Madonna’s ‘Die Another Day’ and
Michael and Janet Jackson’s ‘Scream’.
The video is another example of great choreography that helps to further
entice the audience, and makes it more enjoyable to watch. The music has
boldness, flair with visual confidence.
Links to Andrew Goodwin’s ‘features of music videos’, and his analysis of the
‘frequent reference to the notion of looking’, referencing to the voyeuristic
treatment of women. However, in this case within Madonna’s video, it
includes men.
Focal point is on the artist.
8. Madonna – ‘Bad Girl’:
The music video presented rich photography and fluid storytelling,
which makes the video feeling cinematic.
Within the music video consist of overlays of Madonna overlaid on
urban areas – especially at the end of the music video.
Fincher also cleverly used post-production to create visual effects.
For example, when the man in the pub is wiping the table, what is
portrayed on the table is a vision of the city. This is another urban
area that Fincher has been able to include within the music video
through a different angle. Also, this shows how Fincher can use
special effects in post-production in order to create different effects.
Focal point is on the artist.
9. Comparison:
What is noticeable is Fincher’s use of overlays within both Madonna's -
‘Bad Girl’ and Madonna’s – ‘Express Yourself’. This is particularly noticeable
at the end of both of these video with Madonna being overlaid on an
urban background.
Also, it is noticeable that Fincher mainly uses similar location ideas, with all
three Madonna's videos being in urban areas. This could also be
Madonna’s demands of what her music video should contain.
All of her music videos consist of a sexualised feel, this relates to the songs
lyrics and intensions of Madonna’s character.
10. Michael Jackson – ‘Who Is It’
‘Who Is It’ is by Michael Jackson in 1992.
This song isn’t one of Jackson’s most famous songs, but the music
video is very cinematic, due to Fincher’s choice in shooting it in
widescreen, which is particularly unusual when considering the
fact that the video was released in 1992, and not many people
had wide-screen TV’s.
The overall video is a very plot-heavy storyline , and in some cases
feels like it could be expanded into a short film. Fincher tells this
story in an intriguing and mysterious tone.
This video is filmed in an urban area, which is similar to other
music videos that Fincher has directed, like Madonna’s music
videos.
Also, within the music video Jackson has a separate scene to the
actual story that is being told, showing the focus on the artist.
However, Jackson is incorporated within his own scenario, unlike
Madonna’s music videos that Fincher directed, where she is
incorporated into each part of the narrative.
11. Conclusion:
From my analysis on a selection of Fincher’s music videos, it is apparent that Fincher
enjoys to include a storyline within his music videos, so that it portrays similarities to a
short film. This is apparent in Michael Jackson’s ‘Who Is It’, Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’
and ‘Bad Girl’, and Rick Springfield’s ‘Bop ‘Til You Drop’.
Also, it is clear that the Fincher also likes to shoot and visualise his ideas in an urban
setting.
Overlays are another feature that has consistently come up in his music videos. I believe
that he does this so that the scenes feel more continuous to the viewer as it allows the
clips to flow on top of each other. For instance, this can be seen at the beginning of
Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ music video. However, it has also become clear of Fincher’s inclusion
of Madonna in an overlay, at the end of her music videos ‘Express Yourself’ and ‘Bad
Girl’. However, this may have been for artists demand, but the use of overlays are very
prominent features within his music videos.
With Jackson and Madonna and Rick Springfield all being involved and visually seen
within their music videos, this could be linked with Andrew Goodwin’s theory on the
‘features of music videos’ and the ‘demands of the record label’, meaning that the
artists need to be included.
