THE MASSES

New Work: Harper Simon

The latest video from director Benjamin Kutsko is Harper Simon’s Berkeley Girl.  Filmed entirely in hills of  Echo Park, CA.,  Jena Malone stars as the title character.  The 8mm photography of Kutsko’s frequent collaborator cinematographer David Myrick brings the romantic spirit of the great films of the 1970’s to this classic sounding folk-rock song.

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New Work: Heavy Young Heathens

Fresh off winning MTV’s Freshman Five, and running wild on the MTVu and 2, Isaiah Seret’s psycho video for Heavy Young Heathens is a claustrophobically haunting one. Kudos to the band for allowing Seret to knock them unconscious, throw them in a box and toss them in the ocean.

Think we’re kidding? See for yourself.

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New Work: Fawnhawk

‘Hunter’s Hide‘ is the majestic new work from director Benjamin Kutsko.  Filmed entirely in wilds of Big Sur, CA, this is first official video for the band, Fawnhawk.  The origin of Kutsko’s vision stems from a walk through a mossy green forest.  He imagined Peticia, the lead singer of Fawnhawk, walking through the landscape in a red cloak.  Inspired by the song’s lyrics, Kutsko began to weave together a story about the hunter and the prey and innocence lost. 

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New Work: Devendra Banhart

When Devendra Banhart signed to a major record label, some wondered if we might start seeing watered downed versions of the ‘freak folk’ pioneer.  Well, Isaiah Seret’s video for Banhart’s latest single, ‘Foolin’, should sufficiently demolish that notion. For Foolin’, Seret and Banhart shatter several taboos in a heart warming story of lovers who feel most alive when giving and receiving pain. An ode to life and long term relationships,

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New Work: Broken Bells

Director Matt Amato’s instinct for rhythm and cadence has turned out a series of kinetic live performance pieces and elevated the tradition of behind-the-scenes footage into a refreshingly intimate study of modern artistry at work.  Recently, he stepped into The Boat Studios with Broken Bells and (without treading on what was sacred) captured his quiet observation of an electrifying process, giving birth to a hand crafted series of in-studio sessions that pulls the veil back on one of the more buzzed about pairings in modern music: Danger Mouse and James Mercer.

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Director Bios: Benjamin Kutsko

In Benjamin Kutsko’s work, blood from a slashed neck transforms into rose petals that trickle across the desert floor.  A massive yellow moon reminiscent of Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon floats above a boy’s head and threatens to eat him whole.  A kiss sends a woman into the galaxy, where she rises as a specter through space. It’s a world of unlimited possibilities – the only boundaries those of imagination.

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New Work: "Kisses Over Babylon" Premieres

Part II of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ video cycle was released today, and it’s a beautiful, star-studded affair that sees Sharpe wandering in the desert, getting picked up in a vintage car, and taken to jail. Directed by Isaiah Seret, it features some pretty big names, including the great Academy Award nominated David Straithairn (best known to most for his work in Good Night and Good Luck, though he’ll always be baseball player Eddie Cicotte, a member of the notorious 1919 Chicago White Sox team to us, a role he played in John Sayles’ Eight Men Out). In addition, you’ll note actor Dermot Mulroney, best known for his work in My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Sandy Martin, who plays a creepy Mormon in Big Love. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO

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Director Profile: Ben Barnes

This news has been a long time coming: the formal addition of our longtime friend and colleague Ben Barnes to the masthead of the Masses. Ben, a director of Pittsburgh descent, has long been part of our social and creative family, has offered insight on a range of Masses-related conversations over the years, has been at all of our best parties, has lugged gear on shoots out of the kindness of his heart. Basically, he’s been here for us.

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Blog: Isaiah Seret

The Masses is delighted to welcome Isaiah Seret into our family. His ideas are incisive and original, his execution is meticulous, and we like hanging out with a director whose path to our editing studio has been more colorful and, yes, cinematic than most.

Seret’s music videos range across a broad aesthetic and technical spectrum — from the avant-garde minimalism of Hecuba’s The Magic (tipped this month by Kanye West), through the lo-fi of Devendra Banhart’s At The Hop, to the epic passion of Kisses Over Babylon, the single for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

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New Work: Modest Mouse “King Rat” Directed by Heath Ledger

In January of 2007, while visiting his homeland of Australia, Heath Ledger presented Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse with an idea to direct a video for their yet-to-be-released song “King Rat”. Heath’s vision, brave and unapologetic in its nature, would marry his love of bold and original music with his impassioned stance against the illegal commercial whale hunts taking place off the coast of Australia each year.

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