AUTEUR THEORY-ANTHONY MANDLER

The Auteur Theory claims that a directors films reflects the directors personal vision, as if he or she was the author (Auteur in French)

I have chosen to focus on the work of Anthony Mandler. This was my own choice, different from other members of the group. I think Anthony Mandler is the perfect choice because he has had such a successful career in not only producing rap videos, but pop videos and even films.

Mandler's first music video project was for Eightball & MJG in 2000. Since then Mandler has become a household name with hip hop artists. Since 2000 he has worked with some of raps finest artists-

-Snoop Dogg
-50 Cent
-Eminem
-Rihanna
-Beyonce
-T.I.
-Jay Z
-Mary J. Blige
-Usher
and Drake, just to name a few.

He has also worked with bands of different genres, such as Duran Duran, Muse and The Killers.

This year alone, Mandler has produced some of the most popular and well known videos of the decade, including "OMG" by Usher, "Over" by Drake, and Only Girl (In The World) by Rihanna.

Beginning his career as a photographer, Mandler's music videos are known for being individual, with him priding himself in not falling into stereotype. For the last ten years he has truly pushed the music video boundaries. He is very fond of using projections in shots with the artist, as featured in "Over" by Drake and "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)" by Muse. This effect creates a sense of surrealism, with the audience feeling like they are involved in the video, analysing every little detail. (Examples pictured below)








Being a gatekeeper of representation (White 1961), Mandler puts great effort into his work, but also a wide variety of ideas. As in the pictures above, both include a projected image, but both are shot in different ways, Drake's being a straight mid shot and Muse's being a long, canted shot.

All of Mandlers videos have a high level of professionalism, with no small detail overlooked. This may be due to his childhood. Being raised in Hollywood with family and friends being involved in the video industry. Personally, I think that growing up in such an environment must have been a genuine learning experience for Mandler, where he learnt all the tricks of the trade. This is represented by his incredibly high standards of video producing. Another aspect of Mandlers work that I think proves the Auteur Theory, in his case, is that his previous love of photography has embedded itself in his work, with his lighting and mise-en-scene being so heavily detailed, like he was setting up for the perfect photo. In this case, I think that Auteurs Theory is very relevant for Mandler, as his experiences and his lust for the unknown are heavily represented through his work.

As a little memento to Mandlers progression, here's his first ever production, followed by his most recent...

"Pimp Hard" by Eightball & MJG



and "Only Girl (In The World)" by Rihanna