b'Out of the BoxI remember that MTV at the beginningcrew and the whole band were saying,photographed what was possible. TherethatI waited for this production some was a completely different face. Therereally, One more time on the catapult! was no time to set up these constructionsold theater I remember in Manhattan. It was a group of women who was mostlyCan we talk about Accepts Midnightwith very wet, everything from the locationwas an old theater, but it didnt release, running programming on MTV, and theyMover video? Do you recall how thatwhich I scouted first. This song becameand we set up the whole conception, all wanted to show some interesting videosconcept of the spinning center camevery popular, a big hit, and even somethe stage and blue screen and everything with interesting music. That was the mostabout? critics said this was some trendnature orwith some running belts, a transportation important at this time, this plan of MTV,Well, it was just one of my experiments.something. (laughs) belts, but unfortunately this belt didnt something really fresh, something new,I set up sixteen cameras work. You know, but they were really there something more than record companiesSixteen cameras? The second video changed my life. Itonly one day before shooting, plus such wanted to, because they were giving toSixteen cameras. I built a big ring fromwas very difficult to do the technique wea hot summer during these days, one of MTV for free these videos and you knowpipes, huge ring and I dont remembertried. Actually, the studio in New York saidthe highest temperatures plus humidity, probably the story that after two years orRybczyski and lead singer Jim Kerr shooting Simple Minds\' "All the Things She Said" videoexactly the radius of one circle, but everythis is impossible, because at this time ofterrible humidity. So, the belt doesnt work, something, two or three years the recordcamera was looking down the center of thisdigital technology, it was analog video andthey didnt realize that the main operator companies said okay, we will give youring. You could move this huge ring with filmthere was very big problem with delays.of HD from technical side was not very some videos which we want and you havecameras in different positions and all the I found the studio at Teletronics, withexperienced. It was unbelievable heat. We to play this artist and this and this, per daycameras were working in sync. Later, I re- very nice engineers, and they liked thehad to set up some special air conditioning this is the amount of screening acceptableedit it from every camera. I made it on filmchallenge and they supported me. I couldsystem for the camera for this equipment,they started to dictate their policies. In the you be so nice and give me some rights tointroduced to the music. I wanted to makebecause at this time, shooting on sixteenrecord and take all the time, take it anyfor everything. We planned shooting from beginning it was very ambitious, and it was Johns songs? And she said, Zbig, takesimilar things in an image. I was usingvideo cameras would be much, much moreplace and as many times I wanted, and all10 in the morning and lets say to 12 at the beginning of a really good idea. Imagine. Im so happy she gave me rightseverything thats available that there is acomplicated. Later, after that, people would musicians could see the whole process.night. Then all this equipment didnt work, Did you and other directors at thatto use Imagine and I made this film, youbig risk that it will not work but me it wasuse multi-cameras to achieve this effect of However, with each take, there is a newso Mick was quietly waiting. And maybe time have more of a free hand? know, experimental films, also using bluebig fun. And its very interesting to reallythe freeze frame you can move insideperson and a new modification, you know,we shot one take at the end of the day, Oh yes. To be honest, I have to tell youscreen in this, and I created the first HDVfeel you are not repeating anythingyoua freeze frame actually on the sameafter recording we watched together. If theybut he was playing like he was running. firstly that the only videos which I madeproduction ever. And this time, somehow, Ireally were the first. You tried to somehowprinciple, but I made it much earlier. dont like it, we record it again and againUnfortunately, the technology didnt work. were my stories, my experiments, becauseget interest of Cameo for their Candycross the new territories, and I thought thatYes, yes. When I showed this toand again as they liked all these manyThere is big risk in all things.I tried to talk with the musicians, listen,video, and this is one of the first videosthe musicians would be very happy withsomeone, they said oh, that look likeepisodes. There is modification on theOh boy. and show them that we had completelydone on high definition. Now, for filmthat, and then everybody will participate inThe Matrix, I had to remind them thatseparate layers, but he is also completelyIt was terrible but, you know, Mick new tools to try and experiment with,makers, record companies, and musicians,such productions. But remember, at thisThe Matrix was produced 20 years afterlive, so having recorded this, you alreadyJagger was amazing, because he was so I didnt make many videos actually,nobody wanted to have anything to do withtime very often I got the phone call onthis video! saw all this line of the performers, andvery patient. He was a nice guy, waiting. because I was rejected a lot. The secondthis. My problem was to convince peopleMonday that we needed a video that had toMTV they said, Its a little too much.then a new appearance. For me, this isAnd having talked to others, it was not thing is that I wanted to make using videowork with high definition and nobodybe ready on Friday or Saturday,Please, you must make close up inside somehow connected to your previoushow we would imagine Mick Jagger. He technology because I thought this is theagreed, only black musicians agreed!productions that are one-week maximumsome normal edit they call this, becausequestion, you know, this is layering canwas quiet, very nice, and very funny. We tool of the time, but then most of themArtists like Nona Hendryx and Cameo andfrom the first illustration to the end. Ieverything happened too quick. It was abe found. In multi layers and it was justfinally finished at 7 oclock in the morning, said no. When I asked why, theyd say thatGrandmaster Flash, and to his credit, Herbinvented at this time a kind of instantlittle too aggressive for this time. Today, Iinteresting effect, you know, you see theand the theater was already rented for film looked better. I always said Listen,Alpert saw the possibilities as well. video production. I made those in thethink it is something special but remember,different forms of the same performer, thesome others, so I barely had time with my the most important image, that which willstudio with the musicians, so they sawin the 80s, the principle in advertisingdifferent actions. The most important ofdemolition crew. They gave me a half hour, represent the 20th century forever, is blackIn some of your videos, specificallyeverything. They saw every take, everywas one cut per second. Today, in onemy videos for my future because basedso there we are, with some hammers and and white video from the landing on theAll the Things She Said for Simplemethod or retake, and they were reallysecond we can have five to six takes. Ion this I was able to develop the complexa chainsaw, tearing it down ourselves. I moon, not a film. (laughs) But somehowMinds and Opportunities by Pet Shopparticipants of the production. When Ididnt have it changing or anything but thistechniques of making special effects. imagine that Mick knew that I still lost a lot it was not a big laugh for them, and veryBoys, you have several differentworked using this kind of technology, theyexperimental approach, my approach, youIts really incredible to watch nowof money because this budget just couldnt few people accepted my belief in video. Iversions of the same artist or the sameloved it.can find something great, something that isand to know that achieving that was notcover all these added expenses because was interested in trying to find some beautyperson in the same frame, sometimesDo you recall when you worked withcompletely new. a simple task. of what happened there. But anyway, in the new tools, in this electronic agedealing with themselves. Why is thatGrandmaster Flash and the Furious FiveIts remarkable, it really is. WhatBelieve me, they didnt want to go homeMick Jagger was there till the end, and it which I knew was taking place, this mediainteresting to you? on the Sign of the Times clip? Itswas the process for the two clips youbecause they felt like a part of the wholewas maybe the nicest thing in my life that revolutionbut not many people acceptedYou know, I think that the modern imageamazing to watch now with themdirected for Simple Minds? One of themproduction and everybody was watching ifhappened. He takes out a checkbook and it. Nobody wanted tono, no, not video something thats really happened in thebouncing up in the air. That seemed likeis very simple, Alive and Kicking andit works. In traditional film making business,writes me a check for $40,000 like a and I said, but its super video, the futurewhole long history of visualization isthe logistics of that might have beenone is dominated by effects, All theeverybody is waiting for something, nobodygift. Zbig, I know you lost your money, or the world! I couldnt convince anyonea multi-layer image. It means that somedifficult to accomplish. Things She Said. What made you goknows whats going on, nobody knows theand he kissed me on head, although I was to try, it so I made the first production. Thepeople are just similar in sync, like a multi- No, it was one of these kind of bigwith a very simple, no-effects conceptresult. Results you only see after a long,sweating like a pig. Imagine video, you know this piece? track record thing. You can record all that inexperiments. I got this music, and Ifor Alive and Kicking? long time of post-production, when thereDo you look back on the days of Yes, your revisiting of the Johnanother track, new instrument and newcalculated exactly on videotape with timeThis was the one compromise whichis no actor around, and then you discoverdirecting music videos in the 1980s as a Lennon song. voice and whatever, and this techniquecode. I wrote a list for that video editor. HeI made, but this is actually interestingwhether it is good or bad or whatever. Whyfond memory?It was not for a record company.revolutionized the music industry and thenput all the numbers in the computer, and ithow it came about. When Simple Mindsnot use technology that gives you results,Oh yes, of course, but I dont think what Imagine is my film that was a test forthe audio technology. I always imaginedwas 1984, and every take had in-out points,approached me, I said okay, I can makeand you can see that during the shooting?ended up happening to videos was what high definition, you know, because I wasthat it was only logical that the same storyand take after take, the editor was theresomething more traditional, but only if youIt is the greatest. I expected. In the 80s, most of the time, working with Yoko Ono, and we had a veryhas to happen with the image in the 80s,pushing buttons. It was challengingwill agree to make a second video. I saidHow did things go with Mick Jaggerthe musicians didnt share my enthusiasm good relationship. I bought equipment fromwith technology to produce images. Withbecause I did a special construction.if we make the first one on film, then wellon your video for Lets Work? for the new form of audio-visual, and the Japan. This is experimental equipmenttraditional filmmaking, you can just filmsomething like a catapult. The performermake what you want, because the mostThe Mick Jagger video was a disaster,budget sometimes were very low. Many, first in US, and I said I would like to makewhatever is on the front of the camera.then was standing on this stage, and I wasimportant experiment in my life was tobut very nice for the experience. The guysmany musicians just told me, You know, some tests in this equipment. I did notWith electronics, with all this technologyreleasing this, this catapult and the stagemake the second video. So for the first one,with which I worked on several videos wereZbig, all I want is that I will look younger. I see an idea, remember I was presentavailable, we can make special effects. Itwas jumping! Automatically, it was veryI agree with Simple Minds, okay. They wantthere, but there was some conflict betweensaw more and more very bad videos. when this equipment came to the studio.means we can photograph something thatfunny. something in nature. We landed there inus. I thought I was working with key peopleMaybe I was living too much in the 60s Manhattan, 26 thStreet studio. We put thisisnt in the front of the camera.Its wild to watch now. Its veryWoodstock, New York. I had all my gear,who were very, very knowledgeable aboutstill, because I imagined that the music was camera down and I saw how amazing andIts like sand in many layers, and in musicarresting because nobody else hadmy special construction for the camera, andHD but it was not case. Jagger was limitedconnected to everything, and we would fantastic and to what kind of things I canitself. I remember the Rolling Stonesdone it. what happened? A terrible storm! So onein how many days he could leave of hisexperience a sort of evolution. I think what make? I needed some good piece of music.already had recorded many elementsI think it was one of the earliest rapday, two days, ten days, we sat with thiscontinent of this country because of his taxI contributed was the experimentation I called Yoko Ono. I told her this is someof their records using synthesizers andmusic videos. I remember they loved this.between the breaks. Whatever they couldproblems. So he would be U.S. briefly, andof what I did, but also, I wanted to help kind of new high-definition technology fromdifferent forms of loops and everything withWhen it was the last take, everyone wasshoot on this time, we did. I made a list. Iwe made a strict contract that the shootingmusicians and the whole crew to see the Japan, I want to make some tests. Wouldthe computers, synthesizers were saying, how did we do? Later, the wholeoperated the camera by myself. We justwould be one particular day. Okay and didprocess and collaborate together.60MVTMISSUE #1 ISSUE #1MVTM61'