Anton Corbijn
Of all of all the directors who have been given Director’s Label DVDs, the only one who can truly be considered old school is Anton Corbijn. This DVD contains this photographer turned director videos such as Joy Division’s Atmosphere, Nirvana’s Heart-Shaped Box, Depeche Mode’s Barrel of a Gun and many more.
Buy the Work of Director Anton Corbijn
Daniel Robert Epstein: How involved were you with putting together this DVD?
Anton Corbijn: I made the selection of my videos that I thought were relevant. I used only a third of my videos. I’m the old guy doing because I started doing videos in 1983.
DRE:
I spoke to Julian Temple and he stopped doing music videos a long time ago. It was interesting because in the 80’s it was more about the band. Don’t you think?
AC:
Well, maybe. [laughs] I’m not a big Julian Temple fan.
DRE:
Why is that?
AC:
For me, it has nothing to do with the music. It’s still one-dimensional. I think the best video leaves all that open. But he did some good things for punk.
DRE:
How did you choose the videos that you directed?
AC:
I basically waited for people to send me stuff because I never aimed to become a video director. So people send me stuff and I listen to it. If it’s fun, I listen to more of the band. Sometimes I can’t come up with a good idea, so that’s the end of that one. Sometimes there’s one I am sure will work for me but then I don’t have ideas. That’s also strange.
DRE:
Is it possible to be experimental once you get to the set of a music video?
AC:
I think you need some idea. You need to build four minutes or whatever it is. With a still photograph, sure, that’s exactly how I work.
DRE:
On your website, I saw some of your photos but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of crossover in terms of how your videos and pictures look.
AC:
I think photographs are more emotional sometimes. It’s very personal when you meet someone and take their portrait. With videos there’s more of me creeping in. Although I think my latest photography is more conceptual because of my work in videos. With videos, it’s based on the song and the song tells you something about the band. I always have a little story.
DRE:
The band you worked the most with was Depeche Mode, what did they bring out of you and vice versa?
AC:
Because I’ve done them so often, I don’t know. I never liked them as a little kid. I always said no to them. But then I connected with Depeche Mode especially with Dave [Gahan]. I connect with people who put everything into what they’re making. Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley. That’s the only way I can connect. I can’t connect with superficial people. In 1986 Depeche Mode offered me a video and the only reason I said yes was because it would have to be done in America and I’d never done a video in America. I thought of something but it was so low budget, there was no money for a cameraman. That turned out to be a positive thing, because it became me using the camera myself.
I used the movie camera more like a still camera which was a very good thing. But Dave [Gahan] was great at it. When I make my scripts, I know what he can do.
I used the movie camera more like a still camera which was a very good thing. But Dave [Gahan] was great at it. When I make my scripts, I know what he can do.
DRE:
In the Nirvana video there was a Ku Klux Klan member and there was one in the Joy Division video as well.
AC:
Yeah, but I think it’s an American association. In the video for Joy Division it’s monks. But yes there is a Ku Klux Klan member in the Nirvana video.
DRE:
As a fan you must have been excited to direct Joy Division.
AC:
Absolutely, it was where I wanted to go to when I heard that music. That whole post-punk thing. It was a very exciting time the late 70s. The Clash did London Calling, Joy Division so it was all great bands.
DRE:
You started off photographing mostly musicians.
AC:
Only musicians. All the 70’s and 80’s it was only musicians. It was after that that I started to photograph many more artists in different disciplines like painters, directors and actors.
I didn’t study photography. I was a music fan and I just used the camera to get close to the music. It had nothing to do with photography. It became about photography after a while. For me the musicians were a natural subject matter.
I didn’t study photography. I was a music fan and I just used the camera to get close to the music. It had nothing to do with photography. It became about photography after a while. For me the musicians were a natural subject matter.
DRE:
Were you ever in a band?
AC:
No, my only claim to fame was that I did some drumming with Depeche Mode on TV. That was good.
DRE:
How do you pick the videos you do now?
AC:
I still say no to everything. I sort have stopped doing music videos, but people keep sending me things. I say no to everything but friends. If I know people really well, then.
DRE:
But you did The Killers video.
AC:
The Killers was the only recent video I’ve done.
DRE:
What do you think of these other guys who’s DVD sets just came out?
AC:
Oh, they’re terrible [laughs]. Terribly good. They’re more about perfection than I am. I’m not about perfection.
DRE:
Have you ever tried?
AC:
No, I strive for it but somewhere along the line I do something that keeps it from being perfect. I think my videos say more about me sometimes, more about my world.
DRE:
I read that you had a bit of a lonely childhood.
AC:
I was born in a little village but it’s part of my character to be lonely. But I never had a lonely childhood in a certain sense. I had a brother who was a year younger. It was both of us on a farm.
DRE:
What kind of music do you listen to?
AC:
At the moment I am great supporter of a band from Montreal called Arcade Fire.
DRE:
Do you have any interest in doing movies?
AC:
Well, I’m supposed to do one this year called Control about Ian Curtis.
DRE:
Is that a go?
AC:
It’s been on the shelf. If anybody wants to send me the spare cash…
DRE:
Is there a script?
AC:
Yeah.
DRE:
Does it start when he was young?
AC:
No, just the last few years of his life.
DRE:
What made you say, it’s time to do this?
AC:
Joy Division is a personal thing. I think I can bring something to the project that’s different. I think it wont look like Hollywood. It wont be as abstract as the Atmosphere video.
DRE:
What else is on the DVD set?
AC:
The making of the U2 videos. Some projects I did for Depeche Mode and Captain Beefheart. There’s a documentary on me, which is quite long at 40 minutes. My first ever video from 19883.
DRE:
Are there videos you just don’t like?
AC:
I put some videos on there for historical records. I put my very first video on there because no one has ever seen it. It was a German band. I’m not saying it’s the best video but it’s the first video and that’s the reason it’s on there.
DRE:
What’s a regular day for you out there in London?
AC:
I’m not always in London. I don’t have a studio. I go to where the people are. It’s important to meet people in their environments. So I go to where the people are rather than have the people come to me. So I’m always on the road. I don’t drink, even coffee.
DRE:
Did I see you dressed up as Freddy Mercury on your website?
AC:
That project had to do with where I’m from and my upbringing and stuff and I associate with musicians. So that’s part of it. I did this project where I’m dressed up as deceased musicians like Hendrix and Freddie Mercury.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
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