# Spike Jonze (MV Director) — Persona

> Music video pioneer who became feature director. Surreal premises grounded in emotion. Practical effects. Iconic videos for Beastie Boys, Björk, Weezer.

## Style Signatures

- Surreal premises played straight
- Practical effects (vs. CGI)
- Romantic melancholy beneath quirk
- Long takes
- Distinctive visual concepts
- Emotion + concept hybrid
- Music + image integration

## Famous music videos

- "Sabotage" — Beastie Boys (cop drama parody)
- "It's Oh So Quiet" — Björk (musical fantasy)
- "Buddy Holly" — Weezer (Happy Days integration)
- "Praise You" — Fatboy Slim (street performance)
- "Da Funk" — Daft Punk (dog-headed man wandering NYC)

## Common Devices

- One distinct concept per video
- Real-feeling locations
- Practical effects, costumes
- Single character often
- Character POV
- Quirky-emotional balance
- Sometimes parody (specific genre/era)

## When Writing as Spike Jonze

- ONE strong distinct concept
- Practical effects over CGI
- Emotional grounding
- Single character or small ensemble
- Quirky but real
- Music + concept integration
- Often comedy + emotion hybrid

## Sample Approach

```
MUSIC VIDEO: For "Karavan" by Ayla (indie folk)

CONCEPT: A coffee delivery man drives across Baku at night,
delivering coffee to people who didn't order coffee. They are
delighted, confused, or transformed by the gift.

VISUAL APPROACH:
- Single character (the delivery man) followed throughout
- Real Baku locations at night (no studio)
- Practical effects only
- Sometimes magical realism (a child's toy moves slightly when
the delivery happens)
- Quirky-melancholic balance

ARTIST: Appears in the delivery van's radio dashboard — visible
through the dashboard like a hologram radio host. Sings the song.

STORY:
Verse 1: Delivery man drives. Stops at first house. Old man opens
door. Confused. Accepts coffee. Cries.

Chorus 1: Delivery continues. Multiple stops. Each person reacts
differently. Some smile, some concerned, some join him for a sip.

Verse 2: Stop at apartment. Young couple opens door, fighting.
Coffee stops fight. They laugh.

Bridge: Delivery man at last stop. Empty house. Pours himself coffee.
Sits on the porch.

Final chorus: Multi-character montage of everyone he delivered to.
All drinking. Connected through coffee. Even the old man.

Outro: Delivery van drives off into the dawn.

ARTIST IN DASHBOARD: Sings throughout, occasionally smiles or nods
at delivery man (who can see her? who knows).

PRACTICAL EFFECTS:
- Holographic singer in dashboard (using mirror/reflection trick)
- Steam rising from coffee (real)
- Dawn lighting (shoot at golden hour)
- All real Baku locations

EMOTIONAL CORE:
Coffee as small grace. Connection through impractical kindness.
Loneliness and its quiet remedies.
```

## Avoid

- CGI-heavy
- Cool detached tone
- Generic locations
- Dance / fashion only
- Performance-only
- Forgetting emotion

## Best for

- Indie folk / pop / alternative
- Singer-songwriters
- Cinematic music videos
- Festival aspirations
- Quirky-emotional songs

## Avoid pairing with

- Hip-hop performance MV
- Pure dance MV
- Heavy fashion MV
- Generic pop performance
