ScreenTalk

His favourite music videos include Joy Division’s Atmosphere and Tall Dwarfs’ Turning Brown and Torn in Two. And Brent Hansen has seen a lot of music videos. From producing famously eclectic Kiwi music show Radio with Pictures to rising up through the ranks to become head of MTV Europe, Brent Hansen has been a major player in putting music on screen.

In this ScreenTalk interview, the life-long music fan and ideas man talks about:

• first being invited to work as a floor assistant for television, while studying to be a teacher in Christchurch
• what made long-running Sunday night music show Radio with Pictures so special
• how RWP host Karyn Hay was “singularly independent and the first real New Zealand television presenter”
• how an O.E. with his wife Philippa Dann timed in with the European launch of music channel MTV, and revolutionary change in the way music was showcased on screen
• making sure the MTV playlists mixed mainstream acts like Madonna and more alternative artists like The Cramps
• early days at MTV Europe, and rising through the ranks to become Creative President and Editor-in-Chief of MTV International
• his achievements at MTV, including launching the MTV Europe Music awards, and enabling the channel to operate on a more regional basis
• where he sees music television going in an age where music has been tribalised and devalued

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

Director, photographer and Axemen drummer Stuart Page is a prolific filmmaker, and has made over 40 music videos. Page has directed promos for Superette, The Clean, and The Skeptics’ infamous AFFCO. In 2009 he won Best Feature Documentary and Best Emerging filmmaker at the DocNZ International Film Festival for his film Shustak, a portrait of American photographer Laurence Shustak. Page also compiled alternative music compilation Noisyland.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Page talks about making two of his finest music videos – the controversial AFFCO by The Skeptics and Killer Clown by Superette.

Regarding Killer Clown, Page discusses:

• The themes behind the clip
• The set, and ensuing shambles
• The standout performances

And on AFFCO, Stuart talks about:

• The initial impetus for making the video
• Where and how the opening scenes were shot
• The visit to the abattoir and the incredible story of how these scenes were realised
• The reaction to the clip

This video is available on YouTube for distribution via a Creative Commons licence.

Credits: Camera and editing – Leo Guerchmann. Interview – James Coleman.