Remember the very excellent Directors Label series founded by Michel Gondry, Chris Cunnigham and Spike Jonze that highlighted the music videos of some amazing filmmakers? The series, which last round featured the work of Mark Romanek, Jonathan Glazer, Anton Corbijn and Stephane Sednaoui, was to feature Mike Mills (“Thumbsucker,” videos by Air, Moby and Jon Spencer) and Hammer & Tongs (“Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy,” vids by Blur, Supergrass, Badly Drawn Boy) next. The series also hoped to present the work of Roman Coppola, Shynola and Jean-Baptiste Mondino, plus a separate hip-hop series with Paul Hunter, Little X, and Chris Robinson.
In fact, the series really helped inspire my If I Were (Insert Director’s Name) Soundtracks series.
It’s been almost two years since volumes 4-7 and people, myself included, have wondered, “what’s coming next?” Speculation had it that the series was done, so we talked to series creator Richard Brown, who didn’t sound very optimistic, and at best the series sounds like its on indefinite hiatus. Brown didn’t say much and only kind of confirmed rumors that Roman Coppola was doing a DVD of his own work (he essentially had heard the same). “I don’t think Palm are doing any more titles,” he said in an email. “I would like to continue the series at some point but for now I’m tied up with film projects.”
Doesn’t sound bright. It’s too bad, we just wanted to make campaigns for Sophie Mueller, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (“Little Miss Sunshine” directors) and Floria Sigismondi (who is directing the upcoming Runaways biopic).