|
(June 25, 2002) MTV
VMA 2002
It's around the time of the year when the nominations for the
annual MTV Video Music Awards are announced. The
nominations are usually announced every summer in mid-July. MTV
has recently opened its MTV
VMA 2002 section with listings of all eligible videos
according to genre (ie: Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B, etc.). Of the
eligible videos this year, about 10 were directed by Hype
Williams. My predictions are nominations for his videos Differences
(Ginuwine), On The Radio (Nelly Furtado), Fatty Girl (LL
Cool J), and possible multiple nominations for Aaliyah's Rock The
Boat. The awards are traditionally held on the 2nd Thursday
of September, but this year it will air on August 29 (so it would not
interfere with any 9/11 memorials in early September).
click
here to view list of eligible nominations for the 2002 MTV VMA's
(June 14, 2002) ***
HYPE WILLIAMS SIGNS WITH RSA ***
According to GetCreativity.com's
mailing list, Hype Williams has left his own production company, Instinct,
this week and signed with RSA.
His presence on the company's roster will be branded "Hype @
RSA". The company also reps world renowned video &
commercial directors Chris Cunningham (Bjork's All Is Full Of Love),
Jake Scott (R.E.M.'s Everybody Hurts) and Dawn Shadforth (Kylie
Minogue's Can't Get You Out Of My Mind).
(May 28, 2002) HYPE
WILLIAMS DVD OUT TODAY | BET AWARDS
NOMINATION
Hype Williams's compilation DVD & home video Hype Williams:
The Videos Vol. 1 comes out today in North America. The 10
video compilation also includes commentary on each video, interviews
with the director, behind-the-scenes footage, and a bunch of other
extras. It should be on sale at most music and video stores
across the U.S. and Canada. Online, the cheapest I've found it
for sale is at CDnow.com
(DVD $13.99; VHS 11.99). The DVD is also reviewed in the latest
issue of Entertainment Weekly (May 31, 2002; with David Bowie &
Moby on the cover). The review is not that favorable, giving the
compilation a C- rating. Visit PalmPictures.com
(the company that produced the compilation) for more info on the DVD
and some biographical info on Hype Williams. You can also find
clips of Big Pimpin', Put Your Hand Where My Eyes Can See,
and an interview with Hype Williams from the DVD. (click on
"Coming Soon", then "Hype Williams").
*** GO OUT AND BUY THE DVD! A MUST-HAVE
FOR ANY HYPE WILLIAMS FAN! ***
Nominations for the 2nd Annual BET
Awards were announced a few weeks ago, and Hype Williams's Rock
The Boat (Aaliyah) was nominated in the Music Video
category. The awards air June 25 on BET.
(May 22, 2002) LA
TIMES ARTICLE
There is an article about Hype
Williams on the LAtimes.com
website (not sure if it was also published in the print copy).
The article (published on May 19) includes an interview with Hype and
other people in the industry, and discusses Hype's video career, the
impact of his work on the industry, notable videos (such as Rock
The Boat and California Love), his upcoming DVD release,
and even a quote from another director about how directors "copy
a lot from Hype".
click
here to read article (or go to latimes.com
and seach for "Hype Williams")
(thanks to Christoph H. for the info!)
(May 21, 2002) BOYZ II
MEN VIDEO TO PREMIERE TONIGHT ON BET ACCESS
GRANTED
As mentioned before, Hype
Williams co-directed the new Boyz II Men video The Color
of Love with Little X, Benny Boom & Chris Robinson last
month. BET has a behind-the-scenes look on the shooting
of the video with the directors in the exotic locales all around the
world on BET Access Granted, which airs tonight at 8:00pm and
Thursday (May 23) at 8:30pm. The video also premieres on BET
106 & Park tomorrow night.
(May 13, 2002) *** HYPE WILLIAMS DVD IN-STORE
SIGNING ***
Fans of Hype Williams in the
New York area wishing to meet the director in person will get a
chance tomorrow. Hype is having a in-store signing at Uncle Ralph's Urban Gear (1622
Bedford Ave.) tomorrow (May 14) at 4pm,
signing copies of his upcoming DVD, "The Videos".
The urban clothing store is founded by Ralph McDaniels. In the
80's he co-founded Classic Concepts, a music video production company, with Lionel
Martin. Hype got his start in video production while working
with Lionel Martin at Classic Concepts.
(thanks to JB for the info!)
(April 26, 2002) LISA "LEFT-EYE"
LOPES DIES IN CAR CRASH
Lisa "Left-Eye"
Lopes, part of the R&B trio TLC, died in a car crash in
Honduras yesterday. Left-Eye along with Rozonda "Chilli"
Thomas and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins formed TLC, the biggest
girl-group in the 1990's. Hype Williams worked closely with the
group throughout their career. He met them on the set of their
earlier videos when he worked as a graffiti artist, before he became a
director. He later went on to direct their video for No
Scrubs, which became a big hit. When Lisa Lopes did her solo
project last year, Hype directed her first video The Block Party.
It was also mentioned in an interview with Vibe magazine that Hype
Williams photographed Lisa Lopes for an upcoming book of poetry.
We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Lisa
"Left-Eye" Lopes.
(April 23, 2002) ***
INFO RELEASED ON UPCOMING HYPE WILLIAMS DVD
COMPILATION
***
In the past few months, MTV.com
has mentioned the release of a home video DVD compilation which will
feature 10 classic videos directed by Hype Williams. Palm
Pictures, the company releasing the compilation, has recently
added new information on their site, including a full video listing
for the collection as well as details on extras to be included on the
DVD:
 |
|
Hype Williams:
"The Videos, vol. 1"
expected release date May 28 (palmpictures.com)
Can It Be All So Simple - Wu
Tang Clan
Flava In Ya Ear - Craig Mack
Doin' It - LL Cool J
Street Dreams - Nas
Feel So Good - Mase
Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See - Busta Rhymes
Half On A Baby - R. Kelly
Big Pimpin' - Jay Z
No Scrubs - TLC
Holla Holla - Ja Rule
Extras:
Director's Commentary; Hype Williams interview;
Video-shoot Behind-the-scenes; "About" Essay for
each video;
Hype Williams Bio & Videography; Trailers |
(April 20, 2002) HYPE WILLIAMS VIDEO TO BE
FEATURED ON MTV "BECOMING"
A Hype Williams video will be
featured on an upcoming episode of MTV's
Becoming. Each episode, a fan or group of fans are chosen
to "become" their favorite artist(s) and recreate a video by
them. This episode has a fan "becoming" Nelly
Furtado, and the video they chose to recreate is ...On The
Radio (Remember The Days). The chosen fan gets all the
star treatment while shooting clips that recreate the video, although
the quality is obviously not as good as the actual video. It
will interesting to see how they "recreate" Hype's video
style. The episode of MTV's Becoming... Nelly Furtado airs April
27 on MTV.
(April 14, 2002) HYPE WILLIAMS, LITTLE X,
& OTHERS TO DIRECT UPCOMING BOYZ II MEN VIDEO
Boyz II Men are taking a
different approach to taping their upcoming video. They have
enlisted 4 different directors to shoot segments for their upcoming
video, The Color of Love. According to Launch.com,
Each member of the 4-person R&B group will shoot segments in
different countries, to capture the color of the native people.
Hype Williams will shoot a segment with Shawn Stockman in Japan;
Little X & Benny Boom will shoot a segment with Nathan Morris in
Accra, Ghana; Chris Robinson will shoot a segment with Wanya Morris in
San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Little X will shoot a segment with Michael
McCary in Jaipur, India. Little X will edit the video. The
track is off their upcoming Arista Records debut, Full Circle,
which has tentatively been scheduled for a June 11 release. Hype
Williams has previously shot videos for Boyz II Men. He directed
their Vibin' (remix) video, LL Cool J's Hey Lover (which
featured Boyz II Men), as well as Brokenhearted (a duet with
Brandy & Wanya Morris) and Wishes (by Nate Morris).
click
here to read article at Launch.com
(April 7, 2002) MVPA AWARDS NOMINATIONS
ANNOUNCED
The 11th Annual MVPA (Music
Video Production Association) Awards nominations have just been
announced. The awards are voted on by members of the
association, people within the video production industry. Hype
Williams received one nomination for Hip Hop Video of the Year
(What It Is by Busta Rhymes feat. Kelis). Rock The
Boat by Aaliyah (directed by Hype Williams) received a nomination
for Colorist/Telecine (colorist Jon
Merrifield/Fence Post). The awards will be handed out May 22 at
the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles (where the Oscars were presented a
few weeks ago).
click
here for full nominations list
|
