The name David Fincher conjures up a few buzzwords for film-lovers: “dark,” “elaborate,” “precise.” Also, “many takes” and “tracking shots” (and, in film school, “6K cropped to 4K for maximum stabilization”). When discussing his work, many will point to his game-changing Se7en, his millennium-defining The Social Network, or arguably his magnum opus, Zodiac. However, far fewer talk about how the meticulous auteur broke into the business, and simultaneously learned his craft: music videos. But not just any music videos. Pop — pop only, in fact.
A new video essay titled David Fincher & The Craft of Music Videos by Patrick Willems dives into Fincher’s back catalogue of directorial work, where he shot videos for Madonna, the late George Michael, and Paula Abdul, among others. Studying this work turns out to be fascinating, as it points to many things — namely how Fincher was able to chomp at the bit of filmmaking through these videos, arriving in cinematic territory with a fully formed vision, style, and voice, even if Alien 3 suffered for reasons beyond his control.
The essay also points to the lack of acknowledgement for his work, having been overshadowed by peers like Spike Jonze in the music-video-directing world, as they were more about “art-house music videos” than the pop-centric work Fincher took on. However, the world of pop music videos is extremely specific, meaning Fincher had function within strict parameters while still producing compulsively watchable, elegantly crafted videos. And, on a personal aside that must be stated, Suit & Tie is one of the coolest damn videos ever produced.
See the essay below, with a nod to No Film School, along with playlist of his videos. From more on the director, see notes from his Gone Girl commentary and a comprehensive breakdown of his filmography (including his music videos) here and here.