YouTube Killed the Video Star

Bido Lito! music magazine and FACT present a panel event that explores the future of the music video as a medium, and its current importance in an ever more varied world of digital content consumption.

Music and video are the key drivers of content in the modern, plugged-in world, and predictions show that we are due to devour more and more over the coming years as the tentacles of the world wide web become more and more ingrained in the way we interact with both. So what does the future hold for the music video as a form? Is the golden ‘MTV Generation’ but a distant memory? Has the form become cheapened by the sheer volume of film now available at the click of the button? Are music videos becoming purely marketing tools rather than a treasured and respected medium? Has YouTube actually killed the traditional video star?

Bringing together three new and exciting Liverpool-based filmmakers, YouTube killed the Video Star aims to dissect these questions and more in a dynamic discussion event.

Mike Isted studied Fine Art, and then did a Master’s in 3D Animation. He has since worked on a number of advertising projects, before being approached to produce a music video for Smiler – On Top Of The World (feat. Professor Green) by Warner Bros. This has since led to further work with Warner Bros., including producing an animated music video for Lianne La Havas, and several lyric videos for Muse. The Madness lyric video has had nearly 10million views on YouTube, and is now used by Muse as live on-stage visuals. Mike is currently working on developing an interactive music video for the band.

Lee Isserow has been working in the film and TV industry for a number of years, and has a healthy back catalogue of work that stretches from TV advertising to music video. Having directed his first music video for a friend’s band in 2001, Lee has built up an extensive background of expertise in cinematography, animation and visual effects, and direction. Lee has produced music videos for Arrows Of love, Howard Be Thy Name and The Helmholtz Resonators among others.

Jack Whiteley spent three years doing a practical filmmaking degree – ‘Contemporary Film & Video’ – at Manchester Metropolitan University, and the three years spent creating short films was a great grounding for him in the art of film. He has since developed an impressive body of short film work with a distinct style, documenting many of the events undertaken by The Kazimier. He followed up his first music video – Stealing Sheep’s I Am The Rain – with further videos for Dan Croll, Wave Machines, and a return to working with Stealing Sheep on the epic production of their Rearrange music video.

Part of the programme for The Art of Pop Video exhibition
Celebrate The Art of Pop Video in the first exhibition of its kind in the UK. More than 100 video clips tell the story of the pop video, marking the medium's substantial contribution to popular culture.