The music industry just took an unexpected hit of bad news when Music Video Director Marty Callner passed away at the age of 78. His loss this week has led to the urge to reflect on all his work and properly understand how important his role was to so many artists and fans.
Marty began as a director of various stand-up shows and comedy routines for comedians like Robin Williams and Jerry Seinfeld. His attention eventually took to music, and he began directing music videos for all sorts of songs that are now iconic. He directed the videos for many of Aerosmith’s big hits like “Dude Looks Like a Lady”, “Sweet Emotion”, “Amazing”, and many others. He also directed for countless other bands and provided a unique touch to the musical art that he became part of.
Music videos have been a staple of music culture ever since their inception. It is a huge marketing tool to connect listeners to the songs and provide an emotional connection on a visual level. It sounds absurd, but who can think of “Wrecking Ball” without picturing Miley Cyrus swinging naked on an actual wrecking ball? The videos are often symbolic and weird because they add an additional meaning to the lyrics, which draws our attention.
Music is mostly an auditory experience, so it is sometimes easy to forget the visual impact the videos can provide. Even so, I hope that this brings attention to all aspects of music video production and gives respect to Marty Callner, who we will not forget anytime soon.
