PROFILE: Tony Petrossian, Rockhard Films

Tony Petrossian is a music video director. Since the only name he drops in his Profile is Jean-Claude Van Damme — and it's a self-deprecating reference, no less —I figured it made sense to list some recent credits, just to frame his formative tales of filmmaking:

• Taking Back Sunday "Liar"
• Stone Sour "Through Glass"
• Avenged Sevenfold "Beast & The Harlot"

OK. Now, enjoy ..

name: Tony Petrossian
company: Rockhard Films
job/title: director

first video: The first music video I ever did cost $1k. It was close to a decade ago and I did it to help out a rapper friend of mine. The idea? A rapper stuck inside a TV set. From inside the box, he holds a remote control and every time he clicks it, the scene outside the TV changes. I paid a key grip to build a rod iron swivel arm that we bolted to a flatbed truck. On one end of the arm was the TV set with a prerecorded performance. On the other side, we mounted a camera and a chair where I sat.  I looked like a WWII airplane gunner as we flew down the streets, swinging the arm insanely from side to side to get as many backgrounds as possible behind the TV set. To my surprise, we never got pulled over.

strangest video: Every video is strange in its own way. But the strangest project I've been involved with was not a video at all. It was a film I made when I was 15. At the time, my friends and I were totally impressed with an 18-year-old blackbelt who somehow found his way into our crew. The dude showed me a picture of Jean-Claude Van Damme at a breakfast table in his underwear, and I was somehow convinced he was really connected to Hollywood. I spent two weeks writing a feature centered around him and his martial arts skills. We shot on a couple Sony Hi8 cameras after school and on weekends, using friends as actors and crew. I suppose this was my Don Quixote project, because it was cursed from the start. First, I nearly killed my best friend shooting a scene which called for his feet to be tied with rope that extended up and over a tree branch and was tied to a car as it sped away in the opposite direction. Since none of us had drivers' licenses, we used my Grandmother as a stunt driver. God rest her soul. She couldn't hear us well enough when he yelled for her to stop so she kept driving and dragged my buddy all the way up the tree and almost over the branch. Ultimately, she stopped just in time to save his life... and probably my career. Next, we broke into a house in the hills of Glendale, CA, which was up for sale. Our intentions were to shoot a few scenes in the yard because of the incredible view. Well, a couple neighbors freaked out when they saw my friends in three-piece suits walking the perimeter of the yard with toy rifles. Within moments, the police stormed the house with guns drawn. Up until then, I didn't even know that Glendale PD had a chopper. Finally, the same 18-year-old Hollywood wannabe who inspired this project actually ended up robbing my parent's house. Dad, what can I say? You were right about him. Among the items he took were the video camera and all the footage we shot. He's since left the state. Probably for the best. That film would've sucked pretty bad.

what's next: I'm prepping a shoot for a band called Gallows out of the U.K. And I'm excitedly awaiting my biggest production ever: A little baby boy! My first. Pre-production was about 9 months ago so he should be arriving any day now. Of course, my wife will be the real director on this one — at least during delivery. I'll just be the useless dude in the corner cheering her on while, ahem, keeping an eye on my blackberry. I know. I should be ashamed of myself. Other than that, I'm working with my movie agent to find the right script to launch my feature career. I'm also doing everything possible to avoid finishing my own script. This includes running four miles a day, reading the backs of cereal boxes and cleaning the house repeatedly. Anything to avoid the dreaded task of screenwriting. Hey, I think I'm starting to see my abs again.

BOOKED: Goo Goo Dolls - Paul Boyd, director

To support the Transformers movie and soundtrack...

artist: Goo Goo Dolls
song: "Before It's Too Late (Sam & Mikaela's Theme)"
label: Warner Bros.
director(s): Paul Boyd
production co: MotivFilms
rep: RW Media

BOOKED: Evanescence - Marc Webb & Rich Lee, directors

Shooting in Budapest, Hungary...

artist: Evanescence
song: "Good Enough"   
label: Wind-Up
director(s): Marc Webb & Rich Lee
production co: DNA

BOOKED: The Starting Line - Jay Martin, director

artist: The Starting Line
song: "Island"
label: Virgin/Capitol
director(s): Jay Martin
production co: DNA

SHOT: Young Buck - Gil Green, director

Young Buck, free agent director Gil Green and a lovely lady take a break from another hard day of work in the music video business. This was taken during the production of two videos in support of the rapper's new album, Buck The World.

artist: Young Buck
song: "Buck The World" and " U Ain't Goin Nowhere"
label: G-Unit/Interscope
director(s): Gil Green
production co: Blink Productions

NEW RELEASE: Rodrigo Y Gabriela "Diablo Rojo"

I almost hesitate to describe Rodrigo Y Gabriela, because their story is so unique that you might think it's a mere novelty act. It's not. Rodrigo Y Gabriela is a co-ed Mexican guitar duo  — based in Dublin, no less — that manages to combine flamenco, mariachi,  jazz, classical and heavy metal into an organic whole through technically adept and innovative playing that puts most flashier fretboard shredders to shame. In case you have any doubts, check out their self-titled album, which mixes tough to categorize originals with unexpected acoustic versions of Metallica's "Orion" and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven." This new video is for "Diablo Rojo," an original track inspired by a rollercoaster in Copehagen, Denmark. The camera takes some thrill ride twists and loops as it keeps focused on their flying fingers and headbanging demeanor. A small pile of guitars gets smashed and there's a mid-clip transition from b&w to color, but none of that compares to watching the duo churn out this flurry of guitar madness. --> watch "Diablo Rojo" in Quicktime or Windows Media

Rodrigo Y Gabriela "Diablo Rojo" (ATO)
George Mays & Jeff Myers, directors/editors | Adrian Fulle, producer | Poya Pictures, production co | David Graham Wilson, DP

BOOKED: Nickelback - Dori Oskowitz, director

artist: Nickelback
song: "Rockstar"
label: Roadrunner
director(s): Dori Oskowitz
production co: Highway 114 Pictures
rep: Laure Scott Management

SHOT: Madina Lake - Dori Oskowitz, director

artist: Madina Lake
song: "Here I Stand"
label: Roadrunner
director(s): Dori Oskowitz
production co: Highway 114 Pictures
rep: Laure Scott Management

NEW RELEASE: Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing"

Kanye West seems to go one of two directions for his videos. Either he reaches out to Chris Milk or Michel Gondry for something arty and unexpected, or he picks Hype Williams when he wants to go big. The first single off Kanye's new CD Graduation is an instance where the artist knew he had to get images that were simple, yet larger than life, so Hype got the call. Mr. Williams gets incredible mileage out of just two performance set-ups — one day, the other night — and two, tiny b-roll moments that involve a dusty Lambo and a beautiful girl in a fly away burka by way of Madonna’s "Frozen." That's it. Four shots on the El Mirage dry lake bed and Hype makes it into a surprisingly watchable video. Kanye has delivered another memorable song and the clip's epic scope makes sure we can't take our eyes off him — except, perhaps, to scan the horizon for Chris Tucker leading a motorcade of post-apocalyptic vehicles. (review by Doug Stern) --> watch "Can't Tell Me Nothing"

Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam)
Hype Williams, director/producer | Naaila, production co | John Perez, DP | Peter Johnson/Consulate Editorial , editor

BOOKED: Amerie - Scott Franklin, director

artist: Amerie
song: "Gotta Work"
label: Sony Urban/Columbia
director(s): Scott Franklin
production co: Fred Films
rep: Labuda Management

BOOKED: Angelique Kidjo f/ Joss Stone - Noble Jones, director

Director Noble Jones will be in NYC to shoot a video for this cover version of The Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter" by Angelique Kidjo and Joss Stone.

artist: Angelique Kidjo feat. Joss Stone
song: "Gimme Shelter"
label: Razor & Tie
director(s): Noble Jones   
production co: The Revolver Film Co.
rep: Labuda Management

BOOKED: The Rocket Summer - Shane Drake, director

artist: The Rocket Summer
song: "So Much Love"
label: Island Def Jam
director(s): Shane Drake
production co: Red Van Pictures (Drake remains signed with Merge @ Crossroads)

NEW RELEASE: Eve "Tambourine"

Eve has always been stuck between two worlds. She's a gorgeous woman with the kind of presence associated with major R&B divas, but with the rep of a rough and tough rapper. Up-and-coming directing star Melina  meshed those two worlds to perfection for "Tambourine," a track which boats the candy-coated fun of Gwen Stefani twisted up with the vicious production of Swizz Beats. Melina's visuals capture the syncopated rush of energy the track creates and makes us want to join in the 1980s colored party and shake our tambourine with Eve as she delivers her fiercest "Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface" look. (review by Doug Stern) --> watch "Tambourine"

Eve "Tambourine" (Geffen)
Melina, director | John Winter, producer | Black Dog, production co | Omer Ganai, DP

BOOKED: Diddy - Erik White, director

artist: Diddy
song: "Through The Pain" and "Diddy Rock"
label: Bad Boy/Atlantic
director(s): Erik White
production co: All In Media
rep: Simran Brown/Uncle

BOOKED: Keith Murray f/ Tyrese - Vem & Eliott Lester, director

artist: Keith Murray feat. Tyrese
song: "Nobody Do It Better"
label: Koch
director(s): Vem and Elliott Lester
production co: No Protection Limited

SHOT: Kemystery - Carey Williams, director

artist: Kemystery
song: "Ride The Coast"
label: Unit 8
director(s): Carey Williams
production co: Madhype

MTV Adds for the Week of 6/11/07

MTV Adds:
Kinfolk Kiashine "Krispy" (Universal Motown)

MTV2 Adds:
Amber Pacific "Fall Back Into My Life" (Hopeless)
Kinfolk Kiashine "Krispy" (Universal Motown)
Modest Mouse "We've Got Everything" (Epic)
Voxtrot "Steven" (Beggars)

MTVU Adds:
Elephant Man f/ Wyclef Jean "Five O" (VP/Bad Boy)
Mario "How Do I Breathe" (J Records)
Plies f/ T-Pain "Shawty" (Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic) 
UGK feat. OutKast "International Player's Anthem" (Jive/ZLG)

VH1 Adds for the Week of 6/11/07

VH1 Adds:
Norah Jones "Until The End" (Blue Note)
Paul McCartney "Dance Tonight" (Hear Music/Concord)
Ozzy Osbourne "I Don’t Wanna Stop" (Epic)

Vh1 Soul Adds:
Common "The Game" (Geffen)
Chrisette Michele "If I Have My Way" (Island Def Jam)
Corinne Bailey Rae "I'd Like To" (Capitol)

BET Adds for the Week of 6/11/07

Adds:
Hurricane Chris  "A Bay Bay" (Polo Grounds/J Records) 
Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam)

Rap City Adds:
Hurricane Chris  "A Bay Bay" (Polo Grounds/J Records) 
Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam)
Jibbs "Smile" (Geffen)
Plies f/ T-Pain "Shawty" (Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic) 
UGK feat. OutKast "International Player's Anthem" (Jive/ZLG)

FUSE Adds for the Week of 6/11/07

Adds:
Good Charlotte "Dance Floor Anthem" (Epic)

Oven Fresh Adds:
Editors "Smokers Outside The Hospital" (Fader/Epic)
Finger Eleven "Paralyzer" (Wind-Up)
Good Charlotte "Dance Floor Anthem" (Epic)
Lily Allen "LDN" (Capitol)
Placebo "Running Up That Hill" (Virgin/Capitol)
Yung Berg "Sexy Lady" (YB/Epic/Koch)

IMF Adds for the Week of 6/11/07

Adds:
Bloc Party "The Prayer (Vice/Atlantic) from England
Juli "Zerrissen" from Germany
Justice "D.A.N.C.E." (Ed Banger/Vice) from France
Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam)
Rooney "When Did Your Heart Go Missing?" (Cherrytree/Geffen) 
Timbaland feat. The Hives "Throw It On Me" (Interscope)

Specialty Adds:
Enrique Iglesias "Dimelo" (Interscope) from Spain   
Ich + Ich "Vom Selben Stern" from Germany 
Jibbs "Smile"  (Geffen) 
Magnate "Nuestro Amor Es Asi" from Puerto Rico
Nevio "Runaway" from Germany 
No Angels "Maybe" from Germany
Notch "Dale Pa’ Tra (Back It Up)" (Machete)
Orishas "Hay Un Son" from Cuba 
Ozzy Osbourne "I Don’t Wanna Stop" (Epic) from England
Time Again "Broken Bodies" (Hellcat/Epitaph)

Music Choice Adds for the Week of 6/11/07

Adds:
Ben Kweller "Penny On The Train Track" (ATO)
Billy Talent  "Surrender" (Atlantic)
Bjork "Earth Intruders" (Atlantic)
Black Milk "Sound The Alarm" (Fat Beats)
Bruce Springsteen/The Sessions Band "Atlantic City (live)" (Columbia)
Charlotte Gainsbourg "The Songs That We Sing" (Vice/Atlantic)
Don Omar "Calm My Nerves" (Machete/V.I. Music)
Fantasia "When I See U" (J Records)
Fountains Of Wayne "Someone To Love" (Virgin)
Good Charlotte "Dance Floor Anthem" (Epic)
Hevi Medal f/ M.O.P. "7:30" (Hevi Medal Music)
Lil Boosie f/ Webbie "Wipe Me Down" (Trill/Asylum)
Madvillain "Monkey Suite" (Stones Throw)
Musiq Soulchild "Teachme" (Atlantic)
MuteMath "Typical" (Teleprompt/Warner Bros.)
My Chemical Romance  "Teenagers" (Reprise)
Paul Van Dyk "Crush" (Mute)
Robert Randolph "Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That" (Warner Bros.)
The Graduate "Sit And Sink"  (Icon MES)
Underoath "You're Ever So Inviting" (Solid State/Tooth & Nail)
"Weird Al" Yankovic "Pancreas" (Volcano/ZLG)
Yung Berg "Sexy Lady" (YB/Epic/Koch)

CMT Adds for the Week of 6/4/07

Adds:
Craig Morgan "Tough" (Broken Bow)
Jennifer Hanson "Joyride" (Universal South)
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill "I Need You" (Curb)

CMT Pure Country Adds:
Craig Morgan "Tough" (Broken Bow)

Much Music Adds for the Week of 6/4/07

Adds:
Brassmunk "Take It Easy" 
The Killers "For Reasons Unknown"
Mims "Like This"
Ne-Yo "Do You"
Uncut "Darkhorse"
White Stripes "Icky Thump"

NEW RELEASE: LCD Soundsystem "All My Friends"

The best job in the music video world may be as an editor on a one-take clip. All that Final Cut, New York editor Carlos Arias had to do on this LCD Soundsystem video was helping pick a take to use and selecting when to fade in and out. Simple. Everything else, however, is pretty darn tricky. "All My Friends" starts with a focus on singer James Murphy as he intones the melodic vocals to the camera. Only twists are his odd make-up — a look that strikes me as mix of Peter Gabriel's "Shock The Monkey" video and David Bowie's Aladdin Sane guise — and some lens flares. The camera keeps pulling back to reveal the complete band — which is multiplied by strategically placed mirrors — and sudden rain and spark showers that bring Murphy close to Flashdance territory. --> watch "All My Friends" in Quicktime, Real or Windows Media plus a "Making Of" feature in Real or Windows Media

LCD Soundsystem "All My Friends" (DFA/Capitol)
Tom Kuntz, director | Kate Sutherland, producer | MJZ, production co | Joaquin Baca-Asay, DP | Carlos Arias / Final Cut, NY, editor

NEW RELEASE: Bumblebeez "Dr. Love"

Director Tom Kuntz makes a triumphant return to music video with a hilarious and quirky clip for Australia's Bumblebeez. Best known for his trio of Electric Six videos —  "Danger! High Voltage," "Gay Bar" and "Radio Ga Ga," all  directed with former partner-in-crime Mike Maguire — Kuntz keeps "Dr. Love" weird  by casting a troupe of hooligans scrounged off some L.A. backlot, each sporting custom bling drawn on his chest. The video ends with a dance sequence that is sure to make Fatima Robinson cringe with, er, jealousy, and then codas with a tableaux of samples tickled from the gangsters' fronts. This may turn out to be one of the best hip-hop videos of the year, albeit in a "Windowlicker" kinda way. (review by Kevin Holy) --> watch "Dr. Love"

Bumblebeez "Dr. Love" (Modular)
Tom Kuntz, director | Scott Kaplan, producer | MJZ, production co | Bryan Newman, DP | Carlos Arias / Final Cut, New York, editor

NEW RELEASE: Common "The Game"

Common is a poet, not a pugilist. So, even though it seems like the rapper is prepping for a big fight in the intro of this sharp, b&w video, he's really just getting his game face on for a performance. That said, the stakes are as high as ever for Common, a well-respected and criticially-acclaimed  hip-hop vet who needs to prove that his 2005  commercial breakthrough album Be was no fluke. Therefore, "The Game" is a smart teaser for his forthcoming album Finding Forever: It's a no-frills, no-bullshit slice of hip-hop, an effective statement that Common is capable of winning people over without going pop or giving into the bling lifestyle that's pervasive in major label rap releases. --> watch "The Game"

Common "The Game" (Geffen)
Neon, directors | Anne Johnson, producer | Partizan, production co | Shawn Kim, DP | Bill Pollock, editor

BOOKED: Common - Neon, directors

artist: Common
song: "The People" 
label: Geffen
director(s): Neon
production co: Partizan 

BOOKED: Chromeo - Rozan & Schmeltz, directors

artist: Chromeo
song: "Tenderoni"
label: Vice
director(s): Rozan & Schmeltz
production co: Partizan
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Bajofondo Tango Club — Alma Har'el, director

Bajofondo Tango Club is led by Argentinian music maestro Gustavo Santaolalla, who won Oscars for his soundtracks to Brokeback Mountain and Babel.

artist: Bajofondo Tango Club
song: "Pa' Bailar"   
label: Surco/Universal Latin
director(s): Alma  Har'el 
production co: Partizan