Directors Study: Jonas Akerlund with Lady GaGa - Paparazzi & Telephone

Akerlund is a Swedish film and music video director, well known for his work with such artists as Madonna, who's video "Ray of Light" won him a Grammy Award. Before that he had experience in music; playing with the black metal band Bathory, because of these achievments Akerlund had made a name for himself and his talent recently came to the attenion of Lady GaGa. Well known for her own acomplishments and outrageous concept ideas, together the have made their mark on Music Video history.

Before Lady GaGa, Akerlund had worked with other artist such as Christina Aguilera and her video "Beautiful", for the director and the artist they both wanted it to be a video that would connect universally with those who felt a connection to each narrative in the video. In relation to other female artists Akerlund has also worked with Madonna, he has done several videos with her, most recent is "Celebration". The videos concept is very much based on the celebration of Madonna's career and Akerlund chose to encompass and dark music imageand focus on the artist herself. She appears in almost every shot with her dances doing most of the choreographed moves as she performs some moves.

For Lady GaGa's video "Paparazzi" both director and artist agreed that the video was to be a short film, this plot then developed into "Telephone", which anounced "to be continued..." at the end. So there is a promise of more to come. Akerlund directed both of these videos, his wife was a stylist for the first. Lady GaGa wanted a clear message for her videos, she expressed the director that she wanted a clear concept on how fame can kill and demise celebrities and what this can do to young people of today. Akerlund decided on the major themes he wanted in the video such as murder and pornography, in the opening of the video Akerlund links the fall of Lady GaGa with Alfred Hitchcock's film "Vertigo". There are many other links to media within this video, the scene in which Lady GaGa kills her "boyfriend" hs several references such as GaGa's outfit which has been compared to the look of Minnie Mouse. Akerlund also had her hide the "poison" in her ring, similar to Lucrezia Borgia, these intertextual references links to the ideas of Goodwin and attract attention from the audience GaGa is appealing too.

Akerlund uses his own personal experience with music to create links with visuals and lyrics, GaGa stands out in her own way by making statements, in one particular scene GaGa makes out with a female trio know as Snake of Eden. As a rock band they link to GaGa's past as a rock club dancer. However in the video GaGa kisses them on the line "loving in you is cherry pie", Akerlund shows the concept that oving a woman is sweeter than loving a man as GaGa's "boyfriend" betrays her in the video.

The video recieved positive reviews though some critics described the dead models as "stomach turning" yet Daniel Kreps the Rolling Stones writer said that it was "brimming with cinematic style".But this did not stop some commenting that it seeed a little self indulgent. Akerlund was proud of the piece and the video was awarded "Best Art Direction" and "Best Special Effects" at the VMA's. Akerlund soon signed up for GaGa's next instalment "Telephone" featuring Beyonce Knowles.

Both artist and director wanted this to be a pop history moment, the video starts directly where "Paparazzi" left off with GaGa in jail. The plot continues with Beyonce breaking her out, the car which is used is great intertextual link. It is the famous "Pussy-Wagon" from Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill", there are other examples such as when GaGa and Beyonce where American Flag inspired outfits and cameo appearances from MTV and singer Tyrese Gibson.

Akerlund main focus of the video is of course both GaGa and Beyonce, because of their fame together the record company and the plot demanded equal atention for both. There are many links with the visuals and lyrics, Akerlun did this by way of the costumes, particulary with GaGa as she wears a broken telephone on her head, a direct link to the title of the song.

Akerlund also used the medias past questionings of GaGa's sex within the video; at the beginning when GaGa is led to her cell she is then stripped of her clothes, the guards make a comment "I told you she didn't have a dick". GaGa sexuality is constanly questioned by the media, Akerlund seems to have fun with this idea as the artist makes out with both men and women in her videos, and there are some dance sequences in which she wears very little emphasising her "feminine" figure.

At the MTV Awards it was given "Best Video of the Year" many critics commented that Akerlund and GaGa were entering the music video stage which only artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson had made big. Akerlund was amazed by the reception and loved the style which he and GaGa had created. He expressed his interest in continuing on the story as he felt the plot had drawn in alot from the audience.