Music Video Director Spotlight: Colin Hardy

British music video director Corin Hardy just signed on to direct a supernatural horror film titled Refuge for Sam Raimi (Evil Dead series, Drag Me To Hell). I thought now would be a good time to learn more about Hardy and explore some of his music video origins.

Hardy began creating 8mm animated monster movies as a teenager, inspired by "the mysterious and strangely sinister 70s children's storybooks," along with Ray Harryhausen's animated monster films.

He earned a degree in Special Effects at Wimbledon School Of Art and dedicated 5 years of his life to making his stop motion short epic Butterfly, which went on to win first prize at the 2004 Brussels Animated Film Festival where it was also nominated for the "Cartoon D'Or", 3rd in Brazil's "Anima Mundi" Festival and 1st in the audience-voted Best Long Short at the London International Animated Film Festival 2005.

The short film got the attention of the music video world, and Corin gained mainstream attention was asked to direct the first video for Keane. While Butterfly isn't available for free online (it can be purchased for $2 on iTunes), some of the footage was reused in a music video for Keane's third single Bedshaped which utilized elements of his animation Butterfly. You can watch some of Hardy's music videos below.

Keane "Bedshaped"The Prodigy "Warriors Dance"The Horrors "She Is The New Thing"Keane "The Night Sky"McFly "The Ballad Of Paul K"Dogs – Dirty Little Shop