Isaiah Saxon (born 1983)[1] is an American film and music video director. He co-founded the animation studio Encyclopedia Pictura, and the online community DIY.org.
Isaiah Saxon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1983 (age 40–41) Aptos, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Academy of Art University |
| Occupation(s) | Film director Co-founder, Encyclopedia Pictura Co-founder, DIY.org |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Website | isaiahsaxon.com |
Early life and education
editSaxon was born and raised in Aptos, California.[2] He majored in film directing at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.[1]
Career
editEncyclopedia Pictura
editSaxon and Sean Hellfritsch founded Encyclopedia Pictura as a directing duo in 2004, before expanding into a trio when Daren Rabinovitch joined in 2007,[1] and ultimately transforming into an animation studio.[3] Through Encyclopedia Pictura, Saxon has directed music videos, short films and commercials.[2] The studio is known for creating ambitious music videos and short films with an organic, handmade quality.[4]
In 2007, Saxon and Hellfritsch directed the music video for the Grizzly Bear single "Knife".[4] The video was filmed in Death Valley, CA and Brooklyn, NY. Their first major video,[3] it was listed at #26 on Pitchfork's list of the top 50 music videos of the 2000s.[5]
Following the "Knife" video, Saxon got a call from Björk, asking Encyclopedia Pictura to direct a music video for her single "Wanderlust". Their concept was inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki, Stanley Kubrick, and Walt Disney's work from the 1930s.[3] The video was shot at Matthew Barney's studio in New York City,[3] in stereoscopic 3-D using a 3-D camera rig they designed and built.[1] Combining handmade puppetry, scale modeling, CGI and live action,[1] it took over nine months to complete.[6] The "Wanderlust" video premiered at the Deitch Projects gallery in Long Island City, Queens,[6] and was shown in 3-D at Saatchi & Saatchi's 2008 New Directors Showcase.[7] It won three D&AD Yellow Pencil awards[8] and the UK Music Video Award for Video of the Year.[9] Spin magazine named it the best music video of 2008,[10] and Pitchfork ranked it #21 on its list of the top 50 music videos of the 2000s.[5]
Saxon directed the animated music video for the Panda Bear song "Boys Latin", which premiered on Adult Swim in 2015.[11] It was nominated for the UK Music Video Award for Best Animation in a Video.[12]
DIY.org
editIn 2011, Saxon began developing a feature film titled DIY, about a group of kids that rebuild their town after a flood.[2][13] The following year, Saxon, Zach Klein, Andrew Sliwinski and Daren Rabinovitch founded DIY.org, an online educational community for kids, with a storefront in San Francisco. Saxon served as chief creative officer from the company's founding in 2012 through 2014.[13][14] He creates the skill patches that are sent out to community members.[15][16]
Trout Gulch
editStarting in 2008, Saxon, Hellfritsch and Rabinovitch transformed 10 acres in the wooded hills in Aptos, California, into Trout Gulch, a community where they built their own houses, farmed, and produced digital animation. The intent was to blend technology with nature.[1][2][17] At its peak, 18 people lived at Trout Gulch.[18]
Honors and awards
edit- Named one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker magazine, 2008[4]
- D&AD Yellow Pencil for Best Music Video, Music Video Art Direction and Music Video Special Effects ("Wanderlust"), 2009[8]
- Named one of 25 "Best and Brightest" by Esquire magazine, 2009[19]
- UK Music Video Awards Video of the Year (for "Wanderlust"), 2008[9]
- #1 on Spin magazine's 20 Best Music Videos of 2008 (for "Wanderlust")[10]
- #21, Pitchfork's Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s (for "Wanderlust")[5]
- #26, Pitchfork's Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s (for "Knife")[5]
- Nominee, UK Music Video Awards Best Animation in a Video (for "Boys Latin"), 2015[12]
Filmography
editMusic videos
edit| Year | Song | Artist | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Soo Tall" | Zion I | Director |
| 2006 | "Haven't Been Yourself" | Seventeen Evergreen | Co-director |
| 2007 | "Knife" | Grizzly Bear | Co-director |
| 2008 | "Wanderlust" | Björk | Co-director |
| 2015 | "Boys Latin" | Panda Bear | Co-director |
Short films
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Grow | Director | |
| Micro/Macro | Director | ||
| 2008 | How Will You Create the Universe? | Co-director | Trailer for Spore video game[20] |
| 2010 | The Internet | Co-director | Soundtrack by Dan Deacon[20] |
| 2013 | Jay Nelson: Fort Builder | Director | |
| 2016 | The Tale of Hillbelly | Co-director |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Mike Sager, "These Are the Directors of the Future," Esquire, November 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Jon Kalish, "Making Cutting-Edge Animation On A DIY Homestead," NPR, July 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Jenna Wortham, "The Making of Bjork's 3-D 'Wanderlust' Video," Wired, April 21, 2008.
- ^ a b c "25 New Faces of Independent Film," Filmmaker, Summer 2008.
- ^ a b c d Scott Plagenhoef, "The Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s," Pitchfork, August 30, 2009.
- ^ a b Melena Ryzik, "Bjork in 3-D: The 'Wanderlust' Video," New York Times, April 1, 2008.
- ^ Ann-Christine Diaz, "Saatchi Remembers Arden, Toasts Fearlessness," Advertising Age, June 19, 2008.
- ^ a b "Wanderlust," dandad.org, 2009.
- ^ a b 2008 winners Archived 2016-05-14 at the Wayback Machine, ukmva.com, 2008.
- ^ a b Abigail Everdell, "The 20 Best Music Videos of 2008," Spin, December 15, 2008.
- ^ Daniel Kreps, "Panda Bear Shares Trippy 'Boys Latin' Animated Video," Rolling Stone, December 15, 2014.
- ^ a b "UK Music Video Awards 2015: here are the nomination…" Archived 2017-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Promo News, September 30, 2015.
- ^ a b Nick Bilton, "Disruptions: A Beacon to Silicon Valley, From a Start-Up for Children," New York Times, May 20, 2012.
- ^ Ashlee Vance, "DIY.org: Be Prepared for 21st Century Scouting," Bloomberg Businessweek, July 11, 2013.
- ^ Jennifer Champagne, "Isaiah Saxon Creates Awesome New Merit Badges for Kids," Paste, March 3, 2015.
- ^ E.D.W. Lynch, "Adorably Nerdy Merit Badges for Kids," Laughing Squid, February 25, 2015.
- ^ Chris McDonnell, "Artist of the Day: Encyclopedia Pictura," Cartoon Brew, April 17, 2013.
- ^ "Make: Talk 018 – An interview with Isaiah Saxon of DIY.org," Make: Talk, November 20, 2012.
- ^ "2009's Top 23 Radicals and Rebels Who Are Changing the World". Esquire. 2009-11-20. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
- ^ a b Liv Siddall, "Pictura's Best Pictures: Encyclopedia Pictura talk us through some of their best cinematic works," It's Nice That, Spring 2015.