Spike Jonze

Spike Jonze was born Adam Spiegel in 1969, Jonzes reputation as something of a prankster means details of his early life are different in almost every piece out there on him, and is notorious for avoiding talking about himself in interviews.

These days, Jonze is part of Hollywood's "quirky" new wave, and his path to feature film director has parallels with Michel Gondry, creating his own pathway and applied his own passions to his work.

Jonze as a teenager was a skateboard and BMX freak, and entered print via that after leaving school as an editor, writer on "Freestylin"" and and "BMX Action" magazines, immersing himself in that scene just at a time when it was heavily linked to the alternative rock scene. Jonze then went on to photograph bikers and skaters then to make his first short film "Video Days" which was fresh for the skater scene, using the Jackson 5's "I want you back" for the opening scene rather than the expected Speed Metal you find on skate tapes. The tape became an underground legend and was seen by two members of Sonic Youth, who then hired him direct the promo for their single "100%", and that in turn got him a contract directing for Satellite Films.

Jonze, along with Michel Gondry and Chris Cunningham went on to totally revitalise the music video in the 90's. His videos for for the Beastie Boys Starsky and Hutch inspired "Sabotage", Bjorks Busby Berkeley style "It's Oh So Quiet", Weezer's amazing 'Happy Days' styled "Buddy Holly" and Fatboy Slim's "Praise You" featuring Jonze as Richard Koufey with the fictional Torraine Community Dance Group all won numerous awards and are some of the most succesful music videos ever made. Like Michel Gondry, Jonze has directed soem excellent commercials for Lee, Levis and Wrangler Jeans and Gap (all of the above can be found at youtube.
Photographer David Lachapelle is quoted stating "Spike Jonze is the contemporary artist. What he does is so much more valid than so much going on in galleries right now" in Ny Magazine.

Spike Jonzes' first feature film "Being John Malkovich", a surreal comedy which sees John Cusacks's character Craig Schwartz discovering a passage into the mind of John Malkovich

My View:

Spike Jonze's work, especially his his music videos both excellent and truly successful, and Jonze's subsequent rise to feature film director I find inspiring.
Jonze has effortlessly eliminated the boundry between arthouse and the mainstream, and has used his own personality, passions and a love of fun to shape his work. I also interested in people who can transfer their skills in different areas as this is something I would like to do in an ideal world.