If I wanted to find a rad internship in LA where I could shoot, edit and see amazing shows and work with great bands every day, I would intern at the music and video site called TerrorEyes.TV - Want more Info?  

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Bittersweet. Refused TV the music video production company is now closed.

Matt Stawski Takes Us Behind the Scenes at the Grammys

As a nominee for directing Cee Lo Green in the music video for “F*** You,” Matt Stawski attended the Feb. 13 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old Warren native and Cousino High School graduate offered a behind-the-scenes take on the experience, including what it’s like to lose to Lady Gaga

Saturday was the nominee reception and Sunday was the Grammys themselves. The nominee reception was pretty cool. They gave the lifetime achievement award to The Ramones. Julie Andrews got a lifetime achievement award as well. That was pretty wild, just seeing her up on stage. She was really elegant — Mary Poppins herself.

What time did things get rolling on Sunday?

We got there at 12:30, and we reported straight to the red carpet. It was kind of crazy, but I got to do two interviews. One was with Fuse TV and I did one with CNN. 

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Artist: Tera Melos
Track: Manar The Magic 
Label: Sargent House
Director/Editor: Behn Fannin

Artist: Innerpartysystem 
Track: American Trash
Label: Red Bull Records
Director /Editor: Penta

 

Label: Elektra
Artist: Cee Lo Green
Track: It’s Ok 
Music Video Commissioner: Cathy Pellow 
Production Company : Refused TV 
Director: Matt Stawski 
Producer: Christina D King
Art by: Serge Gay Jr 

Congratulations to Cee Lo Green for the Best Music Video Nomination for F**k You. Along with a TON of other Nominations! 

But this one in particular we had something to do with…

Label: Elektra
Music Video Commissioner: Cathy Pellow (Sargent House) 
Production Company : Refused TV
Director: Matt Stawski 
Producer: Paul Bock 
Art by: Serge Gay Jr  

Artist: Omar Rodriguez Lopez
Track: Aqua Ducle De Pulpo
Album: Un Escorpion Perfumado
Label: Rodriguez Lopez Productions
Directed by Omar Rodriguez Lopez 

Cast Spells the solo project of David Davison from Maps & Atlases has a new video for the track “Glamorous Glowing” from the EP Bright Works And Baton on Sargent House. Directed by Behn Fannin for Refused TV. 

and here is a little behind-the-scenes photostory about how I made it…

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This fine Good Old War clip was shot while the band were out on the road earlier this year. Thanks go out to  Andy Patch who lived in the van with them for a week shooting the voyage,  and to  Behn Fannin who edited and assembled the goodness for Refused TV. And make sure to head over to ITUNES where this song is the Discover & Download Feature for Free and all this week their glorious Self Titled album is only $5.99. And last but not least the guys are on the road so make sure to see them when they sing through your town. Click HERE for all the tour dates.  

And on a personal note. Thanks GOW for all the Sargent House T-shirt love when you’re out on tour! Way to represent!

Artist: Omar Rodriguez Lopez
Track: Polaridad 
Album: Tychozerente 
Label: Rodriguez Lopez Productions
Directed by Omar Rodriguez Lopez 

Director’s Spotlight : Behn Fannin

Behn Fannin isn’t your average dude. He seems to have his hand in every type of visual stimulation I can think of. When he’s not making music videos for the likes of Tera Melos or Panic! at the Disco, he’s actively participating in an on-going comedy group; and then I’m guessing after a couple of shot-gunned Redbulls, he sits down and works on his feature films. Basically, the guy is an absolute animal. We somehow managed to catch up with him and tried to pick his fast-paced brain.

YMT: Yo Behn! You’ve been in the video game for quite some time now, how did you first get involved with directing videos? And where do you find your inspiration?

BEHN: My dad, Rick Fannin, is a musician, so while I was interested in film making, music has always been a big part of my life. I noticed early on that the things I was interested in filming and the way I cut them had very strong ties to the feel and rhythms of music. When I moved to LA I made a few short films, but I wanted to reach a broader audience, so I started reaching out to record labels offering to make them music videos for free. They saw, from my short films, that I could pull stuff off with no budget, and took me up on it. That’s how my Melvins video came to be – I flipped when Ipecac Records sent me that track! After that I was picked up by Refused TV as a director, and since then I’ve done a lot of vids with the Sargent House record label. This is lucky for me because the label’s mastermind, Cathy Pellow, has assembled a roster of truly great bands.

Whether or not I’m competition with the other directors who make them, modern music videos are very inspiring to me, because due to ever decreasing budgets and fewer “suits” guarding the gates, bands and directors are having to use much more ingenuity and creativity to make music vids, which allows for bolder choices and forces the idea back into the core of the project, instead of relying on a big budget. But, I find inspiration in lots of other places too; paintings, science, photography, films, technology, Taco Bell, my neighbor’s garbage, etc…

Behn on set with The Young Veins

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Artist: Young Veins
Track: Take A Vacation
Label: One Haven Music 
Director & Editor: Behn Fannin  
DP: Andy Patch  
Prod Co: REFUSED TV

Artist: The Wonder Years 
Track: Melrose Diner
Label: Hopeless Records
Director: Penta

A look behind the scenes of the making of the Cee Lo Green video for Fuck You. Directed by Matt Stawski, produced by REFUSED TV and commissioned by Cathy Pellow of Sargent House for Atlantic Records / Warner Music Group.