Russell Mulcahy

Russell Mulcahy ( born 23 June 1953) is an Australian film director.

Mulcahy's work is recognisable by the use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights, neo-noir lighting, windblown drapery, and fans.

Mulcahy soon found that he was in demand as a music video director, and made a number of successful film clips for bands from Australia and New Zealand, including Dragon, Hush and AC/DC, and the music video for The Saints' "(I'm) Stranded" (1976).

Tony Hogarth from Wizard Records sent Mulcahy to England to do a video for a punk band in Birmingham.

It was well received and Mulcahy decided to stay on in the country.

In 1978, he went to the United States (for Roseman) and directed videos for The Cryers and Candi Staton - where he first used the "jump cut" - under producer Paul Flattery.

Other Mulcahy innovations included spot colour, body painting, glass matte shots and faux widescreen aspect ratio (first used on his Ultravox and Rod Stewart videos) which have all become standards for the genre.

Mulcahy was a friend of Richard Branson and had done videos for Virgin Records.

Branson had an idea for making a film about Derek and Clive and hired Mulcachy to shoot one of their albums over two nights.

He joined Jon Roseman Productions International and made successful music videos for several noted British pop acts—his early UK credits included Culture Club, The Human League, The Stranglers, XTC's "Making Plans for Nigel" (1979), the Sex Pistols and Paul McCartney.

This became Derek and Clive Get the Horn (1979), Mulcahy's first feature.

For the next few years, Mulcahy focused on music videos, becoming one of the leading directors in the field.

He directed music videos in the 1980s, worked in television since the early 1990s and directed the films Razorback (1984), Highlander (1986) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007).

Mulcahy was born in Melbourne.

He grew up in in the Illawarra region of New South Wales and attended Corrimal High School.

When he was 14 he received an 8mm camera and began making short films with his friends.

After school he began working as a film editor for Australia's Seven Network.

He later said he "used to creep in there at 3am and make my own movies".

He also acted on stage and was unsure whether to focus on acting or directing.

Two of his films won the City Film Festival Award for Best Independent Short Film and he won Best Short Film at the Sydney Film Festival for "Contrived Mind Flashes".

He was approached by the producer of a Seven pop show and asked to film some original footage and compile a music video (then known as a "film clip") to accompany the Harry Nilsson hit "Everybody's Talkin'" (for which no original video was available).

He directed The Vapors' hit "Turning Japanese" (1980) and his landmark video for The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" (1979) which became the first music video played on MTV in 1981.

Mulcahy recalled "Nobody knew the impact that the video would have and how timely it was when we were shooting it. We went into the video with no concept of what it was going to do... It was a one day shoot. I just had this idea of it being set in a strange laboratory, with a girl coming down a tube on a wire."

In 1980 he joined Lexi Godfrey, Scott Millaney, Brian Grant, and David Mallet to form the video company MGMM.

He had notable collaborations in particular with Ultravox, Duran Duran (especially "Hungry Like the Wolf"), Kim Carnes, Icehouse, Spandau Ballet, Fleetwood Mac ("Gypsy") (1982), Billy Joel ("Allentown" & "Matter of Trust"), Bonnie Tyler (including "Total Eclipse of the Heart") (1983), The Motels, Rod Stewart ("Young Turks") (1981) and Elton John.

In 1982, Mulcahy said he had been approached to make a feature film about a movie palace by David Puttnam, who had success working with first time directors from TV commercials.

However, the film was never made.

He has a cameo appearance in the video for "I'm Still Standing" (1983) by Elton John, that he also directed.

Mulcahy later recalled "When people were first asking me to do videos, there was never really a need or a request for a concept. They would just send me a cassette of the song. I'd listen to it with my eyes closed, come up with some ideas and write something down. We'd shoot the video the next day or two days later. It really was just grab what you can and do it."

Warner Bros music chief Jo Berggman called Mulcahy's style "everything but the kitchen sink and more school of video. Russell's work is expensive by music video standards but look at what you get. Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain - I mean, name your favorite MGM musical, they're all there."

Mulcahy worked with Duran Duran, directing the key early songs by the band which helped launch them internationally.

"We just hit it off," he said.

"They were young and brave, as was I really."

Mulcahy's first dramatic feature was in Australia, Razorback (1984).

The film was a box office disappointment but has become a cult favorite.

He later said:

"From my videos and continuing on through RAZORBACK and after, I've always made sure I have a group around me that are as important as me, and people whose expertise and talent I want and encourage. I want them to be part and parcel of the team and to be proud of their work. I guess there has to be a captain of the ship, but it only takes one crew member to screw everything up. You just encourage everyone to do their best and have fun. The more they feel part of it, and the more fun they have, the day goes faster, and the better the work is."

Mulcahy went back to video clips working with Culture Club, Elton John, Berlin and The Rolling Stones.

His work for Duran Duran was particularly acclaimed, including the clip for "Wild Boys", Arena (An Absurd Notion) and the As the Lights Go Down concert video.

In 1985, Mulcahy directed the cult film Highlander, starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery, featuring music from Queen.