Björk: Down with the people or lowering herself?
Fancy following in the illustrious footsteps of Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry and Nick Knight to become the director of Björk's new video? The old-fashioned way would be to spend tens of thousands of pounds attending film school, spend hours becoming technically proficient in a range of film and video technology, take years building-up a showreel, before finding some way to gain access to the elite fashion and art circles that people like Björk inhabit.
The new way is a bit more democratic. You don't need to be proficient behind a camera, have access to a studio or much equipment other than a half-decent computer and some ability with a 3D graphics package. Simply go to Björk's website, download a half-dozen computer files, mash them together and apply for the job of director of her new single promo.
"Björk has suggested that the video to Innocence is to be made by anyone who wants to," reads her statement. All that is required is that each submission shows clearly what the idea is for the video is likely to be. You have until June 10 to upload your video, Björk will then choose the winner and then invite them to collaborate with her further on a more polished version.
It's not the first time Björk has invited the public to remake her work. In 2005, she put out 20 remixes of Army of Me (including an early break for the then largely unknown singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf) and previously invited her fans to choose the tracks for her greatest hits album.
The cult of the amateur has spread to other musicians too. New Order recently released Community, a 16-track tribute album comprised of cover versions spanning the band's career, while sites like Eyespot nurture a community of would-be video makers, giving them the opportunity to make videos of popular artists including Snoop Dogg, Outkast and R Kelly. New and unsigned bands are now routinely encouraged to play on the same bill as established bands: only yesterday the promoters of the Knowsely Music Festival opened up a MySpace page inviting unsigned acts to compete for chance to appear alongside the Who and the Zutons.
But how far can this democratisation of music go? Do we want our favourite acts to present work that is as open and flexible as the new Olympics logo? And are the results likely to be any good? The increased ease of involvement in the music business might be great for those trying to make a name for themselves, but does the end product match that produced by the professionals with years of experience behind them? As Björk might have it, over to you.
