Director Analysis - Ninian Doff

Ninian Doff is a director of music videos, short films, and commercials for companies such as O2 and Hula Hoops.

Doff has created music videos for a variety of different artists, and doesn't seem to have stuck to a particular genre, unlike directors such as Samuel Bayer. He has created music videos for the likes of Peace, Royal Blood and Kasabian, and looking through his music videos, it is clear that he very much enjoys creating music videos with a narrative, rather than focusing on performance.

An example of a strong narrative is in his music video for 'Figure It Out' by Royal Blood. The music video follows a female protagonist as she runs around a shopping mall. However the change of colour between blue and red shows to the audience different pieces of information, some of which can only be seen with certain colour lights. The music video has a clear beginning, middle, and end, which makes it very reminiscent of a film rather than a music video. This is a clear theme in Doff's music videos, as they seem more like films accompanied by music, rather than a music video, which demonstrates just how strong the narrative is in his music videos.

Another example of a strong narrative in Doff's music videos is for the song 'Sometimes I Feel So Deserted' by The Chemical Brothers. This music video follows a female protagonist who is walking aimlessly through the desert. At first, we as the audience think she is a good character, however it is soon revealed that she is a zombie, or a walking corpse, when we see her eat another person, and pull off her own broken leg to attach a metal one. There is a very cinematic feel about the music video, and it is clear that Doff has focused on making the music video look good, as well as synthesising with the song.