Paul Hunter (director)

Last updated
Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter (cropped).jpg
Born
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s) Film director, screenwriter, music video director,
Years active1995–present
Website Official

Paul Hunter is an Emmy [1] -nominated American filmmaker and co-founder [2] of commercial production company PRETTYBIRD, [3] which represents directors including Melina Matsoukas and the Oscar-winning duo Daniels.

Contents

Career

Hunter has directed global commercial campaigns for Nike, Sony, Adidas, Apple, Audi, Microsoft, Bacardi, McDonalds, the Los Angeles Rams, and T-Mobile. In 2001, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Nike's Freestyle [4] commercial. [5] [6]

In 2018, Billboard included four of Hunter's music videos on their list of "The 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 21st Century: Critics’ Picks". [7] In 2004, the Washington Post called Hunter one of the "most seminal names among black hip-hop directors." [8]

Selected music video credits

YearArtistSongNotes
1996 Twinz "Eastside LB"
1996 Keith Sweat "Twisted"
1996 Keith Sweat "Nobody"
1996 Keith Sweat "Just a Touch"
1996 Snoop Dogg "Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto"
1996 Aaliyah "One in a Million"
1996 Aaliyah "Got to Give It Up"
1996 Erykah Badu "On & On" MVPA Award for Best Urban/R&B Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video
1997 Aaliyah "One in a Million" (Remix)Video features singers Ginuwine, Missy Elliott, and producer Timbaland
1997 Snoop Dogg "Vapors"
1997 Whitney Houston "Step by Step"
1997 Zhané "Request Line"
1997 Warren G "I Shot the Sheriff"
1997 Heavy D "Big Daddy"
1997 Adriana Evans "Seein' Is Believing"
1997 Mary J. Blige and Nas "Love Is All We Need"
1997 Brownstone "5 Miles to Empty"
1997 Scarface featuring Makaveli and Johnny P"Smile"
1997 Zhane "Crush"
1997 Lauryn Hill "The Sweetest Thing"
1997 Blackstreet featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard, Slash, and Fishbone "Fix"
1997 Tamia "Make Tonight Beautiful"
1997 Mariah Carey "Honey"
1997 Mariah Carey featuring Puff Daddy, The Lox, and Mase "Honey" (Bad Boy Remix)Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
1997 Puff Daddy featuring Mase "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"
1997 Pras featuring Mýa Ol’ Dirty Bastard "Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are)"
1997 Puff Daddy featuring The Lox and Lil' Kim "It's All About the Benjamins"
1997 The Black Eyed Peas "Joints & Jams"
1997 Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase "Been Around the World"
1997 The Notorious B.I.G. "Hypnotize" MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video
1997 New Kids on the Block "What It Is"
1997 LL Cool J "Phenomenon"
1997 Boyz II Men "4 Seasons of Loneliness"
1997 Mack 10 featuring Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube "Only in California"
1997 Laurneá "Infatuation"
1997 LSG featuring Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J and MC Lyte "Curious"
1997 Salt-N-Pepa "Gitty Up"
1998 Jermaine Dupri featuring Da Brat and Usher "The Party Continues"
1998 Queen Latifah "Paper"
1998 LL Cool J "Hot Hot Hot"
1998 Joydrop "Beautiful"
1998 Babyface "You Were There"
1998 Brandy featuring Mase "Top of the World"
1998 Boyz II Men "Can't Let Her Go"
1998 Tamia "Imagination"
1998 Ice Cube "We Be Clubbin'"
1998 Janet Jackson "I Get Lonely"
1998 Janet Jackson featuring Blackstreet "I Get Lonely" (TNT Remix)
1998 Busta Rhymes "Turn It Up (Remix)/Fire It Up"
1998 Usher "My Way"
1998 Missy Elliott featuring Timbaland and Mocha"Hit Em wit da Hee"
1998 Marilyn Manson "The Dope Show"MVPA Award for Rock Video of the Year
MVPA Award for Best Direction of a Music Video [9]
1998 Marilyn Manson "I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)"
1998 Everclear "Father of Mine"
1998 A Tribe Called Quest "Find a Way"
1998 Hole "Malibu"
1998 Lenny Kravitz "Fly Away"Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video
1999 Faith Evans featuring Puff Daddy "All Night Long"
1999 Warren G featuring Mack 10 "I Want It All"
1999 Keith Sweat "I'm Not Ready"
1999 Matchbox Twenty "Back 2 Good"
1999 Will Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee "Wild Wild West"Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film
1999 Jennifer Lopez "If You Had My Love"Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video
1999 Lenny Kravitz "American Woman"
1999 Enrique Iglesias "Bailamos"
1999 TLC "Unpretty"Nominated – Grammy Award for Best Music Video
1999 Reel Tight "Reasons"
1999 AMyth 1, 2, 3
1999 Puff Daddy featuring Mario Winans "Best Friend"
1999 D'Angelo "Untitled (How Does It Feel)"MVPA Award for Best Direction of a Male Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
2000 Jennifer Lopez featuring Big Pun and Fat Joe "Feelin' So Good"
2000 Will Smith "Freakin' It"
2000 Brian McKnight "Stay or Let It Go"
2000 Kelis "Get Along with You"
2000 Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg "The Next Episode"
2000 Eminem "The Way I Am"
2000 Christina Aguilera "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)"
2000 Lenny Kravitz "Again"Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
2000 Deftones "Back to School (Mini Maggit)" [10]
2000 Tamia "Stranger in My House"
2000 A Perfect Circle "3 Libras" [11]
2000 Faith Hill "Where Are You, Christmas?"
2000 Jennifer Lopez "Love Don't Cost a Thing"Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
2001 Jay-Z featuring R. Kelly "Guilty Until Proven Innocent"MVPA Awards – Hollywood Digital Award for Rap Video of the Year
2001 Aaliyah "We Need a Resolution"
2001 Christina Aguilera, Mýa, Lil' Kim, and P!nk "Lady Marmalade" MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video [12]
2001 Sunshine Anderson "Lunch or Dinner"
2001 Michael Jackson "You Rock My World"Video features actors Marlon Brando, Chris Tucker, Michael Madsen, Billy Drago and introducing Kishaya Dudley
2003 Eminem "Superman"
2003 Britney Spears featuring Madonna "Me Against the Music" [13]
2003 Justin Timberlake "Señorita" [14] Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
2003 Justin Timberlake "I'm Lovin' It"
2003 Tamia "Officially Missing You"
2003 Ashanti "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)"Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video
2003 Joe Budden featuring Busta Rhymes "Fire (Yes, Yes Y'all)" [15] Co-directed with Kevin Hunter
2003 Mýa "My Love Is Like...Wo"
2003 Tyrese "Signs of Love Making"
2003 Pharrell featuring Jay-Z "Frontin'"Video features models Lanisha Cole and Lauren London
2004 N.E.R.D "Maybe"
2004 Van Hunt "Down Here in Hell (With You)"
2004 Mos Def "Sex, Love & Money" [16]
2004 Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell "Drop It Like It's Hot"Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video
2005 Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell "Let's Get Blown"
2005 Snoop Dogg featuring Charlie Wilson and Justin Timberlake "Signs" [17]
2005 Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl" [18] Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
Nominated – MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video
Nominated – MVPA Award for Best Pop Video
2005 Will Smith "Switch"
2005 Will Smith "Party Starter" [19]
2005 The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes "Don't Cha"
2005 Stevie Wonder "So What the Fuss" [20] MVPA Award for R&B Video of the Year [21]
2005 Common "Be"
2005 Pharrell featuring Gwen Stefani "Can I Have It Like That" [22]
2005 Warren G featuring Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and B-Real "Get U Down"
2005 Mariah Carey "Don't Forget About Us" [23]
2006 Mariah Carey featuring Snoop Dogg "Say Somethin'" [24]
2006 Jamie Foxx featuring Twista "DJ Play a Love Song" [25]
2006 Jamie Foxx "Extravaganza"
2006 Mary J. Blige featuring U2 "One"
2006 Outkast "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)"
2006 Warren G featuring Nate Dogg "I Need a Light"
2006 Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. "My Love"MVPA Award for Best Direction of a Male Artist [26]
2007 Nicole Scherzinger "Whatever U Like" [27]
2009 Chester French "She Loves Everybody" [28]
2009 Mishon "Just a Kiss" [29]
2009 Jeremih "Birthday Sex" [30]
2009 Keri Hilson "Slow Dance"
2009 The All-American Rejects "I Wanna" [31]
2009 Snoop Dogg featuring The-Dream "Gangsta Luv" [32]
2010 Kesha "Take It Off" [33] Co-directed by Dori Oskowitz
2010 Maroon 5 "Give a Little More"
2010 N.E.R.D "Hypnotize U" [34]
2011 Lenny Kravitz "Stand" [35]
2011 Nicole Scherzinger "Right There" [36]
2011 Jennifer Lopez "Papi" [37]
2012 Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull "Dance Again" [38]
2015 Tyrese "Shame" [39]
2015 Pharrell "Freedom" [40] Nominated – Grammy Award for Best Music Video [41]
2018 Justin Timberlake "Man of the Woods" [42]

Filmography

Awards

Commercials

Notes

  1. ↑ "Dailymotion". www.dailymotion.com. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  2. ↑ "Prettybird's top talents shaped the year's biggest ideas". Ad Age. 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  3. ↑ https://www.prettybird.co [ bare URL ]
  4. ↑ Elliott, Stuart (2001-04-10). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Nike makes a commercial that resembles a music video, and hopes it is viewed as such". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  5. ↑ "Making of NIKE Freestyle Commercial". www.dailymotion.com. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  6. ↑ "Q&A: Director Paul Hunter Revisits His Famous 2001 Nike Basketball Freestyle Commercial". VICE. 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  7. ↑ Billboard Staff (2018-07-24). "The 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 21st Century: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  8. ↑ Nguyen, Tommy (August 15, 2004). "Cut to the Directors". Washington Post. Retrieved August 15, 2020. 'Historically, I've seen more African American directors break into the music video industry through hip-hop and urban music, and that's a good thing,' says Scott Edelstein, a former head of music video production for HSI Productions, the company that once repped Hype Williams and still houses Paul Hunter, the two most seminal names among black hip-hop directors.
  9. ↑ "MVPA Awards - Categories". MVPA. Archived from the original on April 20, 1999. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  10. ↑ Mancini, Robert (October 13, 2000). "Deftones To Unveil Tour, New Video". MTV. Archived from the original on November 9, 2001. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  11. ↑ Mancini, Robert (October 3, 2000). "A Perfect Circle Readies "3 Libras" Video". MTV. Archived from the original on February 3, 2002. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  12. ↑ "2001 MTV Video Music Awards - Highlights, Winners, Performers and Photos from the 2001 MTV VMAs". mtv.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012.
  13. ↑ Vineyard, Jennifer (October 13, 2003). "When Madonna Co-Stars In Britney Video, Opposites Attract". MTV. Archived from the original on May 13, 2004. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  14. ↑ Patel, Joseph (July 18, 2003). "Justin, Enjoying The Single Life, Gets Down With Horde Of 'Senoritas'". MTV. Archived from the original on June 6, 2004. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  15. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (August 1, 2003). "Joe Budden Gets Caught Cheating In 'Fire'; Lil' Mo Lends A Hand". MTV. Archived from the original on February 7, 2004. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  16. ↑ Donovan, Carleen (October 8, 2004). "Mos Def The New Danger In Stores October 12!!". Manhunt.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2004. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  17. ↑ "NEW RELEASE: Snoop Dogg "Signs"". VideoStatic. April 7, 2005. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  18. ↑ "NEW RELEASE: Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl"". VideoStatic. April 6, 2005. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  19. ↑ Marino, Kelly (July 12, 2005). "Will Smith Entertains Punks, Cowboys In New 'Party' Clip". MTV. Archived from the original on September 7, 2006. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Stevie Wonder Makes Historic Breakthrough For Blind and Low Vision Music Fans". Yahoo!. May 5, 2005. Archived from the original on May 8, 2005. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  21. ↑ "NEWS: MVPA Award Winners 2006". VideoStatic. May 12, 2006. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  22. ↑ "NEW RELEASE: Pharrell feat. Gwen Stefani "Can I Have It Like That"". VideoStatic. November 2, 2005. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  23. ↑ Vineyard, Jennifer (November 1, 2005). "Marilyn Monroe Inspires Mariah To Shed Clothes For New Video". MTV. Archived from the original on May 9, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  24. ↑ Vineyard, Jennifer (March 21, 2006). "Mariah, Pharrell Hit Paris For Romantic Getaway In New Clip". MTV. Archived from the original on September 7, 2006. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  25. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (March 6, 2006). "Unpredictable Indeed: Jamie Foxx Turns Into 'Top Model' Spy In New Clip". MTV. Archived from the original on May 27, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  26. ↑ "NEWS: MVPA Award Winners". VideoStatic. May 18, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  27. ↑ "NEW RELEASE: Nicole Scherzinger "Whatever U Like"". VideoStatic. September 6, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  28. ↑ "WATCH IT: Chester French "She Loves Everybody"". VideoStatic. February 4, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Lincoln Heights' Mishon Talks 'Just A Kiss' Video, New Season". Singersroom. May 10, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  30. ↑ "WATCH IT: Jeremih "Birthday Sex"". VideoStatic. June 22, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Behind the All-American Rejects' "I Wanna" Video: Exclusive Photos". Rolling Stone . October 16, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  32. ↑ "Video: Snoop Dogg f/ The-Dream - 'Gangsta Luv'". Rap-Up. October 20, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  33. ↑ "WATCH IT: Ke$ha "Take It Off" (Paul Hunter/Dori Oskowitz, dir.)". VideoStatic. August 16, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  34. ↑ "WATCH IT: N.E.R.D. "Hypnotize U"". VideoStatic. November 9, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  35. ↑ "WATCH IT: Lenny Kravitz "Stand" (Paul Hunter, dir.)". VideoStatic. July 18, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  36. ↑ "WATCH IT: Nicole Scherzinger "Right There" (Paul Hunter, dir.)". VideoStatic. May 12, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  37. ↑ "WATCH IT: Jennifer Lopez "Papi" (Paul Hunter, dir.)". VideoStatic. September 23, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  38. ↑ "WATCH IT: Jennifer Lopez "Dance Again" f/ Pitbull (Paul Hunter, dir.)". VideoStatic. April 17, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Tyrese f/ Jennifer Hudson "Shame" (Paul Hunter, dir.)". VideoStatic. July 30, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Pharrell Williams "Freedom" (Paul Hunter, dir.)". VideoStatic. July 23, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Grammy Video Winner: Taylor Swift "Bad Blood" (Joseph Kahn, dir.)". VideoStatic. February 16, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  42. ↑ "Justin Timberlake "Man Of The Woods" (Paul Hunter, dir.)". VideoStatic. February 2, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  43. ↑ 2010 London International Awards
  44. ↑ Cannes Film Lions Winners 2010
  45. ↑ Samsung GALAXY Note 3 Official TVC - Dreams. Official channel of Samsung on YouTube. Archived from the original on 2013-10-01. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  46. ↑ Samsung GALAXY Note 3 presents "Dreams", a digital short film. Official channel of Samsung on YouTube. Archived from the original on 2013-09-12. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
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