Melina Matsoukas

Melina Matsoukas
Born (1981-01-14) January 14, 1981 (age 43)
U.S.
Alma materNew York University
OccupationDirector
Years active2006–present

Melina Matsoukas (born January 14, 1981) is an American music video, film, commercial and television director. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner and four-time MTV Video Music Awards winner for her "We Found Love" and "Formation" music videos.[1] She was honored with the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal by the American Film Institute in 2019. Her directorial debut in film was Queen & Slim, starring Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya, and written by Lena Waithe. She then worked as executive producer and director for television series Insecure, being nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2020.[2]

Early life and education

Matsoukas grew up in the Co-op City housing development in the Bronx. Her father worked as a builder,[3] and her mother taught math in a local high school. When Matsoukas was eight, the family moved to Hackensack, New Jersey, where she attended Hackensack High School.[4] Her father is of mixed Greek and Jewish descent, and her mother is of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Jamaican descent.[5][6]

Matsoukas earned her degree at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and completed her graduate work at the AFI Conservatory with an MFA in cinematography. Her graduate thesis was on music videos.[7]

Career

Matsoukas started out at Black Dog Film, then the now-defunct Gorilla Flix film production company, and is currently a director at Prettybird, which she has been signed to since 2011.[8]

Matsoukas' first film was about how women are viewed in the New York meatpacking industry, though she immediately destroyed it upon completion, describing it as "a really bad film" that "made her fall in love with the medium".[9] In 2006, Matsoukas directed her first music video upon completing grad school in 2006 for Red Handed's "Dem Girls " featuring Scooby and Paul Wall.[9] She would later direct videos for artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Ludacris, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Solange, and eventually her most frequent collaborator, Beyonce.[9] In 2016, Matsoukas contributed to Beyonce's visual album Lemonade with a music video for the album's lead single "Formation ".[9] "Formation" went on to be critically acclaimed, winning Matsoukas numerous accolades such as a Grand Prix for Excellence in Music Video at the 2016 Cannes Lion Awards as well as the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.[9]

In her music video filmography, Matsoukas would utilize many of the tropes seen in other music videos at the time, but would find ways to "always articulates her aesthetic: brightly saturated color, vivid imagery, the artist at the center of the frame always establishing a video's center of gravity".[9] Her work is described as "chock full of bright colors or crisp black and white images, smooth spotlights, and tasteful retro video models."[10] Matsoukas says that expensive equipment is not necessary for a quality video and one should never think that way: "A good video has the right visuals, a well conceptualised story and should be exciting and elicit reaction."[11] In an interview for Venus Zine's Fall 2010 issue, she explains about being part of the music video world, "I love it. The quick turnaround, the creativity."[12]

Between 2016 and 2017, Matsoukas became the executive producer and director of several episodes of the critically and publicly acclaimed television series Master of None and Insecure including the acclaimed episode from Master of None "Thanksgiving", which would go on to win several Emmy Awards, though Matsoukas herself would not be nominated for any awards for her work on the program.[13] She was later nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.[2] Matsoukas also was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series and the Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series.

Matsoukas made her directorial debut in film with Queen & Slim, starring Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya, and written by Lena Waithe. It was released on November 27, 2019, by Universal Pictures.[14] Though Matsoukas avoids making professional decisions based on personal relationships, she was intrigued by the opportunity to direct the script written by her past collaborator and good friend, Lena Waithe, later stating that she "was looking for something [she] felt was political in a way that had something to say, that was strong and unique and powerful."[9] Queen & Slim was well received critically and financially, and grossed $47.9 million worldwide. Matsoukas won a Black Reel Awards, a BET Award, a National Board of Review Awards and was nominated for the Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directing - First Time Feature Film.

In 2019, Matsoukas was honored with the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal by the American Film Institute, and was named to the Ebony Power 100 List in 2020.[15] In 2020 she directed the commercial spot Beats by Dre: You Love Me, being recognized with the Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials.

Filmography (director)

Music videos

Year Title Artist Notes
2006 "Dem Girls" Red Handed feat. Paul Wall & Scooby
"Go 'Head" Ali & Gipp feat. Chocolate Tai
"Need a Boss" Shareefa feat. Ludacris
"Cry No More" Shareefa
"Hey Hey" 216
"Money Maker" Ludacris feat. Pharrell
"Dangerous" Ying Yang Twins feat. Wyclef Jean
"Help" Lloyd Banks feat. Keri Hilson
2007 "Because of You" Ne-Yo
"Green Light" Beyoncé
"Kitty Kat" Beyoncé co-directed by Beyoncé
"Suga Mama" Beyoncé co-directed by Beyoncé
"Upgrade U" Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z co-directed by Beyoncé
"Tambourine" Eve feat. Swizz Beatz
"Do You" Ne-Yo
"Give It to You" Eve feat. Sean Paul
"Bleeding Love" Leona Lewis UK version
"Hold It Don't Drop It" Jennifer Lopez
"Sensual Seduction" Snoop Dogg
"How Do I Breathe" Mario
2008 "In My Arms" Kylie Minogue
"Wow" Kylie Minogue
"Modern World" Anouk
"Closer" Ne-Yo
"I Decided" Solange
"Just Dance" Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis
"Energy" Keri Hilson
"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" Lady Gaga
"Go Girl" Ciara
"Return the Favor" Keri Hilson feat. Timbaland
"Diva" Beyoncé
"Thinking of You" Katy Perry
2009 "I Will Be" Leona Lewis
"So Good" Electrik Red
"Not Fair" Lily Allen
"Sweet Dreams" Beyoncé I Am... World Tour interlude video
"Touch My Hand" David Archuleta
"Work" Ciara feat. Missy Elliott
"I Look to You" Whitney Houston
"Million Dollar Bill" Whitney Houston
"Sex Therapy" Robin Thicke
"Never Knew I Needed" Ne-Yo
"Hard" Rihanna feat. Young Jeezy
2010 "Rude Boy" Rihanna
"Put It in a Love Song" Alicia Keys feat. Beyoncé
"Why Don't You Love Me" Beyoncé co-directed by Beyoncé
"Rockstar 101" Rihanna feat. Slash
"Gimmie Dat" Ciara
2011 "S&M" Rihanna co-directed by Rihanna
"Move Your Body" Beyoncé
"I'm into You" Jennifer Lopez feat. Lil Wayne
"We Found Love" Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
"You da One" Rihanna
2012 "Your Body" Christina Aguilera
"Losing You" Solange
"Looking Hot" No Doubt
"Keep You" Wild Belle
2013 "Pretty Hurts" Beyoncé
"RUN" Beyoncé and Jay-Z
2016 "Formation" Beyoncé

Commercials

Year Title Client Notes
2011 Year off Target / Beyoncé
Fuel for Life Diesel
2012 All Originals Represent Adidas
2013 Change Lanes Lexus
2016 Pop Stella McCartney / Grimes, Amandla Stenberg, Lola Leon, Kenya Kinski-Jones
2017 Equality Nike
2020 You Love Me Beats by Dr. Dre Translation (ad agency)
2022 All Together Calvin Klein

Television

Year Title Notes
2016-2021 Insecure 8 episodes, director and executive producer[16]
2017 Master of None 2 episodes
2021 Y: The Last Man Executive producer[17]
2023 The Changeling Director and executive producer[18]

Film

Year Title Notes
2019 Queen & Slim Also producer[19]
2023 Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé Producer

Awards and nominations

Year Award or organization Category Nominee Result Ref.
2008 UK Music Video Awards People Choice Awards "Bleeding Love" (Leona Lewis) Won [20]
2012 Antville Music Video Awards Best Hip-Hop "Losing You" (Solange Knowles) Nominated [21]
Best Performance Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Video of the Year "We Found Love" (Rihanna with Calvin Harris) Won [22]
UK Music Video Awards Best Pop Video – International Nominated [23]
2013 Grammy Awards Best Music Video "We Found Love" (Rihanna with Calvin Harris) Won [24]
Music Video Production Awards Best Direction of a New Artist "Losing You" (Solange Knowles) Won [25]
Best Direction of a Female Artist Won
UK Music Video Awards Best Pop Video – International Won [26]
2014 Camerimage Video of the Year "Pretty Hurts" (Beyoncé) Nominated [27]
Best Cinematography Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Best Direction Nominated [28]
2016 Camerimage Video of the Year "Formation" (Beyoncé) Nominated [29]
Best Cinematography Nominated
Cannes Lions International Festival Excellence in Music Video Gran Prix [30]
Clio Awards Video of the Year Won [31]
Kinsale Shark Awards Best International Director Music Video Won [32]
Best International Music Video Won
London International Awards Best Music Video Bronze [33]
Music Video Direction Bronze
MTV Video Music Awards Video of the Year Won [34]
Best Direction Won
Best Cinematography Won
UK Music Video Awards Best Urban Video - International Nominated [citation needed]
Best Styling in a Video Won
2017 Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Comedy Series Insecure Nominated [35]
Outstanding Directing - Comedy Series "Thanksgiving" (Master of None) Nominated
Gold Derby Awards Best Comedy Episode of the Year Won [36]
Grammy Awards Best Music Video "Formation" (Beyoncé) Won [24]
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series "Insecure as F**k" (Insecure) Nominated [37]
Webby Awards Best Music Video - People's Voice "Formation" (Beyoncé) Won [38]
Best Music Video Nominated
2018 Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Comedy Series Insecure Nominated [39]
Outstanding Directing - Comedy Series "Hella Perspective" (Insecure) Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series "Thanksgiving" (Master of None) Nominated [40][41]
2019 American Film Institute Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal Herself Won [42]
African-American Film Critics Association Impact Award Queen & Slim Won [43]
Top 10 Best Films Won
Austin Film Critics Association Awards Best First Film Nominated [44]
Florida Film Critics Circle Best First Film Won [45]
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Awards Best First Feature Nominated [citation needed]
National Board of Review Awards Best Directorial Debut Won [46]
Online Association of Female Film Critics Awards Breakthrough Filmmaker Nominated [47]
Online Film Critics Society Best Debut Feature Nominated [48]
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards Best First Feature Nominated [49]
2020 BET Awards Best Movie Won [50]
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Motion Picture Nominated [51]
Outstanding Director Nominated
Outstanding Emerging Director Won
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directing - First Time Feature Film Nominated [52]
Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards Best First Film Nominated [citation needed]
Best New Filmmaker Nominated [citation needed]
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Motion Picture Nominated [53]
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Insecure Nominated [2]
Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Comedy Series Won [54]
2021 Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials Beats by Dre: You Love Me Won [55]
2022 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series "Reunited, Okay?!" (Insecure) Nominated [56]

References

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