Frontman Michael Stipe would like to make some clips inspired by different songs in the band's new album 'Collapse Into Now' with the help of the actor and the director.
- March 4, 2011
AceShowbiz - Michael Stipe has recruited James Franco and Sam Taylor-Wood to create short films to accompany the highly-anticipated new R.E.M. album, "Collapse Into Now". Franco and Taylor-Wood have signed up to direct clips inspired by different songs on the record for Stipe's "Collapse Into Now Film Project".
The rocker hand-picked both the actor and the "Nowhere Man" director for his latest effort, and admits he gave them "free rein" to do whatever they liked with his tracks. He tells NME.com, "I went to people I really wanted to work with and I could trust them to do whatever they wanted. They had absolute free rein. In many instances I was surprised, in many instances I got what I wanted. What I wanted wasn't primarily important though, what was important was to trust the directors with something as precious as a brand new song."
"It was really fun for me to curate, working with all these different artists, and seeing how they interpreted the songs. The thing that was surprising is how much they interlockingly work, like an album."
"It was a way of presenting the idea of an album in 2011, beyond a music fan's idea of an album 20 years ago. The way technology is right now, it's possible to present something in any way you want to. I basically wanted to explore the idea of what is an album, and how do we present it with everything that we have available."
