The Harlan J. Strauss Visiting Filmmaker Series 2022

The Department of Cinema Studies is honored to bring the seventh Harlan J. Strauss Visiting Filmmaker Series to Oregon, thanks to a generous gift by Harlan (PhD ’74) and Rima Strauss. This endowment enables Cinema Studies to bring industry filmmakers and emerging talents to mentor students and hold public conversations. This spring, Director Diane Martel will mentor students, guest lecture in the spring term course “CINE 408: The Art of Music Video,” and participate in a series of events for students and community members, hosted by Cinema Studies.

Join us spring term for screenings, talks, and workshops with Diane Martel. Please visit the event page for details!

 Diane Martel is a Brooklyn, NY born and bred filmmaker and creative director with more than 30-years of experience in the industry. She is a self-taught music video director, who was born into and influenced by the vibrant stage scene of New York's Public Theater, which was founded by her late uncle, the famed theater producer and activist, Joseph Papp.

In her younger years, Martel studied drawing and classical guitar, and spent years experimenting in the downtown NYC performance street art scene. However, it was Martel's background in dance and as a choreographer that launched her career directing music video. She received N.E.A. choreography fellowships, NYCSA grants, and had a PSI residency, and had her work produced at Dance Theater Workshop, PSI, PS122, and The Kitchen. These experiences were fundamental in her growth into a filmmaker.

It was her connection with the dance communities in New York that started her career as a filmmaker, directing two N.E.A. funded documentaries focused on different NYC dance subcultures, which aired on PBS: House of Tres (1990) and Reckin' Shop: Live From Brooklyn (1992).

Martel got her start directing music videos for Def Jam in 1992, her first being Onyx's “Throw Ya Gunz.” She has a deep love for hip hop culture and rap music, which manifested in her early videos during the 1990s as she made gritty and authentic videos with rap artists like Method Man, ODB, Redman, Gang Starr, and Mobb Deep. In her early career she also worked extensively with R&B artists such as Mariah Carey, who she has made eight videos with. Her eye and knack for performance video, however, also caught the attention of many rock and pop artists in the 2000s.

With an impressive catalog, Martel has also directed videos for N.E.R.D. and Pharrell Williams, Pink, Beyoncé, J.Lo, White Stripes, The Killers, Ciara, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Franz Ferdinand, Nicki Minaj, and Coldplay. She directed two of 2013's most iconic videos: Miley Cyrus's “We Can't Stop” and “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell. Martel has collaborated with Cyrus on several videos, and was the director/creative director for Miley's Bangerz Tour. 

Martel is known for making authentic and bold performance videos, ones that often weave or intercut narrative into the performance. She takes great care in lensing and framing artists that allows for freer performances on screen, and has developed a unique photographic aesthetic to her work.

It's clear that she creates a relationship with artists on set, and in the process creates attainable conceptual pop art, but also imbues true culture into mainstream culture. Known for highly stylized videos that explore escapism, voyeurism, nostalgia, and sexuality and intimacy in nonconventional ways.

Website: diane-martel.com | Instagram: @dianemartel_

The UO Cinema Studies Visiting Filmmaker Series is Funded by the Generous Harlan J. Strauss Visiting Filmmaker Endowment