If you are working to break into the music video industry, We Direct Music Videos is your new best friend. The volunteers of the organization are directors and producers working tirelessly to push for improvements in the music video world. Directors like Spike Jonze, Melina Matsoukas, and Hiro Murai are onboard to support WDMV.
Industry pros Miranda Tiano (Digital Marketing Manager, WDMV), Maegan Houang (Director, WDMV), Mandee Mallonee (Head of Video, Elektra Music Group), and Doug Klinger (EP/Music Video Rep, Reprobates) will be on deck to answer your burning questions. The music video industry Avengers are teaming up to pull back the curtain and discuss how to make all aspects of the industry more accessible.
Miranda Tiano
Miranda Tiano is a Los Angeles based digital marketing manager for music artists. She got her start in Atlanta as a brand partnership coordinator for OutKast. Since then she has managed digital channels for several award winning music artists including The xx, Skrillex, and Zedd. Miranda is also one of the key members running We Direct Music Videos, a volunteer organization fighting for fair labor practices in the music video industry. Her unyielding creativity in the digital space has helped WDMV garner over 2000 pledges in support of a better music video pitching process, as well as initiate a deeper conversation regarding the current state of the industry.
Maegan Houang
Maegan Houang is a writer/director based in Los Angeles. She is currently a story editor on Shōgun (FX) and previously served as a staff writer on Season Two of Counterpart (Starz/MRC). In 2018, she received a VSCO Voices Creator Grant to direct a short film she wrote entitled In Full Bloom starring Kieu Chinh (The Joy Luck Club). The film premiered online on Short of the Week and played at numerous film festivals including Fantastic Fest, Atlanta Film Festival, Oak Cliff, Hollyshorts, New Orleans, LAAPFF and Sidewalk Film Festival.
Maegan has also directed music videos for artists such as Mitski, Vagabon, Charly Bliss, Chastity Belt and Skylar Spence. Her videos have been recognized by SXSW, Noisey, Fact Magazine, UKMVAs, Stereogum, Pitchfork, Raindance Film Festival, Vimeo Staff Picks and Videostatic.
Mandee Mallonee
Mandee Mallonee is currently Head of Video Production at Elektra Music Group where she commissions music videos for a variety of artists including Twenty Øne Piløts, Brandi Carlile, and Fitz and the Tantrums. Mallonee is a 2009 Film and Television graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design and originally started her career in production before commissioning. She’s previously worked with Republic Records, Red Bull Records, and Atlantic Records.
Doug Klinger
Doug Klinger is an Executive Producer and Music Video Rep at Reprobates, as well as the co-founder of the Internet Music Video Database. He has worked in the music video industry for 10 years and in that time has watched more videos than anyone.
See you on Twitter at 1pm PST, Friday February 28! Just follow @freethework, and let the questions sing!
Click here to listen to the FREE THE WORK x We Direct Music Videos podcast hosted by Alma Har'el featuring Daniel Kwan, Maegan Houang, and Melina Matsoukas.
For more info about We Direct Music Videos, visit their website.
