Birth name Walter Adrian Stern Name Walter Stern Years active 1991–present | Occupation(s) Film maker Role Music video director | |
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Movies Massive Attack: Eleven Promos, The Prodigy: Their Law: The Singles: 1990-2005 Similar People Baillie Walsh, Jonathan Glazer, Stephane Sednaoui, Michel Gondry, Robert Del Naja | ||
Walter Adrian Stern (born 16 November 1965 in Marylebone, London) is an English music video film director.
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Music videos
Walter Stern began his career directing music videos at Control, a small production company based in London.
Stern was born 1965 to a jewish father of austrian descent and a british mother. In 1993, he moved to Stigma where he first directed a promo for the band The Prodigy. Their collaboration continued throughout the mid to late 1990s, including two critically acclaimed and award-winning promos in 1996: "Firestarter", which won Best Video in the NME People's Choice Award 1996, and "Breathe", which won Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards 1997.
Stern joined Academy Films in 1997, launching himself with the video for The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony". That same year, he began another successful collaboration, this time with the band Massive Attack. This relationship produced promos for "Risingson" (1997), "Teardrop" and "Angel" (both 1998). "Teardrop" won the award for Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards 1998 and was nominated for Brit and D&AD awards.
He has also worked with artists as diverse as Madonna, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails and Stereo MCs. At the 2003 Creative & Design Awards, Stern pick up the award for Best Video of the Year and Best Dance Video for Audio Bullys' "We Don't Care".
In 2006 he produced a music video for Bloc Party's "The Prayer" and in 2009 he returned to the collaboration with The Prodigy directing a new promo "Take Me to the Hospital".
In 2007 he won the CADS Outstanding Achievement award.
Advertisements
Stern entered the advertising arena in 1997 with an ad for Volkswagen Golf. His commercial career has been as successful as his music video career, collecting a Golden Lion for Volkswagen "Heaven" at Cannes 2000. He has completed two advertisements for Coca-Cola, and other clients include Caffreys, the BBC, Orange, Adidas and Diet Coke.
Stern's "Lucky", for the Department for Transport, won him an arrow at BTAA Craft for Best Video Post Production.
His other advertising work includes "Bubbles" for Vodafone, a Transport for London spot for M&C Saatchi and a Johnnie Walker film for BBH.