Chris Applebaum

Chris Applebaum is a video director from Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his popular music videos including Miley Cyrus's Party in the U.S.A., Usher's Dive, and Demi Lovato's Heart Attack. Thirty of his videos have reached No. 1 on the MTV charts. Applebaum has also directed fitness videos, beauty product advertisements, and commercials for companies such as Sketchers and Carl's Jr.[1]

Chris Applebaum
Born
Los Angeles, California
Alma materHampshire College
OccupationDirector
Years active1992–present
Websitechrisapplebaum.com

Life and career

Early life and college

Applebaum was born in 1970 in Los Angeles, California[1] and studied film at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. At Hampshire College, he met tour manager Asia Kai Linn in 1989, whom he married six years later.[2]

While still in college, Applebaum began directing videos for independent rock bands. His first video was released in 1992 for Chicago band Material Issue's song Everything. When Applebaum was 19, MTV offered him an opportunity to join their On-Air Promos department in New York City.[3]

Chris Applebaum signed with Satellite Films at the age of 21, becoming their youngest ever signed director. He directed over 250 films under this contract.In the 1990s, Applebaum started a record label called Indi 500.[2]

Career and influence

The 1995 video for Better Than Ezra's Good, directed by Applebaum, brought him a higher level of recognition. By then, he had already directed Fountains of Wayne's Stacy's Mom, a Carl's Jr. commercial featuring Paris Hilton, and advertisements for CoverGirl and Smirnoff. His Carl's Jr. commercial was dubbed by BDS Neilsen as the most aired TV commercial of all time.

In 2009, Applebaum's video for Rihanna's Umbrella was released. This video is widely recognized as one of Applebaum's best. Applebaum later told Genius, "[Umbrella is] definitely the video that I'm the proudest of," and the video has yielded the highest sale rate of any music video on the iTunes store.[4]

Applebaum's video for Stacy's Mom influenced a campaign for the Apple iPod, and his video for Semisonic's Closing Time is credited for inspiring aspects of Season 6 of The X-Files. Applebaum has won several awards, including the 2010 MUCH Best International Video for Party in the U.S.A., the 2007 VMA Video of the Year award for Umbrella, and the 2006 MUCH Best Video For A Female Artist for S.O.S.

Applebaum has also directed many notable videos including Numb and Party in the USA. The director claims that he now focuses on directing commercials rather than music videos.[3][4]

See also
  • List of music videos directed by Chris Applebaum

References
  1. "Chris Applebaum". www.thisisfrank.com. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  2. Brady, Lois Smith (1995-01-29). "VOWS; Asia Linn and Chris Applebaum (Published 1995)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  3. "PROFILE: Chris Applebaum, Reactor Films/Three Foot Giant". VideoStatic. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  4. Horowitz, Steven J. (April 6, 2017). "The Making Of Rihanna's "Umbrella" Video, As Told By Its Director". Genius. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
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