That way, I can talk to my team about any part. I strove to learn that same way, to really study filmmaking and all the other parts that come with it. A great director understands all aspects of filmmaking. Learning from him, I thought that’s what a great director does. He knew about the camera about filming about hair, the makeup, wardrobe editing. Most importantly, Hype knew all the departments. I learned a lot being around him - about work ethic, knowledge. I saw how much the director got paid and was, like, “ woah!” … When I was an intern for Hype, I found a budget for a video he’d done. This is a creative outlet.” That was the beginning. Seeing all the cameras and music videos, I thought “oh, it’s something about these cameras. While there, I was working on a show called “Rhapsody” and “Soul In The City.” Up to that point, I thought I was going to be a graphic designer. When did you realize you wanted to be a director? We could feel there’s energy around the music videos. … Madonna’s “Express Yourself ” Almost anything by Mark Romanek, especially the Nine Inch Nails videos he did “Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)” that Hype did and Wu-Tang Clan “Can It Be All So Simple” are two videos that made me say, there’s something going on. He did Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” he did Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” He made very cinematic videos that always looked big and impressive.
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Back then I didn’t know who Bob Giraldi was, but I knew his videos. I love this.” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Beat It” were big for me. I thought, “Oh my God, what a great video. Growing up, I remember the a-ha video was a big one. Which music videos had a big impact on you in your youth?
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That’s when music videos really became something.
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Then people like David Fincher, Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Mark Romanek, George Ackerman started popping up. I was lucky enough to be mentored by him and be an intern at his company, where I would draw boards for him. Who were your biggest influences visually?įirst was Hype Williams. “He’s one of us!” I also brought a lot of work back to Toronto. I shot Sean Paul out there Donell Jones… No one’s angry that a director’s working with Jay Z. … That was the late ‘90s and early 2000s - Drake’s generation - I was a guy that was a symbol of “hey, we could get from here to there.” And as a director, I was unhateable. I actually was the first person from the city to come to America and be part of the legitimate hip-hop world. Toronto back then was called The Tdot, that was our cool term for the city. What was the music scene like in Toronto as you were coming up? With over 160 million views in under two months, “Life Is Good” features the two rappers working odd part-time jobs - garbage men, Apple techs and fast food cashiers, among them.ĭuring a recent stop in Los Angeles, where Director X curated Tinder’s “Black Love Is” event, Variety sat down with Lutz to talk about his background, proudest moments and whether his future will full-length films. Getting behind the camera for some of R&B’s greatest records from the ’90s and 2000’s - Lutz recently posted a #TBT clip of Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass,” - his career would take him to the heights of the trade, directing videos for Kendrick Lamar, Miguel, Justin Bieber and multiple clips for Drake, including Future’s cinematic “Life Is Good” featuring Drizzy. The experience gave Lutz the confidence to launch his own production company, Toronto-based Popp Rok, and adopt the moniker Little X.
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Lutz started his career in the 1990s, first working under Hype Williams as a visual consultant on the 1998 film “Belly” and eventually becoming his protege. Over three decades, the visual artist whose real name is Julien Christian Lutz continues to elevate the bar. The Toronto native is responsible for some of music’s most iconic music videos, from DMX’s “What’s My Name?” and 112’s “Peaches and Cream” to Drake and Future’s “Life Is Good” in 2020. Director X may not be a household name, but he is a legend of filmmaking.