Production affiliations: Sweden - PAR / France - Bandits / UK - RHB / US - HSI
Years directing: 10
Shoot days in 2001: 60
Geography: Swedish, based in Stockholm
Favorite Spot: Ikea "Jail, Sweet Jail"
Most suspect pop cultural import: Akerlund first delivered would-be rude boy Ali G to the unsuspecting US populace via Madonna's "Music." Now G, Akerlund and Shaggy have collaborated on an upcoming promo filmed in Jamaica.

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Trend-defining director Jonas Akerlund has directed his first feature, but feels he has a long way to go towards breaking the US market.

Akerlund's videos for Madonna, The Prodigy and U2 have dominated MTV for years, often directly resulting in the mainstream acceptance of cutting-edge trends.

"Music videos have the power to create fashion instead of rehashing it," states Akerlund. "Making fashion is easy; just pick up shiny magazines and copy the work, but if you're a smart enough director you'll create something that others will copy and you'll define the trend."

With post wrapped on Spun, his low-budget 16mm feature on the perils of drug addiction, Akerlund is in pensive mood while speaking to Boards from his HQ in Stockholm.

"All the promos are by the same directors because labels are afraid to pick new ones and take the necessary risks," says Akerlund. "You have to be friendly to work with artists. I'm affected as I'm not the most MTV-friendly guy."

Friendly or not, Akerlund's portfolio is stunning. "I've done about 250 spots so far, but it's always the stuff you do last that becomes the best because work gets old real fast."

New work includes an Ikea spot through Hasan & Partners, Helsinki and the latest Paul McCartney promo. Now that Spun is in the can, Akerlund is setting his sights on US spot work.

He travels with a tight team on productions, which includes his longtime cinematographer Eric Broms. Such solid relationships allow him to relax during a shoot.

"I was always pissed off with directors for giving me crap material that I couldn't edit," recalls Akerlund on his early days as an editor. "To do a really good cut, I realized I had to direct, so that's how it began, but I consider myself more of an editor than anything else."

Yet it's as a director that Akerlund has found his niche. "I choose to work with film because I'm not a good talker; I'm bad at conference calls

and writing treatments as it's just not part of me, but I love advertising and entertainment."

Webfiles:
Bandits> http://www.bandits.fr
HSI> http://www.hsiproductions.com