From Sum 41's "Fat Lip" to Pill's "Trap Goin' Ham", great music videos are bursts of sound and vision that leave an indelible impression. Director's Cut is a Pitchfork News feature in which we chat with music video directors about their creations. The men and women behind the camera are often overlooked in today's YouTube era, but this feature aims to highlight their hard work while showcasing the best videos currently linking around the internet. A little behind-the-scenes dirt couldn't hurt, too.
Tom Scharpling is half of the comedy duo Sharpling and Wurster with Superchunk/Mountain Goats drummer Jon Wurster. He hosts the cult favorite "The Best Show" on WFMU in New Jersey. He was a writer and a co-executive producer on the TV show "Monk". And now, thanks to his work on Ted Leo and the Pharmacists' "Bottled in Cork" clip, he's also a music video director. Scharpling's ridiculous video finds Ted Leo attempting to sell out with a Broadway musical that uncannily recalls Green Day's American Idiot. Comedy-world buds like Paul F. Tompkins, John Hodgman, and Julie Klausner appear, as does a particularly manic Titus Andronicus frontman Patrick Stickles.
We talked with Scharpling about the Green Day musical, the Bon Jovi musical that should exist, Stickles' acting, and how to not make an OK Go video. Our interview is below.
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