Director Keith Rivers has signed with A Common Thread for exclusive representation in music videos. Rivers gained notoriety last year when a commercial campaign he directed for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer ignited the singing career of soulful British singer Alex Clare, whose song, “Too Close,” was featured in the soundtrack. Rivers went on to direct an official music video for the song that has also become a hit.
“Keith is a great filmmaker,” said Jennifer Trujillo, A Common Thread’s sales representative for music videos. “He likes to tell stories, and he does so in a cinematic way. He is also a musician himself, and he draws on that background in his work as a director.”
Rivers is known for his commercial work, which includes campaigns for Chevrolet, Volvo and Amazon, much of it involving music-driven storytelling. His Internet Explorer campaign mixed live action and animation, and drew attention, not only for its colorful visuals, but also for Clare’s song. The singer had virtually given up on his musical career after his debut album, The Lateness of the Hour, performed poorly, but the campaign’s debut caused an immediate spike in digital sales. The song rocketed to number seven on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and achieved Double Platinum status.
Rivers was then contracted by Island Records, Clare’s label, to direct the official video, and he responded with a behind-the-scenes style film with Clare in a dressing room preparing for a sold out show. “I’ve always been passionate about music,” Rivers said, “90 percent of my work centers on musically-driven stories.”
Music videos are a natural setting for Rivers, as his father is a Seattle radio personality. As a boy, Rivers spent time in his father’s home-based recording studio and occasionally got to jam with musicians who visited. He was a member of several bands during his teen years and continues to record music, with two albums featured on iTunes.
“Partnering with A Common Thread is a cool opportunity and a good relationship to build on,” Rivers said. “They offer a new avenue for my style of music-driven films.”
