Darkness. The wind is blowing. We can see a room lit with different shades of faint blue light. A man is sitting on a bed. He swallows some pills and drinks some water. Then he takes off his shirt. Suddenly, we are transferred to a concert hall, bathed in golden reflections and full of cheering people. We can hear the first cords of a beautiful tune played on the piano, then cellos and violins join in. The camera swoops through the stage, observing the people that will soon start the show. And then it moves to a desert area, in the center of which stands a virgin-white church ...

This almost-minute-long introduction to the Guns N' Roses' “November Rain" video went down in history. Its director, Andy Morahan, is now one of the most prominent music video directors in the music industry. He shot videos for such bands as Aerosmith, Van Halen, Simple Minds, Tears for Fears, Simply Red, AC/DC or Wham!. He also worked with Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Bryan Adams, George Michael, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Kim Wilde, Elton John, Paul McCartney. His work was awarded both by the music industry and festivals all over the world: for the video for George Michael's “Father Figure" he received MTV Music Video Award for Best Director, whereas the aforementioned “November Rain" video was announced the Video of the Year, it also received the award for Best Cinematography (by Daniel Pearl and Mike Southon).


Andy Morahan
Although his father was a prominent TV director and he often took Andy to London's West End and Pinewood Studios, Morahan did not plan to engage in the music industry. He chose Graphic Design & Film for his studies in Saint Martin's College, he also played in his own band, but he soon realized that directing is his true calling. It was the beginning of the 80s and the young, talented lad found himself at the centre of the music video revolution. This new form of artistic promotion of bands became increasingly popular and it soon was an essential element of the music industry. Morahan jumped at the opportunity and he simultaneously learned his craft and developed his career.

Almost instantly he became a known figure in the industry, and subsequent awards and distinctions have only reinforced this position. Therefore, he tried something new, becoming quite successful film and commercial director. This first artistic path led him to shooting “Highlander III: The Sorcerer", “Goal! III" and an episode of “Tales from the Crypt". The second path, commenced with directing the groundbreaking Guess Jeans ‘Cheat' commercial, featuring performances from Juliette Lewis and Harry Dean Stanton, made him again famous worldwide. Since then he had created commercials for Ford, Bacardi, Vodafone, Canon and other companies. Recently Toyota has hired Morahan for their Prius campaign, featuring Leonardo Di Caprio.

Throughout all these years Andy Morahan never lost the passion for his craft. He treats each project as a new challenge, trying to prepare himself in all possible ways. Though when on the set he prefers flexibility, spontaneity and positive vibe. Such attitude not only made him many friends, but also enables him constantly to reach for the proverbial stars. This year Morahan had directed a groundbreaking 3D concert movie for JLS, which went straight into the UK box office at number 4.

Still from "Father Figure" video

Still from "November Rain" video
Being a true artist, Andy Morahan always looks for new challenges. Thus he will appear during XIX PLUS CAMERIMAGE not only as a recipient of the Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Music Videos Award, but also as a speaker/lecturer of the first edition of the new festival programme: “Music Videos: The Master Class Series". We can't wait to host Andy Morahan in Bydgoszcz!