Bryan Barber
Bryan Barber is a music video and motion picture director. He has directed many music videos for popular artists.
Life and career
Bryan Barber takes inspiration from many sources and says his upbringing has always helped form his vision. For Barber, writing and directing began as an outlet to have a voice. Raised by a single mother in the heart of Silicon Valley, before it was a coined phrase, Barber viewed life as a teen from the streets of East Palo Alto, California. Only two miles from where Steve Jobs was building Apple, Barber was writing stories in what was at the time the murder capital of the nation.Bryan moved to Sacramento at the age of sixteen. His early love for film led him to work for Tower Records video distribution center and Tower Video during high school. While working at Tower, Barber learned early on that storytelling would be his way to bridge the gap between economic and racial divides. His family was involved in art and activism, so it was only natural that Barber would follow suit, but it wouldn't be easy.
Barber failed out of three colleges before finally deciding to study film at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. The challenge for him was taking his studies seriously. Eventually, a short film written and directed by Barber won him a trip to the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival sponsored by the United Negro College Fund. From that experience, he knew he had a place as a filmmaker.
After graduating college, Barber worked as a production assistant on the feature Black Dog directed by Kevin Hooks. However, steady work was hard to find. Barber worked many jobs as a production assistant, an assistant editor, and he worked at a telecine film- processing lab in Atlanta before finally saving enough money to buy his 16mm camera, with assistance from his grandparents. “Without the help of my grandparents, I would have been a PA forever,” explains Barber.
“Back then the barrier of entry for directing was too expensive,” Barber states. However, Barber was determined. Owning a camera allowed him to focus on directing. For him the timing was right. There was a boom in the music industry in Atlanta and not many music video directors. “I grew up admiring all of these guys who had cut their teeth on directing music videos, directors like John Landis, Ridley Scott, Michael Bay, David Fincher, and Spike Lee. Barber states, “I knew if I wanted to make movies the easiest way to gain experience was through following their footsteps.”
Barber directed his first music video, Skew It on the Bar-B in 1998 for Outkast. Barber soon became known for his original, left of center, narrative video scripts, and visual directing style.
Early on, Barber produced his videos through his own company, Bush Harbor Filmworks, Inc. He eventually joined a major production company where his success as a director took off working with stars like Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Janet Jackson, and Wiz Khalifa. This led to him being a groundbreaker in the field and hailing several award-winning classic videos.
Barber has directed more than 200 music videos; 40 commercials; and wrote, directed, and produced various television and film projects.
Barber received a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video, Short Form for directing Outkast's "Hey Ya!". He is also the winner of three MTV awards; five BET awards; two Soul Train Michael Jackson Icon Awards; five MVPA awards; and two Much Music awards. His videos and artist collaborations have amassed over 100 million albums sold worldwide.
Barber has also directed numerous commercials for clients such as Pepsi, Target, CoverGirl, Chevrolet, Verizon, Shoe Carnival, Sony, and The Sugar Bowl.
After a decade of pushing the genre, Barber was inspired to move into feature films with his of the HBO/Universal Studios produced Idlewild written, directed, and co-produced by Barber. A 1930s musical set in the fictional Georgia town of Idlewild. The film starred OutKast, Paula Patton, Terrence Howard and Faizon Love. OutKast also produced Idlewild an accompanying album.
After Idlewild, Barber had the opportunity to work on several television projects. Most notably, Barber directed episodes of the Nickelodeon sitcom, Instant Mom, starring Tia Mowry.
Barber spent "$50,000 for a presentation that included motion capture, stunts, concept art, storyboards and sound design" to try to get the job directing from 20th Century Fox. He did not get the job but Fox was impressed enough with it that they reimbursed Barber. Barber is currently working on an adaptation of Gigantor after acquiring the rights from Fred Ladd.
Videography
Music Videos
| Artist | Title |
| Bubba Sparxxx; Organized Noize; Travis Barker | "Back In The Mud" |
| Bubba Sparxxx; Timbaland | "Deliverance" |
| Christina Aguilera | "Ain't No Other Man" |
| OutKast feat Killer Mike | "The Whole World" |
| OutKast | "Skew It on the Bar-B" |
| OutKast | "Roses" |
| OutKast | "The Way You Move" |
| OutKast | "Morris Brown" |
| OutKast | "Hey Ya!" |
| OutKast feat Killer Mike | "Land of a Million Drums" |
| Killer Mike feat OutKast | "Akshone " |
| UGK feat. OutKast | "International Players Anthem " |
| Sleepy Brown feat. Andre Benjamin; Big Boi | "I Can't Wait" |
| Dungeon Family feat. Andre Benjamin; Big Boi; CeeLo; Goodie Mob | "Trans DF Express" |
| Kelly Clarkson | "The Trouble with Love Is" |
| Kelly Clarkson | "I Do Not Hook Up" |
| Wiz Khalifa feat. Ty Dolla Sign | "Something New" |
| Big Grams | "Drum Machine" |
| Big Boi | "Kill Jill" |
| De La Soul | "Pain" |
| Big Boi feat. Mary J Blige | "Sumthin's Gotta Give" |
| Stooshe | "Slip" |
| Alexandra Burke feat. Flo Rida | "Bad Boys" |
| Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys feat. Too Short | "Bia Bia" |
| Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys | "Put Yo Hood Up" |
| Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys feat. Rickey Smiley | "I Like Dem Girlz" |
| Jermaine Dupri feat. Johntá Austin | "Gotta Getcha" |
| Jagged Edge feat. Rev Run | "Let's Get Married" |
| Jagged Edge | "Promise" |
| Jagged Edge feat. Jermaine Dupri; Bow Wow; Da Brat | "Where the Party At?" |
| Bow Wow feat. Baby | "Let's Get Down" |
| Bow Wow | "Ghetto Girls" |
| Bow Wow feat. Ciara | "Like You" |
| Bow Wow & T Pain | "Outta My System" |
| Bow Wow feat. Chris Brown | "Shortie Like Mine" |
| Da Brat | "In Love wit Chu" |
| Mary J Blige feat. Dr. Dre | "Family Affair" |
| Queen Latifah | "Better Than the Rest" |
| Bow Wow feat. Omarion | "Let Me Hold You" |
| Avant | "Don't Take Your Love Away" |
| Gerald Levert | "Funny" |
| Nick Grant | "Get Up/ The Sing Along" |
| Run-DMC feat. Jagged Edge | "Let's Stay Together" |
| Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake | "Carry Out" |
| Lloyd | "Dedication to My Ex " |
| Destiny's Child | "Girl" |
| will.i.am | "I Got It from My Mama" |
| will.i.am | "Heartbreaker" |
| will.i.am | "Ain't It Pretty" |
| will.i.am | "One More Chance" |
| will.i.am | "She's A Star" |
| Game feat. Lil Wayne | "My Life" |
| Game feat. Chris Brown | "Pot Of Gold" |
| Game feat. Kanye West | "Wouldn't Get Far" |
| G-Unit | "Stunt 101" |
| Camoflauge | "Cut Friends" |
| Future | "Turn On The Lights" |
| Anastacia | "Left Outside Alone" |
| Keri Hilson | "Breaking Point" |
| LeToya Luckett | "She Ain't Got..." |
| LeToya Luckett | "Not Anymore" |
| Lil Johnny | "I Got You" |
| Ruben Studard | "Sorry 2004" |
| Cam'ron feat. Juelz Santana | "Oh Boy" |
| Ludacriss | "Act A Fool" |
| John Legend | "Save Room" |
| Anastacia | "Left Outside Alone" |
| Faith Evans | "Mesmerized" |
| Nelly Furtado | "Powerless " |
| JC Chasez | "Blowin' Me Up " |
| Obie Trice feat. Nate Dog | "The Set Up" |
| Musiq Soulchild | "Forthenight" |
| Eve 6 | "Think Twice" |
| Bone Crusher feat. T.I. and Killer Mike | "Never Scared" |
| Macy Gray | "When I See You" |
| Trick Daddy feat. CeeLo and Big Boi | "In Da Wind" |
| Archie Eversole | "We Ready" |
| Project Pat feat. La Chat | "" |
| Project Pat feat. Juvenile | "Make Dat Azz Clap " |
| Tracey Lee | "I Like" |
| Dante | "Lawdy Lawdy" |
| Ant Banks feat E-40; Too Short; Rappin' 4-Tay; Captain Save Em | "Player's Holiday" |
| Roscoe feat. Sleepy Brown | "Head to Toe" |
| Missy Elliot | "I'm Really Hot" |
| Mario | "Braid My Hair" |
| Truth Hurts | "Truth Hurts" |
| Tank | "One Man" |
| Pixie Lott | "Boys and Girls" |
| Wiz Khalifa ft Ty Dolla Sign | "Something New" |
| Kanye West | "Flashing Lights " |