{{short description|American film and music video director (born 1983)}} {{Infobox person | name = Isaiah Saxon | image = Isaiah Saxon 2006.jpg | image_size = 280px | caption = Saxon in 2006 | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1983}} | birth_place = Aptos, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | alma_mater = Academy of Art University | occupation = Film director <br/> Co-founder, Encyclopedia Pictura <br/> Co-founder, DIY.org | years_active = 2003–present | style = | children = | website = {{URL|http://www.isaiahsaxon.com/|isaiahsaxon.com}} | signature = | spouse = }}
'''Isaiah Saxon''' (born 1983)<ref name="msager">Mike Sager, [http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a6647/encyclopedia-pictura-1209/ "These Are the Directors of the Future,"] ''Esquire'', November 19, 2009.</ref> is an American film and music video director. He co-founded the animation studio Encyclopedia Pictura, and the online community DIY.org.
==Early life and education== Saxon was born and raised in Aptos, California.<ref name="jkalish">Jon Kalish, [https://www.npr.org/2011/07/17/137680605/making-cutting-edge-animation-on-a-diy-homestead "Making Cutting-Edge Animation On A DIY Homestead,"] NPR, July 16, 2011.</ref> He majored in film directing at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.<ref name="msager"/>
==Career== ===Encyclopedia Pictura=== {{main|Encyclopedia Pictura}} Saxon and Sean Hellfritsch founded Encyclopedia Pictura as a directing duo in 2004, before expanding into a trio when Daren Rabinovitch joined in 2007,<ref name="msager"/> and ultimately transforming into an animation studio.<ref name="jwortham">Jenna Wortham, [http://archive.wired.com/entertainment/music/multimedia/2008/04/gallery_bjork_wanderlust_3d "The Making of Bjork's 3-D 'Wanderlust' Video,"] ''Wired'', April 21, 2008.</ref> Through Encyclopedia Pictura, Saxon has directed music videos, short films and commercials.<ref name="jkalish"/> The studio is known for creating ambitious music videos and short films with an organic, handmade quality.<ref name="filmmaker2008">[http://filmmakermagazine.com/archives/issues/summer2008/25faces_4.php#.VwV33RMrLfB "25 New Faces of Independent Film,"] ''Filmmaker'', Summer 2008.</ref>
In 2007, Saxon and Hellfritsch directed the music video for the Grizzly Bear single "Knife".<ref name="filmmaker2008"/> The video was filmed in Death Valley, CA and Brooklyn, NY. Their first major video,<ref name="jwortham"/> it was listed at #26 on Pitchfork's list of the top 50 music videos of the 2000s.<ref name="splagenhoef">Scott Plagenhoef, [http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7695-the-top-50-music-videos-of-the-2000s/ "The Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s,"] Pitchfork, August 30, 2009.</ref>
Following the "Knife" video, Saxon got a call from Björk, asking Encyclopedia Pictura to direct a music video for her single "Wanderlust". Their concept was inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki, Stanley Kubrick, and Walt Disney's work from the 1930s.<ref name="jwortham"/> The video was shot at Matthew Barney's studio in New York City,<ref name="jwortham"/> in stereoscopic 3-D using a 3-D camera rig they designed and built.<ref name="msager"/> Combining handmade puppetry, scale modeling, CGI and live action,<ref name="msager"/> it took over nine months to complete.<ref name="mryzik">Melena Ryzik, [https://www.nytimes.com/video/arts/1194817097067/bjork-in-3-d-the-wanderlust-video.html "Bjork in 3-D: The 'Wanderlust' Video,"] ''New York Times'', April 1, 2008.</ref> The "Wanderlust" video premiered at the Deitch Projects gallery in Long Island City, Queens,<ref name="mryzik"/> and was shown in 3-D at Saatchi & Saatchi's 2008 New Directors Showcase.<ref>Ann-Christine Diaz, [http://adage.com/article/special-report-cannes-2008/saatchi-remembers-arden-toasts-fearlessness/127864/ "Saatchi Remembers Arden, Toasts Fearlessness,"] ''Advertising Age'', June 19, 2008.</ref> It won three D&AD Yellow Pencil awards<ref name="dandad">[http://www.dandad.org/search/?q=wanderlust&type=&disciplines=&programmes=Professional+Awards&sort_order= "Wanderlust,"] dandad.org, 2009.</ref> and the UK Music Video Award for Video of the Year.<ref name="ukmva2008">[http://www.ukmva.com/content/past-winners/2008 2008 winners] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514043519/http://www.ukmva.com/content/past-winners/2008 |date=2016-05-14 }}, ukmva.com, 2008.</ref> ''Spin'' magazine named it the best music video of 2008,<ref name="aeverdell">Abigail Everdell, [http://www.spin.com/2008/12/20-best-music-videos-2008/ "The 20 Best Music Videos of 2008,"] ''Spin'', December 15, 2008.</ref> and Pitchfork ranked it #21 on its list of the top 50 music videos of the 2000s.<ref name="splagenhoef"/>
Saxon directed the animated music video for the Panda Bear song "Boys Latin", which premiered on Adult Swim in 2015.<ref>Daniel Kreps, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/panda-bear-shares-trippy-boys-latin-animated-video-20141215 "Panda Bear Shares Trippy 'Boys Latin' Animated Video,"] ''Rolling Stone'', December 15, 2014.</ref> It was nominated for the UK Music Video Award for Best Animation in a Video.<ref name="promonews">[http://www.promonews.tv/news/2015/09/30/uk-music-video-awards-2015-here-are-nominations "UK Music Video Awards 2015: here are the nomination…"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007220145/http://www.promonews.tv/news/2015/09/30/uk-music-video-awards-2015-here-are-nominations |date=2017-10-07 }} Promo News, September 30, 2015.</ref>
===DIY.org=== {{main|DIY.org}} In 2011, Saxon began developing a feature film titled ''DIY'', about a group of kids that rebuild their town after a flood.<ref name="jkalish"/><ref name="nbilton">Nick Bilton, [http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/disruptions-a-beacon-to-silicon-valley-from-a-start-up-for-children/?_r=0 "Disruptions: A Beacon to Silicon Valley, From a Start-Up for Children,"] ''New York Times'', May 20, 2012.</ref> The following year, Saxon, Zach Klein, Andrew Sliwinski and Daren Rabinovitch founded DIY.org, an online educational community for kids, with a storefront in San Francisco. Saxon served as chief creative officer from the company's founding in 2012 through 2014.<ref name="nbilton"/><ref>Ashlee Vance, [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-07-11/diy-dot-org-be-prepared-for-21st-century-scouting "DIY.org: Be Prepared for 21st Century Scouting,"] ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', July 11, 2013.</ref> He creates the skill patches that are sent out to community members.<ref>Jennifer Champagne, [http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/03/isaiah-saxon-creates-awesome-new-merit-badges-for.html "Isaiah Saxon Creates Awesome New Merit Badges for Kids,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413051942/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/03/isaiah-saxon-creates-awesome-new-merit-badges-for.html |date=2016-04-13 }} ''Paste'', March 3, 2015.</ref><ref>E.D.W. Lynch, [http://laughingsquid.com/adorably-nerdy-merit-badges-for-kids/ "Adorably Nerdy Merit Badges for Kids,"] Laughing Squid, February 25, 2015.</ref>
===Trout Gulch=== Starting in 2008, Saxon, Hellfritsch and Rabinovitch transformed 10 acres in the wooded hills in Aptos, California, into Trout Gulch, a community where they built their own houses, farmed, and produced digital animation. The intent was to blend technology with nature.<ref name="msager"/><ref name="jkalish"/><ref>Chris McDonnell, [http://www.cartoonbrew.com/music-videos/artist-of-the-day-encyclopedia-pictura-81093.html "Artist of the Day: Encyclopedia Pictura,"] ''Cartoon Brew'', April 17, 2013.</ref> At its peak, 18 people lived at Trout Gulch.<ref>[http://makezine.com/2012/11/20/make-talk-018-isaiah-saxon-of-diy-org/ "Make: Talk 018 – An interview with Isaiah Saxon of DIY.org,"] Make: Talk, November 20, 2012.</ref>
==Honors and awards== * Named one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by ''Filmmaker'' magazine, 2008<ref name="filmmaker2008"/> * D&AD Yellow Pencil for Best Music Video, Music Video Art Direction and Music Video Special Effects ("Wanderlust"), 2009<ref name="dandad"/> * Named one of 25 "Best and Brightest" by Esquire magazine, 2009<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/g384/best-and-brightest-honorees-1209/|title=2009's Top 23 Radicals and Rebels Who Are Changing the World|date=2009-11-20|website=Esquire|access-date=2016-04-17}}</ref> * UK Music Video Awards Video of the Year (for "Wanderlust"), 2008<ref name="ukmva2008"/> * #1 on ''Spin'' magazine's 20 Best Music Videos of 2008 (for "Wanderlust")<ref name="aeverdell"/> * #21, Pitchfork's Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s (for "Wanderlust")<ref name="splagenhoef"/> * #26, Pitchfork's Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s (for "Knife")<ref name="splagenhoef"/> * Nominee, UK Music Video Awards Best Animation in a Video (for "Boys Latin"), 2015<ref name="promonews"/>
==Filmography== '''Feature film''' * ''The Legend of Ochi'' (2025)
'''Short film''' {|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Notes |- | rowspan=2|2005 | ''Grow'' | |- | ''Micro/Macro'' | |- | 2008 | ''How Will You Create the Universe?'' | Trailer for ''Spore'' video game<ref name="lsiddall">Liv Siddall, [http://www.itsnicethat.com/features/picturas-best-pictures-encyclopedia-pictura-talk-us-through-some-of-their-best-cinematic-works "Pictura's Best Pictures: Encyclopedia Pictura talk us through some of their best cinematic works,"] ''It's Nice That'', Spring 2015.</ref> |- | 2010 | ''The Internet'' | Soundtrack by Dan Deacon |- | 2013 | ''Jay Nelson: Fort Builder'' | |- | 2016 | ''The Tale of Hillbelly'' | |- |}
'''Music video''' {|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Artist |- | 2005 | "Soo Tall" | Zion I |- | 2006 | "Haven't Been Yourself" | Seventeen Evergreen |- | 2007 | "Knife" | Grizzly Bear |- | 2008 | "Wanderlust" | Björk |- | 2015 | "Boys Latin" | Panda Bear |- |}
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== * [http://www.isaiahsaxon.com/ Official website] * [http://www.encyclopediapictura.com/ Encyclopedia Pictura website] * [http://www.diy.org/ DIY.org website] * {{IMDb name|8962050}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saxon, Isaiah}} Category:Living people Category:1983 births Category:Film directors from California Category:American music video directors Category:Academy of Art University alumni Category:People from Aptos, California