Samuel Bayer

Having photographed and directed hundreds of music videos and commercials over the last 15 years, Samuel Bayer has firmly established himself as one of the industry's most prolific and sought-after talents. A 1987 graduate of New York City's School of Visual Arts, Bayer was a painter who saw film and video as the perfect medium to deliver his art to a greater audience. He launched his career with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a landmark video that MTV has consistently rated as one of the most influential music videos ever made. His decision to photograph the Nirvana video himself infused it with a distinct style and attitude that started him on a path he's blazed ever since. His hands-on approach to filmmaking so clearly imprinted on his work, Bayer chooses to light, photograph and operate the camera on all his work. On the heels of his work with Nirvana, he went on to create countless videos for artists as diverse as The Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow, John Lee Hooker, Marilyn Ma