Collective Soul - Smashing Young Man

What this video is

Released in 1995 as the third single from Collective Soul's self-titled second studio album—an album that spent 76 weeks on the Billboard 200 and went triple-platinum. 'Smashing Young Man' reached No. 8 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The song emerged from a high-profile inter-band dispute: Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins publicly accused Collective Soul of plagiarizing 'Shine' from Smashing Pumpkins material,…

Why it matters

A textbook artifact of mid-90s post-grunge mainstream alternative rock visual language: high-energy band performance intercutting with a symbolic narrative vignette, warm-toned cinematography softening grunge's cold aesthetic inheritance, and rapid editing asserting radio-friendly accessibility…

The director

Born 1970 in Los Angeles, CA. Studied film at Hampshire College, Amherst, MA. Began directing music videos for indie alternative rock bands while still in college; signed with Satellite Films (a Propaganda division) before age 22, becoming their…