New Music Video Directed by Alumnus Jay Sansone Featured on NPR’s "All Things Considered"

Mar 12, 2012

Jay Sansone ’08 is receiving national attention for his latest video project. He directed the music video for the song "Coming Down" by rising artist Anais Mitchell. The video was recently featured on National Public Radio’s "All Things Considered"

In reviewing the video, NPR’s Dan Raby notes that Sansone incorporated family film footage from the 1940s, which he recently discovered in his grandparents’ home: "Jay Sansone went deep into his own family's history to make a piece that's just as personal as Mitchell's song. Filmed in Sansone's childhood home, Mitchell plays her guitar alone while watching the director's old family videos."

Sansone, who earned his degree in mass communications to develop skills that have served as a foundation for his career, was joined by Chris Potter (’10) as the video’s assistant director. Sansone says the video represents "three months of writing, shooting, and editing," and adds that collaborating with Anais Mitchell on the project was a pleasure. "It was a true honor to be able to create visuals for her work," he says. "She is the shining example of bold and beautiful story telling in today’s folk music."

The video marks the release of Anais Mitchell’s latest album "Young Man in America," which has received overwhelmingly positive reviews by music critics across the country.