Break Even (Music Video)

A dark and very personal narrative upends the external elements of chaos we find in life. One random car wreck sends our character on an inner journey in search of reconciliation and meaning.

  • Matt Mahurin
    Director
    (1996) : Directed music video "Suddenly" for The Bogmen. (1996) : Directed music video "Hey God" for Bon Jovi. (1996) : Directed music video "Hookywooky" for Lou Reed. (1996) : Directed music video "To Belong" for Iggy Pop. (1996) : Directed music video "Gold Dust Woman" for Hole. (1996) : Directed music video "All I Want Is Everything" for Def Leppard. (1996) : Directed music video "Two to Tango" for Vanessa Daou. (1996) : Directed music video "Without Love" for Donna Lewis. (1997) : Directed music video "King Nothing" for Metallica. (1997) : Directed music video "Clumsy" for Our Lady Peace. (1997) : Directed music video "Building a Mystery" for Sarah McLachlan (credited as Alan Smithee). (1997) : Directed music video "I & I" for Taja Sevelle. (1998) : Directed music video "The Unforgiven II" for Metallica. (1998) : Directed music video "One Belief Away" for Bonnie Raitt. (1999) : Directed music video "Hold On" for Tom Waits. (1993) : Directed music video "Dear Ol' Dad" for Blind Melon. (1993) : Directed music video "Runaway Wind" for Paul Westerberg. (1994) : Directed music video "Everything Zen" for Bush. (1994) : Directed music video "No Excuses" for Alice in Chains. (1994) : Directed music video "The Day I Tried to Live" for Soundgarden. (1994) : Directed music video "Die Laughing" for Therapy. (1994) : Directed music video "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)" for Melissa Etheridge. (1995) : Directed music video "Bridge" for Queensrÿche. (1995) : Directed music video "Little Things" for Bush. (1995) : Directed music video "The Scarlet Thing in You" for Peter Murphy. (1995) : Directed music video "Happy Song" for The Nixons. (1995) : Directed music video "Misery" for Soul Asylum. (1995) : Directed music video "Rosealia" (Version 2) for Better Than Ezra. (1993) : Directed music video "Busy Bee" for Ugly Kid Joe. (1993) : Directed music video "Love Is Blindness" for U2. (1993) : Directed music video "More Than Likely" for PM Dawn. (1993) : Directed music video "Cats in the Cradle" for Ugly Kid Joe. (1993) : Directed music video "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)" for Def Leppard. (1993) : Directed music video "Take a Walk" for Urge Overkill. (1993) : Directed music video "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" (Version 2) for Queensrÿche. (1993) : Directed music video "Please (You Got That...)" (Version 2) for INXS & Ray Charles. (1992) : Directed music video "Angry Chair" for Alice in Chains. (1992) : Directed music video "Time's Up" for Living Coloür. (1992) : Directed music video "Hit Song" for Peter Murphy. (1992) : Directed music video "What's Good? (The Thesis)" for Lou Reed. (1991) : Directed music video "If You Go Away" for New Kids on the Block. (1991) : Directed music video "I Can't Make You Love Me" for Bonnie Raitt & Bruce Hornsby. (1991) : Directed music video "Home Sweet Home" (Version 2) for Mötley Crüe. (1991) : Directed music video "The Unforgiven" for Metallica. (1991) : Directed music video "Something to Talk About" for Bonnie Raitt. (1991) : Directed music video "The Solace of You" for Living Coloür. (1991) : Directed music video "Sensible Shoes" for David Lee Roth. (1991) : Directed music video "Best I Can" for Queensrÿche. (1991) : Directed music video "Silent Lucidity" (Version 1) for Queensrÿche. (1990) : Directed music video "Empire" for Queensrÿche. (1990) : Directed music video "All for You" (Version 1) for David Baerwald. (1990) : Directed music video "Sun Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning" (Version 1) for Cowboy Junkies. (1990) : Directed music video "Out of Control" for Oingo Boingo. (1989) : Directed music video "Hard Sun" for Indio. (1988) : Directed music video "Orange Crush" for R.E.M. (1988) : Directed music video "What's the Matter Here?" for 10,000 Maniacs. (1988) : Directed music video "Fast Car" for Tracy Chapman. (1988) : Directed music video "Sweet Jane" (Version 1) for Cowboy Junkies. (1988) : Directed music video "All Night Long" for Peter Murphy. (1987) : Directed music video "Gabriel's Message" for Sting. (1987) : Directed music video "Red Rain" for Peter Gabriel. (1987) : Co-directed music video "With or Without You" (Version 1) for U2 with Meiert Avis. (1986) : Directed music video "Shiny Toys" for Joni Mitchell. (1986) : Directed music video "No More 'I Love You's'" for Lover Speaks. (1986) : Directed music video "Tenku" for Kitaro. (1986) : Directed music video "Fade Away" for The Bodeans. (1986) : Directed music video "Mercy Street" for Peter Gabriel. (1986) : Directed music video "Eye of the Zombie" for John Fogerty. (1988) : Directed music video "The Walking" for Jane Siberry. (1990) : Directed music video "Quelque Chose, Noir" for Marc Seberg. (1990) : Directed music video "The Pass" for Rush. (1990) : Directed music video "I Couldn't Help Myself" for Sara Hickman. (1991) : Directed music video "She Talks to Angels" for The Black Crowes. (1991) : Directed music video "Save Up All Your Tears" for Cher. (1991) : Directed music video "Outshined" (U.S. Version) for Soundgarden. (1992) : Directed music video "Come Talk to Me" for Peter Gabriel. (1994) : Directed music video "In the House of Stone and Light" for Martin Page. (1994) : Directed music video "Ghost Dance" for Robbie Robertson. (1995) : Directed music video "My Enemy" for Skid Row. (1995) : Directed music video "Into Another" for Skid Row. (1996) : Directed music video "De Repente (Suddenly)" for Soraya. (1996) : Directed music video "Sister" for The Nixons. (1997) : Directed music video "I Saw the Light" for Lori Carson. (1997) : Directed music video "Kiss the Rain" (U.S. Version) for Billie Myers (credited as Alan Smithee). (1998) : Directed music video "April Rain" for Corey Glover. (1999) : Directed music video "What's He Building" for Tom Waits. (2010) : Directed music video "The Royal We" for Silversun Pickups. (2012) : Directed music video "Hell Broke Luce" for Tom Waits.
  • Matt Mahurin
    Producer
    Eastman Kodak Award for Lifetime Achievement - Music Video Production Association Award (2003)[6] Best American Independent Feature - Hamptons International Film Festival, for Mugshot (1996)[7] MTV Video Music Award for Best Post-Modern Video, Orange Crush by R.E.M. (1989)
  • Tim Husmann
    Key Cast
    "1st Base Runner"
  • Theo Spiridellis
    Key Cast
    "1st Base Runner as child"
  • Matt Mahurin
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Music Video
  • Genres:
    Biopic, Personal Narrative, Alternative Rock
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 41 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 35mm
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition
    NY, NY
    United States
    May 23, 2022
    Quarter-Finalist
  • London Rocks International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    November 4, 2022
    Honorable Mention
  • Pinnacle Film Awards
    Hollywood Hills, CA
    United States
    May 2, 2022
    Best Music Video
  • Blow-Up Arthouse Filmfest
    Chicago, Illinois
    United States
    January 8, 2023
    Semi-Finalist
  • Multi Dimension Independent Film Festival

    United States
    February 25, 2022
    Best Music Video
  • 2023 ARFF Amsterdam // International Awards
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    September 24, 2022
    Finalist
  • A Lyte in the Dark
    Princeton, NJ
    United States
    July 15, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Gorst! Underground Film Festival
    Port Orchard, Washington
    United States
    September 9, 2022
    Official Selection
  • ME Film Festival
    Milledgeville, Georgia
    United States
    September 22, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    January 30, 2022
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Universal Music Group
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Matt Mahurin

Over thirty years as an illustrator, photographer, film director and teacher.

Political and social illustrations for Time, Newsweek, Mother Jones, Rolling
Stone, Esquire, The London Observer and New York Times Op-Ed pages.

Photographic essays on The Homeless, People With AIDS, Texas Prison
System, Abortion Clinics, Mental Hospitals, Nicaragua, Haiti, Belfast, Mexico,
Japan and France.

Published three books of fine-art photographs.

Photographs in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
New York City.

Filmwork in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Directed music videos for Peter Gabriel, U2, Tom Waits, REM, Tracy Chapman,
Sting, Bonnie Raitt, Ice-T, Metallica, David Byrne, and Joni Mitchell.

Documentary “I Like Killing Flies” chosen 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

Wrote and Directed the feature film “FEEL” which premiered on The Sundance Channel 2010.

Wrote and directed the feature film, "Mugshot" which won best film at the 1996
Hamptons Film Festival.

Gold and silver medals from The Society of Illustrators.

Continues to teach workshops and lectures on the craft of imagemaking at
schools and professional organizations.

Lives in California.

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