30 Seconds To Mars Explain 'Kings And Queens' In 'Frame By Frame', 19.02.2010

By Matt Harper

30 Seconds to Mars is no stranger to Epic (yes, that's a capital "e") music videos. The band has already made ground-breaking videos in China and the Arctic, and while "Kings and Queens," their latest effort, was filmed in Los Angeles (with some scenes literally shot in frontman Jared Leto's back yard), the video is no less grand in scope.

Leto is passionate when talking about the video (no surprise there, considering he not only wrote the song but also directed the clip). "That shot was one of the earliest shots I storyboarded," he said, referring to an immaculately framed silhouette shot of dozens of bikers moving in slow motion, backed by a sunset. And while he admits that a lot of the shots were painstakingly set-up and difficult to get, a few of the iconic moments from the video were achieved through happy accidents. "We were supposed to shoot downtown, but shot the other way instead because the smog was so bad," he said of one sequence. So you can thank the notorious Los Angeles air pollution for those shimmering silhouette shots of the band.

Fun fact: "Kings and Queens" is filled with allusions to other art forms. Some of the bikers are dressed as the Baseball Furies gang from the cult movie "The Warriors," and at one point a frame of the video meticulously recreates underground artist Banksy's "Flower Chucker" graffiti. Leto even directed the video under the alias "Bartholomew Cubbins," a recurring character in the Dr. Seuss universe.

The video is split between two parts: 30STM performing on a cliff edge in Griffith Park, overlooking Los Angeles, and a gang of cyclists riding through an abandoned city. Leto couldn't speak highly enough about how great the bike-riding extras were during production of the video. After pointing out a few of the particularly committed members of the cast, Jared related that he "really couldn't get enough of them. That was my favorite part about editing, was trying to get these individuals in there."

"Kings and Queens" is an impressive video feat, and there was so much to say from this edition of "Frame By Frame" that we had to break it into two parts. Enjoy the first part below, and stay tuned for the second next week.

Gallery - a few new pics about Jared's new hairstyle

30 Seconds To Mars Debunk The Price Tag Of Their 'From Yesterday' Video, 17.02.2010

by Kyle Anderson

Over the course of 10 years and three hit albums, 30 Seconds to Mars have become notorious for a handful of reasons: A stunning live show, their rabid fans, frontman Jared Leto's approach to fashion and their envelope-pushing music videos. The latter is especially noteworthy, as Leto (who went to film school) has brought an incredible cinematic eye to the group's clips, leaving a handful of truly stunning images associated with their various hits. Leto has achieved technical mastery in the clip for "The Kill," went to Antarctica and Greenland for "A Beautiful Lie" and went to China for "From Yesterday." (Their most recent clip, for "Kings and Queens," will get the "Frame by Frame" treatment later this week.)

But the video for "From Yesterday" became known for something that had nothing to do with the group's trip to China or it's convoluted plot. Back when it first premiered, word got around that the clip cost the band a whopping $13 million, which would have made it the priciest video of all time (surpassing even Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream").

"Contrary to Internet rumors, it did not cost $13 million to make," Leto told MTV News. "It was actually reported in [British music magazine] NME at the time, and they were talking about it like it was the most expensive video of all time."

Leto added that it was actually a pretty streamlined shoot. "It was a relatively inexpensive video to shoot, especially at that time," he said.

"Compared to the result, for sure," guitarist Tomo Milicevic added.

So there you have it: Another Internet urban legend dispelled!

Gallery - Kerrang! magazine scan - At home with 30STM inside their hollywood hideaway, 20.02.2010

Gallery - Photographer Terry Richardson shaves Jared Leto's Head, 15.02.2010

Gallery - Jared Leto at Milk LA, by Kenneth Cappello, 02.02.2010

Media - 30STM announces US tour dates, Artisan News, February, 2010

30 Seconds To Mars Recount Harrowing Bomb Scare, 16.02.2010

'It's kind of bizarre and easy to find some humor in the situation now, but it was very serious,' Jared Leto tells MTV News.

By Kyle Anderson

A few weeks ago, 30 Seconds To Mars frontman Jared Leto hosted a screening of "Artifact," the documentary about the band and the creation of their latest album, This Is War. But the gathering of hundreds of fans was broken up by a bomb scare, which Leto is still trying to process.

"It's kind of bizarre and easy to find some humor in the situation now, but it was very serious," Leto told MTV News last week. "Last I heard, the LAPD was investigating and he was in jail, though I don't know if he's still there."

The incident in question began when the unidentified man interrupted the screening. After Leto managed to shuffle him out the door, the man's car — which was parked outside in the middle of the street and playing extremely loud music — became a nuisance and the police were called.

The resulting scene quickly unraveled. "It was such a surreal setting," Leto said. "They shut down five blocks in every direction. They shut down the street. People weren't allowed to walk anywhere. People were asked to leave their stores."

Ironically, the man was finally apprehended later while Leto was talking to the LAPD. "I was being interviewed by the police, and I see the guy walk right back up to me," he said. "They were looking for him, and I said, 'Well, that's the guy right there.' He walked up to the police and said something to me, and they put him in handcuffs and asked him what was in the package. That's when he talked about explosives. It was surreal."

Despite the disruptions, the band finished the screening of the hotly anticipated film "Artifact," which Leto said should be available for public consumption later this year. The documentary, which follows 30 Seconds to Mars during the recording of This Is War, will provide a revealing look at the band and its inner workings. "We have a lot of material from over two years of shooting. It's something like 3,500 hours," Leto said.

The frontman said the most revealing thing in the film might involve Leto's sense of fashion. "I think half the film I'm in my pajamas, because I didn't leave the house very often while we were recording," he said. "There were days we felt like we were all in the hospital together, on some sort of rehab trip."

Jared Leto Is Having The Best Fashion Week Ever, 16.02.2010

Fashion Week may not seem like the likeliest place to go promote your upcoming rock tour, but Jared Leto has been burning the midnight, and midday oil on behalf of the upcoming 30 Seconds To Mars "Into The Wild" tour. The band's frontman was front row at Calvin Klein, attended Robert Geller, celebrated Harley Viera Newton's birthday, went to Erin Wasson, and attended the Purple Fashion Magazine After Party on the roof of Gramercy Hotel before heading down to Rose Bar for the Guns N'Roses performance AND the Evisu party…all in one weekend!

The apparently tireless actor is still going, and tweeting his entire FW experience at @jaredleto.

Source: guestofaguest.com

Gallery - Calvin Klein Men's Collection - Fall 2010 MBFW, New York City, 14.02.2010

Jared Leto, Chace Crawford, Ryan Phillipe and Kellan Lutz attend the Calvin Klein Men's Collection Fall 2010 Fashion Show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at 205 West 39th Street on February 14, 2010 in New York City.