Mike Diva

Mike Diva

Diva performing at VidCon 2012
Born Mike Dahlquist
(1987-06-23) June 23, 1987
Occupation Film and music video director, special effects artist

Internet information

Web hosting service(s) YouTube

Mike Dahlquist (born June 23, 1987), better known as Mike Diva, is an American video director, special effects artist, musician and YouTube personality.[1]

Career

Based in Southern California, Diva began experimenting with video equipment at age 13. A piano and cello player, he performed in several orchestras and was the lead singer for the band "Vyncent Flaw" alongside keyboardist "Maxx Jenga". His YouTube channel is eclectic, a mix of parodies, skits and music videos.[1][2]

In 2011, Diva's "Sexy Sax Man" video featuring saxophonist Sergio Flores went viral.[3] In 2012, Diva collaborated with fellow YouTube stars Joe Penna, Tay Zonday, Corridor Digital and DeStorm Power to create the YouTube group and channel BAMMO.[1] Diva also appeared that year as Bruce Lee in episode 25, "Clint Eastwood vs. Bruce Lee", of the web series Epic Rap Battles of History.[4] In 2014, Diva was listed on New Media Rockstars Top 100 Channels, ranked at #77.[5] In February 2016, Diva's trap remix of the 1989 film "Special Friends: Starring You On Kazoo" went viral.[6][7]

Diva has produced official music videos for 3OH!3,[8] Kill the Noise,[7] Peter Pepper,[9] The M Machine,[10] Mindless Self Indulgence,[11] and Savant.[12] Most of his music is on SoundCloud.

2016 election videos

In June 2016, Diva's video Japanese Donald Trump Commercialトランプ2016 gained international attention, with some 8 million views on Facebook and almost 300,000 views on YouTube in its first 24 hours. The video masquerades as a Japanese commercial that seemingly promotes the presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Slate described the work as "a dizzying, sorbet-hued phantasmagoria that gestures toward the coming end times."[13]

Diva's intent was to "seem obnoxiously pro-Trump" while doing the opposite, with the production quality so good that viewers would ask: "Why would a Japanese ad agency make this?" Indeed, many early online comments mistook the video for a genuine ad, despite Trump's being (briefly) depicted as giving a Nazi salute amid swastikas and ultimately transforming into an earth-destroying robot. The video was shot over a month and a half with virtually no budget and stars the cosplayer and wig stylist known as Sushi Monster.[13][14] Diva talked about the video when interviewed with KABC-TV.[15]

On August 11, 2016, Diva released a video poking fun of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for the Super Deluxe channel. The video depicted a fictionalized Clinton attempting to connect with the millennial generation by various internet memes such as Dat Boi, Damn Daniel, and Nyan Cat, as well as performing The Dab and telling her supporters to "Pokémon Go to the polls".[16][17] The video was said to be paid for by "Hillary for America", although that wasn't the case.[18][19] In an interview with Creativity, Diva explained that the purpose of his video was to show that "Hillary is just kind of a dorky mom, and it's so hilariously cringey when she tries to appeal to a younger audience,".[20]

Awards and nominations

Year Work Category Award Result
2015 Savant - Kali 47 (Official Music Video) Music Video Of The Year[21] 2015 Geeky Awards Won
2013 Mike Diva Presents Best Direction 3rd Streamy Awards Nominated
2013 Kill The Noise pt. 1 Pick of the year MTV Clubland Won

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ed Carrasco (March 20, 2012). "MIKE DIVA - NEW MEDIA RENAISSANCE MAN". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  2. ↑ Mike Diva (2011-05-01), Mike Diva LIVE with Vyncent Flaw- B.F.D (New track!!), retrieved 2016-06-17
  3. ↑ Gordon Downs (March 20, 2011). "INTERVIEW: Sexy Sax Man Video Director Mike Diva". SanDiego.com. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Epic Rap Battles of History Bruce Lee vs Clint Eastwood". SoHood Magazine. November 14, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  5. ↑ "The NMR Top 100 YouTube Channels: 100-76!". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  6. ↑ Blevins, Joe (4 February 2016). "A kid and his kazoo get a high-energy, dance-floor ready trap remix". Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  7. 1 2 Mammoser, Gigen (8 February 2016). "Meet the YouTube Star Who Turned "Kazoo Kid" Into a Viral Trap Remix". Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNhpKra0AsM&list=UU6Je0KLSDuKLfKs1lEBzKrQ&index=20
  9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXwE6JbzyPc&list=UU6Je0KLSDuKLfKs1lEBzKrQ&index=27
  10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAjpYg902P0&list=UU6Je0KLSDuKLfKs1lEBzKrQ&index=11
  11. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3J2Q3WHMYM&list=UU6Je0KLSDuKLfKs1lEBzKrQ&index=48
  12. ↑ "The story behind the video: Savant – Kali 47". 21 January 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  13. 1 2 Waldman, Katy (2016-06-16). "You Will Never Unsee This Wondrously Strange Fake Japanese Advertisement for Donald Trump". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  14. ↑ Mackey, Robert (June 16, 2016). "No, That Donald Trump Ad Is Not Real". The Intercept. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  15. ↑ Michaelson, Elex (18 June 2016). "North Hollywood director creates Japanese Donald Trump ad, gets 13M views". Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  16. ↑ Meyer, Ken (11 August 2016). "New Video Proves Hillary's Got the Dankest Memes on Lock". www.mediaite.com. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  17. ↑ Cagle, Tess (11 August 2016). "Hillary Clinton's 'Meme Queen 2016' ad is her most effective yet". Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  18. ↑ Gettell, Oliver (11 August 2016). "Hillary Clinton video parodies Damn Daniel, Grumpy Cat, other memes". Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  19. ↑ Diva, Mike (13 August 2016). "Twitter". Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  20. ↑ Diaz, Ann-Christine (12 August 2016). "Hillary Clinton Is a Meme Queen in Mike Diva's Latest Bizarre Film - Video - Creativity Online". Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  21. ↑ http://www.thegeekieawards.com/2015-award-nominees/
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