“It was never my intent to direct music videos,” says Justin Staggs, whose plans have changed over the last five years to accommodate his growing reputation for highly stylized works in just such a medium. The soft-spoken local filmmaker’s visually frenetic work has him leading the new guard of music video directors in terms of output and style.

With a reel now spinning with videos for the likes of punk bands such as Against Me!, Smoke or Fire and the venerable NOFX, the tattoo-covered 34-year-old initially harbored screenwriting aspirations. That was, until he realized he couldn’t call the shots. “As I was learning more, I realized screenwriters are pretty low on the totem pole concerning what ends up on screen,” says Staggs, who turned to directing despite no formal film training.

His first major shot came in 2003 when he directed a video that pitted defunct local band The Soviettes (acquaintances of Staggs) against giant robots. The video cleared the way for a gamut of other projects. “Before I knew it, I had a dozen music videos on my reel,” says Staggs. “And I figured, ‘Well, I’ll keep going with this. It’s fun, and I get a decent amount of creative freedom.’”

Staggs still dreams of moving into feature films, but if he ever gets his break he’s not leaving Minneapolis. “Everyone is saying, ‘You need to move to L.A. if you want to keep doing this,’” says Staggs. “Well, I’m probably, definitely not going to do that. I love Minneapolis and would like to make things work here.” Plus, according to Staggs, “It’s already been a dream come true and from here on out, it’s just gravy.”

WATCH: Check out Justin's videos at justinstaggs.com.