Kol Khaviar - "They Don't Give A FCUK" Music Video
Grant David and Static Multimedia in collaboration with Kol Khaviar bring you a super music video for your viewing pleasure. This visual is for Kol’s latest single entitled “They Don’t Give A FCUK” and is, as you already know, off his Revenge Of The Regular N!99@ mixtape. This video was directed by yours truly, Grant David, with assistance from James Houda on camera and Shayne Gastelum on lighting. The great Donnie King handled editing along with Mr. Khaviar himself. The concept behind this video, and what Kol and I were trying to convey, is that the rap game is a vicious and dangerous place to try and make your bread. The artists that are awarded and recognized are almost never the most deserving while the ones with the power to make a difference are never even afforded that single opportunity. But even the artists themselves aren’t completely blameless either. If the music business is just that, a business, then don’t you as an artist have the responsibility of ensuring a quality product? And this isn’t solely because of industry leaders or artists either; sure they’re extremely out of touch and put money before art, but the fans and the consumers also have a responsibility to discourage wackness. And this is exactly what you’re doing when you buy these awful tapes from sub-par artists; you’re just telling record execs that we want me more this trash. So that was kind of the mindset and ideologies we constantly contemplated during are pre-production and production phases of the shoot. That was the entire message behind the video; it was the reluctant and frustrated observation that the rap community doesn’t care about Kol Khaviar (not yet anyways) even though he’s rawer than 90% of these radio rappers, while simultaneously recognizing that the ones who do, already, the die hard Khaviar supporters, are the very same people that are going to make sure that this injustice doesn’t continue any longer.
I feel that a lot of rappers trying to break into the game have tunnel vision and either are not aware of it or simply refuse to acknowledge the bigger picture. The majority of these young bucks coming out are blinded by delusional fantasies and false bravado; this is not a luxury that Kol Khaviar can afford, and he’s intelligent enough to acknowledge this and at the same time keep things in perspective. Making his debut at such a relatively late age Kol Khaviar knows that time is precious and throw-away raps are not an option, so he settles for nothing less than perfection and ensures that every bar is hot enough to scorch your ear drums.
As raw as Kol is you would expect him to be arrogant, nothing could be further from the truth. You can tell how humble the dude is by simply referring to the title of his latest mixtape, Revenge Of The Regular N!99@. The key word there being “regular”, a title that Kol has given himself. He would have you think that he is just a hip-hop connoisseur with a side hustle working at a barber shop that just so happens to spit hot fire like he was Dylan. However, after one listen to the Revenge Of The Regular N!99@ mixtape you’ll see that Kol Khaviar is anything but regular. The windy city native seamlessly shifts from club bangers to street poems which makes his latest mixtape a must listen to. Revenge Of The Regular N!99@ is one that you will definitely regret not checking out.
I feel that a lot of rappers trying to break into the game have tunnel vision and either are not aware of it or simply refuse to acknowledge the bigger picture. The majority of these young bucks coming out are blinded by delusional fantasies and false bravado; this is not a luxury that Kol Khaviar can afford, and he’s intelligent enough to acknowledge this and at the same time keep things in perspective. Making his debut at such a relatively late age Kol Khaviar knows that time is precious and throw-away raps are not an option, so he settles for nothing less than perfection and ensures that every bar is hot enough to scorch your ear drums.
As raw as Kol is you would expect him to be arrogant, nothing could be further from the truth. You can tell how humble the dude is by simply referring to the title of his latest mixtape, Revenge Of The Regular N!99@. The key word there being “regular”, a title that Kol has given himself. He would have you think that he is just a hip-hop connoisseur with a side hustle working at a barber shop that just so happens to spit hot fire like he was Dylan. However, after one listen to the Revenge Of The Regular N!99@ mixtape you’ll see that Kol Khaviar is anything but regular. The windy city native seamlessly shifts from club bangers to street poems which makes his latest mixtape a must listen to. Revenge Of The Regular N!99@ is one that you will definitely regret not checking out.
Vindicated
This was a short film I made for my film production class at Arizona State University. It was my first time ever really getting behind a camera and shooting a planned narrative. It’s basically about a couple, Sean and Haley, who, while out walking towards the destination of the anniversary dinner are robbed by a group of thugs. Sean gave Haley a beautiful diamond ring as an anniversary present earlier in the night and the group of thugs roughs the couple up, holds them at knife-point, and steals their belongings, including the ring. This incident greatly disturbs Sean because he feels out of control, he feels weak and helpless. So, he begins to obsess about the incident, replaying it in his head repeatedly every night while he works out and trains to fight during the day. This is the only option he sees viable, and he swears to get revenge on the delinquents and get Haley’s ring back. He eventually finds out where their hangout spot is located, and he confronts them with no fear; he's almost excited. The thugs charge him, trying to lay down another beating but Sean gets the better of them this time around and reclaims Haley’s gift.
I was pretty satisfied with how this project turned out considering it was my first attempt. Looking back on it, there are a lot of things I would have changed and made better now that I have the skills and the wherewithal, but I also feel it has sort of a homespun and handcrafted feel to it. In other words, you can tell that it’s somewhat amateur, but that’s also kind of what makes it special. Vindicated stars Andric Booker and Autumn Farrell and was edited in conjunction with Cory Davis.
Below, in order to showcase some of my editing skills, I have given you two different versions of Vindicated. I have provided you with the “FMP 300 Cut” which had to adhere to certain restrictions (time being one of them) that my Professor put in place for the class. And I have also provided you with the “Director’s Cut” which allowed me a lot more freedom to attempt to accomplish what I set out to do. And then below those two videos are some production shots for your viewing pleasure as well.
I was pretty satisfied with how this project turned out considering it was my first attempt. Looking back on it, there are a lot of things I would have changed and made better now that I have the skills and the wherewithal, but I also feel it has sort of a homespun and handcrafted feel to it. In other words, you can tell that it’s somewhat amateur, but that’s also kind of what makes it special. Vindicated stars Andric Booker and Autumn Farrell and was edited in conjunction with Cory Davis.
Below, in order to showcase some of my editing skills, I have given you two different versions of Vindicated. I have provided you with the “FMP 300 Cut” which had to adhere to certain restrictions (time being one of them) that my Professor put in place for the class. And I have also provided you with the “Director’s Cut” which allowed me a lot more freedom to attempt to accomplish what I set out to do. And then below those two videos are some production shots for your viewing pleasure as well.
To Love A Lie
This is a project I collaborated on with a peer of mine named Amariell Ramsey. For this venture, she took over responsibilities as director while I operated the camera and helped out with various other tasks on the set. This was an interesting experience for me because, at this point, I didn’t have much experience with actually operating the camera, I was always more focused on writing and directing, so I had to pick it up as I went. It was a baptism by fire. And while my camera operating techniques were not as honed as some of my peers’, I learned a lot on that set and I’m definitely stronger and more intelligent for the experience.
To Love A Lie is about a couple, Mishalla and Tye, who have been seeing each other for only a short period of time but Mishalla can’t help but feel overwhelming in love. She is absolutely head over heels and is certain that Tye would never cause her any heartbreak. But, as you can imagine, things that seem too good to be true usually are, and she finds out that Tye has been seeing her own mother on the side while they have been dating.
This film was directed by Amariell Ramsey, and stars Delfinia Valdenegro and Kleven Craig, with camera operation by myself. You can watch the short film, in its entirety, right below.
To Love A Lie is about a couple, Mishalla and Tye, who have been seeing each other for only a short period of time but Mishalla can’t help but feel overwhelming in love. She is absolutely head over heels and is certain that Tye would never cause her any heartbreak. But, as you can imagine, things that seem too good to be true usually are, and she finds out that Tye has been seeing her own mother on the side while they have been dating.
This film was directed by Amariell Ramsey, and stars Delfinia Valdenegro and Kleven Craig, with camera operation by myself. You can watch the short film, in its entirety, right below.
Puppets Around The World - Punch & Judy
This is kind of an interesting and quirky project. I made this movie with three classmates of mine for our THP 312: Puppetmaking with Children class and it’s an education video about two of the most famous puppets of all time, Punch & Judy. It’s supposed to be spoofing Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous along with a hint of Citizen Kane. I had a blast putting this short film together, and it allowed me the opportunity to work with various aspects of editing and production that I wouldn’t usually be privileged to. In addition to my usual responsibilities such as writing and directing, I also got to act as the narrator for the film and did a substantial amount of its editing.
The thing I really love about this project, in particular, is that it’s completely different than anything I have ever done before or would ever even think to do in the first place. It’s so not me, but I also think you ultimately need to work on projects like that in order to gain experience and look at the medium from purely “technical” perspective. I just think that within the film medium, as it is with any other kind of art, it’s very easy to get yourself wrapped up in the more artistic elements of the production. It’s your story and you obviously have to be very passionate about it, but it’s a great exercise simply to be given a specific subject and task and using the best of your film abilities to get that done.
I would say that we succeeded in accomplishing this task, and I think my professor would tend to agree with me after our group received an “A+” on the project; we really went above and beyond. Below I have provided you with the opportunity to screen the full short film, Puppets Around The World – Punch & Judy.
The thing I really love about this project, in particular, is that it’s completely different than anything I have ever done before or would ever even think to do in the first place. It’s so not me, but I also think you ultimately need to work on projects like that in order to gain experience and look at the medium from purely “technical” perspective. I just think that within the film medium, as it is with any other kind of art, it’s very easy to get yourself wrapped up in the more artistic elements of the production. It’s your story and you obviously have to be very passionate about it, but it’s a great exercise simply to be given a specific subject and task and using the best of your film abilities to get that done.
I would say that we succeeded in accomplishing this task, and I think my professor would tend to agree with me after our group received an “A+” on the project; we really went above and beyond. Below I have provided you with the opportunity to screen the full short film, Puppets Around The World – Punch & Judy.
L.S.D. (Love Shooting Dangerously)
L.S.D. (Love Shooting Dangerously) is a film, I, and a few classmates of mine put together for our THE 405: Hollywood Rebels class. The basic concept behind the movie is various members of the “Old Hollywood” community have lost touch with what it truly means to be a filmmaker, and they continue to release high-priced garbage to the masses. A certain Hollywood exec, played by me, is sent to the local hangout spot of the “New Hollywood” generation which includes filmmakers such as George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, and many more. This should be a simple task to accomplish; all the Hollywood exec has to do is recruit a few young bucks to take back with him to the city, and the continuous flow of money can resume its stream. However, that is much easier said than done. The Hollywood exec soon finds out that these hot young upstarts have no interest in making average blockbusters; they strive to make films that can initiate social change.
This film was written and edited by Jairo Tellez and Ian Fahrner, directed by Jairo Tellez and Sammi Pechman, and was produced by yours truly. Below I have provided with you the short film in its entirety for your viewing pleasure.
This film was written and edited by Jairo Tellez and Ian Fahrner, directed by Jairo Tellez and Sammi Pechman, and was produced by yours truly. Below I have provided with you the short film in its entirety for your viewing pleasure.