I’m super pumped to share the experience of filming the Dueling Experts to bring the visuals for the song “Dark Ninjas” to life, the title track from their latest release on Mello Music Group. For those unfamiliar, Dueling Experts is the dynamic duo of Verbal Kent and Wreckognize—two hip hop swordsmen with a sharp edge.
We shot the video on a bitterly cold evening in Chicago, finding the perfect gritty location beneath the Red Line. Verbal is familiar with the Chicago area, so he has scouted a few location before the crew assembled in Chicago for the quick music video shoot. The atmosphere was raw and electric, just like the track itself. As we filmed we captured the train passing overhead, it was so cold that sparks flew where the metal rail made contact. Those sparks added a real, unfiltered vibe that matched the track’s fierce tone. I followed suit with the camera movement, fast pace cuts, with a variety of effects.
You’ll notice a bit of 360 video incorporated into this project. I’m really excited about the potential of this tech and can’t wait to experiment more with it in future projects. This shoot was a great opportunity to blend traditional filming with new techniques, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. This production was for the groups effort released on Mello Music Group. A small label out of Arizona. Keep an eye out for more innovative visuals coming soon! If you’re this deep into my blog you might want to see more music videos. Over 100 productions all filmed and edited by Brandon Damon are here: www.auxcinema.com All photographs below by Brandon Damon.
