The production crew for Flow Motion Media worked for days setting the stage for “Space Hustler,” their latest music video, building a spaceship complete with a cockpit and cryogenic sleep tube.
The spaceship is on a corner of Fort Knox Studios’ massive 160,000-square-foot sound/stage facility. On the second level of the stage is the cantina they created, adorned with lava lamps and moving lights reminiscent of early disco. Fog created from dry ice mixed with water crawls along the concrete floor.
The song was written and performed by hip hop artist Julian Lozano, aka Sex the Rapper and formerly known as JXL.
“Space Hustler,” he explains, “is the story of a young boy who desires a lot of material things. But he realizes in the end that what matters most in life is the belief in himself and in humanity, which he discovers on his own.”
The music video will be released in early January 2017.
This is Sex the Rapper’s second music video and the eighth for fast-growing, two-year old Flow Motion Media, “the production company of choice for many local hip hop and rap artists,” says its executive director Aaron Palmer.
He attributes the company’s sudden business success to its ability to adapt to the current trend in music videos.
Currently there are more than 75,000 music videos hosted on Vevo the music video and entertainment platform, according to director Josh Stone. The number of music viewed on YouTube now runs about 50 million annually and expected to grow.
“What was once a nice-to-have product is now a critical marketing tactic for most artists who want to be viewed seriously,” says Stone.
Flow Motion has created a demand for their services by combining their art form with an ability to keep costs down. And according to producer Katelyn Zenie, the music videos they’ve produced have caught the attention of record labels, artists and fans, including the Palmer Squares, Mis Chiff and Stank Face.
“It’s a delicate balance — creating art with speed,” says scriptwriter and assistant director Kyle Flaharty. “We make sure each video touches the essence of what the artist is trying to convey. But we also visually present it in such a way that it can be completed quickly and cost effectively.”
Add to this changing complexity is the artist’s main purpose for using videos: to gain fans and followers. Artists can no longer rely on just opening for other acts or performing at local clubs. Music videos shared online give these individuals a global audience.
“Right now, my music and videos has been seen outside of the U.S. like Belgium,” Flaharty says.
According to Flow Motion, as demand for music videos online continue to rise, so will their artistic production services. And they say they are ready for the avalanche.
