New feature on Video Static.... Every week we'll annoy somebody in the music video world with a few quick questions and print the results. Commissioners, directors, editors, dancers, caterers. OK, maybe not dancers. Here goes...
name: John Franck
company: KOCH Records
job/title: Sr. Vice President of Marketing
First Video: First real video I ever commissioned at KOCH was for Stabbing Westward "So Far Away," directed by Shawn M. Foster.
Strangest Video: Man, where do I start...there's been so many. One that comes to mind is "You Ain't Mad Iz Ya" which we shot down in Memphis shortly after 9/11 with Gil Green directing. The video was for a female artist on Hypnotize Minds called La Chat. This was a Three 6 Mafia project and every moment of all three days was just like an out of body experience. I can't get into the details of it here (because a lot of it is not fit for print), but it was very, very surreal.
What's Next: We're getting ready to shoot "We Takin' Over" with DJ Khaled down in Miami. It'll feature T.I., Akon, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Lil Wayne and Baby. That should be great. We just signed Styles P, we have a new Dipset project coming in April, followed by Hell Rell and a new video from Tha Dogg Pound which Snoop Dogg just co-directed for us. We are also aggressively getting back into hard rock this year, so we hope to have a bunch of coals in the fire on that end as well. In terms of where our business is going, as a label, we'll keep doing what we're doing. As the physical goods business continues to shrink, it's opening up a world of opportunity for Indies like us. Digital sales (both singles and ringtones) are becoming a huge piece of our business, especially on the Urban side. Strategically, we're putting a lot of time and effort into making sure we're competitive in that world. Video production-wise, I'm always looking for fresh talent and to bring people together. New DP's, editors, directors, colorists, etc, etc. I'm all about giving people the shot if the project makes sense.
