Ayodeji Ogunlana is a video director with a concentration on music video production. Ayodeji's creative process involves working closely with collaborating artists to enhance the emotional core of a song.
Why does Ayodeji create? "Catharsis."
Subject matter in his work varies from intimacy and loss to digital dystopianism. To achieve his signature emotional atmospheres, he relies on montage and collage techniques, and pushes to transform traditionally unappealing noisy digital footage into a working aesthetic. Ayodeji cites inspiration from favorite directors like Hiro Murai, Frank Lebon, Dexter Navy, and Noah Dillon. "I'm also really inspired by biblical imagery, as well as low res digital aesthetics."
His favorite project to date has been a music video for local musician Joseph Stingley called White Lights. "I really love that video because I felt it was the first [time] that I was able to take the essence of a song and visually translate it using my own distinct style."
Ayodeji started making videos at an early age in his hometown of Mission, Texas. "My older sister started editing videos by making animations for a game called Maplestory when I was around 12 years old. I started learning from her and doing the same... music video animations at first, and eventually getting a camcorder to film my own videos." From there, he began making skits for fun on YouTube until he naturally discovered an interest in music videos in his early teens.
Ayodeji is from Mission, Texas. "I really want to see the valley come into its own as a diverse art scene. I feel like many kids growing up here don't see pursuing something artistic as an achievable career path and I'd love for that to change."
Scroll down to view Ayodeji's works.
WITH THE LIGHTS ON (SHORT FILM, 2019)
