Punktastic.com has long championed the importance of independent UK talent in the music scene. While there’s nothing better than discovering our new favourite band or watching a group we love make the steady climb from unknowns to radio darlings, talent isn’t just limited to those who strum a guitar or caress a microphone. Let’s not forget those who work on the periphery.
With the launch of our new videos section, we want to promote a different kind of talent. While any old hack with a video camera can claim to make a video, there are a raft of up-and-coming media companies who deserve the attention of the masses. We’re in the process of securing deals with several of them to bring you the best in exclusive video content on PT.
Without further ado, allow us to introduce to you TRIFECTA FILMS. Based in Manchester, this creative collective have really caught our attention. Having shot Less Thank Jake, Fenix TX, Frank Turner and many more in recent months and with big plans on the cards for 2011, we’ll be working closely with them this year to bring you the best exclusive content on the internet. We caught up with head honcho James Kennedy to find out more about Trifecta…
So James, what is Trifecta Films and what role do you play?
Trifecta Films is essentially a group of filmmakers who have worked in the industry for years and have combined to shoot the sickest music videos around. We also offer web design, corporate videos and a number of other services that most companies can’t offer.
My role is that I am sort of the Hannibal to the rest of the A Team. I’ll chomp my cigar and get my hands dirty as the rest of the team fire machine guns around me. Nobody dies though…
Give us the background on Trifecta Films up until now. How did you guys meet and get started? What have been your biggest achievements so far?
We met working on other jobs for other crappier companies and got a bit fed up with how certain media teams(not naming any names) take the money and churn out their default video for every project. Our crowning achievement has to be filming the amazing bands we’ve been fortunate enough to follow over the years like Less than Jake. That was a dream come true.
You’re not exclusively a video production company are you? What other pies do you have your fingers in?
Meat pies, Apple Pies you name it. Not just our fingers either! Seriously though we offer a range of “shizz” that includes SEO ready websites, corporate videos, computer generated work including 3D rendering, music for movies, scripts…just drop us a line and dare us not to know how to do it.
As a company, do you have a unified aim? If there was one goal of Trifecta Films what would it be?
Our aim would have to be to establish ourselves as one of the most innovative filmmaking companies around. We want to challenge ourselves and the artists on every project. For instance, our last music video for The Valentines single “Don’t Dally Sally” was entirely one take and took 12 hours to complete! We try to make every shoot a progression of ourselves and so with every new project we better ourselves, but also the artists get something great back as a result.
How did you personally get in to video production? Do you remember the first video you ever made?
I personally got into video production by going to the cinema every week as a kid. That’s where I received my education and then when my dad got an 8mm camera I decided to have a go myself and see how hard it was.
The first movie I ever made was when I was 14 years old. It was called ‘Teen Bloodbath Massacre’ and was about an evil janitor stalking the teenagers who pushed him down a lift shaft EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO TO THE DAY!!! It made Friday the 13th look like Hollyoaks.
Punktastic.com will proudly be showcasing exclusive content from you guys over the coming months. What made you decide to get in touch with us a means of promotion?
Punktastic has been my homepage since I spent my college days listening to bands like Fenix TX, Finch, Reel Big Fish etc. The site just offers exactly the taste of music that I have and so it was the first port of call when I thought I had something to offer that they might like to see. They said no…but then I showed them the gun. Everyone says yes to the gun.
You recently shot Fenix Tx, Frank Turner, Less Than Jake to name a few. Who have been your favourite acts to shoot and why?
They’ve all been amazing for their own reasons but to be stood on stage with Less than Jake was unreal. I’ve been a fan of that band since I was a kid and remember being stood on the other side of the fence covered in sweat in the biggest circle pit ever. To now be up on stage was an eye opener to see how far I’ve come but also the lack of sweat was the deal breaker.
If you could chose any band to work with – shoot live, make a video or documentary for, which band would it be and why?
It would have to be Green Day simply because they were the first band I ever got into. Film has always been my passion but they introduced me to the right kind of bands and that love for them has stuck with me ever since.
If not Green Day, then most definitely any of the X Factor rejects. Those guys are AMAZING!!! I know it’s not punk, but anyone on the Third Man Records as well. This is mainly Paul doing as he loves down and dirty blues. Who’s Paul? He’s my right hand man in the company. He’s good with his left hand too though.
Over the last eighteen months, video production companies have done a good job of branding themselves within the UK scene – Sitcom Soldiers is a household name, and thanks to Crime In Stereo, everybody’s heard of CrashBurn Media . It’s almost as if production companies are as well-known by name as bands these days. Do you think there’s a particular reason for this?
We’re in a new era of filmmaking. It’s so easy to shoot something and get the world to see it in a heartbeat. There seems to be some sort of filmmaking renaissance happening right now thanks to Youtube and Vimeo and the fact cameras and software have become so cheap. With that comes an over-saturated market. The household names you mention just know how to shout louder than the rest I think and sometimes their work speaks for themselves.
How do you see 2011 panning out for Trifecta? Do you have any exciting projects in store?
2011 is going to be a massive year for us. We’re looking to work with great emerging artists as well as continuing our work with the established artists. We have a lot of names on the horizon but none that I can reveal right now but there is certainly a lot happening.
We will also begin work on a feature film that we’ve been planning for over a year so that should keep us all busy. I can’t wait to get started and hope Punktastic readers can share the journey with us!
If you’re interested in working with Trifecta Films, want to have a look at their showreel or just find out more about them, head over to www.trifectafilms.co.uk.
Be sure to check out their PT-exclusive content by heading over to our videos section.