With the evolution of music over the past decade, there is no doubt it has become one of the most impactful forms of art we’ve ever seen. Aside from the musical aspect, music and it’s beautiful pairing with visual arts has been more exciting than ever. Unfortunately with so much saturation, especially in hip-hop, standing out has been almost impossible for creatives. That is, until I came across and spoke with the two talented individuals who make up Deadend Productions, Declan Kyle and Polo. The moment that sparked my immediate interest and admiration for this duo, happened when I came across their video for SoFaygo’s album smash, “Everyday.” Within seconds of watching, the quality stood out like no other. I was sure the video was executed with expensive equipment and a lengthy budget, but to my surprise, it was quite the opposite — standard high-quality cameras, and no budget. The entire visual was shot at a green screen studio where they managed to use limited resources and still create what looks like a cinematic masterpiece in under a month. Beyond the video and the song, I made it my mission to find more out about the backbone of this creation and both individuals with the vision to transcend societal and industry standards.
Let’s start off with 1/2 of Deadend, Declan Kyle. The talented 19 year-old director began his journey a little over a year ago, where he learned the fundamentals and then some from YouTube tutorials and trusted peers. By his senior year of high school, he was already completing his own music videos and being flown out to direct for several bubbling artists. After realizing college wasn’t going to get him to his promise land, he began dedicating his full time to videography and began developing his own creative vision to his craft. He credits Cole Bennett as his biggest inspiration not only creatively, but also personally with his work ethic. Shortly after, he linked up with a fellow Connecticut native and soon-to-be second half of Deadend Productions, Polo.
Last but certainly not least, comes the final puzzle piece that completes Deadend, Polo. Like Declan, Polo is another 19 year-old creative phenom from Connecticut. His experience with videography and photography came at the early age of 10, where he created many skate vids and eventually music videos by 15. After a brief stint at a visual arts school, he quickly knew he had to separate himself from that environment to take him to the next level. Interestingly enough, Polo credits skate culture as one of the biggest influences to what got him where he is today. Moreover, he says his admiration for videographers like Lonewolf, Walker Flocker, and other peers hold a lot of his everyday creative motivation.
I could go on and on about this duo, as could anyone who’s seen their craft or spoken to them, but all in all, their collective message was clear and admirable. The goal is to get industry standard visuals to the underground community who has always been overlooked by major influencers and labels. They’re looking to be at the creative forefront for this upcoming underground wave, and provide exposure to those they feel have been long overdue. In just a short period of time, they’ve amassed an impressive catalogue of some of the most notable hip-hop acts, in hopes of soon collaborating with artists like Sheff G, Lucki, Bktherula, and Sleepy Hallow among other “underground” stars. By the looks of it, their wishes will be granted and surpassed sooner than later. All in all, if you weren’t familiar with Deadend Productions before, welcome to the minds of these new age visionaries and soon to be superstars. If you’re interested in booking or tuning into their work, be sure to follow Deadend’s Instagram in the embed above, as well as their personal pages in the links below.
INSTAGRAM LINKS: Declan Kyle & Polo