Strangewave Productions
Ates Isildak aka StrangeWave Productions
“I went to the Dreyfoos School of the Arts for video my last two years of High School, but I actually ended up spending more time in the audio recording classes,” explains Ates Isildak. “I went a good ten years without working on any video stuff at all. I had all my guitar gear stolen from my car NYE 2013, and I woke up in 2014 and decided that I was going to buy a bunch of video gear instead of replacing my guitar stuff. I think I felt betrayed or something by music, I don’t know. But I also felt like I could stop being so solipsistic with video work. I could collaborate with other musicians and artists, and not be so closed off. I wanted to help other artist with their vision, instead of staying stuck in mine.”
Isildak’s considerable talents have brought him into demand by the same music scene he once, and considerably so, felt betrayed by. However, it was that moment of reinvention and unwillingness to fall victim that created the hybrid persona that has him as one of South Florida’s most sought-after indie video makers. With a digital style that blends the organic and nostalgic qualities of bygone formats with purposely whacky and whimsical experimentations Isildak’s StrangeWave Productions is the happy home of many local acts looking to stand apart in a congested post-punk, indie rock world.
Symbols
“Being in bands you learn how to work with other people. And you also learn that excellent musicians don’t always know how to present themselves, their ‘image.’ And that some bands just don’t care. All that is fine. I think with most of my own bands I ended up at very least taking care of the ‘art direction,’ so when I do a project for other bands, I just try to listen to them, figure out the vibe of what they are trying to convey,” her says of his personal experience. “Then I try to do something that captures that song and that band as well as possible.”
Tight Creeps
With a humble start doing Symbols’ surreal murder/gore/cannibalism video for their track “Death Valley (Not 69)”, he’s gone from his first commission, Octo Gato’s “Superpuss” to his most recent video release, Surfer Blood’s “I Can’t Explain,” Isildak finds himself needed, “Now I get contacted pretty often, I get more project offers than I have time for, which is unexpected but nice.” This last one was a testament to his craft and his attitude towards his work and how his general compliance can be effective by starting and finishing the project in roughly one week without the aid of a giant studio’s support. His work also comes at a pivotal time when art and music have strong bonds and the idea of video as art is wholly accepted as a respected medium.
Keeping himself locally available, Isildak stays true to his original intentions, “I have learned from being a musician that everyone wants to rip you off, and that’s something I am unwilling to do to bands, so I keep my prices really low. The people I work with are very grateful for this. I don’t work on some hourly rate. I make sure each video stands alone and is rad and the band is happy, no matter how long it takes to shoot or edit.” Though continuing to work visuals for Rodney Mayo’s Decades Records or even say, David Lynch would factor in his dreams, Isildak’s vision will carry on based on his genuine merits and talents.
WATCH MORE: http://www.strangewaverecords.com
~Abel Folgar
