“Music videos don’t matter anymore.”
That’s what Eriq Hardiman-Rhone, founder of SZNs CHNGE says he kept hearing.
“The platforms, you know, the 106 and Parks, the TRLs, the infrastructure that made music videos matter is something that’s lost,” he said.
Dallas-based creative collective SZNs CHNGE created the One Up Music Video Film Festival to show this art form still matters. Last weekend, the organization held its second annual festival at the historic Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff. The festival serves as a platform for Texas-based talent to showcase their music videos and network with industry professionals.
“We want to give back to the artists, to be able to blow up in their own backyard,” said Hardiman-Rhone.
The event stemmed from the SZNs CHNGE crew feeling like the community was missing a large part of music culture that music videos provided, due to being overshadowed by social media.
“You can spend about $2,000 on a music video..but you’re posting next to the person who made a grilled cheese sandwich,” Hardiman-Rhone said.
In response, SZNs CHNGE partnered with the Oak Cliff Film Festival to highlight a wide array of Texas recording artists, including Devy Stonez and Coach Tev. By bringing together artists, filmmakers and creatives in one space, One Up provided not only exposure, but a chance for networking, collaboration and idea exchange. About 250 people attended the festival.
“We’re the intermediary space between local artists and big businesses,” Hardiman-Rhone said. “Giving people that may not necessarily have access to some of these opportunities or know how to even come up with these spaces to be seen and recognized.”
The event kicked off with a panel discussion featuring Atlanta director Jabari Jenkins, artist manager Robb Morris and sound engineer Aneyza “Nys” Clark. The discussion centered around the importance of music videos during the social media era.
Following the panel, a lineup of music videos from local artists of various genres was screened. Each artist was encouraged to submit music videos that aligned with their artistic identity, while also crediting the directors and creative minds who brought their vision to life.
Among those highlighted was AJ “AJ The Alchemist” Strong, a director and creative director behind four showcased videos. Strong began her career by shadowing other creatives in the industry, learning the craft from experienced production managers before breaking out on her own.
“Dallas doesn’t have a lot of opportunities like this, just somewhere for creatives to support other creatives,” Strong said.
She believes that any type of exposure is necessary for artists in Dallas to thrive and be supported.
“It’s a good opportunity to show each other that we can do this for real and to take our work serious.”
Beyond the music, SZNs CHNGE used this event as a platform to bring election awareness. In collaboration with Southern Methodist University’s Black Law Student Association, the event promoted voter registration.
“We’re really just here to make sure people are registered and people know who is going to be representatives,” said Jalissah Stanton, a second-year law student and director of BLSA.
The festival is expected to return to the Texas Theatre next year.
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
