My dad is 63 and he’s never touched a computer in his life. He’s never written on someone’s wall. He’s never read a blog. He’s never uploaded a photo. And he’ll never see this post. So when I explain to him that I’m passionate about music videos, I’m met with silence. For him, music videos are crude, performance-driven pieces that aren’t all that creative. But today, the music video has been reborn on the internet, and MTV doesn’t (and shouldn’t) have anything to do with it.

A few months ago, The Wall Street Journal ran a piece commenting on how music videos are being reinvented. They cost less. They’re more interactive. And people are jumping online to watch them. All very true. But they’re also showing us something else: a new breed of directors.

When digital video cameras first came out, people thought that everyone was going to be a filmmaker. And while YouTube showed us that was true, it didn’t mean everyone would be good at it. Good short films never found a home on the internet. Great music videos did, and they were more experimental than ever. There wasn’t money in them anymore, but the videos were (and continue to be) better than anything we saw in MTV’s heyday.

At Equal Sons, we love music videos because they showcase what directors can do with nothing. Without the confines of a narrative, a brand, or a huge studio, directors are free to do whatever they want. They’re how we find new voices for the film and commercial worlds. What my dad doesn’t know is that a new breed of directors has emerged… and they’re better, more engaging, more creative, more budget-conscious, and more interesting than ever.

Side note: Every Friday we post some of the best new musics videos on our Twitter feed. Follow us and see what we’re talking about.

A few people have asked us what we’re doing setting up shop in both Austin and Los Angeles. To us, it makes perfect sense.

Wait, wait. First off, who are you guys?

Equal Sons is two things. We’re a traditional commercial production house and an interactive video/new tech house, the latter of which we’re calling “creative engineering”. Essentially, we’re a team of filmmakers, engineers, and programmers, ready to take on anything you can throw at us. Check out our site for more.

So, why Los Angeles?

Even though a good number of shoots take place outside of LA, a lot of the best talent still lives there. Our LA office serves as our connection to that community. We want to do the best productions humanly possible, so we obviously want to connect with the best talent possible, even if it means we’re not going to shoot the production in LA.

What about Austin?

Our Austin office is our interactive think tank and engineering hub. For many years, Austin has attracted (and still continues to attract) some of best interactive companies. Did you know that Chaotic Moon Studios, the company that developed The Daily for News Corp., is based in Austin? And hey, how could anyone forget that SXSW takes place here? We love talking with others in our field, and Austin is the place to be.

Additionally, having an Austin office gives us better access to more affordable locations and equipment. Whenever we can save someone money, we like to do it.

Oh, and have you had Austin BBQ? Smitty’s, anyone?

As one of the pioneers behind several “choose your own adventure” series on YouTube, Rob Polonsky continues to make viral history. His sketch comedy group, “Chad, Matt & Rob”, has garnished nearly 50 million views on their YouTube channel, and they have been crowned as one of the original Kings of dot Comedy. His success eventually caught the attention of AXE who launched their shampoo product with their own CMR interactive adventure. Equal Sons is super excited to have Rob join our team. Be sure to check out his work on the Directors page.

Right out of college, Nathan was nominated for a Visual Effects Society Award for the short Hangar No. 5, a film which he also directed. Having worked at Pixar on films such as Wall-E, Nathan now channels his vast knowledge of visual effects into the director’s chair. Check out his spots and shorts on his director’s page.

Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,
All, all alike endear’d, grown, ungrown, young or old,
Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,
Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love,
A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother,
Chair’d in the adamant of Time.


- Walt Whitman