Audio By Carbonatix
About four years ago, some flyers started circulating around the Dallas-area rehearsal facilities for White Cane Studios. They’d shoot a music video for you, complete start-to-finish job, for (I believe) $250. Fast forward to present, and Johny Cane and his partners have shot videos for Here Holy Spain, The Virgin Wolves and even a full-on documentary just coming out about the history of punk label Fat Wreck Chords.
The last time I talked to you, you were filming Rollerderby girls at Absolute Rehearsal! I also remember you just starting up White Cane, and passing around some sharp looking flyers with a very reasonable rate. About four years ago.
That is crazy to think about how long ago that was. It was pretty much the very beginnings of White Cane as a legitimate thing and I had just moved back from L.A. The fliers and those crazy cheap deals and specials we ran back then ended up resulting in some of the best connections and clients I’ve ever had and I still work with some of them on a regular basis today. I think something about the fact that we were still putting our passion into these small and quick videos really resonated with the people we were working with.
Now catch me up to the present. What are some exciting projects youve had in the last three or so years since we last met?
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The past three years has been a pretty crazy ride. The most notable change has definitely been the addition of Michael Gooch as the other half of White Cane. He has been a pretty invaluable asset to White Cane and everything we do. We have had a ton of really cool projects, and worked with some of the most talented people in Dallas. The Virgin Wolves, Dang!Records, The Bright, Septien Entertainment and Kaylee Rutland, GS Boyz … I could go on and on but really every project I do is always super exciting and it would be way too hard to pick out favorites.
Another thing that we have been kinda perfecting and getting started up is a motion graphic design company called lycvids that specializes in Kinetic Typography and Lyrics Videos. We’ve ended up doing a lot of commercial work with it and just finished up a project in conjunction with UNT, which is awesome, but I would really love to start spreading the word to bands here in Dallas and nationally as well that this can be a cheap, but effective way to build video content and marketing material. Plus I just really love doing music related work!
And that’s not all, I understand. You just finished shooting Here Holy Spain, correct?
We just released the new Here Holy Spain video for “Way Out One In Five” which we were super excited about. As far as other music video projects going on we don’t really have a whole lot. As much as I love doing the music video thing I’ve really shifted my focus and efforts into the film world. We haven’t finished any projects yet, but getting shorts and documentaries into the festival circuits is the main goal. We’ve got a short screenplay in what I guess I would call pre-pre-production that I co-wrote and conceptualized with Joel Herrera that we also hope to expand into a full feature length film, and Shaun Colon’s Open Ended Films and White Cane are teaming up on a couple really awesome documentary projects including the new documentary he is directing and producing called “A Fat Wreck” that tells the story of the origins of Fat Wreck Chords. I’m really really excited about all the things that are happening around me right now, and the amazing team of people we have all working towards the same goals. I feel like all the years of hard work are finally starting to lead somewhere. The next five years for White Cane should be really fun to watch.
Being a video-guy specifically, at what point did you kindle interest in music-related arts?
I have always loved music, and it has always been a huge part of my life, but it wasn’t until my late high school/early college years that I really got into local music. It’s such an important facet of my life now that I don’t know how I ever got along without it. I think what got me hooked was when I first started doing work in the scene here in Dallas, went to my first local shows and experienced getting to actually meet and be friends with the people that were making music I loved and watch them/help them grow. That is something truly unique to local music, you don’t get that with the national and international artists.
How about your interest in being behind a lens?
I took a media tech class my senior year of high school as kind of a blow-off course, but from the very first day people kept telling me that I seemed to have a real talent for what I was doing with video. I figured if every one else sees something then I might as well go for it, plus I loved doing it and figured I could make some money while I was at it. From there it turned into my whole life and my passion very quickly.
Was music video your direction from the get-go?
The plan for me was always to go into music video and film work, but I figured out that it was way easier to go out to shows with my DSLR, take photos of bands and connect with them that way than to get them to actually plan a whole video with some young kid who didn’t have a reel or portfolio. So I started with photography and used that to squeeze my way into the scene and eventually started doing music video work. Fun Fact! Many years ago I was a freelance live music photographer for this same blog! It was one of my very first paying gigs….Thanks Dallas Observer!
Ha. Tell us about when your interests in music and visual arts ended up merging.
That’s an interesting question. It actually has a lot to do with the name White Cane and the kind of films I want to make. When I was a kid I can remember getting images and visualizations in my head when listening to music, and making up stories to go along with the songs, kind of the same way I come up with music video treatments now. The two things just go hand in hand and because music has been such a huge influence on me I always knew that it would play a big role in my film career as well. White Cane is a reference to the canes that blind people carry to assist them in getting around and I chose that name as an allusion to what I feel is the most important part of any film…Music and Sound Production. I’ve always said that when I start making movies I want a blind person to be able to walk out of a theater with the same level of understanding and enjoyment as the sighted person that was sitting right next to them.
Wow. That’s a wonderful vision you have. What area bands are you the biggest nut for?
Ohhhhh man! You’re gonna make me do this? There’s so many, but I definitely have a few favorites. Some of the best and most talented people I’ve worked with throughout the years has been The Virgin Wolves, their music is just bad ass and they also have all become some of my best friends. I haven’t seen them play anywhere in awhile and I really hope they get back out soon. I really miss watching those dudes.
So do I. They threw down on stage.
Also, I’m way behind the times on this one, but I just discovered House Harkonnen. I have seen them play a couple times now and they are absolutely amazing, the best I’ve seen since back in the Peacemaker days. If you guys read this, I want to work with yall!
That band can blow your hair back live. Who else?
A short list of some of my other favorites: Here Holy Spain, The Phuss, The Bright, Samuel Caldwells Revenge, Perdition, Madison King, P-Town Skanks, Mothership…There’s way too many to list. If they are playing good music in Dallas, I love them.
How are we doing, as a music/arts community, in your eyes? Seems like youre well qualified to give an opinon. Are there things you wish were stronger or more collaborative about the community?
This is a hard one. In May of 2012 I got really fed up with a lot of things about life and decided to move to Winter Park, Colorado to seclude myself in the mountains. About five months later I came back into town to visit for a wedding and was pretty blown away at how much things had grown here in such a short amount of time. I ended up driving back to Colorado, packing my stuff and moving back down here. It was a great decision. Deep Ellum, which is one of my favorite places in the world, really has a great energy going and it’s because of what the Dallas music and arts scene is doing. Compared to the last five years or so, I think it is really coming back in a very strong and very positive way and I do definitely think we are getting a sense of community that hasn’t been seen around here in quite awhile. With that being said, the one thing I would change is I would just love to see all of Dallas’ artists really come together and support each other more. It’s definitely getting better, but there is still a sense of competition here that I see every once in awhile.
We all have the same goals and we all want to succeed, let’s start doing everything we can to help one another out! I saw a great example of this a couple weekends ago with the Elm St. Music and Tattoo Fest. Oliver Peck did a great job with that and the whole arts/music community really came together and made that one of the coolest things to happen here in awhile.
