CONTEXT AND DETAILS
Principal Role(s): Creative Director & Art Director (with direction across video, design, web, and physical experience)
Challenge: Creating a cohesive visual world for a music project on a shoestring budget without it feeling like a compromise.
Opportunity: Turn limitations into a defining aesthetic rather than something to hide.
Solution: Instead of imitating high-end production, the project fully embraced a lo-fi identity aligned with Lo-Fidelity Love, a concept centered on celebrating imperfection. Inspired by public access shows like Stairway to Stardom and The Uncharted Zone, the guiding rule became: if it feels too polished, it doesn’t belong.
Execution: I built the project as a cohesive system where every element reinforced the lo-fi language:
Outcome: The constraints became the project’s defining strength. Press photos emerged as a standout element on a national tour, resonating with fans and selling at shows.
The visual identity was recognized by creatives including Fred Armisen, and most importantly, established a cohesive language across video, web, live performance, and merchandise, proving that a clear point of view can unify an entire project regardless of budget.
Challenge: Creating a cohesive visual world for a music project on a shoestring budget without it feeling like a compromise.
Opportunity: Turn limitations into a defining aesthetic rather than something to hide.
Solution: Instead of imitating high-end production, the project fully embraced a lo-fi identity aligned with Lo-Fidelity Love, a concept centered on celebrating imperfection. Inspired by public access shows like Stairway to Stardom and The Uncharted Zone, the guiding rule became: if it feels too polished, it doesn’t belong.
Execution: I built the project as a cohesive system where every element reinforced the lo-fi language:
- Shot all video on a vintage Sony DVCam to preserve analog texture
- Used a free gymnasium stage with minimal set design, letting rawness define the space
- Created lyric videos across Uptown Manhattan with handheld footage and simple text overlays
- Maintained a consistent 90s-inspired lo-fi treatment across editing, motion, and graphics
- Designed a Web 1.0-style website with basic layouts and nostalgic structure
- Produced press photos inspired by understated, slightly awkward imagery, referencing figures like Larry David
- Extended the concept into physical merchandise through printed press photos
Outcome: The constraints became the project’s defining strength. Press photos emerged as a standout element on a national tour, resonating with fans and selling at shows.
The visual identity was recognized by creatives including Fred Armisen, and most importantly, established a cohesive language across video, web, live performance, and merchandise, proving that a clear point of view can unify an entire project regardless of budget.