ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:
BLUNT ACTION

How did you each start your artistic journeys? What brought you together? And what made you dive into the world of 3D design?

During 2014, the three of us met at college in upstate New York. As college students sharing strong creative passions we immediately started collaborating on personal artistic projects involving music and digital art. We began experimenting with 3D design, video editing, game development, and other digital and visual tools in an effort to explore new artistic directions. While combining new skills we had been teaching ourselves with skills we have been building throughout our lives, we realized that 3D design resonated with us because it allowed us to open ourselves to many new creative possibilities. By early 2017, we decided to start an official collaborative project on Instagram that combines the music we were producing with this new art we're creating. This is how Blunt Action officially formed and would begin its journey into the growing studio it is today.

Please tell us about the team's creative process. How are your designs created? Where do you draw inspiration to create these alluring worlds?

At the beginning of our creative process, we take various elements from our inspirations, and conceptualize designs for visual representations of our ideas. We utilize 3D software, game engines, and video / audio editing workstations to bring these ideas to life. We are really passionate about history, futurism, technology, music and want to interpret these themes in our art to explore alternate realities. We also take inspiration from places we’ve traveled around the world such as Japan, Italy, and Greece.

How do the external world and current events influence Blunt Action's art, culture, and creativity?

We take influence from various countries, cultures, and time periods throughout the world. In addition, we are continuously keeping up with current events and pop culture as well as educating ourselves on historical periods ranging from ancient Greece to the Younger Dryas, and as far back as the Big Bang.

Could you tell us more about what you're creating/working on right now?

Currently, we are working on a few projects such as video games, animated shorts, original music, new 3D art, AR/VR experiences, and collaborations with other artists. Our game Battle Snakes: Legends of the Galaxy is in production right now and a BETA can be found on our website. We are releasing our first official music project and Blunt Action merchandise over the next few months. We also have client projects that we are working on daily such as custom 3D sculpts, branding and merchandise designs, music videos, and cover art.

If you weren't artists, what would you do for a living?

If we weren’t artists we might be working in the technology, science, or business industries. We all have a similar entrepreneurial and creative mentality, and therefore we would likely still be designing and producing something whether it is art, music, or food as either a hobby or side job.

What is your ultimate dream to accomplish through Blunt Action? How do you see the group at its highest point?

Getting to run our own studio and making a living by doing what we love is already our dream. At our highest point we would like to increase our studio size, take on larger client projects, and continue to produce our own art, movies, music, video games, and unique experiences. Ultimately, we want to have as large a reach as possible leaving the longest lasting positive influence possible.

Let's say you get full artistic freedom on a billboard on the busiest road in a huge city where millions will see your message. What would Blunt Action's message be? Any combo of words and images is fine.

"Save The Trees"

You work with a lot of big clientele and collaborate with other artists, how do you manage to bring their concept to life while also staying true to your own art aesthetic? Or is it a non-issue?

To this point, we have been lucky with the clientele we have gotten to work with. A majority of our clientele and artist collaborations have transpired because they already vibe with our aesthetics. When we work with others, we get to blend their ideas with ours and bring something incredible to life. Collaborations are a big part of our creative process. It’s important to try to keep an open mind because you never know what crazy ideas end up working perfectly.

What was your first major project for a client? How did it come about? What advice would you give to artists wishing to branch outside of making art for themselves and their audiences to working with brands and musicians?

During the Summer of 2018, we were presented with some of the most notorious projects that we have had the pleasure of working on. We were hired to design a promotional animation for the Wu-Tang Clan’s 25th anniversary, and create stage visuals for Lil Uzi Vert’s Summer Tour. We would say the best advice to give is to always be setting and updating goals for yourself. It’s also important to never turn down any opportunities because a different perspective can always teach you something new and building relationships is how you really grow.

You have an amazing portfolio of work, from music videos and concert visuals to product realization and architectural visuals - what has been your absolute favorite project to work on? Why?

We try to work on a diverse range of projects, and each comes with its own perks. Our absolute favorite in house project has been the development of our cross-platform multiplayer game Battle Snakes: Legends of the Galaxy. We have learned a lot and have been able to harness our game development skills. In addition, we have a lot of favorite client projects, however an anime styled music video we recently created is currently one of our all time favorites. As big fans of anime art, getting to work in this style was a lot of fun and the finished video came out great.

According to your Instagram, Blunt Action has produced a lot in a few years. All artists face days where they lack inspiration and drive to create but Blunt Action seems to be able to push through together as a team and make it happen. How do you deal with these moments of lack of motivation, hesitation, or doubt?

When the inspiration isn’t in front of you, sometimes you need to go searching for it. When we experience moments like that we look to the internet, music, books, architecture, and travel for concepts and motivation. Behind the scenes we are continuously experimenting with new concepts, softwares, and improving our skills. We are often trying to learn new skills to enhance our art and expand what we can produce.

Finally, what would you say to up-and-coming artists who want to pursue their passion?

You get out what you put in. The most important thing is to practice and stay consistent.

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