Meet Cody Burkhardt of Void Productions in DTLA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Burkhardt.

Cody, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ever since I could, I was taking pictures and filming things. Initially, I focused on capturing reality: making technically correct photos that followed traditional conventions and looked fine. When I was 16, I went to my first hardcore show at the Showcase Theater in Corona, CA.

My friends and I got really into the hardcore scene; we started a band and played through the rest of high school at random venues in So Cal: houses, churches, roller rinks, bars, wherever. That experience made me realize that photography was a lot like performance: It’s about using all the tools available to you to craft your own reality.

Eventually, I started focusing video because it added two extra layers: sound and the manipulation of time. Today, most of my work focuses on the visual side of music, namely music videos, festival content creation, & other short-form pieces.

I still shoot concerts and random things for the heck of it, but I find that I enjoy the process most when working within the context of a song. Videos are huge for how we come to understand the world of an artist, and as a director, it’s my job to help their persona come through in the most visually interesting way possible.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The ubiquity of social media has really changed the frame in which I create my work.

Attention spans are shorter, and barriers to entry for creators are exponentially lower than they were even five years ago. Today, anyone with a camera and an idea can create something, and I like that.

Seeing what others come up with motivates me and forces me to keep things fresh. I like the challenge of trying to make the most maximalist & crazy stuff possible in under 2 minutes – every frame counts & it really forces you to think about what you’re trying to communicate.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Void Productions – what should we know?
I place an emphasis on movement, color, and energy in all of my work. I have many technical tricks, but the end goal of all of them is to immerse viewers in the feeling of the video. People are naturally visual communicators, and I think that a lot of directors today give their audiences less credit than they deserve.

It might seem insane to fit 200 cuts in under a minute, but in today’s world, we consume so much media every day that it’s almost impossible to outpace what people can understand visually.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Since I moved to DTLA, I’ve been fortunate enough to find an amazing variety of people who love to create just as much as I do.

This goes beyond the naturally collaborative world of filmmaking: photographers, 3D artists, musicians, models, and producers all inspire me. Surrounding myself with those people motivates me to push myself out of my comfort zone, and try things that I’m not always sure I can pull off.

Contact Info:

• Website: vimeo.com/voidproductions
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @codyburkhardt

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