Production company Doomsday Entertainment has added the LAMAR+NIK duo and Michael Parks Randa to its directorial roster. This marks Randa’s first U.S. commercial and music video representation while LAMAR+NIK had earlier been handled by sixtwentysix.
Randa recently collaborated with 30 cross-country DPs during COVID-19 quarantine restrictions to helm the Delta Spirit music video “How Bout It,” making nimble use of minimal resources to maximize the glimpse of the coronavirus’ impact in America. Meanwhile LAMAR+NIK have long crafted zeitgeist-capturing work for artists such as The Shins and The Pixies, among many others.
Randa informs his work with his unique upbringing: raised on a farm in Massachusetts where his parents founded a school for disabled individuals, growing up with a unique perspective on the world around him as a result. He brings his drive to maximize representation and inclusivity into his music video work for artists including Rick Ross & Dave East, Mewithoutyou, and Shovels & Rope. After years spent directing music videos, Randa wrote and directed Best Summer Ever, his feature film debut. An eight-song original inclusive musical, the film premiered at SXSW 2020 and was awarded the Special Jury Award for Screenwriting.
After receiving a B.A. in Film/Communications and Media Studies from Sacred Heart University, he freelance produced for top shops including ELEMENT, Genuine Interactive and Hill Holliday before branching out to direct and produce on his own.
LAMAR + NIK
The design-oriented directing duo LAMAR+NIK has maintained popularity by use of practical effects in their work, like melting down sets made of ice, one-takes, handmade props and other inventive solutions, amassing an oddly-specific European popularity even they can’t explain. The directors have helmed highly creative, often hand-crafted videos for almost a decade, fusing live action performance with animation for the likes of Lushlife, Samantha Crain and Husbands. The duo’s work often involves labor-intensive analog techniques. Whether that’s cutting out 5,566 stickers for The Shins or making 188 cardboard heads for Lushlife, their analog approach stands out in a world gone digital.
Originally from Oklahoma City, the duo united in the suburban skating scene there, inspired by skate films and directors including Spike Jonze. After attending college, they made a name for themselves in their beloved home state and beyond on the merits of their ambitious DIY music videos, before striking out to garner international acclaim.
Doomsday founder and executive producer Danielle Hinde said, “The moment I saw Randa’s music video “How Bout It” for Delta Spirit, I instantly knew I wanted to work with him, and it got me excited about the possibility of music videos again, specifically in the midst of the shutdown. Doomsday has been familiar with LAMAR+NIK for some time now; they remind me of the music videos that inspired me to make them in the first place.”
