Winning a CMJ music video contest in 2011 for EULA’s “Maurice Narcisse”, awaiting the release of their first full-length feature film ‘ULTRA’, and ending another year of business on Van Duzer Street when more than half of all startups fail are all reasons to celebrate. Kevin Rogers and his team, Backslash Bomb Productions, intend to do just that by toasting to their accomplishments at The Full Cup tomorrow night, September 20th, with musicians, artists, and well-wishers.
Rogers and Backslash Bomb Productions have created, directed, and produced music videos for Staten Island artists such as Giga Herbs, and Everything Ever (formerly known as Curious Volume), to the Brooklyn-based Electronic Pop trio House of Blondes, and Young Rich America’s “In Her City”. Rogers was recently hired to edit and shoot in Alaska for the upcoming documentary “Mount Lawrence”.
“Alaska is kind of weird,” said Rogers. “It is very ‘American’; it has such southern undertones for such a northern place but the people were great.”
One of Rogers ambitions for the upcoming year is to branch off from music videos to pursue more time consuming projects.
“I’d say one goal is for me to have the company fully operational without me having a hand in it all the time,” said Rogers. “I want to be able to go away for weeks at time while working on a project without having to worry.”
Rogers dropped out of college around 2006 and interned at V-Productions in Manhattan for a little over a year. Rogers then worked as the 2nd assistant camera for Daniel Marracino, as he shot Director Morgan Spurlock’s Segment of Freakonomics.
Rogers afterwards took his experience to Monstar Films, a company based in New Dorp, Staten Island, before parting ways to found Backslash Bomb Productions in 2008. Rogers began working out of his Stapleton apartment to get the company off the ground and has expanded the company’s work to include more avenues of creativity.
“I was creatively frustrated at the time,” said Rogers. “But now, Monstar and I work together constantly and are close friends of mine to date.”
In September of 2009, Rogers rented space at 386 Van Duzer Street with Joe Pecaro of Red Room Studios. Rogers and Pecaro have been at that location since then and the two have occasionally collaborated on larger projects.
Handling all of the writing, directing, editing, and production, Backslash Bomb Productions gave Rogers the ability to exercise a more unique vision in his work. Rogers intention is to create meaningful art while having it all come from one place.
“Our work is always conceptual; there are always allusions. Our originality and resourcefulness set us apart from other companies,” Said Rogers. “Over the years, we have figured out so many ways to build an art department from nothing.”
The Full Cup is located at 388 Van Duzer St. in Stapleton.
(Shameless plug: NB Technologies is proud to have worked with Kevin and Backslash Bombs Productions. We will be there tomorrow night to celebrate and give congratulations on another year of being in business on Van Duzer Street.)
