If you’ve seen Lil Yachty’s music video for ‘A Cold Sunday’, or Drake and Yachty’s Futuremood conversation on a beach, or Yachty’s vlog series, The Boat Show, then you’ve seen the work of Ari Mairena-Dannon.
The Atlanta-based, Miami-bred filmmaker and director, commonly known as AMD, grew up surrounded by music and fell in love with directing and filmmaking at the age of 12. What started as a childhood interest and a familial favor, turned into a full-blown career directing Lil Yachty’s music videos, and documenting his rise to rap stardom and his growing rap collective, the Concrete Boys.
Complex spoke to AMD about what it takes to be a rapper’s go-to cameraman and director, his advice to young creatives, and what it was like to be the first director under Cole Bennett’s production company, Lyrical Lemonade.
How did you get into filmmaking and directing?
I was around 12 years old when I first started messing with the art [of filmmaking]. One day, I was just curious, so I started doing little three-minute action videos with friends around the neighborhood.
My dad was also working at an advertisement school, so I think that influenced me too, seeing them work on commercials and stuff. My brother started making music, and that introduced me to the music video world. [I] started making music videos with him and his friends, and from there [I] just kept going and having fun with it. It was something that I was curious about, and [I] never looked back.
Who and what are your storytelling and visual inspirations?
Yachty has had a huge influence on me because we’ve worked together for the past six years or so. He’s imprinted so much on me—his taste, the way he moves, the way he articulates his creative thoughts. He’s like a mentor to me.
Of course, Cole Bennett, I’ve always looked up to him. Back in Miami, I remember looking at all his stuff and being super influenced by his work. I remember watching his TED talk and being inspired by that.
A lot of my peers. Gabriel Moses and Gibson Hazard. As far as directing goes, I know a lot of people say this, but Christopher Nolan. I love Christopher Nolan’s work. I’m a big fan of his stuff, you can’t go wrong with that.
How did you and Lil Yachty initially connect? How did Cole Bennett approach you about working with Lyrical Lemonade?
When I moved [to Atlanta] in 2019, I was interning at Cam Kirk Studios. I didn’t know anybody, so I wanted to be acclimated with the community here. I was doing intern stuff on the floor, helping put backdrops up, and then doing some video work here and there. Through [interning] there, I met a lot of people. I met this photographer named Lil Coach, and he had a shoot with Yachty coming up, and he invited me to do behind-the-scenes for it. I did a little 60-second recap of their shoot, so that was like the first time I got to meet Yachty and work with him.
A couple of months later, Lil Coach contacted me and said, ‘Hey, I’m here with Yachty, and he needs a new cameraman. We’re talking about you, and he wants to meet up with you.’ So I met with him in December of 2019, and by the start of 2020, I was by his side, working with him, damn near living every day with him. I was still living in my house, but I was with him from probably 3 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day.
That was one thing that he told me during our first conversation, he was like, ‘Are you willing to be with me every day, seven days out of the week?’ I did that for a while with him. [I] traveled a lot with him. [I] started creating content pieces, [I] did a vlog [show] with him called The Boat Show, and then from there [I] started doing some music videos with him. [I] just kept growing with him, and then through him I got to meet a whole bunch of people, and I got the chance to meet Cole [Bennett]. When I met Cole, I was doing behind the scenes for Yachty. It was for this music video that they shot in Chicago called ‘Yae Energy’.
We talked a little bit that day, and [Cole] stayed in contact with me. He started hiring me for some more behind-the-scenes work. Then, I think two years after connecting with him, I was on set for a Yachty music video doing behind-the-scenes again, and [Cole] was there. He pitched me the idea that he was starting to get directors under his company, Lyrical Lemonade, and he wanted me to be the first one.
I was extremely hyped. It was a pretty crazy day. I just remember getting in the car and being like, ‘Wow, all right, this is the next step in the journey’.
Over the years, you and Yachty have built a visual language while working together. How has this language evolved?
For a long time, it was just me, the camera, and him, and we would shoot music videos randomly. It didn’t matter where we were, he’d be like, ‘All right, let’s go shoot a music video.’ Or he’d be in his hotel room, and he’d be like, ‘Slide to my room, let’s shoot a music video.’ It was a lot of just doing and learning, and then taking his notes in, and hearing him out.
I remember a key moment of change for my visual language was when [Yachty] was like, ‘I think you’re moving the camera too much. I think you’re trying to go with the beat and stuff. How about you just put it on a tripod, find a good frame, and keep it static.’ That opened my eyes, big time, because when you’re shooting a long take of a song, you’re like, ‘This is not going to be enough’, but that opened my eyes to composition. My style now is a lot of static shots—movement when necessary, but not overdoing it.
It’s always great to work with [Yachty] because he’s so involved, and he has such an eye for things. It’s nice to have a person to collaborate with that understands me, and I understand him because we’ve worked [together] so much. It’s really refreshing to be able to work with an artist who cares so much and pours himself into his art. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort in all areas. Once you start directing with crews, art directors, and set design, there are so many pieces involved. Having an artist put their input into what we’re creating—I think just adds something special to the final product.
What’s in the AMD music video starter pack?
It’s evolving. I don’t think I ever want to stay stagnant in my creative process. Obviously, there are some parameters that I know are successful, but if I’m not pushing to take it a step further, or get into an uncomfortable zone, then I won’t be able to grow as a creative. I let the music direct. It’s the first director in the process, it kind of dictates the way it’s going to go.
What project are you most proud of and why?
As of right now, it’s this song called ‘Murda’ with Lil Yachty. I love that project so much. It was my first time shooting on film, so that was super fun and eye-opening. I love the look it gave us. We got to get really creative in that one, and world-build in this abstract way. It was not the first time we got to play with creative fully, but I think it’s the one that Yachty and I took the furthest.
How does it feel to help bring the Concrete Boys’ vision and image to life? And what does the Concrete era mean to you?
It’s really cool to be a part of that story. I’ve been around these guys for a while now, just traveling the world, and going to this show, going to this thing, so seeing them grow as a unit has been really cool. Also, putting my input in, as far as the visuals, and how they’re perceived by the world—it’s an important job, and I’m glad that they trust me to take part in that.
That era means a lot because it gave me the chance to explore and experiment with people that [I] became close with. I’m working on other projects as well, but I try to stay close with them and continue to create with them, so a lot of love for the Concrete Boys.
What advice would you give to young creatives trying to break into the industry and find their place?
The first thing you gotta do is have fun. As a 12-year-old, I wasn’t thinking of making a career out of this or all the other factors that start coming into play at a certain age. So I think it’s having that innocent mind, focusing on creating first, learning the craft, and using the resources around you.
You don’t necessarily need a big artist to start making cool stuff. You could make cool stuff with your friends or whatever resources you have available. It’s not about focusing on the best gear or the best face for a project—just go shoot, have fun, learn, and repeat, and continue to do that over time. Just like anything, you start sharpening your skill. A lot of people get caught up with them not being in a certain place yet, or wanting to skip steps, but I think those steps are important to finding your voice in the art.
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