Smash Mob Debuts Westworld Inspired Music Video “You Can Run”

  ANAHEIM, CA - 10/25/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Music/video producers Smash Mob have released  “You Can Run,” a “hick-hop” music video/short film. The Westworld inspired video features singer/songwriter Stephen Bannon and guest appearances by composer/performer Jacqueline van Bierk and rapper Boom Doggottie.  

Smash Mob is the teaming of veteran performer, songwriter, producer, award-winning filmmaker/screenwriter, Frank Rogala (lead vocalist for EXUDE and NC-17) and performer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, Jason Eldridge.

The video was shot at the restored Ghost Town - Calico, in San Bernardino County, CA and Smash Mob’s West coast studio. The video/film clocks in at nearly 8 minutes.

Directed by Smash Mob’s Frank Rogala, the video makes use of a human/robot storyline that will feel familiar to fans of Westworld.  “I was a huge fan of the original film.  Then when JJ Abrams-produced Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s amazing new version on HBO, I was hooked all over again,” enthused Rogala.  “I’m pretty thrilled I got to play a bad guy character like Yul Brynner’s Westworld ‘Man in Black.’”

“It took a lot of work to get the cast’s schedules together, organize costumes, props, not to mention figuring out how to get everyone to Calico (Rogala loaded everyone but Bannon into one SUV).  The biggest challenge was pulling off the entire shoot in one day between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the hours Calico was publicly open)," explained Rogala.  “I had to be hyper-organized, and create fall back plans for shots I may not have light or time for.  Shots that I could put together later on a green screen. My neighbor is an Emmy winning art director. He lent me his makeup kit but then told me there was no way possible that I could do it all in one day!  That is the worst thing to say to me--because then I had to prove him wrong.  The planning came in handy as we had lots of delays in shooting waiting for the busloads of tourists (who suddenly showed up) to clear our scenes.  They thought we were a “show” and I had to tell the cast to stop being so friendly and posing for photos.  We would never have finished,” Rogala said with an amused laugh.

“I was concerned that we might have issues with walking around with prop guns, but the staff at Calico was wonderful and just let us be.  That was a huge relief.  In return we tried to stay out of the way and to not anything weoponish visible unless necessary for a scene,” Rogala said.

Viewers might be surprised to find out that even though about 90% of the video is in 4k, Rogala shot it by just using the cast’s phones.  Rogala explains, "Time was of the essence, so when one ran out of memory or battery we would switch to someone else’s phone.”

The video is available on the SmashMobMusic Channel on Youtube, as well as on the Smash Mob Facebook page and on the SmashMobMusic.com web page.  The single, “You Can Run feat. Stephen Bannon” is available for film and TV licensing and publicly available through outlets including Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play, Spotify, Deezer, Beats Music, etc.

https://youtu.be/Tf-7Z86eMxQ