Imagery that embraces the playful rhythm in a music video is an element that indicates his trademark signature.
Nikos Paschalis
On the run
Text: Zafeiris Konstantinidis
He is a director, a cameraman, an editor and a photographer; Nikos On the Run is definitely true to his stage name. Twenty-five-year-old Nikos Paschalis lives and works in Thessaloniki. If image is his second nature, then music is surely his third dimension; that’s how he managed to bring together his two great loves. His work has already gained appeal, as he has directed music videos for some of the most well-known rappers in Greece, attracting dozens millions of views.
Imagery that embraces the playful rhythm in a music video is an element that indicates his trademark signature. He had an instant crush for cinema right from an early age, and directing came as a natural corollary. He nostalgically recalls the first videos he and his friends created, driven by their adolescent zeal. “Even though the shots and the editing were not of that high of a level, these videos taught me a lot and paved the way for me to evolve into a professional director.” Sooner than later he succumbed to the calling of photography, having in mind to enhance his skills as a videographer, as one can trace many affinities between photography and video. His initial impulse for photography bloomed into a second love, which today makes up for almost 40% of his professional activity. The lens of the camera has become a sort of extension to his eyes, as he carries the camera everywhere he goes, taking pictures of anything that may trigger a “click” inside of him.
Nikos On The Run singles out “Raps on the Run” as the breaking point for his later course; it is a series of one-minute music videos he has uploaded on his personal YouTube channel (Nikos On The Run), each featuring a different artist and a different producer. This project mirrors his aesthetic both in terms of imagery and music-wise. The fact that has full control over every aspect of the project offers him the additional allure of creative freedom based on the free flow of his imagination, depicting the melodies through images. “It is a project I take delight in. The sense of evolving comes as a priority in all of my works.”
He considers teaming up with the popular rapper Bloody Hawk and directing the music videos for three of his songs, as a pivotal moment for his career. “Through this partnership, I made my first steps in the industry, having just graduated from highschool. This experience showed me that no goal is unattainable, fuelling me with the motivation to carry on. Moreover, the quality of my choices contributes to the building of my legacy as an artist.” What makes a rap music video different from other music genres? “Rap has a distinct culture and aesthetic. The artist’s outfit, the location scouting, the rhythm, can be traced as elements that differ. Rap offers more leeway with regard to the directorial approach,” he explains.
Rap has a distinct culture and aesthetic. The artist’s outfit, the location scouting, the rhythm, can be traced as elements that differ. Rap offers more leeway with regard to the directorial approach.
Kendrick Lamar, Storm Z, Dave, Vince Staples, West Side Boogie, Mick Jenkins, Earl Sweatshirt, MAVI, Mac Miller, and Isaiah Rasha are among the artists he “flirts” with on a daily basis. In addition to rap, he gives credit to other music genres, such as soul and r&b. Nikos Paschalis studied cinema and spent a few years in the USA, having worked alongside several American fellow artists. And even though he became aware that the American media industry is far superior, and that the USA is a more promising professional home for a director, he cannot see himself living abroad, at least for the time being. “The Greek way of life is closer to my own set of values, that’s why I choose to stay in Greece even though living in the US offers more room for professional growth.”
Rap may be his great passion, but his versatile professional activity includes a wide gamut of projects that revolve around directing, videography and editing. As it did not take me long to realize that he is a man that literally spends his entire day holding a camera in his hand, it came as no surprise when I found out that he watches five films a week. After all, cinema is influential for all filmmakers, allowing them to process things, find inspiration and create. He used to be a fan of American cinema, but now watches films from all over Europe and Asia. Dramatic films are closer to his idiosyncrasies, but he wouldn’t say no to a comedy or a thriller.
Answering a question as to whether a director is the boss in a movie set, he goes on to say: “In a team work involving hundreds of people, it is not fair to place only one person under the limelight of attention. The director may often take on the role of the orchestrator, but all other parts of a film’s crew are equally important pawns on the film chessboard.” The lens of Nikos On The Run does not cease to capture different worlds, both in movement, interactively portrayed on screens, and standing still, like a series of moments that never go back in time and are inscribed in eternity by the photo lens. One thing is for sure, though: He will remain “on the run”, with his artistic antennas open, ready to process fleeing moments and transform them into images.
