Ben Griffin

Ben is a director and the founder and President of Prime Zero Productions. A childhood passion for movies and entertainment led Ben to shooting and editing his own videos in high school. The Academy of Art in San Francisco sharpened his technical skills allowing him to be comfortable working in any genre of music or cinema. Ben is well-versed in every area of production from preproduction to post. Ben actively works as a music video Producer, Director and Director of Photography.

Ben’s award-winning music videos have been seen on countless networks and websites. His videos have amassed over one billion views on YouTube. Ben has directed commercial and promotional videos for clients such as Universal Music Group, Warner Bros Music, Sony Music, Nike, Hennessey, Vogue eyewear, Wynn Las Vegas, Interscope, Atlantic, RCA and more. Ben is also in the
process of developing several comic book series. His first comic book “Hero for the Day” will be released at the end of 2019.

Dust Films

Ji

Q & A

If the world you created in your film became a reality, is that a world you would want to live in? Is there a Sci-Fi world you’d buy a one-way ticket to?

Well in my story there are multiple worlds to inhabit and I definitely would want to live in one of them. Probably I would live on Nilo because I’m obsessed with science and technology. I’d buy a one way ticket to Nilo most probably

Name a Sci-Fi character you relate to on a spiritual level? Who is your Sci-Fi spirit animal/spirit alien?

I don’t know if I relate but just one of my favorite sci fi characters is Cloud in Final Fantasy 7

Friend or Foe: humanoid robots with advanced artificial intelligence? What if robots start making their own Sci-Fi films? Will you support them in their endeavors?

I believe humanoid robots with artificial intelligence can be our friends if we modify ourselves to become partly technological beings ourselves. Otherwise I believe we will not be able to keep up and will get taken advantage of or replaced. I would definitely support robots making their own films.

In 1996, Bugs Bunny recruited Michael Jordan and Bill Murray to form the greatest basketball squad of all-time, the Tune Squad; you’re Bugs, who’s on your Sci-Fi Tune Squad?

I would have Ji on my team as Michael Jordan.

You’ve gotta go through some bad ideas to get to the good ones. Tell us one of your bad ideas. How do you get past the bad ones to find your spark?

I don’t know if as an artist I ever consider my ideas bad until looking at them through the span of time. Something that seems good in the moment upon second look or sometime down the road may seem terrible. I think if you live with an idea for awhile and you still love it that it’s most likely a good one.

Do you consider yourself part of a sci-fi community? Or when your brain is in the future and your body’s in the present, is that isolating?

I do my best to find like minded people and friends who are interested in sci fi. Sometimes being very much into the future and science can feel isolating for sure. I think the key though is just finding like minded individuals and discussing your theories. There’s more of us out there than it feels like at times.

Do you consider yourself more of an analog or digital person? What kind of balance do strike between the two? Is there a disconnect between the technology you make films about and the technology that you make films with?

I would consider myself a super digital person since a child. Anything analog I can replace technology with I try my best to do. I don’t think there’s a disconnect at all between what I make films about and what we film with. I always try to stay on top of the newest digital technologies for filming and post.

When you’re creating the props and sets that make a new world, where do you look for inspiration? How do you create objects that are relatable but unfamiliar?

I get a lot of inspiration from video games and anime. I try to combine elements from different things that feel like something new but since you recognize a piece here or there it’s not too foreign.

Lightning round: Star Wars or Star Trek? Philip K. Dick or William S. Burroughs? Practical or CGI? Dystopia or Utopia? Post Apocalypse or Pre Apocalypse?

Star Trek, Philip K. Dick, Mixture of CGI and Practical, Utopia, Post Apocalypse