Downtown Digital Productions:
John Gannon, Sonia Badawy and Rob Goc
video production team, party agents

Downtown Digital Productions comprises three partners who are quickly making an impact on the city’s cultural landscape. In addition to providing high-end video production to a wide array of clients, they’re also behind the bimonthly Sunglasses Required Party, which features DJs Snax, Count Brabon, and King Gannon. Talented and confident, this is definitely a collaboration to keep an eye on.

Tell us about Downtown Digital Productions. What do you do?

We are a cutting-edge, “boutique” video production company. We use the latest technology to provide our distinguished clients with an image, something no one else seems to fully understand.

Where are you from?

We are a team of individuals who share a passion for media production and branding.

We are what happens when three nerds with a.) bad attitudes and b.) a taste for the finer things in life come together to create projects clients have only seen in their dreams. Buffalo-born, universally educated. We’re here to raise the standard of media.

How’d you get into the work you do?

Our concerns with the current state of commercial (generic) media culture. Everything media-wise you see out today is so old and played out. The media world needs a good slap in the face, and we’re here to provide that slap.

Buffalo’s a double-edged sword for creative types—cheap enough to live in, but not a lot of work, a place where you have to create your own opportunities. How are you managing? How do you navigate those issues?

We’ve understood from an early age how easy it is to fall into the “Buffalo rut.” You gotta create your own opportunities in this city, especially in the creative fields. That awareness kept us focused throughout the years and allowed us to set our goals and develop our taste. Our taste formed by infusing our cultured backgrounds with our rustic, Buffalo charm. Whatever it is we create, from our parties to our videos, people always seem to want more.

What’s the story behind the Sunglasses Required Party?

SGR came from our need to party hard with really bangin’ music and not have to fly to Europe or drive to Canada. So we customized a party to bring that idea into random spots around the city. It’s been getting progressively more awesome. There isn’t much more we can say about it except that the next one is going to be by text invite only. Just the location address.

Do you have any interesting projects in the pipeline?

Right now we’re in pre-production on a new ad for Dolci on Elmwood for their new new spring dessert lineup. It’s a great concept and we’re really excited to be involved. We’re responsible for all of Chae Hawk’s latest video work. He is currently in NYC working with new producers. We plan on working on more projects with him and Team Radio in the near future.