ODR, which stands for On Da Ronse, means have an idea and make it happen, and that’s exactly what Alex Hodgkinson, the founder, and CEO of ODR Studios did.

“[It] means have an idea and make it happen… [It’s] how this started. It’s basically our philosophy.”

 

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With just a dream of what he wanted to create, Hodgkinson set out to turn ODR Studios into a reality without a full-fledged game plan. But just about a year after finding the perfect abandoned factory space, he made that dream a reality.

“It’s got these Belfast trust roofs, they’re from the 1920s. You don’t see too many of those… [and] 9 by 9 foot factory windows, which let in a lot of light. Good soft light… Not too many spaces have this big of windows. They can really play well to different types of content creation.”

ODR Studios is unlike any other photo studio that you’ll see, so you know we had to pull up and see what was good. The space will blow you away, and Hodgkinson has the right swagger to make the whole thing work.

The studio, which is located in Newark, NJ, is a massive and eccentric space where Alex lives, operates his business, and hosts some of the dopest photo and video shoots happening in the game right now.

“It’s a different space than anything that you’ve been to. It’s just different, it’s unique.”

With little knowledge of photography, Alex still knew he wanted to have a wild space where he could host friends for events and parties.

And in April 2017, he started working on ODR Studios as a place to do just that. Furthermore, the studio is an interesting place for creatives to come and utilize.

“I love designing interior spaces and seeing how people interact with them. Basically trying to make the experience as cool as possible. And when I took on this project that was my idea.”

Since opening their doors in April 2018, ODR has had the likes of Vogue Magazine, James Rodriguez, Dua Lipa, and countless others use the space for shoots. Still, each shoot came with its own set of challenges.

 

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“Each shoot keeps you on your toes. You have the logistics of it…and then you have the talent.”

Despite the challenges, Alex and his team are always able to come through and deliver. Not only does the unique space itself draw people in but Alex’s dedication to making the experience as enjoyable as possible keeps people coming back. 

“We’re not a giant studio and don’t have chains, yet. So I’m able to cater to specific needs and things like that.”

The studio has built a community of creatives, fans, and supporters unlike any other that you’ll find at other studios out there. This sense of community keeps people coming back, even members of the Kulture Hub team.

We see you Goldyn.

Whenever the studio has events or screenings, homies of the studio roll through and show love. Through ODR, Alex is looking to grow this community of creatives and continue to expand on the early success.

 

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The Syracuse University grad has plans to start using other locations in Newark, while also continuing to improve the existing space. The new spaces will offer more ways for shooters to highlight their talents and grow on their own successes.

“How can I have people come in here and use the space? How can I make it as seamless and enjoyable for them as possible? And allow themselves to be creative and have the right things around?”

ODR will continue to find new spaces that can create crazy visuals for photographers and videographers to capitalize on.

Earlier this summer, Hodgkinson opened the ODR Beach House down the shore in NJ, where ODR hosted some of the hottest shoots of the summer. This is just the first of what is sure to be a long list of ODR shooting sites.

ODR Studios is definitely a place all young shooters should pull up for future shoots. The unique space, the tailored services, and the dope community are all aspects that can help up-and-coming shooters grow as artists.

 

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Beyond the OG and ODR Studios, we’re sure that Alex has more up his sleeve to wow us. We’re hype to see what’s coming next for him and the whole ODR community.

“[Maybe] trying to create some ODR sponsored or ODR produced content ourselves and putting those projects together.”

Alex’s hustler spirit is something that we can all draw from. No matter what your hustle may be, keep in mind these words of wisdom from the man behind ODR Studios.

“Just start and just get going on something and put everything into it and if you work hard enough day to day, normally something good will happen…Just start, have a crack.”

This advice is clearly something Hodgkinson has taken to heart, and it’s given us one of the dopest new creative spaces out here.

We’re all just trying to go viral nowadays. It seems to be a natural symptom of the current cultural environment that we live in.

But when you take a second to think about it, going viral isn’t all that it’s made out to be. You get your 15 minutes of fame, and that’s it. Everyone forgets about in a matter of days.

St. Louis based filmmaker and marketing consultant, Riche Uncle, explores the ills of going viral in his documentary Failed Success.

In the documentary, Riche Uncle explores how going viral can really play out for aspiring creatives, through the lens of Joseph Leflore, A.K.A. Joe’l, A.K.A. Mr. Ooh My God.

Joe’l reflects on his moment of fame, how it affected his career, and what he wished he did better. In an exclusive interview with Kulture Hub, Riche Uncle further explores how viral moments are exploited and how up and coming creatives, musicians, in particular, should approach going viral.

Riche on the necessary work that needs to be done before one approaches the prospects of going viral.

Musicians should have their business side set up before the even dive into releasing anything.

On top of that, Riche explains the key necessity of having a team. He’s a firm believer that musicians shouldn’t feel the need to do everything on their own.

Don’t be so independent that you try to do everything on your own. I think people get the term independent confused with, I will do everything on my own. Social Media and the internet move too fast for that; you need a team.

Once the right team is set up, going viral becomes something that is way easier to manage. As seen in the Failed Success doc, going viral without the right team around you can lead to the inability to fully capitalize on it.

In Failed Success, Joe’l discusses not being surrounded by the right people. It’s clear that he believes with the right team, he wouldn’t have felt the same kind of exploitation that he was ultimately met with.

Even with some of the downfalls of going viral without a plan, Riche doesn’t believe that musicians should shy away from trying to go viral.

Definitely aim to go viral, especially with your musical content. It makes you recognizable for years to come, in return it will give some type of options to cash in on it. You can’t really go wrong with authentic and relatable viral content.

Going viral definitely has its advantages. Artists get to immediately connect with and reach crowds they wouldn’t have had access to before. Riche explained how these advantages can turn into tangible opportunities:

Going viral gives you high traffic and organic engagement. Companies and labels spend a lot of marketing dollars to go viral. Once you go viral, you can do more than obsess with the views and likes and social media posts. You can now get paid to do promotions, appearances and if you are a musician you can do shows.

Even in the case of Joe’l, Riche believes that viral moments are a mostly positive experience for artists.

Joe’l’s “ Ooh my God” viral moment was a brief one, but opened some doors for his voice and fun personality, this will always allow him some sort of opportunity in the industry.

The landscape is changing for creatives. We no longer live in a time where artists need to seek out existing gatekeepers to get their content out to the world. However, with this, comes an over-saturation of content and one of the few ways to make yourself visible is to go viral.

While going viral can be something that quickly gets you in and out of the public eye in a quick period of time, it can also be an opportunity to grab people’s attention and never let go.

So keep putting yourself out there, keep grinding, and make sure you’re ready to take full advantage when your viral moment finally comes.