BMF: How Cadence Post Helped Bring a New Perspective to One of America’s Most Iconic Crime Stories

What price is worth paying for the American Dream? For the Flenory brothers in 1980s Detroit, it was love, betrayal, and a violent brand of thug-capitalism. Their story is woven into the fabric of US culture, not least due to their involvement in the hip hop scene - even if only as a front through which to launder money for a criminal enterprise which encompassed cocaine distribution and a direct link to some of the most powerful cartels in Mexico. 

It’s a gripping, turbulent, and fundamentally human story which was picked up by the TV network Starz as the basis for a crime drama series titled BMF, or Black Mafia Family. The first season aired in 2021, and it has since been renewed twice as audiences look ahead to the release of season three early next year. The series weaves a narrative through the extravagant, stranger-than-fiction lives of brothers Demetrius Edward "Big Meech" Flenory and Terry Lee "Southwest Tee" Flenory. 

In the meantime, we’re able to look back through a unique window into the retelling of this story. In order to promote season two of BMF, two unlikely collaborators were put together to pick through the influence of the original Flenory brothers and their ruminations on the importance of family, determination, and their own stories of success. They were the lead actor of the Starz series - and son of the real-life BMF co-founder - Demetrius Flenory Jr., alongside NBA power forward Zion Williamson. 

An open and frank conversation between the two was filmed by director Kerry Lofton, and edited together with help from the Louisiana-based post production studio Cadence Post. 

The goal of the ad was to hear a perspective on the story from two very different personas. One whose connection to the original events could not have been clearer, and another whose culture had been shaped by them. And yet both Demetrius Flenory Jr. and Zion Williamson have been through their own stories of success driven by tenacity and an appreciation for family. The bespoke framing led to an exchange which dripped with authenticity, and spoke to the power of the story in question. 

“The director, Kerry Lofton had a clear vision for the story of these pieces”, says Cadence’s head of production Rick Nelson. “He was a blast to work with, and knew what he wanted every step of the way which makes the process infinitely smoother”. 

However, the project didn’t run without its share of challenges. Starz Entertainment’s plan was to produce over 30 pieces of content from Demetrius and Zion’s conversation, all put together and delivered over the span of just two weeks. 

“Time was the biggest challenge. There were several pieces of content that were all interview-driven, and from our side we had under a week to complete it”, recalls Rick. “Fortunately, with the size of our editorial team, we were able to spread the various deliverables over the group which allowed for much of the work to happen concurrently”. 

But time wasn’t the only challenge. Over the course of production, some last-minute creative changes coming directly from the client led to a need to re-cut several sections of the conversation. As a result, the Cadence team rose to the challenge. 

“Myself and one of the other editors on the project, Chase Guidroz, essentially split off into two camps to see who could find a better solution to the challenge first”, says Rick. “And at the end of it, it was a combination of both our efforts”. 

The studio’s ability to step into overdrive and respond with such agility is thanks in part to the talent and knowledge housed within Cadence. “We are proud to have recently expanded our team, adding a wealth of expertise and experience to our ranks,” said Rick. “These new additions allowed us to take on new challenges, like post-production sound services, and successfully deliver high-quality results.”

Looking to the future, Rick still has plenty of ideas left in the tank when it comes to potential alternative approaches for this kind of promotion. “There is a saying that ‘art is never finished, only abandoned’”, he tells LBB. “So if I had to do this over again I would love to explore another approach to the short form piece. There were so many different angles to tell that story”. 

And so, in spite of the tight timeframe and organic changes in creative direction, the spot went out of the door with perfect timing. As a result, this retelling of the Flenory brothers’ iconic story received a new layer thanks to a delicately-crafted piece of promotional material.