Allen Clements
Encyclopedia
Allen J. Clements is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania
-based, filmmaker and producer at Postage, Inc. which Clements co-owns. A native to Lafayette, LA and a 2003 graduate of University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, he's known for his participation as a guitarist and vocalist in several prominent indie rock
bands including Claymore and Victim of Modern Age
. His work with Postage, Inc. includes producing and directing cinematic and animated films, commercials, and promotional pieces.
. His father was a commercial artist who served as art director for a local television station, as well as a print man. Clements frequently tagged along with his father at work.
While in highschool he sang lead vocals in the garage band
Drive-In Funeral. Starting in 1994 the band played shows with acts such as Rare Avis, Urbo Sleeks, Jimmy Eat World
, and Evil Nurse Sheila. The group disbanded in 1997.
In 1998 Clements began attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
. From 1998 to 2000 he worked as a network administrator at a media production company, and as a graphics specialist at KATC Communications. He also worked as a program producer for KRVS Radio Acadie
, the public service and NPR
affiliate of the university, from 2001 to 2002. He began working as a Sales and Marketing Director for Channel One Film and Video in 2001, a position he held until 2005. Clements graduated in May 2003 with a degree in Marketing and Business Administration.
. In September of 2002 he was invited to join as a guitarist and vocalist with the Lafayette indie
band Victim of Modern Age
. The band and Clements toured the east coast performing. In 2003 began recording their sophomore album Channels Like Capillaries, which was released on Universal Warning Records
. Clements and Bobby Nixon both provides vocals and guitar, and the album was a mixture of rock
, pop
, punk
, and alternative
. During its run the band performed with groups such as Benton Falls, Hey Mercedes
, Liars Academy
, Mae
, Red Animal War
, Jet By Day
, Twothirtyeight
, and Brand New
.
After Victim of Modern Age disbanded in 2004, Clements was asked to join the Lancaster, Pennsylvania
-based band Sadaharu. Clements set up residence in the new city. After leaving Sadaharu, Clements continues to occasionally to perform his own solo material under the moniker "A. Premise."
, Baby Loves Disco
, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
, and Penske Corporation, and film projects include Choose and No Sanctuary.
Both Clements and Krzemienski are adjunct professors at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, where they teach motion/video classes.
The Chameleon Club
In 2006 Clements began writing, producing, and directing the documentary The Chameleon Club, set to be released in 2011. The film is about Lancaster's historic music venue The Chameleon Club
, and utilizes home movies, archival footage, old photos, and interviews.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
-based, filmmaker and producer at Postage, Inc. which Clements co-owns. A native to Lafayette, LA and a 2003 graduate of University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, he's known for his participation as a guitarist and vocalist in several prominent indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
bands including Claymore and Victim of Modern Age
Victim of modern age
Victim of Modern Age was a musical group originating circa 2002 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. They disbanded in December of 2004.-History:Self-titled EP...
. His work with Postage, Inc. includes producing and directing cinematic and animated films, commercials, and promotional pieces.
Early life, education
Allen Clements was born and raised in Lafayette, LouisianaLafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
. His father was a commercial artist who served as art director for a local television station, as well as a print man. Clements frequently tagged along with his father at work.
While in highschool he sang lead vocals in the garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
Drive-In Funeral. Starting in 1994 the band played shows with acts such as Rare Avis, Urbo Sleeks, Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
, and Evil Nurse Sheila. The group disbanded in 1997.
In 1998 Clements began attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
. From 1998 to 2000 he worked as a network administrator at a media production company, and as a graphics specialist at KATC Communications. He also worked as a program producer for KRVS Radio Acadie
KRVS
KRVS is a radio station broadcasting a World Ethnic format. Licensed to Lafayette, Louisiana; it is currently owned by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and features programing from American Public Media, National Public Radio and Public Radio International.Programming covers various types...
, the public service and NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
affiliate of the university, from 2001 to 2002. He began working as a Sales and Marketing Director for Channel One Film and Video in 2001, a position he held until 2005. Clements graduated in May 2003 with a degree in Marketing and Business Administration.
Music career
While attending college, Clements and three other students formed the indie punk band Claymore, with Clements handling both vocals and guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. In September of 2002 he was invited to join as a guitarist and vocalist with the Lafayette indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Victim of Modern Age
Victim of modern age
Victim of Modern Age was a musical group originating circa 2002 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. They disbanded in December of 2004.-History:Self-titled EP...
. The band and Clements toured the east coast performing. In 2003 began recording their sophomore album Channels Like Capillaries, which was released on Universal Warning Records
Universal Warning Records
-Profile:Universal Warning Records is a record label located in the greater Philadelphia area. They produce and release independent music from local and national bands, as well as produce music video's and live concerts for dvd - primarily from the Indie, Punk, and Hardcore genres.-History:The...
. Clements and Bobby Nixon both provides vocals and guitar, and the album was a mixture of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, and alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. During its run the band performed with groups such as Benton Falls, Hey Mercedes
Hey Mercedes
Hey Mercedes was an emo band from Milwaukee, WI/Chicago, IL, USA, that formed in 1999/2000 after the dissolution of Braid. The band consisted of Bob Nanna on guitar and vocals, Todd Bell on bass and vocals, Mark Dawursk on guitar and vocals and Damon Atkinson on drums.Hey Mercedes' first release...
, Liars Academy
Liars Academy
Liars Academy is a rock band from Baltimore, Maryland. They have released their material on Equal Vision Records and Goodwill Records.-History:...
, Mae
Mae
Mae was an American alternative/indie band that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for "Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience," based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University....
, Red Animal War
Red Animal War
Red Animal War is a rock band from Dallas, Texas that started in 1998 as Jeff Wilganoski, Jamie Shipman, Matt Pittman, and Justin Wilson. During the recording of their first album, Brian Pho replaced Jamie Shipman. Jeff Davis replaced Brian Pho in 2004, and Tony Wann came on as second drums later...
, Jet By Day
Jet by Day
-History:Jet by Day was originally formed as the Hosstages in 1997 by guitarist David Matysiak, bassist Bo Wamsley and drummer Tom Naumann, while the three were students at Dunwoody High School in suburban Atlanta. In 1998 they changed their name to Jet By Day, and Matysiak and Naumann began...
, Twothirtyeight
Twothirtyeight
Twothirtyeight was an indie rock band from Pensacola, Florida. They disbanded in April 2003.Formed in 1995, Twothirtyeight released three independently produced EP albums before signing with the now-defunct Takehold Records. In 1999, Twothirtyeight released their first full length album Missing...
, and Brand New
Brand New
Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...
.
After Victim of Modern Age disbanded in 2004, Clements was asked to join the Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
-based band Sadaharu. Clements set up residence in the new city. After leaving Sadaharu, Clements continues to occasionally to perform his own solo material under the moniker "A. Premise."
Postage, Inc. / theFictory
After moving to Lancaster to join Sadaharu, Clements founded the film and media production company Otaku Motion in 2006. In 2009 he reformed Otaku Motion as Postage, Inc. with his partner Joseph Krzemienski. The company produces animated shorts, documentaries, and advertisements. Clements and Krzemienski have also founded theFictory, a sister studio. Clements serves as executive producer and partner at Postage, Inc. and contributor to theFictory, while Krzemienski serves as art director and partner and Postage, Inc., and creator and director at theFictory. Through Postage, Inc, Clements has done work for Universal Warning RecordsUniversal Warning Records
-Profile:Universal Warning Records is a record label located in the greater Philadelphia area. They produce and release independent music from local and national bands, as well as produce music video's and live concerts for dvd - primarily from the Indie, Punk, and Hardcore genres.-History:The...
, Baby Loves Disco
Baby Loves Disco
Baby Loves Disco was a global monthly afternoon dance party, the purpose of which was to connect children and their parents with other children and parents in a nightclub environment...
, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center identifies, develops and disseminates resources regarding all aspects of sexual violence prevention and intervention. Working in collaboration with state and territory sexual assault coalitions, representatives from underserved populations, the Centers...
, and Penske Corporation, and film projects include Choose and No Sanctuary.
Both Clements and Krzemienski are adjunct professors at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, where they teach motion/video classes.
The Chameleon Club
In 2006 Clements began writing, producing, and directing the documentary The Chameleon Club, set to be released in 2011. The film is about Lancaster's historic music venue The Chameleon Club
The Chameleon Club
The Chameleon Club is a music venue located in the historic downtown area of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.-History:Founded by Rich Ruoff and Alexandra Brown in 1985 it was originally located in the back room of a prominent fine dining restaurant called Tom Paine's...
, and utilizes home movies, archival footage, old photos, and interviews.