The Maryland Connoisseur Method: Visualizing "High Wired" Intensity with Virtual Production
- Maryland Connoisseur
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
If my recent work with Glow Gummies was the golden hour exhale, High Wired is the electric shock that wakes you up.
In the cannabis industry, brand differentiation is everything. When I approached the visual identity for High Wired, a new infused cannabis line by Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH), I knew standard lifestyle photography wouldn't cut it.
This brand isn't for the casual consumer; it's for the "seasoned enthusiast" who wants high potency and THCA diamonds.
It needed to be loud. It needed to be punk. It needed to look exactly how the product feels: Explosive.
Here is the breakdown of how I used the Maryland Connoisseur Method to turn a studio product shot into a high-voltage, punk-rock virtual campaign.
The Concept: "Controlled Chaos"
The branding for High Wired is distinct: aggressive reds, deep blacks, glitch art, and a logo that looks like it was scratched into a bathroom stall at CBGB.
My creative direction was "The Glitch." I wanted the imagery to feel like a high-energy music video frozen in time—splattered paint, dynamic lines, and models who embody a rebellious, anti-corporate punk aesthetic. While most cannabis marketing tries to be "safe" and "wellness" focused, High Wired leans into the intensity of the high.
The Method: Bare Bulb Precision - Cannabis Product Photography
Just like the Glow shoot, this started with a single set of images in my Baltimore studio. But the lighting technique was the polar opposite.
For Glow, I used diffusion to create soft sunlight. For High Wired, I used the same 600w light, but I stripped it down to the bare bulb.
Why Bare Bulb? I needed hard, razor-sharp shadows. When you are compositing a product into a graphic, chaotic background (like paint splatters or lightning bolts), soft light looks fake. Hard light mimics the high-contrast flash photography often seen in rock-n-roll magazines and zines.
The Composite: I photographed the High Wired jar and pre-roll with this hard light source. Then, using virtual production techniques, I integrated them into scenes with models styled in leather, fishnets, and denim. The hard light on the product matched the "flash" lighting on the models, selling the illusion that they were holding the jar in a mosh pit, not a computer file.
Brand Insight: Knowing the "High Wired" Consumer
This shoot highlights a critical part of my process: Commercial Awareness.
High Wired isn't just "weed." It's an infused product line—featuring THCA diamond dust and crumble. It is marketed as a "knockout experience" for high-tolerance users.
The visual language had to communicate Power.
The Palette: We stuck strictly to the brand’s Red/Black/White color code. This trifecta is psychologically associated with danger, power, and energy.
The Vibe: The paint splatters and "shattered glass" effects in the background visualize the explosive potency of the THCA infusion. We aren't selling relaxation here; we are selling intensity.
Compliance in the Mosh Pit
Even with an "edgy" brand, compliance is non-negotiable. This is where virtual production shines.
Shooting a real "punk" lifestyle shoot on location is a logistical nightmare. You have smoke, public consumption risks, and unpredictable backgrounds. By keeping it virtual:
Smoke Control: The smoke plumes in these images are digital overlays. This allows us to create the atmosphere of smoking without violating strict "depiction of consumption" laws that vary by state. We can imply the vibe without showing the act.
Model Safety: We ensure the models look "edgy" but clearly adult, avoiding any confusion with underage appeal—a critical factor when using cartoon-ish or graphic backgrounds.
Case Study: The Motion Poster & Sonic Branding - The Maryland Connoisseur Method
If the static images are the album cover, this video is the live show.
To complete the campaign, I developed a 30-second animated motion poster. But for a brand like High Wired, the visuals are only half the story. You need to hear the energy.
The Visuals: The video opens with a product explosion—shattered glass and red paint flying toward the lens. I used rapid-fire cuts synced to "glitch" distortions, cycling through three distinct personas (The Rocker, The Punk, The Goth). The High Wired logo pulses and distorts, behaving like a living character in the scene.
The Audio: The "Ultra-Heavy Beat" For the sound design, we bypassed generic lo-fi beats and went straight for an industrial metal aesthetic, channeling the aggressive energy of bands like KMFDM or Ministry.
The Track: A driving, mechanical drum beat overlaid with distorted, "sawtooth" synth bass.
The Sync: The visual glitches in the video are hard-synced to the snare hits in the audio. This creates a multi-sensory experience where the viewer feels the impact of the edit. It’s gritty, repetitive, and hypnotic—perfectly matching the "High Wired" brand promise.
This isn't just a video; it's a sensory assault designed to stop the scroll.
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