Back to main site.The Etown Endurance Test
Posted by Richie | Filed under Uncategorized, musings and humor
In my last post I mentioned that I was fortunate enough to inherit the footage that we captured for Etown (National Broadcast Radio show aired weekly on NPR).
What do I mean by inherit?
Well, many a month ago I started as an intern with Futuristic Films doing some assistant editing, and on my first day I was introduced to the Etown project. Originally, Etown partnered with Futuristic to concept, produce, and help distribute a film that captured the spirit, musical eclecticism, and force for positive change that is Etown. Futuristic shot about a hundred hours of unique, cinematic, and emotionally gripping footage for story development. This included hour long interviews with Nick and Helen Forster (the etown visionaries) and interviews with the entire star-studded cast for the concert etown produced during the Democratic National Convention at the Buell Theatre. *James Taylor, Ani Difranco, Irma Thomas, Tom Morello, and Crosby and Nash! I almost forgot to mention brief interviews with John Hickenlooper (Mayor of Denver), Bill Ritter (Governor), and Robert Kennedy Jr. Here’s a behind the scenes taste of Bobby Kennedy Jr….
” The reason we don’t have a clean environment is because we’ve got a news media that doesn’t work in this country. It’s broken. It was broken because in 1988, Ronald Reagan abolished the Fairness Doctrine and it eliminated the responsibility for the airwaves, which are owned by the public, to serve the public interest and to promote American democracy. So now their only obligation is to their shareholders. they meet that obligation, not by informing us, but by entertaining us, by appealing to the lowest common denominator, which is the prurient interest which all of us have, in the reptilian core of our brains for sex and celebrity gossip. So, they give us Lindsay Logan and Paris Hilton and Americans today are the best entertained and least informed people on the face of the earth. And you cannot have democracy very long if you don’t have an informed public. That is the principle role that this organization (etown) plays.” CASE CLOSED!
Anyway, I absolutely fell in love with the potential of this project, and filed the papers for adoption! There is something about experiencing hope, collective progress, empowered activism, and constructive dialogue wrapped in a sticky ball of awe-inspiring musical exhibitionism that just gets me every time.
Ugh… but man, has it been a marathon. I did not completely comprehend the infamous woes of editing long format projects i.e. live events (concerts, sport events, awards ceremonies etc.) with a half dozen cameras running simultaneously. I HAVE SEEN the Etown-DNC concert from any and every angle in the book (the unabridged version, mind you). And don’t get me wrong, the cinematography is tasty, but sifting through all the hours is like eating too much desert.
On an up-note, I have learned a ton and have brought this project through the phase for footage review and have just now put together something resembling a pre-pubescent trailer.
In the end you learn that the ups and downs of this sort of work is what you were begging to sign up for to begin with.
Onward!
Tags: behind-the-scenes, musings and humor
A “Full-House” in Fortune Valley
Posted by Richie | Filed under Uncategorized, new work
The most depressing thing about commercial work is watching 15 hours of impeccably orchestrated set direction, light and sound crafting, and countless hours of talent selection and prop design, turned into a broadcast spot that you will most assuredly miss while dipping your chip in a couch marathon of TV worshipping. In fact, while watching the Rockies game two days ago I almost missed my cameo as an extra in one of the spots. The ads have been airing very regularly on FSN and other regional broadcast networks. I am the hardly discernible black-shirted, clapping blob who appears at the tail end of the 3rd spot. I am so cool.
The BEST thing about commercial work is watching the magic of talent, vision, and experience unfold in concert to yield a product that is on budget and effectively developed.
Here are the 3 thirty-second spots Futuristic Films produced alongside Juice Communications for Fortune Valley Casino. All three spots were filmed in one long and fruit-bearing day.
Wallah…
Director: Jasper Gray
Production Company: Futuristic Films
Agency: Juice Communications
Client: Fortune Valley Casino
WARNING: May cause electrocution
Posted by Richie | Filed under Uncategorized, new work
Check out the newly developed “Intro to Futuristic Films” presentation. Watch out World!
Props to John Brisnehan for the motion graphics and to Jasper Gray for direction.
Tags: new work
The Future is Now
Posted by Brendan | Filed under Uncategorized
Here we are in the first months of 2009 and let’s be honest, things seem a bit shaky out there. Not a day goes by without doom and gloom news about the economy or a report of some kind of preposterous malfeasance on the part of some globo-corp. None of it makes it easy for us to feel real good about the future. And yet, realistically there has never been a time more full of opportunity and real potential for new creative new paradigms than right now. This is not a new idea. Throughout history the times of greatest chaos of yielded many of our greatest achievements and most significant advances. Here at Futuristic Films, we’re optimistic and excited about what is to come and we like our chances despite what we hear on the news. No, we’re not naïve. We understand how challenging the world of motion picture production has become. Nothing comes easy. But, we believe in the team we’ve assembled, the creative talent and experience we can bring to any project, and our ability to compete in a budget-conscious world where production value has to be delivered cost-effectively and sustainably.
One thing is for sure, the future is definitely going to be futuristic…
Frank’s dirty secret
Posted by Maura g | Filed under Uncategorized
Frank Pickell, self proclaimed healthy yogi, busted drinking a Coke Zero. And no, the fact you also ate an avacado does not make this right.
Oh Frank..it's really like this huh?