A few weeks back Futuristic organized a very special weekend for one of our most esteemed directors, 2x Grand Jury Prize winner of the Sundance Film Festival, Ondi Timoner. The weekend included Q&A sessions with Ondi as well as a provocative panel discussion on the topic of the emerging virtual world and its effects on advertising and culture.

The star-studded panel:

ONDI TIMONER / Director of We Live in Public

E.F. RODRIGUEZ / Social Media Expert and Writer for the Huffington Post

SCOTT PRINDLE / Crispin Porter + Bogusky - SVP of Interactive

ALEX “BURNIE” BURNARD / Crispin Porter + Bogusky - Creative Director

Moderated by

BRENDAN KIERNAN / Executive Producer of Futuristic Films

If you were there… you know, and if you weren’t… you missed out… and if you have not seen either of her films. (tsk tsk) (which would surprise me…Netflix has been recommending them to me for months) do not live and breath another second until you do so.

I was so lucky as to have the privilege of carting her to and from the airport all weekend and as a budding filmmaker myself, the quiet time on a 1 hour car ride was all I could ever ask for. She has so many ridiculous stories (more lives than a cat, that woman!)

Ondi is the epitome of a true documentary filmmaker… a force of nature. Not to gush, but her work seems solely indicative of her person with uncanny intuition paired with some serious social/political prowess. Clarity emerges through her storytelling. Her films not only exude an authentic sensitivity to issues but effortlessly engage you in those issues. Her company, Interloper Films was founded upon the idea of injecting herself and her team into a situation of which she doesn’t intrinsically belong.

She debuted “We Live in Public” at Sundance. The film considers some of the darker effects of modern media and technology on our personal identity through an examination of “the greatest internet pioneer you’ve never heard of”, Josh Harris. The dot-com millionaire had an affinity for expensive fascist-themed social experiments that eventually led to his mental breakdown.

Incredible films and an incredible lady! Check out Ondi’s work at www.interloperfilms.com

MORE BIG NEWS !!!

Interloper is thrilled to announce the imminent Video-on-Demand and DVD releases of WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, on March 1st and March 2nd. Go here for more details. (http://www10.dcccafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?articleid=782463)

         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!

Lost in the TV compound at the TdF

So, this month finds me at the Tour de France producing the French component of a daily Tour highlight and analysis show we’re doing for VeloNews.tv. Today is the “rest day” which isn’t really a rest day at all for us, but rather a day to catch up on feature segments we have in progress and try and get to the myriad press conferences and interviews that the key riders are doing today.

What can I say about the Tour at this point? It is the world’s grandest movable feast. The sheer scale of it harkens back to some Pharaohesque after-life vanity project, except it gets set-up, taken-down, moved at least 100 miles, and set-up again…every day. And somewhere in the middle of it, there is this bike race that happens. Which honestly ranges between mildly interesting and heart-stoppingly dramatic. I don’t care who you are, or whether or not your a cycling fan, but the “wisdom versus youth” drama between Lance Armstrong and the young, brilliant Spaniard, Alberto Contador transcends sport. No matter who eventually triumphs the story will be fascinating.

For Futuristic Films, this project has been an exercise in pushing the limits of Internet broadcasting, taking our expertise in branded entertainment to an entirely new level.

Pesonally, this project has been a complete mixed bag. One moment it is absolutely nightmarish, a sleepless Groundhog Day scenario, constantly racing the clock and struggling against a never-ending stream of logistical, technical, and creative issues. The next moment it is pure magic — gazing across a breathtaking Pyranean landscape or walking the narrow cobble streets of Barcelona into the wee hours of the morning.

The crazy thing is…this thing isn’t even HALF over.

Stage 7 Finish

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

Click here to view the embedded video.

Props to John Brisnehan for the motion graphics and to Jasper Gray for direction.

My name is Richie Kendall, and I am an intern.

As a 22 year old, I am a spring chicken in the land of post-grad career building. Two months ago I was brought on as an intern with Futuristic Films.

Without completely spilling the beans, let me tell you a little bit about my experience thus far, how I’ve been contributing, and a little more about the company that is courting my karma.

For me, the sole “handy man” intern, every day is different. I go home at the end of the day with a feeling of exhilaration. Similar to the that of a newborn giraffe after a long day of gravity combat. Speaking of which, as an intern, I do a lot of legwork: digitizing footage (transferring tapes into our archives), exporting and compressing projects for different applications (web, DVD, iPhone), running mundane errands, but the glimmers of creative input on projects and the exaltation of a project completed make the whole experience worth writing home about.

Last month, I was on my first commercial set as a P.A., producing 3 broadcast spots for Fortune Valley Casino. We were on set for 14 hours. (I know what you’re thinking) Surprisingly, the whole day flew by. I was an extra in a few of the scenes, and having had a glance in post-production, have discovered that my right shoulder and the back of my head made it into the final project. Someday, they will be famous. (still looking for an agent) Anyways, overall I was very impressed by the talent that was casted for the spots and had a great time getting to know the production crew and agency creatives over the two “on the house” meals. The most home-hitting takeaway from the experience was that this is an extraordinarily exciting industry to work in. Another notable takeaway; I look like a glorified idiot in a headset…

Two weeks ago, I helped shoot interviews for a short documentary on Sean Swarner (two-time terminal cancer survivor who has gone on to crest all seven summits of the earth with only one lung). Holy Mother! Sean is an inspiration. It was cool to meet him and his family and be a part of transmitting his story on a more massive scale.

When I am not immersed in a task or project of extreme emergency, I work on the initial editing for a potential feature-length documentary that we shot for E-town - a diverse musical segment on (NPR). The film is focused around a concert they organized at the Buell Theatre for the Democratic National Convention with legendary artists James Taylor, Ani Difranco, Crosby and Nash, Irma Thomas, and Tom Morello among others. It is my job to find and pull out the footage that could potentially be used for the final documentary. There is a lot of footage (days worth) here and the task becomes monotonous at times, but I have just finished pulling what I have deemed the *select footage and am ready for the next phase of this process.

Last week, I authored the reels of all of Futuristic’s directors to be mailed and given to agencies all over the country. This makes me feel important…a rare feeling. So, I am now a DVD authoring pro and have had a wonderful time familiarizing myself with the work of all of our uber-talented directors. Check out the work of two of our newest directors; Jamin Winans (Director of Ink) and Nick Goossen (Director of Grandma’s Boy)

Ink Trailer by Director Jamin Winans

Click here to view the embedded video.

IFHM Viral Video by Director Nick Goossen

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well, I should get back to work before the crack of the whip. Gotta get back to “trying not to break or mess anything up.”

My next post will undoubtedly yield more excitement, and equally, more dread from the lonesome life of a self-prescribed slave. 

Intern Out.

PRE-VIZ
I have always found that when you are working with a complicated effect it is important to balance the technical needs of the effect without letting them get in the way of the personality of the spot.  We wanted both the camera and the baby to feel as free as possible, but in order to do that we had to meticulously plan out every shot.  Working in conjunction with motion-graphics wiz Adam Singer and O’Brien art director Dwane Cohen, the three of us ‘shot’ the spot in 3-d graphics using a combination of Cinema 4D and After Effects.  This allowed us to play with the edit and shot selection until we found the right pace and feel before we had to nail down specific takes with a baby in the limited time frame of a shoot day.

SHOOT DAY
Taking nothing for granted, we cast four similar looking babies for our hero talent and set out our shot list against a complicated schedule of nap times and feedings.  On the shoot day we were able to shoot all of the scenes with one of the babies, Bryson, who really emerged as the star of the day.

Acme Prop Work’s John Perry designed and built a scale model paper airplane, which matched the one in our pre-viz.  The model was made from stainless steel and skinned with paper and was able to move up, down and side-to-side – all controlled on-set by John.  Not only did our (very young) stars enjoy the rocking sensation, it also got the babies to interact with the motion of the plane, enhancing the effect.

John Perry and his doll working on the prototype plane

To really capture the feel of flying – and to recreate the swooping motions from the pre-viz – I shot the entire spot with the camera on a crane arm.  While traditionally the floating motion of a crane has been a nightmare for compositing, using the new tracking software SynthEyes and a bunch of well placed tennis balls as markers we were able to track the crane’s motion and seamlessly bring the shots into the computer generated 3D world.

First AD Tom Farnsworth and one of our stars talk over the next scene

Futuristic Films Director/DP Jasper Gray capturing the action

POST
The best reactions were selected and the spot was created in high definition with the real baby in the practical plane and using the pre-viz as a guide.  We shot cloud plates from the roof of our office and used them in the backgrounds adding computer-generated clouds only when necessary in the foregrounds for the plane to move through.

Futuristic finished a commercial for an agency on the east coast, and I was asked to send a copy of the spot to the client’s headquarters in Mexico. They were going to need it for a meeting by the end of that week and I found out UPS could make it there in one day. Easy enough.

The next day, I tracked the package and there was an issue.  Something about an invoice, which made no sense, but we dealt with that and the package was on its way again! The producer from the agency was already tracking and asking me why it hadn’t been shipped. I explained that the problem was fixed, as guaranteed by UPS.

When I arrived at work the following day, I tracked the thing and it says it is sitting at a UPS location due to “adverse weather conditions” in Guadalajara, Mexico. I call UPS and the woman says the roads are icy!!!!!! In Guadalajara? I try to explain that it makes no sense and she laughs out loud. At this point, she is the only one having a good time.

We wait until the next day for the weather to “clear”. No luck. What unusual weather they’re having in Mexico… Could UPS possibly be mistaken? Impossible, according to them. Plan B… Trust another courier and run the same risk? No. Someone needs to hand deliver it to Mexico. Sounds crazy enough…  I’m in!

Just a reminder: UPS still has the original package. They might deliver it anytime and I’d be going for nothing, but I bought the ticket to fly out the next day at 6am. Hmmm, that means set the alarm for 3am! Sweet. I bring only a purse to make it as simple as possible, with basic extra items in case I need to stay longer.

I arrive in Mexico. Ai, ai, ai, immigration line is huge. Right away I realize I won’t make my return flight.  My regular phone doesn’t work. Luckily, I have a two-way Nextel to talk to my family in Brazil and I keep bugging my sister at work in Rio to have her to track the other package. Still no luck. I go find a taxi.

Experienced in Latin American traveling, I look for a taxi with credentials. The driver had a name-tag from the airport, all looked good. After walking for what seemed forever to his taxi parked outside of the airport with no taximeter. I insist that he quotes the fare and he insists not to answer. I stop another cab that was conspicuously unlicensed but who cares at this point? Not me!

The driver was a decent man but his driving was a joke. No AC, I was COOKING in the back seat and traffic was a mess. People were standing in the middle of the lanes selling drinks! The building number was 647. We reach the 645 and the next one is 111!!! To sum up, after some wrong turns and one-way streets, we find it.

It was a huge store, but no corporate building in sight. Weird, but I guessed their office could be upstairs, behind or wherever. The taxi driver stops by the main door and we try to set up a meeting spot, since supposedly I wasn’t going to take long and needed to get back to the airport immediately. He says: “Well, we meet next to the dog”. What?!?! He points at it with his head, lifting his eyebrows and lowering his lips. When I look, there is this gigantic stuffed dog dancing, for a marketing promotion right next to me! Hahaha crazy.

I go in and ask where their corporate office is. They show me a building far away, on the far side of the huge parking lot, a building which we had passed by but didn’t stop because there was no sign with a company name or street number. I run trying to find the taxi driver but he was gone trying to park, but obviously the dog was still there. I needed to use my own fuel, even though I was exhausted and sweating. I FINALLY make it to the building.

Proud and with “mission accomplished” written on my forehead, I get in the reception line. I give the lady the name of the person I’m supposed to deliver the package to. She then tells me there are SEVERAL people there by that name. Aarrgh! But I have her phone number… Easy, huh? No, because that number is not on file. So I call all the people who happen to share that name. NOBODY answers their phones.

My only option at this point is to leave the package and hope it makes it to the right person. I called my sister for her to make an international call and let our office know.

I left really frustrated, I had already missed the plane and I wasn’t going to make it home for Valentine’s Day. On top of that, I didn’t deliver the package in person, the worst of it all.

I was in pieces. That was at 4pm and last time I had eaten was in the US. Sarah found me another plane ticket back to the US that night but I had to spend the night in Texas. At least, I’d be back in Denver Saturday by 9am. By the way, after HOURS trying to reach the person expecting the package, we finally heard that she had received it!

The flight back to CO was on final approach and was on time! I could already see houses and cars, when the plane started going up again. Wow, where are we going? Nobody in the plane seemed to notice, and continued talking! I turn to the guy next to me and wonder if something was wrong, since I had never seen that… The guy starts worrying too.

Five minutes later, the pilot announces that the front landing gear didn’t work when he tried to land. He had to prepare crew and passengers for an emergency landing. Perfect! In general, everybody was pretty calm, except one of the flight attendants. Her eyes kept getting redder and her voice was shaking.  It did NOT instill confidence.

We kept flying for ONE HOUR around the airport, being prepared for emergency landing. Passengers that were sitting next to the exit doors and weren’t comfortable with helping the others being moved to different spots… Everybody getting their valuables and sticking them in their pockets… The pilot advises everybody to dress warm and get as many layers on as possible… haha Great, I’m coming from Mexico!!! My car is parked in the garage, I wasn’t going to be out in the cold at any point of this trip!

I wasn’t scared, but my heart was beating like trance music. And I didn’t see the tunnel, blast it! Haha

By the time of the emergency landing, we had to place both hands on the forehead and rest the hand by the front seat. When the plane was coming close to the ground, the flight attendants started screaming “DON’T MOVE, HANDS ON YOUR FOREHEAD, TOUCH THE FRONT SEAT!!! DON’T MOVE, HANDS ON YOUR FOREHEAD, TOUCH THE FRONT SEAT!!! DON’T MOVE, HANDS ON YOUR FOREHEAD, TOUCH THE FRONT SEAT!!!”. And, obviously, the nervous flight attendant made the remix version of the alert.

The plane landed just fine, just shook a little bit. Seconds passed and NOBODY moved, they were so frightened. I yelled “We’re on!!!”. Still, nobody moved! Haha… Then some heads started popping up and everybody was clapping in relief. What a journey!

Point of the story: NONE. I caught myself looking for plane tickets for a weekend trip that same night…

Pilar and I spent an hour talking music, film, and inspiration. At the end of our meeting I was even more convinced that she would be a great fit. The film is still a long way from being finished and there are many steps, both creative and logistical, still to come in terms of getting Pilar on board, but I’m hopeful we’ll make it happen.

Do yourself a favor and check out her music:

http://www.myspace.com/pilardiaz

And here is a live performance from SiteSTAGE:
Click here to view the embedded video.