Strategies And Tactics | T2 + Back Alley Blog

Strategies and Tactics

November 8th, 2011
by Teri Rogers
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eCamp – KC style

Back in May, I blogged about eCamp (We all hate that name, but it seems to have stuck) , a grass roots organization that I’m a part of – made up of folks from all over the country and from within our industry — who get together for two days twice a year.  Last spring the eCamp group met in San Francisco and the previous fall, we met in Boston.  It was my turn to host this fall, so it became my pleasure to have 15 colleagues here for two days of full agenda items – followed by some serious partying at the end of each day.   That’s a key part of the agenda- and we are all a bit competitive about that part.  In all honesty, I have to say that Beyond Pix in San Francisco  had us beat on the entertainment agenda items.  Hard to believe, I know.

I believe strongly in collaboration – both internally and externally (though that can sometimes be challenging in a competitive market).   Inside T2 +Back Alley Films, our groups and skill sets are integrating more and more in every job we do.

The Kauffman Grand Opening work this past September was a perfect example of that – with four internal groups – interactive & Experiential combined with motion graphics and animation, editorial and Smoke finishing, and Back Alley for the production and shooting with the Weiss camera – working together to make it happen.   No single group could have achieved what we did on that project without the creative input and skill sets of the other groups.

This is essentially why eCamp started; a group of people in the production and post production industry got together and decided that we could only benefit from sharing what we know. We each come from a different market, but the same industry and so, without feeling the need to be competitive, we are able to talk frankly about what has worked for us and what hasn’t — the challenges we face, and our best operational practices. This has been particularly helpful these past few years – as our industry was struggling with the recession and technology advances that were significantly changing the nature of our business.   It has been interesting to see how each business is evolving to meet the needs of the changing world we are all experiencing.  It was also interesting to note that most of us  had called on other companies within the group this past year  – to collaborate on a project or two.

A definite perk.

I was thrilled to introduce my colleagues to a local genius right here in KC – who was our guest speaker.  Stefan Mumaw is the author of several books about the creative process – but he focused on his latest, Chasing the Monster Idea, which explored the difference between good ideas and great ideas, and how to deploy the great ones. Several in the group plan to book Stefan to speak in their own markets.  Finally, we ended our time together by a work showcase – where each company got 10 minutes to show their best work.  It’s always my favorite part.

Thanks to the eCampers for a great weekend.  And those of you who couldn’t make it this time, we missed you.  Next time – in Columbus, Ohio.  See you all there!

August 31st, 2011
by T2 + Back Alley Team
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Screen Magazine + Runza

Have you seen the new Runza spots? Click here to see one of them… Runza Breakfast

The T2 + Back Alley team was thrilled to be a part of the production of the campaign. And recently, they were written up in Screen Magazine where you can watch them all! Here’s a little bit about how those spots came together…

If you’re not familiar with Runza, they are a regional restaurant group with a rabid cult following. They have no intention to compete in hundreds of markets across the country, nor to extend their hours into breakfast or late-night like the national chains. So, when it came to making these spots, they thought the best way to stand out would be to poke fun at the competition and talk about how they’re different.  And that’s exactly the approach they took with Swanson Russell, their Nebraska based agency, and us, their trusty production partner.

First order of business: find the perfect Runza Spokesman – someone who could be self-deprecating, but remain compelling to viewers while not being annoying. Back Alley Films’ very own Creative Director, Pete Meyer, turned to Chicago, a market well known for its strong improv talent, and cast Tim Ryder, part of the famed Second City ensemble.

“The scripts were pretty funny to begin with but we would have been fools not to utilize Tim’s improv skills to improve the spots,” said Meyer. “Once we knew we had the scripted versions in the can, we let him improvise on longer takes. Working in this looser structure made the shoot days and the editorial process a lot more fun for everyone.”

Once the spots were shot, Meyer donned his editor’s cap to cut them together while our Creative Director, Travis Schlitter, directed our design/animation team to create the motion graphics. “We really enjoyed developing the visual style for Tim’s stream of consciousness,” said Schlitter. “The loose pen and ink illustrations bring interest and energy to the spots with the right balance as to not overpower his performance.”

Together, along with the Swanson Russell team and, of course, Runza, we created a 5-spot campaign we are quite proud to show you.

Runza will run the spots in their regional markets, rolling them out in a series throughout the fall.

Credits for Brand Spots:
Pete Meyer – Director – Back Alley Films
Andy Romero – Director of Photography
Head of Production – Ethan Downing – Back Alley Films
Postproduction Executive Producer – Nicole Melton – T2
Director/DP (Food Spots) – Russ Hadley
Pete Meyer – Editor – T2
Alex Kane – Assistant Editor – T2
Animation & Motion Design – Travis Schlitter & The T2 Design Team
Smoke Finishing – Jen Paine – T2
Music – Matthew Thornton
Mix/Sound Design – Jim Schrader – Sky Recording
Copywriter – Charlie Stephan – Swanson Russell
Art Director – Greg Bousquet – Swanson Russell
Chief Creative Officer– Brian Boesche – Swanson Russell
Runza Marketing Creative Manager – Vizma Shaeffer

 

July 28th, 2011
by T2 + Back Alley Team
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Fringe Film Festival

Looking to fill your artistic quota in Kansas City this week? Look no further than the Kansas City Fringe Festival, an annual summer festival featuring the works of local, regional, and national artists. The Festival features art forms such as theatre, performance art, dance, visual art, spoken word, puppetry, fashion—and of course, what really gets us excited is the film.

This year, there are a few opportunities to get your film geek on at Fringe—a couple individual projects will be airing throughout the week, and larger organizations will feature multiple film showings.

The Art Institutes International of Kansas City is showcasing several short films created by students in the Digital Filmmaking & Video Production program. The photography, film, and mixed media pieces will be screened daily at The Wine Gallery (1911 McGee), absolutely free (with your Fringe Festival button of course) for the rest of the Festival—go see what these budding filmmakers are creating!

And the Independent Filmmaker’s Coalition of Kansas City has three more night showings of its own “Best of IFC Short Films,” featuring the best films produced by members in the past several years. At least twenty different IFC members will be showing their films, so you’re bound to get an eclectic, exciting variety throughout the evening. The films are showing Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening at Fringe Central (1730 Broadway), and admission is $10 with your Fringe button.

So get your artsy on and check out these film screenings! We at t2 love supporting local filmmakers and artists of all kinds, so go on, check out all there is to offer this week at the Fringe website. And if you’re truly inspired by what you see, attend the weekly IFC meeting at the Westport Coffee House, every Wednesday at 7:30 pm. Maybe you’ll see your own name up on the screen next year!

 

May 27th, 2011
by Teri Rogers
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T2′s industry peer group: Next stop – KC

I’m a big believer in serendipity — and that’s how I became a part of eCamp, an amazing trade group of industry leaders. I ran into one of the founders of eCamp in Las Vegas where we were promoting our documentary, “The Next American Dream”. He asked me to join and, not being a big “joiner,” I hesitated. But I said I’d give it a try, and when eCamp held their next meeting in Boston, I joined them. I was amazed at how much I learned from others in my industry — and how much I referenced what I learned when I got back home. It’s a great concept, and one of my colleagues in Dallas wrote about it. It’s a fun read and includes some pictures from our last meeting in San Francisco.

And believe it or not, they are all excited to come to Kansas City next September when T2+Back Alley Films will host the group. Boston, San Francisco…Kansas City? Why not?

February 17th, 2011
by T2 + Back Alley Team
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Mobile Apps – One Hit Wonders?

Apparently first impressions are very important on first dates AND with those using your mobile app for the first time. According to a study released by Localytics, 26% of apps are downloaded once and never used again. You heard that correctly – never! Talk about one hit wonders. And taking into consideration the cost of developing an app, that’s a big deal.

The good news is that the number of SmartPhone users has grown from 42.7 million to 61.5 million over the last year alone. The bad news it that usage stats show, roughly 35% of SmartPhone users that have access to apps add them to their phone, and only 24% use them.

Bottom line is clear. Although the market for mobile apps is strong – and growing on a daily basis, it’s really important that you (or your clients) have a strong sense of strategy in place to market the apps you develop.

Also, be sure and spend time analyzing your user data so that you know who your ‘loyal’ users are and how much return traffic you have. That will go a long way toward showing you (and your client) how the app is working in conjunction with the rest of your marketing efforts.