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July 15th, 2010
by Teri Rogers
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What the Frack? This is What I Love About Filmmaking

I always tell people that the reason I got into this business is because it is such a powerful medium.  A single film has the power to influence – to motivate – to raise awareness – to change a point of view.  And making a documentary film, in particular, gives the filmmaker a unique opportunity to reach down deep inside and produce a piece of art that tells a story — a truth.  That gives the filmmaker a powerful platform that can affect change.   But you can see all that for yourself, if you just take a minute to watch this documentary trailer.

Gasland was directed by Josh Fox and it was the Winner of the Special Jury Prize – Best US Documentary Feature at Sundance in 2010 and it also screened recently at Cannes. Fracking is not only happening all across rural areas in America, it’s spreading to Europe and Africa, too.  Property owners are tempted by very lucrative offers from big energy companies and, given today’s economy, it’s not surprising that some opt to take the money and run.

I think this is a huge deal – and I agree with Josh that this is a situation that deserves a big spotlight aimed right at it – and this documentary definitely does that. If the trailer intrigued you at all, and you want to do more, visit the Gasland website. Request a screening in your city. Make a donation. If we all just did a little, we could make a huge impact.

And that, my friends, is why I LOVE documentaries. I love watching them. I love making them. I love their inherent power to make a difference.

March 8th, 2010
by Garrett Fuselier
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Video! A Successful Marriage of Content and Context!

Neurosonics Audiomedical Laboratories, was a film originally released in August, directed by Chris Cairns in collaboration with a group of DJs. The film was fantastic, because it utilized post production to composite human heads atop instruments (turntables, drums) mimicking the sounds produced by them.

What’s also amazing is that they decided to reproduce this effect-but live! Teaming up with Beardyman and holographic projectionists Musion, they were able to sync live video with each sound. I love this piece because it treats video as separate objects, specific for the context. Although cross platform content is great, there is still a lot of design and craft decisions that have to be considered when changing the vehicle in which you are presenting the material. I’ve heard people say crazy things like, “Oh, let’s just take a commercial and reuse it for our in store video displays!” I understand that we’re at point where we often have to cut as many corners as possible these days to satisfy a budget. But, there also comes a moment when designing an experience where video content loses its effect/messaging when trying to repurpose.

Successful executions exist when you cannot possibly imagine a piece without the video content. Perhaps this can be shown through unconventional displays, where the content has been specifically designed for the context. My colleague and fearless leader, Teri Rogers, proposed a thought in a recent post that “content is king” for 2010. And, in my opinion, if content is king, then context is queen!

That’s why I really enjoy this piece as well, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka for Maison Hermès, because it utilizes video as an integral part of the presentation. The video content adds another layer of character to the sound and would have a difficult time standing alone. Fantastic!

February 8th, 2010
by Tyler Smith
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Dawn of a New Decade. Defined by the Underdog

From my first job in production to today

video reelMy first job in production was to watch director reels so that I could familiarize myself with the work, and the talent behind the work.  I had a grading system that filled notebooks full of my green critique – Back then, we had the giant ¾ inch tapes that needed an entire room of their own just to be housed. The room had a metal chair, no windows and sat directly across the hall from one of the most notorious office smokers in our building. As dreary as that Barney Miller-backdrop-of-an office was, it also came to represent the room where I would find my escape from the day to day. A new world opened up to me behind those closed doors, one that gave me a glimpse into the creative talent that I knew I wanted to work with one day.

The grading system was based on points, 10 being the highest. I hadn’t been exposed to advertising long enough to know how important any kind of relevant brand message was in commercials, so my grades went something like this – If there was anyone in a bikini, it got a 10. If there was a Harley spot on the reel, that director got a 10. Anything with Bo Jackson got a 10. But then my grading evolved as I watched reel after reel…I came to appreciate good composition. I started to recognize good acting. I began to see simple concepts make a very lasting impression. My notebooks grew in size, as I wrote about everything I saw and the emotions each spot would evoke. Some directors faded while others started to rise. What became obvious were the directors that stayed relevant with new work. Sure, it was easy for some who had a super bowl spot on their reel to stay relevant and get new bud light work each month. But, what caught my attention were the directors that flew under the proverbial ad-rat radar. These directors stayed busy by passionately driving the work on seemingly unknown and irrelevant brands – and in doing so, they became relevant in my eyes. I associated with their desire to make the most out of every opportunity you’re given. Spoon wrote one of my favorite lyrics – “You got no fear of the underdog, and that’s why you will not survive”.

At Back Alley, we’re building a team of artists –  those artists are a combination of visionaries with disciplines in directing, photography, writing,  music, art, and just about any imaginable creative outlet that defines and shapes their ambitions. Our job is to guard that ambition and throw our net as wide as we can in 2010, providing them with every opportunity to channel those disciplines into creating relevant work that will build brands, grow relationships with customers and create friendships with like-minded creatives & clients.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be blogging with our artists to capture what’s on their mind and relevant to them. I hope it will be information that becomes relevant to you. It’s the dawn of a new decade – one that will be defined by the underdog, and who chooses to seize the opportunities that others fear are no longer there.

January 22nd, 2010
by Linda Buchner
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Relevance

We all know the publishing industry is sucking wind right now. It has a wet, wheezing cough, one foot in the grave, whatever you want to call it. It’s sad, really.
I actually love reading ad industry pubs. I must admit though, that many of them are the cause of their own demise. There are those whose model includes the “buy an ad, and we’ll feature you on the cover.” Hard to stay truly relevant that way, wouldn’t you say?  Then there are those who write about the same agency, the same ad campaign, the same “thought leaders” over and over again. I could go for months without picking the magazine up, and feel like I’ve just gone to the bathroom during a commercial, not missing a beat.

On a recent holiday trip to Denver, I chose to bring the “Looking Back” issue of Boards magazine with me.  I read it cover to cover and learned a few things I didn’t know. I especially enjoyed reading about the new “Crowd Sourcing Agency” located in Boulder, called Victors and Spoils. Curious name – bold business model. It made me think about Boulder BCPB (before Crispin Porter Bogusky) and what it is like now. A mini “thought leader” mecca, no doubt. And, now that Colorado is a medical marijuana state, the head shops have likely been replaced by new “dispensaries” on every corner, like the Starbucks invasion of the 90s.

My point here is that whether you’re in the publishing industry – or any industry – you’ve got to be committed to being, and staying, on the cutting edge. Continually learning, adapting, growing and changing as the community around you changes. That’s called staying relevant – and in order to be successful, we all need to be relevant.

But, I digress…back to Boards Magazine. I’ve always liked their voice. Their writers make advertising fun and exciting, and video production and post production described like we’re saving lives or something. Which, of course, we are (please note: dripping sarcasm). Editor Rae Ann Fera sets the bar on writing pretty high and she always gets a smile out of me. She’s edgy, irreverent and funny and, even more impressive, wrote her column for this year-end issue sitting on the South Bank in London, eating a bowl of mussels, and typing on her iPhone. Brilliant! But, most importantly, she’s relevant. And under her leadership, Boards stays relevant, and totally dialed into the continually changing culture of the ad industry.

I guess the thing I like the most about Boards, other than its relevancy, is that reading it always provides an affirmation that our team of talented and innovative folks at T2 and Back Alley Films are doing work that is right there, on the cutting edge, right along with other major players who are regularly featured in their pages. Whether it’s motion graphics, augmented reality, crowdsourcing or anything else that we experiment with on a regular basis, those are the kinds of things that are producing results for clients and making us proud to be doing what we do on a daily basis. Ergo, we are relevant. And always striving to remain so. And when I feel that way, I know all is right with the world.