Samsung - Los Angeles

Last October our creative efforts were concentrated in the greater Los Angeles area producing still and motion based visuals for Samsung via San Francisco based Turner Duckworth.  The project was one largest of 2012, launching us into the familiar world of product, people and environments all swirling together amid a wide range of Samsung based technology.  TV's, tablets, phones, and appliances were central elements we worked in and around, seeking authentically genuine moments through our documentary "story-telling" approach to image capture.

One of the main themes for this shoot was "moments of discovery" in which we were exploring the reactions to situations and products within a scene.  It's always a continual challenge in the pursuit of crafting custom imagery and perhaps Turner Duckworth Design Director - Brian Steele said it best when asked for a quote to describe the process:  'Constantly thinking of ways to make any shot better, Jonathan embraces collaboration. He has a great understanding of when to abandon an angle or setup, and when to mine deeper to achieve the best possible results. With a great feeling for light and composition, he has an uncanny knack for pulling an honest moment out of a staged scenario.'

The crew count was quite sizeable and inevitably there were a lot of moving parts to coordinate.  With any project, big or small, it's always important to have the right people in place to help bring every detail to life.  One of the main details of this production was the constant prescence of the color "Samsung Blue" being woven throughout each and every scene through wardrobe and propping.

Although the main focus was on still photography, we brought on a Los Angeles based DP and A/C to capture many of the same scenes.  In between shots we also had one of our crew members filming behind the scenes footage with crew commentary specific to the production.  Keep an eye out for the companion, motion edit which will debut soon on the blog, coinciding with the launch of our new JCP branding and website.
   

Samsung - Los Angeles

A Martin Patrick 3 Lifestyle - Short Film

We are proud to present the short film "A Martin Patrick 3 Lifestyle," a poetic narrative produced for the Minneapolis based men's clothing and accessories boutique Martin Patrick 3.  The film premiered in Minneapolis' warehouse district on the evening of April 11th as part of the pre-party for ENVISION: Artopia.   

Another fine creative endeavor from start to finish, made possible by the incredible efforts and generous contributions of the JCP team and colleagues:

Jonathan Chapman - Director of Photography
Ravi Katkar - Principal Talent  
Chadwick Nelson, Splice  - Editor
Tanya Silver - Producer
Sam Trewick - Styling, Art Department, Poster + Promo Design
Ashlee Ellert - Hair + Make-up
Eric Schleicher - 2nd Camera Operator
John Fontana - Location Sound Mixer
Patrick Meehan - Boom Operator
Nathaniel Schmidt - AC / Continuity + Promotional  
Michael Sandness, Splice - Colorist
Kelly Pieklo, Splice - Sound Designer / Mixer
Coelement - Motion Graphics
Flashlight Photo Rental - Lighting / Grip
Emily Pritchard - The Social Lights
Bryce Bordenkecher - JCP for MP3 Event Photography
Excerpt from Tennessee Williams "The Glass Menagerie"

A Martin Patrick 3 Lifestyle - Short Film

Behind the Lens - MN Twins "Winter Baseball"

"Opening Day means spring. It means, literally, an opening: of buds spreading and jackets unbuttoning; of little birds' mouths gaping; of rubber bands being released from neat's-foot-oiled baseball mitts that have been held tight around a ball all winter."  Frank Deford

The timing of a pitch, a swing of the bat, and the sliding of a runner into a base all speak to the rhythms that begin to reawaken our baseball senses at this time of year.  Today is opening day for major league baseball and this afternoon the MN Twins ball club will be in full stride towards securing their first win of the season.  Here at JCP it is also opening day for a new behind the scenes segment called "Behind the Lens."

From our post on March 21st when we introduced the project for the MN Twins Community Fund, "Winter Baseball," via Martin Williams, we showed the :60 edit and today we are pleased to share our first "Behind the Lens" of that same project.  We would like to thank all of the people who made this happen from the first meeting at Martin Williams to the brisk shoot day out on the ice, to opening day.  We all put forth our best efforts and would like to take a moment to thank everyone listed in the credits along with a special thanks to: Tanya Silver; Heather Blackford; Matt Nelson; Eric Schleicher; Tasty Lighting; and Picture Factory.

Thanks to Patrick Meehan for capturing the behind the scenes footage and Nathaniel Schmidt here at JCP for putting it all together.  
  

Behind the Lens - MN Twins "Winter Baseball"

JCP for MP3 "A Martin Patrick Lifestyle"

Spring is finally showing its face and we are excited to announce the premiere of “A Martin Patrick 3 Lifestyle.” The short film is a collaboration between JCP and the Minneapolis based men's clothing and accessories boutique Martin Patrick 3.  The project is an interlaced venture of film and fashion that will debut at the official pre-party for the ENVISION: Artopia^® Spring 2013 Fashion Show.

The event is open to the public and is being hosted by Jonathan Chapman Photographer & Director, Martin Patrick 3, and ENVISION: Artopia^® Spring 2013 Fashion Show. 

Thursday, April 11, 2013 | 5:30 p.m. | Video Premiere at Dusk

Martin Patrick 3 | Warehouse District of Minneapolis | 212 Third Avenue North Suite 106 | Minneapolis, MN 55401

Complimentary eats by CRAVE Catering as well as cocktails flowing throughout the event.  Live music by DJ Bryan Gerrard.

Drop by after work to hang with industry creatives and fashion gurus alike. Multiple creative partners who joined in the production effort will also be present. We hope to see you and look forward to sharing our latest visual collaboration.

For more information including event updates, release of teaser trailers and artwork please follow the Facebook event page at http://bit.ly/JCPforMP3Premiere. 

Stay tuned to the JCP blog where we will be launching teaser trailers in upcoming posts.

Collaborative partners and sponsors include: Splice, Filmerkid Visuals, Flashlight Photorental, Coelement, City Pages, Ignite Models, RAW, FreeArts.org, Crave America, Rocco Altobelli Salon and Day Spa.

Poster / promo design by Sam Trewick - thank you!

JCP for MP3 "A Martin Patrick Lifestyle"

Minnesota Twins "Winter Baseball"

"You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen." - Joe Dimaggio

With opening day just a little over a week away, we are all excited to kick off a new season of Twins Baseball.  In anticipation of the new season, we were brought into a project created and concepted for the Minnesota Twins Community Fund by Martin Williams.  We worked closely with the team at Martin Williams and Volt Studios to visually bring the project to life upon the frozen surface of Brownie Lake here in Minneapolis.  Pre-production involved creating an accurate baseball diamond the day before by having our team outline the shape of the ball field with a 100' measuring tape and shovels to remove enough snow to reach the base level of the lake.  As additional support for the project, and essential for the big reveal shot at the end of the piece, we collaborated with Picture Factory who brought in their Cine-Star 6  to fly a camera over the whole scene capturing an impromptu game in progress.  Further production supplies and support were supplied by Tasty Lighting.  Music "January Hymn," by The Decemberists.

The final 30 second spot has begun airing on TV and will also be shown at the Twins Stadium once the 2013 season is underway.  We hope you enjoy watching the alternate 60 second version of the spot here as much as we did creating it.

Check back on opening day, April 1st, for a look at the behind the scenes video as well as nod to everyone who rallied to make this a success.  Go Twins!
 

Minnesota Twins "Winter Baseball"

City Target - Seattle

One of the longtime mantras of Target; "Fast, Fun, and Friendly" might now need to add "Urban" to the lineup as the newest iteration of Target stores has been gearing up with multiple city locations that have a smaller footprint and cater to the needs of a denser population.

We spent time in the downtown Seattle City Target in collaboration with Little and Company capturing the visual essence of the new store format for a profile story in Target's RED Magazine.  Nestled in the lower 3 floors of the Newmark residential tower just blocks away from the world renowned Pike Place Market - the location couldn't be better.  

This City Target is one of three original stores of this type to debut; ready to serve a unique mix of office workers, tourists, and residents in nearby condos and apartments.  With additional City Targets in Chicago, San Francisco, and LA, the mega retailer is offering city dwellers an economical option in a boutique size.  It will be interesting to see how these new stores will be received as well as watching for possible integration into other urban markets.

We've been busy working on a number of fronts including a recent project in NYC for Ogilvy, a 23 hour trip to Alabama for Target, and prep for an upcoming production next week in Southern California.  Behind the scenes here at the studio it's been exciting to have Nathaniel Schmidt on board.  His new editing suite is nearly complete including a 50" monitor to showcase his editing magic.  In addition to all of this, we've been prepping still and film based visuals for the JCP brand refresh that's well in the works; once again tapping the talents of Eight Hour Day.  We're also psyched to be infusing the copy-writing talents of Charles Youel, the force behind ARTCRANK, on a new section of the website titled "Behind the Lens."  We'll also be teaming up with Charles on a forthcoming short film, produced by JCP, featuring NYC's Central Park.
 

City Target - Seattle

UHG - Work & Play

Projects vary with every client we work with and require different approaches for each scenario, which leave us with memorable experiences; one of them being a project we worked on last summer for United Health Group.

  

Hunt Adkins contacted us to create visuals for a recruitment lifestyle piece centered around a select group of superstar employees of United Health Group.  The creative concept centered around two scenarios for each employee; one illustrating their work life and the other representing an active experience they excelled at during their personal time.  Both images had to feel iconic in nature, demonstrating that the top employees at UHG work hard and play hard with equal amounts of balance and poise in their lives.  We wanted them to look heroic, knowledgeable and strong, yet approachable as members of the greater team.  For our blog post we've selected highlights from the outside of work, "play" series of the campaign.  Like nearly all of our projects, we not only shoot the hero campaign image, but as time permits work to shoot additional detail / story-telling visuals.  In the case of the UHG project these supporting images nicely augment the master shot we were hired to produce.

The project took us to many locations in and around the Minneapolis area including various UHG campus environments to create custom imagery for nearly 20 employees.  Location scouting took place over two days and became a matrix of logistics in and of itself.  Many of the subjects were flown in to participate, and coordinating their time with that of the locations and our crew was no small feat.  Our producer Tanya Silver once again did a great job lining things up to run smoothly, and as always our shining crew prevailed to help produce amazing imagery for our creative partners at Hunt Atkins and UHG.

Here it is, the heart of winter, and even though we are far from those long summer days, we continue to build on our past experiences and take on new scenarios in collaboration with agencies and clients alike.  Our latest adventure had us on a frozen lake, creating a little winter magic for a TV spot that you will have to keep an eye out for this spring.  Currently we are in NYC for a few days partnering with a new client as well as building relationships with new production partners.

We have a nice library of visuals queued up for a branding refresh that is well underway under the creative talents of Eight Hour Day.  It's always amazing partnering with both Nate and Katie as they truely bring the final shine to everything we exhibit.  The branding refresh will include updates to the portfolio, film reel, and the next iteration of the Newsprint promo.  There are a few other ideas in terms of promotion, that the new branding elements should nicely compliment.  We're always looking for creatively innovative ways to broaden both our experiences as well as how we present the visual elements of JCP.  Thanks for visiting the blog and stay tuned for some engaging updates and refinements...

UHG - Work & Play

North 47º - A Lake Superior Storm

 

“If you’re lucky, you’ll eventually find a few minutes to free your mind, let your wheels spin, and drift away to a place where something brilliant might wash up upon the shore…”  Rick Bannister, The Smith Journal 

Last November my 5-year-old daughter Frances “Frankie” and I set off for our once-a-year weekend together, bound for Northern Minnesota and a cabin on the shore of Lake Superior.  Travel “up North” is something most of us in Minnesota look forward to and welcome as often as we can accommodate.  It’s a destination that signifies something that is hard to put in words.  It seems it’s what it lacks that pulls you in, more so than what it offers.  Regardless of ones motive, the possibilities are endless amid the wilderness and waters of our some 10,000 plus lakes.  

While we departed with cloudy skies and windshield wipers humming, rain or shine we were once again excited to be leaving town together. Along our route the weather turned increasingly cold, with clouds growing thicker and winds gaining strength.  I knew long before we arrived that my idea of hiking through the woods along the waters edge, was not what Frankie would consider fun amid weather like this.

Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, signifies in many ways the gateway to the north woods.  The vastness and the unpredictable nature of the water is something that keeps it engaging in terms of trying to figure it out, trying to take it all in.  Upon arrival to the cabin approximately 5 hours north of Minneapolis the temperature was just barely above freezing.  The winds were blazing across the water with surf hitting the shore in a way that many at the resort, including myself, had not often experienced but were excited to be witness to.  I awoke several times during our first night, sleeping some 50 feet from the surging waves that pounded the shore and windows of our seemingly snug, yet audibly uninsulated cabin.  Throughout the night the storm continued to grow, ratcheting up its intensity by the hour.

In the morning after stoking the fire and a slow breakfast Frankie and I set out to explore.  Just steps from our door Frankie was quick to advise she’d had enough.  I brought her in and contemplated heading back out, camera in hand for whatever I might be able to capture.  I was now pleased I had packed at least a few essential pieces of equipment.  I figured I’d last about 10 minutes, but was certain I would come away with visuals unlike any I’ve captured of the lake in the past.

The North 47° motion edit, named by the geographic coordinates of the storm, was captured that morning in no more than an hour of shooting.  Time in the elements was punctuated by many breaks to the cabin with Frankie tearing off paper towels to help dry both camera, lenses, and my face.  With feet firmly rooted and backside to the wind I was able to grab no more than 2-3 second video clips, not sure what if anything would ever become of the footage. It was one of the most extreme conditions I’ve ever shot in.  Upon retiring to the cabin I found the view from our upstairs bedroom window almost as interesting as the waters edge.  Racking or shifting focus from blowing trees and surging waves to water droplets running down the window offered a quieter element to what I had just been struggling to capture outside.

Needless to say it was an exciting edit to see come to life.  All video clips that I captured were shot in slow motion at 60 frames per second (60 fps), a look that many in the realm of video are currently drawn to as camera technology continues to evolve.  NathanielSchmidt, one of our most recent partners in the world of video put the footage together against an audio track that quiets and compliments the wind, waves, and turbulent nature of the footage.  Upon completion we taped the talents of Coelement for graphic animation.

I am appreciative of each and every hour I am able to steal away to the North Shore, especially one-on-one adventures such as this with my kids.  Lake Superior never ceases to offer something humbling, regardless of the season...

North 47º - A Lake Superior Storm

Schwinn 2013 Catalog

A new year brings new opportunities and of course new work.  The debut of the 2013 Schwinn Catalog is out in select worldwide bicycle retailers showcasing their new line up of bikes ranging from Urban style to Cruisers, and Sport Hybrid to Mountain bikes and more.  It's a pretty sweet collection of bikes.  Design certainly hasn't been overlooked as the brand continues to evolve.  The matte black "Cruiser" model above even comes with a built in bottle opener.

Over two days of shooting for Schwinn we set up in multiple locations around the Minneapolis area, each lending to the perfect backdrop for each particular style of bike.  The results are evident in the new catalog as the bikes stand out with the complimentary environments adding to the strength of the imagery. 

We are quite pleased with how everything turned out.  It's refreshing to look back amid the cold of winter, at a mid-summer production, recalling sunny skies, green grass, as well as all the bikes and locations we paired up for this project.  

Happy New Year to all those we worked with last year.  We are looking forward to continued adventure and all that 2013 has in store!
 

Schwinn 2013 Catalog

Target C9 - San Francisco Video

 

We're excited to officially launch the director's cut of the Target C9 Active Apparel video.  Shot this past summer on the streets of San Francisco, the video was produced by JCP in collaboration with Minneapolis based Knock Inc.  This version of the edit is a cut-down from the original 9 minute spot currently playing inside the San Francisco's recently opened City Target. Be sure to check out the Video Preview post which offers additional insight into the storyline as well as how the project came together. 

For the director's cut, we worked closely with Chadwick and the team at Splice to pull some select shots and sequences and shorten the overall edit by about 3 minutes. It's a bit longer than our typical spots, however, the "day in the life" storyline requires a longer edit to tell the full narrative of multiple activities taking place throughout an active day of living on the streets of San Francisco. Our project tapped a broad palette of crew from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Minneapolis.  San Francisco based Panlicker Productions coordinated all aspects of talent, locations, permits, and logistics. The crew shot below highlights our finish line smiles. A big thanks to everyone involved at all levels including the Steadicam expertise of StillMotion as well as camera support by Eric Schleicher. Sam Serbus' internspective blog posts (day 1-3, day 4) offer a nice behind the scenes glimpse of how things unfolded during this quick paced production amid the streets of San Francisco.  Thanks of course to John Fontana as well as Paula, Mark, and Melissa of The Gren Group Inc. for their tireless energy and behind the scenes support of all projects.

It's been quite a year including recent travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2012 is nearly wrapped and we're already looking forward to a what's in-store for 2013.  On the horizon are many updates to the portfolio, website and director's reel, as well as new projects in the works… 

Target C9 - San Francisco Video

On the farm for Winfield...

“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower 

While summer is in the rear-view mirror it's nice to revisit long days and our time amid farm and field; taking in life first hand alongside modern day farmers.  It's always great to partner with Colle+McVoy and this was another fine experience collaborating for Winfield.  

We've been on a number of agricultural shoots over the years and it never ceases to inspire and amaze us with the overall process; it's a true "get your hands dirty," experience.  Blue skies, fresh air, and rolling hills gently woven into a seemingly endless landscape of Wisconsin farmland has a way of regenerating the senses and opening up a new perspective on what is right in front of us.  A number of the images were created from unique angles, whether climbing up on top of a grain elevator or getting down to the level of the roots, we were able to capture several different options to help tell the Winfield story.  This production was unique in that we spent time capturing visuals of a crop duster.  There is a true art and level of aerodynamics that these pilots possess.  We heard him coming from miles away, the sound of the blades gave away any chance of sneaking up on our crew.  Near the end of our time shooting this part of the project the chopper did a fly-over only a few feet from our heads, and no doubt laughed as we all hit the dirt in surprise and fear for our lives.

It's never dull and always new- farm, ocean, rural or urban.  What an opportunity the camera provides looking behind the scenes, revealing everyday life in visually interesting and engaging ways.

The Director's cut of the Target C9 project is coming along nicely.  We'll have a final version to share soon.
  

On the farm for Winfield...

Target C9 - San Francisco Video Preview

The C9 Active Apparel line of clothing from Target is being featured for the first time in a store of its own in San Francisco's recently opened City Target.  The debut of this flagship location is unique in that it is one of a kind and features a 9 minute looping video created by the JCP team. The video concept was created by the Minneapolis based agency Knock who approached us earlier this year to collaborate and produce a montage of active, athletic based visuals. The purpose of the video is to highlight C9 apparel as well as captivate store patrons with an engaging array of athletic activities including yoga, running, walking, gym exercise, soccer and bicycling interweaving amongst one another throughout the city of San Francisco.  With the focus on the athletes and clothing, we were tasked to create a seamless piece that would take the viewer on a journey throughout all of the activities within the city. It was a challenge to shoot in an icon rich setting and not just show all of the well known landmarks.  We worked with a San Francisco based production crew to uncover and shoot amid lesser known landmarks, places that would appeal to the city inhabitants stating "this is my city, my San Francisco."

With the help of two members from the California based Still Motion we had a solid crew with a total of 4 cameras rolling at any given time in each scenario.  Ray and Paul from Still Motion fit the style and speed of our crew well and with the addition of a Stedicam, operated by Ray, we had another way of telling the story from a first person point of view.  The smooth shots provided by the Stedicam whether running, spinning around yogi's in warrior pose, or  keeping up with bicyclists in mid pedal gave an authentic sense of being there with the athletes and raised our overall production value.

The team at Knock were great to partner with from start to finish and San Francisco was a perfect host and backdrop for this production.  We had the privilege to see many aspects of the city and couldn't have asked for a better front row seat for working and taking in the diverse sections of the city that comprise San Francisco.  Enjoy a glimpse into the project through the still images and as a precursor to the debut of the C9 Director's Cut coming soon...
     

Target C9 - San Francisco Video Preview

TDK / Memorex

“It takes a long time to become young.” - Pablo Picasso

The latest technology is often times synonymous with youth culture.  What is cutting edge?  What makes a statement about who we are and what we use?  Form and function overall lead everyday lifestyles and may eventually land the stamp of approval for the cool factor.  Products seem to be adopted at an ever increasing rate as advances in technology continue to improve.  There is a hunger for new, functional products that have the ability to keep pace with the energy and demands of a youthful lifestyle.

This is where we were brought in.  A two day shoot to help capture a look that portrays the latest in a new lineup of products from TDK and Memorex.  Our talent was full of surprises taking up the latest set of headphones, ear buds and other music delivery devices.  As the two tag lines for each brand suggest TDK "Life on Record" and Memorex "Turn Life Up" they each have their own unique approach branching off from the common "Life" theme which led us to several diverse locations to capture a few lifestyle moments over the course of the shoot.  Thanks to Bobbi Peacock and crew for another fun couple of days.  We're always up to something different and that's what keeps us all feeling young and excited for the road ahead...

TDK / Memorex

Emma Berg - Before and Afters

In our last post we debuted the final Emma Berg fashion piece.  With any video project there are always a number of steps along the way to reach the final finished motion piece.  One of the last is the color work or grading, which takes place after the edit or picture has been locked down.  Color and the creation of custom palettes for our imagery is something we spend a great deal of time finessing.  As we merged into the world of motion and film we quickly learned that color is a major step in the process, one that was much more complex than the workflow we've established for our still imagery.  Through collaboration and much conversation with people on the film side of the business we've worked to connect with "colorists," people who specialize in the color correction of film.  We've met some great people, many of which have spent years refining their craft.

The grading for the Emma Berg piece was masterfully done by colorist Sue Lakso of Crash+Sues here in Minneapolis.  During a working session with Sue, she was able to match the raw edited footage to the colored still photos we provided.  As you will see, the difference between the colored and uncolored footage is quite dramatic and emphasizes how important this final step of the process is for any motion project.

We appreciate the expertise of Sue Lakso and the collaborative spirit of everyone at Crash+Sues to help us realize the full potential of the final color work for our project.  It's one more example of how much broader and deeper the pool of collaboration exists when working in the realm of motion and film.
 

Emma Berg - Before and Afters

Emma Berg - F/W 2012 Video Premiere

While new lines are rolling out in New York, London, and Milan, it's also a big week for fashion here in Minneapolis with an ever-growing buzz amid creatives and designers alike.  MN Fashion's "The Shows" gets underway tomorrow, showcasing Spring/Summer 2013 collections from a number of local designers.

We are always on the lookout to partner and broaden our visual experiences in both the world of stills and video.  While we at JCP aren't typically riding along the front lines of the world of fashion, our latest video collaboration provided an opportunity to work closely with one of the city's most active, respected, and influential designers, Emma Berg.
  
Premiering online via the JCP Blog, the video will officially debut on the big screen this Thursday evening as a part of Minneapolis-St. Paul Fashion Week and MN Fashion's "The Shows,"  just before Emma and her Spring / Summer 2013 line hit the runway.  Shot this past Spring, the video highlights Emma's Fall / Winter 2012 line.  A common theme in her design work is the use of color or the lack thereof depending on the season and her overall vision for the collection.  The juxtapositions of her bright whimsical Fall / Winter 2012 line paired with the mute, stark backgrounds in the video emphasize Emma's creative design sense creating a playful, yet sophisticated darkness evident in many of her collections.
 
As stated in the preview post, this was an idea brought to life through the collaborative efforts of the JCP team, Grant Whittaker and Emma Berg.  Eric Schleicher / Filmerkid joined as assistant camera and JoLynn Garnes handled the edit paring our visuals with a haunting audio track by Marijuana Deathsquads. Sue Lakso, of Crash & Sues, came on board as the colorist and Danny Schmidt created the graphics closing the video.

Described as a "style-savvy art maven," Emma Berg has carved out a unique niche in not only the realm of fashion, but also works closely in the promotion and introduction of emerging artists through her website MPLS Art.  Like all of our creative endeavors we are excited and proud to have a wealth of talent so close to home to reach out to as we ourselves work to further evolve and grow.    

MN Fashion Week runs from Sept. 23rd – 30th.  Once again, be sure to check out the latest from Emma Berg this Thursday, Sept. 27th.  Events to be held at the Grain Belt Bottling House in Northeast Minneapolis.  Doors open at 6:30.

Produced & Directed  - Jonathan Chapman
Art Direction & Styling  - Whittaker Style
Editing – JoLynn Garnes
Assistant Camera – Eric Schleicher
Production – John Fontana
Talent – Arquette / Vision
Music – Marijuana Deathsquads
Graphic Animation – Danny Schmidt
Colorist – Sue Lakso / CrashnSues
Special Thanks to the Ritz Theatre

Emma Berg - F/W 2012 Video Premiere

Emma Berg - F/W 2012 Video Preview

My ideal as a designer is to appeal to the woman who is driven by the creative side of life or at least has a strong appreciation for it. -Emma Berg

This past spring we had the privilege to work with fashion designer Emma Berg on a motion piece showcasing her Fall / Winter 2012 creative collection.  The still imagery featured offers an early glimpse into the visuals we came away with.  The project came about through discussions with Grant Whittaker who describes himself as a “Fashion and Creative Catalyst.”  We had been in talks with Grant for a few months about possible opportunities to join efforts. Our backgrounds in the creative community are somewhat different, however we embraced this aspect with mutual respect for the work we’ve both created as well as the relationships and network we are always working to expand.  Partnering with Grant, and eventually Emma, opened the door to something refreshingly foreign, as our experiences have been somewhat limited in the world of fashion.  It was a great opportunity with unique challenges; the type of project we are always on the lookout for as we work to refine and expand upon our visual experiences.

We paired up Emma’s fashions with two models amid various Minneapolis locations ranging from the Ritz Theater to Harriet Island.  The stark, muted environments provided a welcome contrast to the vibrant colors of Emma’s Fall/Winter 2012 collection.  The backgrounds also highlight her sense of “sophisticated whimsy with dark undertones” - a common theme in Emma’s fashion work.  This juxtaposition of bright colors against the neutral textures may seem counter-intuitive, but works nicely with her style and is a thread that runs through her upcoming collection as well.

We are excited that our video will be hitting the big screen at MN Fashion’s “The Shows” on the evening of September 27th.  The video will introduce Emma as part of her upcoming Spring/Summer 2013 runway show.  In Emma’s new line for Spring/Summer 2013, which may have people thinking about radiant colors, Emma has moved in the opposite direction working in a more monochromatic palette reflective of her personal interpretations of current affairs in the domestic political arena.

We’ll be debuting the video on September 24th, here on the JCP Blog.  There’s a fine list of contributor’s that we look forward to recognizing and thanking.  Just like a show, this video and the collaboration around it is another opportunity for Emma, Grant, and ourselves to influence an audience, further introduce our work, and exhibit how we all continue to evolve in the creative community.
 

Emma Berg - F/W 2012 Video Preview

The Prairie House

My family and I have an annual trip, four years running, to a friend's cabin near the Hayward Lakes area of Wisconsin.  Time away from the city, gathered with friends and family at the lake is a welcome addition to summer.  We're certainly happy to have friends who generously extend invites, as this is something I have memories of and feel fortunate to share with my own kids.  One year ago this past Labor Day weekend had us cabin bound with a slight detour in our accommodation plans.  During this visit we would spend the weekend at "The Prairie House," an adjacent property near our friend's cabin that is described in the following words:

"The Prairie House, circa 1800, is located among ponds, streams, small waterfalls, and butterfly gardens.  This natural animal and bird sanctuary is surrounded by 16 acres of wavering prairie grass and wildflowers, located in the quiet isolated center of 360 acres of northern Wisconsin pine forest.  Created for solitude, harmony, history, and romance." 

This property is owned by our friend's brother Jim, who is not only a kind and generous man, but also has fine taste in design and building.  The Prairie House is a retreat of sorts, a place that invites you to take a step back, a place where time seems frozen in an era where simplicity was less about fashion and more a product of making the most of what your immediate environment had to offer.  Bearskin rugs, oil lamps, fur traps and pelts on the walls; we spent the first few hours as if in a museum--amazed at the time and thought that went into recreating the past.  

While our kids spent their time chasing through grasses, dipping toes in the front porch pond, and wrestling vintage candies from each other, my wife and I relaxed and enjoyed this little voyage to the past.  The images above capture a little slice of our time in the early 1800's and were passed along as a thank you gift.  A gift of visuals I happily spent time shooting.

The Prairie House

The Pines: "All The While"

This past Saturday the latest JCP motion collaboration took flight premiering on the big screen at the Square Lake Film and Music Festival amid an intimate backdrop of musicians and filmmakers alike.  We were fortunate to have the opportunity to debut the video at the festival as The Pines were on site and closed out the festival as the headlining musical act.

As highlighted in the preview post the project was concepted and produced in partnership with Eric Schleicher / FilmerKid and Tony Franklin + T.C. Worley of Royal Antler. 

A big thanks to David and Benson of The Pines, Red House Records, and Paul Creager of The Square Lake Film and Music Festival.  We would also like to thank Moore Creative as well as martinpatrick3.

In collaboration with The Pines, we are excited to share the official video for "All The While," from their latest album Dark So Gold. 

Watch via The Pines YouTube channel here ->

Produced and Directed - Jonathan Chapman
Editing / Second Camera - Eric Schleicher
Location Sound / Production - John Fontana
Story development / Camera - Tony Franklin, TC Worley / Royal Antler
Male Talent - Jon Walburg / Moore Creative
Props & Wardrobe - martinpatrick3

The Pines: "All The While"

Schwinn: Life's A Ride...

 

Bicycling and all aspects of it seems to be enjoying a renaissance of sorts including riders, places to ride, and how people enjoy their time on two wheels, not to mention the vast options of brands, builds, accessories and apparel.  The bicycle is definitely on the list of things we seem to take for granted since it has had such a presence in our everyday lives.  It's hard to imagine a time when it was a fairly new invention and everyone was interested in having one.

Our involvement with Schwinn Bicycles came early in 2012 through a request by the agency Boom Island to shoot lifestyle based stills and motion imagery on location in San Diego, CA.  The project encompassed settings in the urban heart of the city, residential areas, country touring and off road trails in the foothills with a variety of talent portraying the range of Schwinn riders and bicycles available to the public.  The week of production went by quickly capturing both stills and video of each proposed scenario.  Our DP, Alex Horner was brought on to capture motion visuals, doing his best to mirror and augment what was being directed for the still portion of the shoot.  Together as a team we covered off on a lot of scenes building a substantial pool of assets to build on the Schwinn library.  

The brand and name Schwinn has an interesting backstory.  One of the early leaders and standouts of the time, Ignaz Schwinn created a dynasty with his namesake, which remains a popular brand to this day.  Ignaz was a German immigrant with a background in mechanical engineering who happened to settle in Chicago before the turn of the century.  With additional financial backing from a fellow German immigrant, the Schwinn Bicycle company was founded in 1895 on the cusp of the great bicycle boom in the US.  At one point Schwinn was one of 30 factories building bicycles in Chicago trying to capitalize on the growing demand.  The opportunity to become an institution was within reach and they made it happen creating a lasting legacy which has endured to this day.  

We've been staying busy near and far shooting both still and motion based projects.  Last week we were out in San Francisco working on a video project for Target involving their C9 line of active wear.  This week we have been dividing our time between domestic animals and their owners for Purina and an agricultural project in the fields of rural Wisconsin in collaboration with Colle + McVoy.  Keep an eye out for future posts revolving around these shoots and more.

Schwinn: Life's A Ride...

Traditional & Tactile Pt. II - Cold Side Silkscreen Printing

The second half of our two part series "Traditional & Tactile" takes us to the North Loop of Minneapolis.  We were greeted by a penguin graphic logo and a handshake from Paul our contact as we entered Cold Side Silkscreen Printing.  Paul led us into his office where we discussed his involvement in the business and walked us through the silkscreen process we were about to witness. 

Descending an ancient wooden staircase, our feet landed in the basement where the screens were ready and waiting for further inspection and preparation before making the first test run.  Shimmering and translucent the screens floated by as they made their way upstairs for the operator to begin the process.  He taped off the sides and locked them down into position on one of several octopus-like arms jutting out from the center core.  With the screen in place, and palette knife loaded with thick titanium white ink, the first part of the t-shirt making process was ready to begin with the inking of the JCP badge logo.

An earlier conversation with graphic designer Jason Braun led to re-purposing the JCP badge logo and a few other existing graphic elements to devise an original t-shirt.  What better way to complement our first traditional & tactile letterpress experience with that of a custom silk-screened t-shirt bearing the logo and graphic elements of the JCP brand.

Cold Side has been in business since the mid seventies.  The environment has a laid back vibe which is a welcome nod to the era in which they began.  They always seem like they are up to something interesting and can accommodate just about any silk screen request for custom t-shirts.  

We'll be on the road next week, hitting the streets of San Francisco for Target.  The project is motion based and will have us running multiple cameras: chasing bikers, runners and walkers as well as dropping in on a staged soccer game and outdoor yoga session amid a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge.  It'll no doubt be a fun hustle and another interesting collaboration.

Traditional & Tactile Pt. II - Cold Side Silkscreen Printing