"of Feather & Brace"

"There is a passion for hunting something deeply implanted in the human breast." - Charles Dickens

Every year around this time as the air becomes crisp and colors fall from their lofty heights to the audible crunch beneath your feet, we know it is time once again for the age old tradition of hunting. It marks the passage of one season in time to the next for many who inhabit life in the Midwest.

Although we are from the Midwest, it's a far off assumption that we are all avid hunters and have knowledge that runs deep in this area. The subject of hunting and its importance to this region came to us in a roundabout way a number of years ago during the initial stages of casting for a print based project. We were in search of male talent during the height of hunting season and much to our surprise it was difficult to find men available for modeling via our local talent resources. Ultimately we did end up with our talent, but it was more of a process than we had anticipated due to the popularity of the hunting season.

To date, "of Feather & Brace" is one of the lengthiest projects we have undertaken, beginning as a kernel of an idea this time last year. It is also one of the most collaborative pieces we have been involved with. From beginning to end, this project has brought together several masters of their craft spanning the filming, on location sound capture, editing, grading, sound design, graphics, and animation of what would be the final piece "of Feather & Brace." While those of us involved are not hunters ourselves, we knew there was a visual story to tell as well as a level of passion and devotion that carries from one generation to the next. Nick Nalezny, our subject as well as the location he recommended could not have been a better fit for the narrative we set out to explore and document.

Editor Steve Shepherd "Shep" of Spotnik commented on the creative editing process.

"The footage really lent itself to a natural, gentle weaving. The opportunity to blend images in a classic way was evident when first seeing the dailies. Because of the strong point of view, and rich varied compositions, it was fun to play with the three different areas: Home Base, getting to "the spot", and being at the spot. Playing not only with the framing, but depth of the shots, letting some of the cuts (or transitions) happen within a shot through a focus shift or movement of a tree or person."

Through Steve we were connected with Oscar Oboza, an expert colorist at Pixel Farm who we were excited to hear was interested in working on the grading / coloring of the project. Oscar provided great insight and perspective, bringing the color to a point that matched the look and feel of the color we attained with the stills we had shot and colored for reference.

Once we had picture lock on the edit and the color work was underway, we connected with Dave Schroeder of Pilotvibe to finesse the ambient location and interview audio captured by Patrick Schaefer. Dave was able to shape the audio in his own unique way adding an ethereal element to the piece as a whole. The original music and reverberating narrative take this project to another level in terms of blending the visuals with the creative element of custom sound design. Eight Hour Day was once again tapped for the design of graphics and credits. Elemental Motion Media brought the graphic design work to life through animating the various components as they do so well.

Every element in the process of creating "of Feather & Brace" has been crucial to the overall final picture. We couldn't have accomplished this without everyone's involvement from concept to the finished project featured here. A heartfelt thank you to everyone we worked with.

We would also like to thank Tony Franklin for his insight, enthusiasm, and dedication to the creative process to help bring this idea from the sketch pad to the screen as a completed motion piece.

Enjoy and please spread the word of this project's launch. A behind the scenes edit is being cut and will be posted in days ahead shedding further light on our time exploring life through the eyes of those that carry on this fall tradition.

"of Feather & Brace"

Broadcast spots for St. Elizabeth Healthcare

"Neo Natal"


"Orthopedics"


"Hope"

Our involvement with the Newport, KY based agency Intrinzic began several years ago with several still / print based shoots for US Bank. Todd Lipscomb was the creative director on these past projects and served in the same capacity for a collaboration this past May: five 30-second broadcast spots for St. Elizabeth Hospital. To date this was the most robust motion shoot we have been a part of and took us to a new level in terms of equipment, crew, locations, and overall collaboration on multiple broadcast spots. Todd knew this was our largest motion based production to date and was confident that our approach to "visual storytelling" was a perfect match.

We spent a full week in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky working on filming the five commercials within the St. Elizabeth hospital system as well as multiple locations throughout the greater Cincinnati area.

Our Minneapolis based broadcast producer Peter Mullin of 14Pics, couldn't have been a better fit for this project as he kept us on schedule and guided us along from the initial estimate request throughout the final shot on the last storyboard. Peter really showed us the value of bringing on a broadcast based producer for a project of this size and scope. His combined efforts, with the tireless energy of the agency based producer Megan Pautke, allowed us to focus on the creative elements rather than back end issues such as wrangling new born babies and hiring police to shut down roads.

Eric Schleicher our second camera operator helped us gear up with the latest color profiles from Technicolor as well as recommending the purchase of multiple items including the "Powered Cage," an HDDSLR housing, designed and engineered by Viewfactor that helps smooth out many of the bumps surrounding the HDDSLR shooting experience. Eric also worked each evening making sure everything was ready to go before we started filming at first light each day.

Mark and Luke our Cincinnati based gaffers were great assets with years of experience in the film side of the business. They helped out immensely with both lighting and logistics, offering skills and knowledge that traditional photo assistants typically don't possess on the still side of the business.

While this certainly was a great project, both creatively as well as having the budget to access great people, talent, and locations, more than anything it provided a greater sense of confidence as we continue to collaborate on the film side of the business.

Enjoy three of the five final broadcast spots, edited by Tate and Craig at Cincinnati based Red Echo Post. Watch for a longer "director's cut" at the Motion section of the site in days ahead. This additional cut will feature footage that the confines of a 30-second spot just couldn't incorporate.

Broadcast spots for St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Farming Wind...

Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I but when the trees bow down their heads, the wind is passing by. - Christina Rossetti

Travel and projects over the past few years have taken us along Interstate 10, in route from Los Angeles heading southeast towards Palm Springs, California. Along this route, amid the desert landscape, the highway slowly unveils thousands of white blades rotating in the distance.

The San Gorgonio Pass wind farm, home to more than 3000 turbines is situated in a valley adjacent to the San Jacinto Mountains, which is one of the windiest places on earth. These propeller topped giants stand out not only from their sheer numbers but also their gargantuan size. The wind farm generates enough electricity to power the entire city of Palm Springs and beyond. In order for the blades to turn, the wind must be blowing about 12 to 14 miles per hour which is then transferred to a collection point below and sent to a sub-station. This geographic location is unique as the wind blows hard enough to power the windmills over 300 days a year.

On a visit through the area earlier this year, we spent some time at the wind farm shooting a collection of motion and audio clips; working to capturing the inspiring presence of the blades from as many unique vantage points as possible.

Like many of the personal projects undertaken, there is a vague idea as to what will come to life with the final visuals. In between projects we were pleased to once again collaborate with Adam Duguay and his team at Elemental Motion Media. They not only combed through the footage and delivered several rounds of edits, but mixed and mastered the audio with some effects that accentuate the imagery.

Turn up your speakers and enjoy the latest JC|P motion endeavor, a short narrative of this turbine filled landscape...

Farming Wind...

Do The Waddle

The Minnesota Zoo launched a new exhibit featuring Spheniscus demersus or better known as the South African Penguin. We were brought on by Clarity Coverdale Fury to partner on creating a 30 second t.v. spot which involved two separate shoots. The first had us filming the penguins in their holding area, prior to the exhibit's opening, against a white sweep. You'll see the footage from this shoot at the end of the spot where the penguins waddle on white towards the camera. The second shoot had us on working on location at the zoo alongside the dancers who choreographed the "Waddle Dance." Our talent were actual zoo patrons who after given a brief dance lesson by the choreographers, were then filmed jumping, shaking, singing, and waddling. Thanks to the crew and everyone who helped pull it all together. There were smiles all around and it couldn't have been a more exciting way to spend a summer day working.

The spot began airing here in the Twin Cities shortly after the 4th of July. Some of you may have already seen the commercial and even caught yourself singing the catchy jingle "Penguins do the waddle" by the end of the broadcast. For those who haven't, take a moment to check it out here and learn how to do the waddle.

Shortly after the debut of the commercial, one of our colleagues pointed out a behind the scenes edit that the Mn Zoo was promoting on their site. The video features many members of our cast and crew working together to capture the essence of the Waddle. Take a look at what went into making "Do The Waddle" for the Minnesota Zoo.

It was a great project to be a part of and we are very excited about the final cut, edited by Schnitt Edit here in Minneapolis. Before the summer slips away make sure you head over to the Minnesota Zoo and practice your waddle with the South African Penguins.

Do The Waddle

The Caribbean Pipeline - Rincón, PR -> Part II

Surfing soothes me, it's always been a kind of Zen experience for me. The ocean is so magnificent, peaceful, and awesome. The rest of the world disappears for me when I'm on a wave. - Paul Walker

Following up on our last post "The Caribbean Pipeline - Rincón, PR -> Part I," we are excited to share the final motion edit profiling surfer Ramse Morales, his life both on land and in the water near the town of Rincón, Puerto Rico.

The landscape and surf couldn't have been richer in terms of a backdrop to shoot amid. This was the first motion project that I really spent a great deal of time shooting "hand held." I also brought on a couple of new pieces of equipment. While in the ocean shooting stills and capturing motion, I relied on the Ewa Marine water housing, recommended and rented from Chris Sheehan of Shelter Studios. This couldn't have worked better for getting close to the action both under and above water. What really brings the piece to life is the P.O.V. shots taken from the tip of the surf board. I was able to capture all of this using the Go Pro Hero Camera which was mounted on the tip of the board and recorded Ramse as he paddled out, popped up and surfed a nice variety of waves.

Enjoy this motion profile of a new found friend in a new found place...

The Caribbean Pipeline - Rincón, PR -> Part II

Tim Easton: Joshua Tree, California

"We like to say we live on the edge of the middle of nowhere..." - Tim Easton

Described as a "contemporary troubadour," Tim Easton is a consummate traveling songwriter. From his Ohio roots through stretches in Paris and Prague, Tim grew his credentials with stints in NYC and LA, leading to his latest encampment in the high desert country outside of Joshua Tree, California. For Tim, traveling seems both the inspiration and the reward.

We caught up with Tim earlier this year via a connection made at a Joshua Tree's Ricochet - a social hub where travelers and locals alike stop in for coffee, homemade cuisine, and to catch up on the latest happenings. It was here that we first made contact with Tim Easton via Rosa who was instrumental in connecting us for this project.

After conversing over lunch at Ricochet, Tim took us to a location known by the locals as Area 54 - the backyard of the Joshua Tree National Park. We spent time in this area of the high desert capturing his story along with a few original songs inspired by the area. Outside of Joshua Tree, Tim has played stages around North America, Europe, and Japan with such artists/influences as: Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt and M. Ward to name a few.

The Tim Easton project is as close as it gets to an ideal creative endeavor for me. It had all the elements that continue to fuel my passion for what I do. Tim Easton was more than gracious with his time and knowledge of the area. He allowed me to do what I love to do: get close to interesting people in great locations where I can let my creativity flow in tandem with creating new visual content.

A special thank you goes out to: John Fontana who captured our on location interview and ambient audio, Eric Schleicher "Filmerkid" who was brought on for both editing and color grading, Pilotvibe handled our audio mastering, and Michael Lizama who was tapped for graphic design - both title and credits. Elemental Motion Media brought Michael's graphics to life with their amazing animation skills.

Enjoy a glimpse of our time in a place richly layered in - music, artists, and mystique that continues to pull people towards Joshua Tree year after year.

Some interesting days ahead to kick off spring and summer. We'll be traveling to a number of places both near and far, for a varied palette of clients and projects...

Tim Easton: Joshua Tree, California

Specialized Bicycles In Motion...

In the "Hills of Gold" blog post from late January, we mentioned that a full motion piece was in the early editing stages- a project featuring two technical mountain bike riders in the hills of Palm Springs, CA. The featured riders rode and donned the latest in both bicycles and equipment from Specialized Bicycle Components.

A little over a month later we have received and are excited to share the final edit of this spec motion project from editor Danny Schmidt.

Enjoy the debut of the latest JC|P Motion piece here on the blog and watch for it at the motion section of our website in days ahead.

Specialized Bicycles In Motion...

The Evergreen State

As the year closes out and the winter months move in, it's nice to see a finished project that takes us back to the warmer days of summer...

In the latter part of June we went on the road to Seattle, Washington shooting the first of three "Member Stories," for United Healthcare and AARP. Our subject on this first leg of travel was 81 year old Marilyn Ward, long-time social activist, appreciator of art, book lover, and world traveler. Marilyn proved to be nothing less than amazing, and gave us a real window into her life over the course of the two days we worked with her. We went through a process of capturing video, stills and audio for the final piece, featured above, which will live on a micro-site within the UHC / AARP web space.

Through the collaboration and combined efforts of the Invoko team including: audio designer Dave Schroeder of Pilotvibe and Graphic Designer Nathan Strandberg of EightHourDay. This was the first of many projects we've worked on for United Healthcare / AARP that we spent more time focusing on video capture than gathering still images. The editing was put in the hands of Adam Duguay of Elemental Motion Media who has certainly become a regular part of this past year's motion based projects.

A big thanks to Marilyn for all the time she spent and her patience with our multiple takes and our numerous "can you do that one more time," requests.

The Evergreen State

Olson + Bauer -> Behind the Scenes...

Up to this point, the blog has been a venue to highlight finished still + video projects; however, for this installment we thought it would be great to add a behind the scenes look at the Bauer Hockey Athletic Camp 2010 via Olson.

Each of the nine players we photographed were suspended on an 8'x 5' sheet of 1.25" Plexiglas set into a custom iron frame sourced by producer Jim Graham of Power Plant Productions. The force exerted by the blades upon the surface of the Plexi turned out to be 100psi per hockey skate blade. With a professional NHL player above, I needed to ensure that he wouldn't come crashing through, which explains the need for the robust dimensions of the Plexiglas.

In addition to the still photos, composited by retoucher Brad Palm, take a moment to view the time-lapse sequence, compiled by Elemental Motion Media, of the crew and the NHL players that converged in Atlantic City to produce the still images.

Olson + Bauer -> Behind the Scenes...

Let's Go Fly -> Premiere

The newest addition to the growing JC|P Motion archive launches today. We are proud to present "Let's Go Fly" a collaborative piece brought about by the efforts of a great crew and talented post production team. As we've moved forward into video since the launch of HDDSLR cameras it became obvious very quickly that the most important and essential element to pull together any type of motion based project is seeking and building relationships with those in the film + video industry.

We would like to call out a few individuals that really helped shape and mold the piece from beginning to end into the final piece here on the blog.

Adam Duguay, of Elemental Motion Media, worked with us to finesse the finer points all through the editing process. He has implemented a cutting edge technique to help bring the grading as close as possible to the color corrected stills I initially provided as a guide. In addition to all of the editing, Adam has also brought my logo to life in a new animated form which is featured in this piece and will be present in all video projects going forward.

Katie Kirk and Nathan Strandberg of Eight Hour Day have been with me since the beginning working their design magic to elevate everything they touch to an amazing end aesthetic. Credit for the custom opening illustration goes to Katie and her sensibilities regarding the piece as a whole. She has helped guide us in a different direction graphically from our past motion designs, which has been a welcome change and will certainly influence our approach to the next project. Thank you both for your contribution to the piece.

"Let's Go Fly" is the third collaboration with Alex Horner who worked with us on filming "Un Jour Dans La Vie d'un Coureur" and "Bright Lights: Metal In The City." Alex has always brought a great sense of technical and visual insight to all our projects, and we have enjoyed seeing the various perspectives he provides as our second camera operator.

This piece is the first to have audio captured on location while we were filming and allowed us to bring in Patrick Schaefer. Patrick did a great job and helped educate us on the importance of slating a scene to make sure the audio is synced with the video when it comes time for the editing process. When you hear the birds chirping think of Patrick with boom in hand, mixers set and the record button on.

Without further ado..."Let's Go Fly"

Let's Go Fly -> Premiere

Work & Play -> Final Cut

While capturing video footage is the talk of the industry, we've learned quickly that any footage is only as good as the edited, final viewable product. Without a solid editor, colorist, and a person equally skilled with audio, most footage would remain just a series of clips stored on a hard drive never to see the light of day.

Over the course of the past year and a half I've been working to hone my video capture skills and have had the opportunity to collaborate with variety of editors. The process is always an intriguing one as it always adds more shape and voice to the content than I anticipate. We all have a vision when we set out to create new work, and in the video realm the aforementioned partners are essential to really make these ideas come to life.

This latest video piece is an augmentation of the still project shot for McDonald's over 4 days in Houston this past February. The crew and I worked to capture video clips in a variety of places, between shots, once our still needs were met. John Fontana also gathered ambient sound amid each of the stores we visited. To add to the look and feel we used a prototype glide track manufactured by Humble Monkey Productions which added a nice element of movement to each scene captured.

After wrapping the project in Houston, I got in touch with Adam Duguay of Elemental Motion Media Inc. in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. We had been talking for a while and through conversations I became really interested in his approach to merging stills + video in an edit and just as important his ability to color grade video to match still imagery. A few weeks after shipping him a drive of select stills, raw video and audio we received the first edit which left us here at JCP in high spirits of what had been achieved. With a solid edit taking shape and continued dialogue between Adam and I, we were able to further refine and match up the stills and video content quite nicely.

Enough about our process. Take a look and I hope you enjoy- it's been a long time in the works. In addition to the blog it'll be featured at the JC|P Motion section of the site.

Our clients at McDonald's couldn't be happier with the final joint still / video rendition. With iPad in hand I was psyched to share this and other JC|P video projects at the recent AtEdge Face-to-Face event in Chicago last week, as well as several agencies in the following days. The estimate requests that are coming in are a sign that people are really excited about the merging mediums and are looking for ways to integrate both options on projects, large and small.

Thanks to all involved on this and other projects. Lots in store on the horizon and I look forward to continued collaboration...

Work & Play -> Final Cut

Bright Lights: Metal In The City -> Final Cut

The final video edit of "Bright Lights: Metal In The City" is complete. After much conversation and dialogue surrounding both the edit and color, editor Alex Horner has put the finishing touches on the final cut.

As mentioned in the post on February 2nd, Alex was brought on to capture video alongside the stills I was shooting on this test project involving a car + model amid the streets of the Minneapolis Warehouse District.

The end goal was to cut together a very short narrative, a piece that would match the look and feel of my stills. This is something I am working hard to refine as we dive deeper into the world of video. It's exciting to continually learn what works and what doesn't.

Alex has done a great job with editing, grading and even providing an original track by Composer Steve Horner, his father. I really like where the final piece has ended up. I might add headphones certainly accentuate the experience.

More video on the way. Just shot a still project for the N.Y. based agency The Halo Group at a local hospital here in Minneapolis. We wrapped a little earlier than anticipated so we quickly shifted gears to capture a little video. This content won't likely be used or licensed by the agency, rather will hopefully inspire and cultivate some ideas for another project down the road. The content will likely make its way into my first "reel" which will be coming together soon.

As always it's a great to collaborate with other professionals in the creative industry. Things are changing quickly in some interesting and exciting ways...

Bright Lights: Metal In The City -> Final Cut

Un Jour Dans La Vie D'un Coureur -> Final Cut

As promised in last November's post, the media portion of the running test is up and ready for review here on the blog or in the JC|P Motion section of the website.

Un Jour Dans La Vie D'un Coureur -> Final Cut

Brother Ali -> Director's Cut

This past June I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days behind the scenes capturing still + video content with hip-hop artist Brother Ali, producer Ant, and friends. These studio sessions became part of Brother Ali's latest album "US," which is releasing worldwide today. Rhymesayers created a trailer for the album a little over a month ago on YouTube and it is fast approaching 100,000 views.

To coincide with today's album release I am happy to present an updated "Director's Cut," version which includes additional JCP footage to include a still collage at the end as well as design elements from Nathan Strandberg of EightHourDay. Thanks to Ben Cohen, Nathan Strandberg, Jules Ameel, and John Fontana for your contributions to this piece as well. Spread the word and check out the album today...

Brother Ali -> Director's Cut

"Ola 2"

"Ola 2" is the recently edited second short of the video test produced back in December using Canon’s 5D Mark II. Some creatives at Colle McVoy recommended that I talk with Ben Cohen for the part II edit. Ben’s an up-and-coming video editor from Minneapolis who specializes in digital media production. He has produced, directed, and edited videos for many top agencies. Aside from working on award winning, integrated ad campaigns, he has also created original content including: music videos with exclusive Mtv premieres, multiple features in some of the web's biggest blogs and much more.

Thanks Ben for your suggestions and creative insight as I learn. Also, thanks to Ola Betiku our model and Adam Hester who assisted me on this project with “ideas” more than setting up stands. I am pleased to say collaborations such as this are becoming more frequent and I’ve never been more excited about the possibilities around the corner. I have no plans to become a full time film or video based shooter- rather find opportunities to capture segments of video to pair and cut together with my still work. It’s all about the web. What keeps me interested and psyched to be in this line of work is partnering with those who are at the top of their game in joint creative ventures.

Stay tuned…

"Ola 2"

Holm's Home

Word came today that Bill Holm had passed while in route from Arizona back to Minneota (his home town here in Minnesota). My time with Bill last year, shooting for the McKnight Foundation, were some of the best hours with a subject I've ever had. Farewell my friend. You've left a better mark than most, and for your time, and mark on me, I am grateful. Coincidentally EightHourDay just put the final touches on the e-mail promo piece (above) that will be going out soon to promote the latest "Photo Feature," featuring of course - Mr. Holm...

To experience the full multi-media piece please visit JC|P Motion or view it here on the blog.

Holm's Home