These guys are both artists in their own right and combine forces to tell great stories.
Let me tell you what I love about this piece. The concept from the beginning was to have no dialogue and no music. I don't know that I've EVER had a client ask for that?! I love the result.
Beyond that, it was a solid crew, a fantastic location and just a whole bunch of fun. We've got a few more pieces planned for 2018, so keep an eye peeled.
I'd never been asked to make portraits of a bunch of bearded men, but I jumped at the chance. Local agency SixSpeed looked me up needing images of the be-scruffled gentlemen. I don't know all the details, but something about bikes, charity and facial hair coming together in a sort of do-good-while-being-manly exercise. Makes enough sense to me.
Gaze on these and know these men did good deeds:
Minneapolis-based brewing powerhouse, Surly Brewing reached out to me this summer to create a library of video shots for them. This is a sampling of them.
We've got plans for more (and more exciting) stuff comoing in 2018, so stay tuned for that too!
A young, very driven (yet somehow incredibly relaxed in person) man name Josh Klauck founded and owns some of Minneapolis coolest establishments. His first business - a bespoke bicycle and coffee shop was an instant hit. Angry Catfish is as well curated a shop as you can find - unless that is, you compare it to Josh's other business right around the corner - Mend Provisions Fly Fishing Shop. Both carry high quality, timelessly styled goods and somehow manage serve both the "core" shopper and novice alike.
Then we have Northern Frameworks, a custom, handmade bicycle brand that quietly kicks out some of the tidiest steel-framed bikes our city has produced. To own one is a rare treat for sure.
Lastly, the newest addition to this family of businesses is Northern Coffeeworks. Of course, they sell incredible coffee that will please even the snooty types (like myself) but the surprise is that there's a chef on staff making sure that the food is at least as high quality as the beverages. Seriously, do yourself a favor and grab breakfast at Northern some morning soon! "Outstanding" is the term I'd use for everything I've eaten there so far.
Josh reached out to me with a concept for a video that would somehow tie his businesses together, and show the culture that they share. We started the day early down by the Mississippi River with a group of friends, all on bikes, gathered to make and consume coffee out in nature. "Adventure Coffee" as we call it is a pretty common occurrence in this circle of friends.
Then we followed the staff of each of the shops to their place of work and filmed them in action. When that filming was complete, we all gathered at Josh's house to hoist a few beers, grill some food and share laughs and conversation by the fire.
Josh has a great group of friends that in many cases also happen to be employees. He's a great example of doing what you love and turning your passions into your life's work. I wish all companies could run on this ethic. My hat's off to he and his family of businesses and the people that keep them running. Go check one or more of them out and I'm sure you'll understand what I'm rapping about here.
This summer we created a marketing film for the brand new Gymnastics Academy in Rochester, MN. Each of the founders were competitive gymnasts themselves and wanted to bring a world-class facility to the area. We were brought in to create a piece to inspire both children and parents to give the new facility a try.
We spent one long day in the gym with an incredible group of young athletes to create this piece. Our film team was small and nimble as well and full of talent. (see credits below). Big thanks to the hardworking children, the crew and the client for helping bring this piece together!
We look forward to sharing this film with you all very soon!
Here is one minute and twenty-three seconds of some of my favorite work from the last couple years. Since I work with both stills and video, you'll see both represented in this reel.
It also serves as a reminder that I am one lucky fellow to get to "work" on so many fun jobs. I am a bit spoiled...
My friend and musician Josh Harmony has recently cranked up the album-producing machine and formed a new project he calls simply "Harmony". We spent a few Spring days this year running around town to neat places we liked and filmed some footage to cut into this music video for his tune "RollerCoaster".
We also teamed with Bekah (on Instagram @BekahWorleyCo) for the awesome artwork used in the stop-motion opening of the piece. Give it a listen and a watch!
Amateur car racing attracts an especially dedicated kind of individual. It's not cheap, it takes a lot of time, involves a fair amount of travel, has a very real risk of injury. All of that and the payoff is little more than a good time. Personally, I can understand the thrill of flogging a machine around a course while those all around you are doing the same. Perhaps in another life I could have been a racecar driver, but for now, photographing the sport is thrill enough.
Fix 'em fast and get back in the race!
"There are only 3 sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering - all the rest are merely games" - Ernest Hemingway
Squirm into your snug nest of a seat and strap in.
The mental checklist is done. You're lined up and waiting for the clock.
“And suddenly I realized that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was driving it by a kind of instinct, only I was in a different dimension.”
― Ayrton Senna
Teammates listen to the radio and watch for their car to round the corner, safe, still in the race, still a chance to win.
Consumables: Part 1
Consumables: Part 2
"You don't always win your battles, but it is good to know you fought!"
What can you NOT fix with a hammer?!
Cars often draw comparisons to women. Take that however you like...
"If you think you are always in control, then you are not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti
A "Cinematic Pin" or "CinePin" for short is actually a series of photographs at high framerate that we make into a little movie. It sounds easier than it is...
This fall, Josh Lane, a film Director at Target reached out to me with a new and uncharted project. Pintrest had added a "video" option to their page, but it came with some tricky restrictions. We spent one afternoon testing our equipment options out to see which configuration of camera/lenses/settings would net the best outcome for this challenge.
Then we spent two days in the studio creating what you see here. It was challenging at times, but as such was a total blast, because our ideas worked! Check them out:
Client: Target
Director: Josh Lane
Producer: Alex Calingaert
DP: T.C. Worley
Gaffer: Jeff Fisher
Grip: Sev Perman , Gerhard Riauchtschnig
Art Director: Tony Vu
Prop Assist: Melissa Loop, Logan Ley
Wardrope: Amy Shelter
Manicurist: Heidi Semrau
PA: Amy Lovestrand, Jesse VanDenElzen
Talent: Shayla Weatherby, Blanca Schellsmidt, Lalita Zapata