The All-Star Team behind Lagoon’s “Endless Summer”
May 16th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
“Endless Summer”—Part 2 by Matt Hodgson Director/Writer
It’s one thing to conceive an emotionally powerful campaign idea, and a completely different thing to realize it.
I wanted to write a quick post today about the team that I have been lucky enough to partner with on this project over the past eight months. These are extraordinary artists and amazing friends, but more than anything I felt like I could trust them to help me fully realize my vision, and because of that trust, I was able to excel as a director and really tell the brand story I set out to tell.
If you work in the advertising, film, events or entertainment you owe it to yourself to get to know the following people. Since I will be referencing them over the next handful of posts I wanted to briefly describe their roles and thank them for their incredible willingness go above and beyond, to help me craft this engagingly memorable campaign.
Matthew Williams, cinematographer
For years Matthew Williams and I have been joined at the hip, which has probably done much more for me than it has for him. Matt is an amazing cinematographer, but beyond being brilliant behind the lens, he is also an invaluable collaborator, artist and friend. Matt understands light like no one I’ve ever met, he’s a brilliant storyteller and his scope of experience is unparalleled—Matt has shot everything from Super 8mm to IMAX , and has received national and international recognition doing it—just try and find that level of expertise at any production company anywhere in the world. If you haven’t worked with Matthew Williams you’re missing out on an unforgettable creative experience. To learn more about the genius of Matt Williams visit www.matt2.net or www.williamsdp.com
Jeff Miller, executive producer • Brooke Redmon, producer, Vineyard Productions
The new “Endless Summer” campaign really required every minute of my attention, given the tight turnaround, and I needed a production company who would catch the vibe of this new direction and then do everything in their power to help me realize it.
Jeff Miller of Vineyard Productions had just helped me with a creative pitch to Victoria’s Secret, he was helping me take next steps with some screenplays I had written, and it just felt like the right thing to do to turn to him in this moment of chaos and know that he had my back. As it turned out Jeff Miller and Vineyard producer Brooke Redmon allowed me to focus solely on the project and they took care of the rest. When they saw the scope of the project and the required attention to detail, they were right there with solutions and talented artists who could really help me achieve this stylized concept. I can honestly say that I’ve never been so freed up to focus on directing and crafting my vision… but that’s the Vineyard way. Vineyard produces everything from IMAX to Features to Commercials.
For more information on Vineyard Productions visit www.vineyardfilmproductions.com
Carolyn Leone—wardrobe stylist
I remember telling Jeff & Brooke that I wanted this campaign to sing from a fashion standpoint. Because Lagoon is a real family oriented park, we weren’t going to fill the frames with bikini clad beach babes. Every frame had to be tastefully designed, and every stitch of clothing needed to add to the emotion of campaign. The colors, the textures, the layers, were all super important in helping us create a hip, cool, organic and somewhat nostalgic surf vibe. So when they introduced me to Carolyn Leone I was absolutely ecstatic. I showed up with my color palette and design swatches and she showed up with armfuls of fashion mags so that we could identify our wardrobe styles. Then we dove in and identified specific styles for all six cast members. When I met up with Carolyn and our cast that first morning of shooting I couldn’t have been happier with the way they all looked—it’s a pretty cool when your expectations come to fruition. Thanks Carolyn.
For more information on Carolyn Leone contact www.vineyardfilmproductions.com
Scott Arneman—art director/prop manager
Prior to working on Lagoon 2011 I’d never met Scott Arneman, and I really had no idea how hard I was making things on myself. Scott is unbelievably talented. It was so cool to be in production meetings with him and be able to tell him what I really wanted, and then have him say, “Cool, I’ll figure it out.” On the Lagoon 2011 campaign, as you’ll see in future posts, we had to customize our own surfboards, we had to cover certain areas of Lagoon with sand—to make it feel like an extension of the beach, we needed a sandcastle version of one of Lagoon’s big-time thrill coasters, a So-Cal beach-style lifeguard tower, a totally art directed beach party and the list goes on and on… and Arneman was always there with exactly what we had discussed.
For more information on Scott Arneman contact www.vineyardfilmproductions.com
Jeff Johnson—casting director
Working with Jeff Johnson on Lagoon’s 2011 campaign was one of the real joys of the pre-production process. I had never worked with Jeff and his team before, again Jeff and Brooke from Vineyard were instrumental in hooking us up. I had very specific looks in mind as we began our search for this ensemble cast. I’ve spent a lot of time in casting sessions all around the country, but this experience was truly enjoyable and effortless. Jeff really caught the vision of the campaign from my detailed concept swatches, storyboards and breakdowns. By the time I showed up at the casting session he had already done significant pairing down. I remember only spending a couple of hours in the initial casting session—two days later I was in looking at a short list of amazingly talented actors in a callback. It all moved extremely fast, which was imperative, and I was super pleased with my final selects.
For more information on Jeff Johnson contact www.vineyardfilmproductions.com
Jeff Tillotson — colorist @ Lightpress
One of the most enjoyable phases of any project we work on is the time Matt Williams and I spend in Seattle with renowned colorist Jeff Tillotson @ Lightpress. Jeff is brilliant. Allowing Jeff to spend time “color sweetening” a film transfer is like allowing Midas to turn anything he touches to gold. Jeff is always on the cutting edge when it comes to working with color, and the creative collaboration and energy the three of us share is amazing. It’s an incredible experience and I love every minute of it. I highly recommend a visit to Lightpress.
For more information on Jeff Tillotson and Lightpress visit www.lightpress.tv
Cameron Gardner—art director/illustrator
Cameron is a truly integral part of my creative process. Besides being an amazing art director he is also an extremely talented illustrator, which allows me to get my ideas visualized in detail so that a production can move forward. In a situation like the 2011 Lagoon Campaign, where we had to switch gears from one concept to another and then react in an extremely tight time frame, Cameron’s contributions were invaluable.
For more information on Cameron Gardner visit www.designcgs.com
Next Post: Matt2 & Vineyard take the Beach to the Desert
