It’s still early in the game, and this could just be hopeful thinking, but 2011 seems to already be showing signs of a year of fiscal rebound. With the stock market starting on a bull charge, this could potentially be the year that brings a resounding sigh of relief and a return to normalcy for all who have struggled in recent financial turmoil of yesteryear. That said allow me to bestow this economic transformation, “The Year of Sea Change”. At Get-Kinetic we are glad to see things getting back on track, but in the dawn of 2011 we’ve been too busy to stop and smell the proverbial roses.
Photo by Steve Buckwalter for Sight and Sound
GK’s dynamic duo of Tom Fanelle and his trusty sidekick, RED, found themselves in Lancaster County for the beginning of 2011, working alongside DP Steve Buckwalter and director Josh Enck, on Sight and Sound’s Christmas musical, “Voices of Christmas”. The project brings the veteran cast from the stage performance to life on the small screen, (premiering in the 2011 Christmas season). The project was shot in 8 days on several locations. No need for the Hollywood snow machines on this one, as the weather provided ideal holiday snow cover. Get-Kinetic’s own Kevin Hack lent a helping hand, flying RED on Steadicam in blizzard like conditions. Mother nature created a beautiful scene, and Papa Hack captured it in 4K.
After warming up a bit, Hack found himself behind the camera once again (as he always does), this time with NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon, and his wife, model/actress Ingrid Vandebosch, on the other side of the glass.
Kevin Hack with Jeff Gordon and Ingrid Vandebosch
There was plenty of content to get through between ad agency Publicis Modem and PR agency Burson-Marsteller, but with the motivation of a great cause the workload was a cinch. The team effort was to raise awareness of pertussis, also known as “whooping-cough”, for website, soundsofpertussis.com. Produced by Paul Irwin and under the art direction of Mike Crenshaw, the shoot went down at Production Central Stages in the Flatiron District in Manhattan.
Mike from Valley Forge Christian College
The Get-Kinetic crew was back at it for the end of January and beginning of February on the campus of Valley Forge Christian College for a 2day shoot on RED. Ahh, the historic hills of Valley Forge covered in a tranquil coat of fresh powder, deer trotting about the pines, college students fixed on their ipads… ; )
So far, so good for 2011. We hope that the early trend continues well into the year, and that “The Year of Sea Change” doesn’t simply drift by.
Maybe it’s the plethora of 1-year-olds running around the world of Get-Kinetic this year that serve as a reminder of the 2009 holiday season. Or perhaps it’s the decorative lights & bows that adorn the perimeter of GK’s studio exterior these days (thanks Tom)! At any rate, things have certainly begun to take on an air of holiday-esque appearances over here on Fletcher Street for sure. Not that we’re planning on marketing ourselves as Santa’s Fishtown-based workshop anytime soon, but here are a few of the jolly goings on in the world of GK these days…
DP Kevin Hack & Co found themselves back in studio recently, this time for the latest in a long-running series of creative collaborations for a local music artist. The promotional shoot, which was and uber-festive two-day ordeal at Hill Theater Studios in NJ, witnessed the impressive transition of the studio into a veritable winter wonderland. The holiday makeover was thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of local Production Designer Noah Grant-Levine and his band of merry art department cronies. The endeavor also served as another successful partnership between GK and the talented fellas over at Backseat Conceptions. The production even went so far as to find a few members of the crew decked out in total elfin attire…but we’ll leave those folks to the safety of their pointy-toed anonymity.
And if that’s not a big enough helping of holiday egg-blog for ya, GK staff producer Paul Irwin has just stepped into the role of Line Producer for the feature film “Christmas Heart”. The original script, penned by Browntown Film’s John Charles Hunt, is a heartwarming tale based on the true-life story of John’s wife & Browntown Executive Producer Kathlyn Hunt. The project will be in creative and financial development for the remainder of the year, with the hopes of a 2011 principal photography schedule.
So there ya have it, your very own peppermint-infused update on the behind-the-scenes @ GK…and be sure to keep a lookout for the mistletoe!
As Get-Kinetic continues to enjoy its evolving status as the go-to RED One production entity in the market, we are happy to report on another collaborative effort in the digital cinema arena. Recently commissioned by the California based production entity Kenilworth Films, GK spent a week shooting DVD supplemental materials on behalf of Kenilworth’s recent feature film effort “Standing Ovation”. Working in tandem with Director Stewart Raffill (“Ice Pirates”, “The Philadelphia Experiment”, “Passenger 57”), DP Kevin Hack led a camera & lighting dept for the multi-cam RED One effort, alongside b-cam operator Joe Hennigan of Kphat Productions. Filming consisted of five principal days, with three of those studio days (spent at Hill Theater Studios in Paulsboro), and two location days in Times Square & Atlantic City.
GK spent a few days in NYC this month, shooting interviews for world-renowned technology leader Intel Corporation. GK’s field producer Paul Irwin spent two days with Wall Street investment buy-side & sell-side experts on behalf of Intel’s senior management and investor relations teams, conducting nearly a dozen interviews over the course of the two-day stint. The company enlisted the production support of its NY based headquarters, with Parlay Studios DP John Welsh behind the camera for the interview days. GK was also able to honor a very tight post delivery deadline for its client, which witnessed all assets in the hands of their Intel contacts within 48 hours of wrapping production on the big island.
We were also happy to hear that the GK short film “Location Location” received another public screening opportunity, with this most recent exhibition as a part of the Greater Reading Film Festival. Reading Film Commission Chair Santo D. Marabella alongside fellow member Tracy Schott has been working tirelessly over the past few months in an effort to afford the short every opportunity for exposure…keep up the great work guys!
GK has been keeping busy with an amalgamation of opportunities as of late, what with old friends and new friends alike looking to get us out and about. Last week witnessed another collaborative effort with the folks over at Versus, as we took to the field (or, the rink as it were) with the RED package in tow for a production day at the Flyer’s Skate Zone in Voorhees. A quick word to the wise…if you ever find yourself forced to shoot on a literal ‘sheet of ice’, be sure to have the proper footwear. And never underestimate the value of helmet!
GK found itself pairing recently with the production duo of Old Harbor Productions and Digitas, for a one-day multicam shoot on the Canon 5D. The project, lensed by GK’s in-house DP Kevin Hack, is part of a series of owner testimonials for automaker Buick and will be continuing to film nationwide over the next few weeks. A viral launch is currently scheduled for sometime in 2011.
The Get-Kinetic team is also happy to welcome Green, Tweed to its growing list of clients. GK has been collaborating with local Cinematographer JR Campbell on an industrial project for the locally based Green, Tweed (who call Kulpsville, PA home to one of their largest worldwide headquarters). The project, consisting of several interview and b-roll production days with the RED One camera package, was field produced by GK staffer Paul Irwin. JR set up behind the lens in the DP role, and Dan Gauthier will be handling all editorial and VFX work on the project’s behalf. The promo piece is currently being posted in-house at GK, with a project completion set for mid-November.
Get-Kinetic has found itself in the mix on a number of sports related projects over the past week. On Labor Day Monday, the GK crew spent the day shooting the closing season commercial for the Phillies. The spot, which will be airing during the final two weeks of the regular season, is a thank you campaign to Phil’s fans that support and watch the team in a variety of ways beside the traditional trips to the ball park. Produced by Sue Redmond of Rubberband, and with creative direction by Kelly Simmons, the spot certainly proved to be a fun way to close out the summer of 2010. Kevin Hack shot the commercial on the Canon 7D, with the format being the perfect choice for this particular set of circumstances. The field crew needed to balance between the need for high-end/HD image quality, and the desire to be quick and light on their feet. The shoot day witnessed the capture of more than a dozen plus set-ups in a collective of high profile Philly stomps including McFadden’s @ Citizens Bank Park, the Linc, Chickie’s & Pete’s, the Piazza, FDR Park, as well as trains along SEPTA’s R5 & Broad Street Lines. GK staffer Paul Irwin jumped on board the field crew as UPM, having coordinated the logistics for Monday’s shoot, and was joined on set by GK’s Tom Fanelle. We think that Paul & Tom, both Phillies fans since birth, would’ve likely joined the mix no matter what…even if it meant hiding out in the production vehicle overnight.
On Friday, GK closed out the week with a shoot for Versus. The sports network enlisted the services of GK for an interview shoot with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in New York City. Kevin Hack shot the interview on GK’s RED One camera package during the one-day affair at the NHL’s corporate headquarters in Manhattan. The project was coordinated by Caleb Wilkerson, Versus’ Director of Online Content, and will be up on the network’s website sometime over the next week or so.
With the sudden flurry of sports driven content being run through GK as of late, could a call to attend Super Bowl XLV be somewhere in GK’s not too distant future? Anyway there ya have it folks, the weekly shout-out courtesy of GK. Next stop, Arlington on February 6th…well, here’s hoping anyway!
Cheers, -GK
