Donnybrook Production Services

Opulent estates…maverick CEO’s…impeccably dressed teddy bears.  So far so good for ’16, and I’m excited to add to Donnybrook’s growing setwork of production allies.

I’m wrapping up efforts on a follow-up Build-a-Bear shoot, having come on to Production Super another spot campaign at the Christiana Mall…this time for NYC production house Collective.  Producers Ivy Dane and Jo Till have developed a well oiled production machine for Director David McNamara’s creative efforts, and I’m happy to have been entrusted in to the fold.  Thanks as well to Producer Nancy Landesberg, for the ringing endorsement.

I’ve also been keeping busy with LA-based firm REP Interactive.  The production company recently opened a new headquarters in NJ, and has been keeping me out and about for clients Sotheby’s & Century-21.  I’m loving the creative collusion with Head of Production Mynor Sosa, and Creative Director Brian Johnson.  Brian is my favorite kind of Director, and wields equal parts artistic genius and pragmatic production know-how on set.  I’m looking forward to subsequent teamings with REP, as they continue to grow their East Coast presence.  Here’s a fun promo we produced with Century-21, for the upcoming One21 global conference in Vegas.

With the new year off to a quick start, I found myself in Vermont to ring in ’16 with a chill.  Field Producing the television spot campaign for Governor hopeful Bruce Lisman kept me close enough to the slopes to wish for more downtime, but also busy enough to shake off the frigid temp’s that barely broke freezing during my entire stay.

Teaming with agency client Jamestown Associates, and Director/DP Kevin Hack, I was on the ground with the Lisman camp as we compiled footage for a handful TV ads.  And while initially skeptical that I’d be able to secure experienced crew locally, I’m indebted to Adam Lukens, and the entire Queen City Lighting clan, for all of their hard work and support during our shoot.

Here’s the intro TV :60 ‘New Direction’, that hits the air in the lead off spot.

With the Northeast Corridor still reeling from the impact of Superstorm Sandy, efforts of stalwart agencies like the Red Cross are paramount.  For more than a century, the American Red Cross has been coming to the aid of those in need.  As a way of giving back, and helping the communities where I live and work, I decided to push forward with a creative treatment that had been kicking around in my head for a while…one that seemed an all-too-perfect fit for the Red Cross.

Teaming once again with Director Josh Mawer, we created an ad that we branded for the non-profit’s vital emergency relief work in the aftermath of Sandy.  I wrote, produced, and co-edited the spot, with Josh taking up the directing reins once again. This teaming is quickly becoming one of the better creative collaborations I’ve formed over the years.  DP Steve Perrong brought his aesthetic prowess to the project, lensing the spot beautifully on his EPIC.  With the help of a pristine set of Cooke S4 Primes, courtesy of 1st AC Tom Fanelle, the spot takes full advantage of some great locations in and around the Philly area…not to mention a stunning eventide opener in Rittenhouse Square.

This was an extremely personal project, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way it all came together. Check it out here:

The spot is driven by a tremendously catchy tune, courtesy of the Brooklyn-based ‘American Authors’.  The band, who graciously offered up their hit track ‘Believer’ for the cause, is quickly catching fire…look for them to be big next year. My 8-year old niece, Frankie, lent her voice for the fitting VO. An additional shout-out of thanks to local Philadelphia vendors Videosmith, Get-Kinetic, Expressway Grip, and Location Lighting, who all donated equipment, personnel, and support, effectively rounding out one of my favorite projects on the year by far.

It’s just about this time each year that I grow a tad nostalgic, with Halloween just around the corner,  as I recall with fond memory the horror film ‘Of Darkness’ that I produced with my brother back in 2006.  The film was met with admirable success during its festival tour, screening at horror-con fav’s like the NYC Horror Film Festival and H.P. Lovecraft Festival, and later went on to secure distribution through FEARnet. I love a good horror flick anyway, so to have been a part of creating something that has endured in cult horror circles is great.

The film can be purchased on amazon, and is also available for instant download for just a few measly bucks.  But if you really want to immerse yourself into full-on ‘Darkness’, plunk down the cash for the DVD, and enjoy a bevy of goodies; like the far-too-serious behind the scenes snippet that I cut together.  Fond memories…

I’ll have a chance this weekend to check out the latest feature film offering from a good buddy of mine, and local Philly Philmmaker, Ben Hickernell. ‘Backwards’, the rowing inspired offering which makes expert aesthetic use of Philly’s own Boathouse Row, stars James Van Der Beek and Writer/Producer Sarah Megan Thomas in the lead roles.

The film, which opened locally last weekend to moderate reviews, offers a glimpse behind the curtain at the world of Women’s Olympic Rowing, and the sweat equity endured by athletes competing for spots on the official US Rowing Team.

While the reviews may be so/so, I’m confident that the rowing scenes themselves will look great.  DP Harlan Bosmajian was our Cinematographer on the film, and was assisted by Key Grip Nic Reader, of Expressway Grip fame.  The boat rigs, which were custom built for the project, were painstakingly crafted especially for the film by Nic and his Best Boy Zac Rubino…and they allowed for some fantastic camera placement that I look forward to watching on the big screen.  And who knows, maybe the ‘Beek himself will make an audience appearance.

It’s been a fun year so far, and I’m coming off of a particularly busy stretch. I’ve just finished up a campaign for the South Carolina Ports Authority, with Director Josh Mawer, which witnessed filming stops at the Fuji, GE, & BMW plants…all of which rely on the SCPA for logistical advantage.  The project was shot over the course of several trips to the Charleston, SC area this summer, and took full advantage of some homegrown SC production crew.

The spots were lensed flawlessly by DP  Justin Berrios, and the production’s RED Epic package was rented locally through my new best friends over at Osprey HD. Lee Dashiell & Co are a great bunch, and they have a ton of quality work to their name…be sure to look them up if you’re ever in need of high end production support below the Mason-Dixon!

After a recent stretch of producing shoots OUTside of the Philly philm production world, it’s nice to be playing in my own backyard again. This month, Donnybrook had the chance to join forces with MG Pictures as I jumped on board to co-produce a promotional spot for Hawaiian Airlines with Director Mark Gambol. Mark and I have been friends and colleagues for years, so it was bound to be fun to step behind the camera together for his longtime client Barclaycard while managing the creative reins for the Delaware-based credit card provider’s latest production effort.

The shoot was a 3-day endeavor that witnessed location filming pit stops in West Chester, Media, and Swarthmore…in addition to a green screen sponsored layover at the client’s own swanky digs in Riverfront Wilmington. Local Philly-harvested talent included Patrick Michael, who’s always a blast to work with. And Patrick might have reason to get the Guinness folks on the horn, after donning more than 2-dozen authentic Hawaiian leis in a single take…who knew Orchids weighed so darn much.  That’s gotta be some kind of record, right? I’ll look into it, and get back to you…as well as Patrick, who’s still nursing a sore neck (& a free Mai Tai)!

Principal photography for the kids concept “Team Toon” recently came to a close, after more than a year in the production trenches. The Fremantle Media produced series, which blends live action with animation, tells the story of Dylan, Sam, Ash, & Iko, a foursome of middle schoolers that also just so happen to be world renowned super heroes…at least in their own minds.

The Cartoon Network bound ‘Toon’ is set to witness a premiere in 2013, and should impact the quartet of young stars fame-factor nicely. I had a blast working with the four as-yet-unknown youngsters, while serving as the show’s UPM for the first quarter of this year.  And Trevor, Jon, Jerome, and Meg are all fantastic kids, with bright futures ahead of them. I’m happy to see that the show has come to satisfying close, and wish the cast and crew all the best.

One of the more satisfying production assignments I’ve had, just over a year ago now, was producing a PSA for the ‘Sounds of Pertusis’ campaign.  It was an amazing opportunity, as I was able to work with a true sports legend in NASCAR champion (and, more importantly, father & Pertusis awareness activist) Jeff Gordon.  Jeff and his wife, model Ingrid Vandeboch, have two kids, and being parents has raised their own awareness to this frightening and debilitating epidemic among young children. They’ve since taken up the crusade against Pertusis, and hold this cause very near and dear to their hearts.

As a father myself, I can respect the fear and anxiety that comes with a sick child…even a minor illness can make a parent feel helpless, since it’s an inherent desire to want to do all we can to protect our kids. I was happy to stumble upon recent news on Jeff’s continued efforts, and reflecting back I’m immensely proud to have been even a small part in this ongoing movement.

Lately, I just can’t seem to keep my crews out of the sweltering desert heat…much to their chagrin, I’m sure. Halfway around the world, I’ve just recently had to put a band of creative and talented folks together in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, for an ongoing documentary style project for the RJC. The doc has already witnessed production days in Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta, and Boca Raton, and this latest round of filming abroad should round things out nicely. The footage is courtesy of the immensely talented Israeli DP Alon Grego, to whom I’m quite grateful. He and his guys have been amazing to work with.

Meanwhile, just halfway across the county, the weather-centric opponent was the ‘dry’ heat of the Arizona sun, where a 2-day shoot took place that spanned from Phoenix, through Prescott, and all the way out to Lake Havasu City. Lizard Land Productions was a tremendous find, and I’m anxious to find excuses to work with them more in the future.

Now, on to the nearest watering hole…