2017 Reel
NHL100: 100 Greatest NHL Players
Check out some of the interviews we shot for the NHL 100 Centennial project...
Brett Hull
Adam Oates
Martin Brodeur
Al MacInnis
Alexander Ovechkin
Chris Pronger
Links:
https://www.nhl.com/news/brett-hull-100-greatest-nhl-hockey-players/c-285494574?tid=283865022
https://www.nhl.com/news/adam-oates-100-greatest-nhl-hockey-players/c-285361446?tid=283865022
https://www.nhl.com/news/martin-brodeur-100-greatest-nhl-hockey-players/c-285720200?tid=283865022
https://www.nhl.com/news/al-macinnis-100-greatest-nhl-hockey-players/c-284667396
https://www.nhl.com/video/nhl100-alex-ovechkin/t-284884724/c-48756903
https://www.nhl.com/video/nhl100-chris-pronger/t-284884724/c-48804003
"Outer Smoke" | Behind the Scenes
I got (borrowed) the idea from a recent shoot at VML I freelanced on. The DP Ben Edwards and Art Director Jason Pirtle cam up with the concept to light a water tank and drop acrylic dyes, then capture at high speeds on a RED HELIUM EPIC-W 8K. I took the idea to Travis Wears my good buddy here in KC. He added some tweaks to the lighting, adding gels and backlights, sometimes not, just to experiment. It was a fun day. The video shows some of the work, and that a simple set up is not always that simple.
Here's the final video shot and edited by Wears...
TV Development
Here's a sneak peak at one of the shows we've been developing over the past few years...yes, years with our good friend Pat McCroy, an expert Cheesemonger and chef...FYI some explicit language...
This is a show about the small-batch producer, a term used to describe a food producer growing/baking/brewing/pickling in small quantities to ensure the quality of the product. But it's not just about the product, it's about the reason they choose to do it. Because as great as artisan cheese/bread/pickles/meat is, it's not the easiest lifestyle. It's tough battling the big guys who can mass produce poorer quality items and sell for less.
As Pat has been apart of this community for a decade, he's also struggling with whether he should stay in it, or continue to fight the good fight. Working title is Preserve: Life of a Small Batch Producer. Look for a pilot soon!
WATCH: Kansas City Kansas Public Library | Last Stop on Market Street
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
2016 continued to open new doors for me, as I got to help out on an incredible project for the KCK Public Library for their Stories on the Bus series. Normally, the KCKPL has a teacher or librarian read a book to students while they ride the bus, but this day was different. Matt de la Peña, 2016 Newberry Award winning author's book Last Stop on Market Street is a children's book about an boy and his grandma's trip riding a bus through their city one rainy afternoon. They interact with the different characters who get on the bus at each stop, as Nana provides prospective to her wide-eyed grandson, CJ. So for this 'Story on the Bus', KCKPL's Outreach Librarian, Louisa Whitfield-Smith, had the idea to turn Matt's book into an interactive story, adding real live actors playing the various parts of the book as Matt read it to students from KCK's Quindaro Elementary. Very meta. It worked perfectly. We didn't give the students any warning. They had no idea this was taking place. And capturing their reactions was a lot of fun.
On top of all this was animating the book's brilliant illustrations by Christian Robinson. J.R. Caines our 3rd Camera Operator, is by trade, a graphics artist. He was able to scan the book's pages and cutout the individual pieces so that I could animate the book, adding rain to the scenes, or butterflies fluttering in the old woman's jar, or the dragon on the side of the bus breathing fire. It was a great experience to say the least.
We ended the day with a party at the library and got some great reactions from the kids, their parents and more perspective on the day from Carol Levers the Director of Libraries, Whitfield-Smith, and la Peña. Thank you to Eric Smith for the opportunity to work on this. If you need a good story this year, have a look and see how this day came together...watch below!
NHL Winter Classic 2017 | St. Louis
What a way to start the year. It's hard to put into words the experience our crew just had in St. Louis for the NHL Winter Classic. We spent 5 days roaming the city and mainly the site of this year's outdoor classic, covering everything from the game itself to the festivities around it, including a performance by Nelly, an interview with Jon Hamm, pre/post in the locker rooms. Our producer from the NHL clocked us at 48 walking miles traveled the past week. It was an absolute blast as I am a lifelong hockey fan, and seeing the game this close was a treat. Even with the at times rainy, cold weather, it was a ton of fun. Thanks to Russ Siberine, Ryan Bader, Anthony Merchiagno, David Kerins, Sean Gartner, and Ryan Caldwell for being a great, hard-working crew.
Behind The Scenes - U.S. Army
I had the great privilege of working on a recent U.S. Army commercial shoot in Manhattan, KS (Ft. Riley) as the "GoPro / BTS Operator". It was a great crew made up of mostly Kansas City freelancers. Climbing up and down tanks to operate the cameras was an amazing experience. While we had some down time, I was able to take a few photos of our crew and the soldiers as they worked. The soldiers could not have been nicer, more polite people. Thank you for your service.
SUMMER REEL
Jordan Marable (KC cam op) and I (Andrew Thomas, wearer of hats) have been hard at work this Summer trying to do great work for great clients. We decided to put together some of our best shots from our recent work and combine our efforts into one short video. We really put a lot of sweat into this thing (literally). We've hiked mountains, cycled around KC, driving thousands of miles around the country; carrying our cameras and trying to tell our clients' amazing stories.
Enjoy this short video...
Colorado Photos & Gaining Perspective
Working in Colorado a few weeks this Summer, learning how to detach from technology. Trying to be a minimalist and self-promote so that your company can continue to thrive can be a tough balance. I don't know, sometimes less is more. Seeing the vastness of one state is incredible, then seeing the vastness of the sky and all its stars is enough to give me the heart flutters. Puts things in perspective. It's not about me.
First Friday Photos | May 2016
6 May 2016