Rodahl & crew on mission to shoot interviews out west

Filmmaker Martin Rodahl of 71 Degree North

Filmmaker Martin Rodahl of 71 Degrees North productions and crew will shoot real people in four western states June 11-17.   When completed, the 2-minute interviews that will run on client the Evangelical Lutheran Church’s Mission Investment Fund’s website.

Working with agency Tom Dick Harry, from June 12-18 Rodahl’s crew, including the agency’s creative director David Yang, will be collecting “very real and matter-of-fact” interviews, as Rodahl puts it, from Mission contributors and benefactors about how Mission’s loans help congregations with projects that benefit their members and surrounding communities.

Their locations itinerary takes them to Adel, Iowa, Seattle, Great Falls, Montana and Denver.

“We will be transmitting the interviews while they take place through Skype to the agency’s office for client and agency viewings, very 21st century,” Rodahl notes. 

Rodahl directs and will shoot along with L.A.-based cameraman David Lassiter and locals Jason Chiu and Mike Weldon, all using Canon Mark II cameras.  Rodahl will also edit.  The interviews will be posted on Mission’s website in August.

A native of Norway, award-winning Rodahl started 71 Degrees North after graduating from Northwestern University in 2005.  Clients include Mazda, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bally Total Fitness, Special Olympics and Big Ten Network.

He was recently included in Shoot Online’s 2012 New Directors Showcase at the DGA.

A BUSY WEEK AHEAD for L.A. spot companies as they film commercials in Chicago.  Detour of L.A. will be here June 18 to film scenes for an Ad Council PSA.  New York-based Station Films shoots June 20 for a State Farm insurance spot.  Hungry Man out of New York reportedly has a big shoot for Marshall’s in the financial district, June 20-21, followed by L.A.’s Smuggler also big location shoot for Nike, June 22-23.

LEO BURNETT produced two spots for client The Beef Checkoff, a edited by The Colonie’s Bob Ackerman and directed by Tom Dey of L.A.-based Native Pictures.

As The Beef Checkoff’s first spots in a while, they take a fresh approach to its well-known appetite-appeal campaign,    underscored by theme music from Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo” ballet. Voiceover tag is, “Lean beef makes any occasion a special occasion.”

Agency credits: ECD, Kent Middleton; copywriter, Jim Korakis art director, Wallis Osborn; producers, Zach Day, Lee Goldberg.

Production: The Colonie: Editor, Bob Ackerman, assistant editor, Brian Salazar; VFX/finish, Tom Dernulc. Color: NOLO Digital Film, Mike Matusek. Audio design/mix: Particle: Katy Mindeman. Music: Diplomacy Music: Mike Middleton.

“MATTRESS HEIST” marks the return of Serta Mattress’ “Counting Sheep” campaign via Doner Advertising of Southfield, Michigan.  STORY shot the live action for the new spot at Serta’s Hoffman Estates’ headquarters; animation of the sheep and finishing by Aardman Animation of the UK.

For STORY, Rick Rosemeyer was EP, Peter Peake directed, John Houtman was DP; head of production is Mary Langenfeld.

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