Beast, one of the country’s top editorial facilities, completed work on Xbox 360’s “Bright Falls,” a six-episode series created by agencytwofifteen to promote the psychological action thriller game “Alan Wake.” Directed by Phillip Van for production company Little Minx, “Bright Falls” debuted on Xbox LIVE and on the web on April 27, with two episodes available each week through the game’s launch on May 18.
Shot on the RED camera on location in rural Oregon and Washington, “Bright Falls” is a prequel to the events of “Alan Wake,” telling the story of a reporter named Jake as he arrives in town to interview the creepy Dr. Hartman. In the first two episodes, Jake discovers the woods, hollows and diner that comprise Bright Falls are filled with mysterious characters, setting the stage for the strange events to follow.
Beast used REDCINE X to transcode the raw RED digital files captured from the week-long shoot, converting them to DNX files before loading them onto an Avid system for editing. “As much as we wanted to jump straight into the edit, the first thing we had to think about was data management. Once we had the files in the AVID and synced, we were able to break the footage into separate episodes and start editing,” explained Beast editor Connor T. McDonald.
“This was such a cool project-it’s the kind of thing that got me into editing in the first place,” McDonald continued. “I love cutting commercials, but it was my love of movies and television dramas that got me here. ‘Bright Falls‘ gave us a chance to open things up a little and let the characters unfold and develop.”
McDonald shared editing chores for “Bright Falls” with Beast editors Nikki Winig and Brian Lagerhausen. “It was a great experience, much more about storytelling than product,” Winig said. “The biggest challenge, which was the departure from commercial editing, was also the most fun part. >From the moment I read the treatment I couldn’t wait to start cutting. The other nice thing was the amount of time we had for each episode, which really allowed us to help build a detailed and nuanced story.”
CREDITS
Title: Bright Falls
Client: XBOX
Agency: agencytwofifteen, San Francisco
Executive Creative Directors: Scott Duchon, John Patroulis
Associate Creative Directors: Mat Bunnell, Nate Able, Ben Wolan
Copywriters: Mat Bunnell, Phillip Van
Art Directors: Nate Able, Ben Wolan
Agency Producer: Joyce Chen
Executive Producer: Hannah Murray
Production Company: Little Minx, Los Angeles
Director: Phillip Van
Executive Producers: Rhea Scott, Tomer DeVito, Tracie Norfleet
Line Producer: Sean Blair
Production Manager: Kimi Porter
Editorial: Beast, San Francisco
Post-Production/VFX: Beast, San Francisco
Executive Producers: Jon Ettinger
Producer: Ben Somkin
Editors: Connor T. McDonald, Nikki Winig, Brian Lagerhausen
Motion Graphics: Joe Macken @ Beast
Main title created by: MK12
Main title produced by: The Ebeling Group
Music: Black Iris
Music Producers: Jonathan Fuller, Daron Hollowell
Mixer: Joaby Deal @ One Union Recording
Sound Designer: Joaby Deal @ One Union Recording
Audio producer: Lauren Mask
About Beast
Beast is one of the country’s top editorial facilities for commercials, music videos and web virals. With offices in Santa Monica, New York, Austin, Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco, Beast serves a global clientele with an unparalleled roster of established, award-winning editors as well as up-and-coming talent. Since opening its doors in 2006, Beast has built an impressive and varied body of work for such clients as Harpo Films, Nike, AT&T, Reebok, Southwest Airlines, GM, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, USAF, Linkin Park and Black Eyed Peas. www.beast.tv
