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    “Backyard/Baltimore/ Beethoven”

    By SHOOT StaffUpdated:No Comments1532 Views

    By Millie Takaki

    --

    Listening to a rousing Beethoven concerto from the comfort of an easy chair in his den, a man waves his arms to and fro as if conducting a symphony orchestra. He stands up, becoming more demonstrative as the music reaches a crescendo.

    At first blush, it appears we’re witnessing a wannabe Zubin Mehta who’s invested in an amazing home audio system. But when the concerto ends, he walks over to the window and opens it.

    "Thanks guys," he yells out the window.

    The camera then reveals a full symphony orchestra in his backyard. A voiceover explains, "There’s a world class orchestra right in your backyard. Perhaps you should take a look."

    The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) logo fills the screen, accompanied by a slogan that reads, "So close it can touch you."

    The voiceover reiterates, "The BSO—so close it can touch you. For a season brochure, call (410) 783-8000 or visit baltimoresymphony.com."

    The spot is one of two for the BSO directed by James Bartolomeo of Protagonist Films, Baltimore, for MGH Advertising, Owings Mills, Md. The other commercial is similar in nature, except the music is that of Tchaikovsky. The concept behind the campaign is simply to remind viewers that they have a Grammy Award-winning symphony orchestra in their hometown.

    Gabriel Goodenough produced for Protagonist. The DP was John Choi.

    The MGH creative team consisted of creative director/writer John Patterson, art director Sharon Kane and producer Mary Holland.

    Offline/online editor was David Hudson of Producers Video Corporation, Baltimore. Colorist was Chris Ryan of Nice Shoes, New York. Audio post mixer was Mike Brillhart of Producers Video Corporation.

    Category:The Best Work You May Never See



    Does “Hundreds of Beavers” Reflect A New Path Forward In Cinema?

    Monday, November 25, 2024

    Hard as it may be to believe, changing the future of cinema was not on Mike Cheslik's mind when he was making "Hundreds of Beavers." Cheslik was in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with a crew of four, sometimes six, standing in snow and making his friend, Ryland Tews, fall down funny.

    "When we were shooting, I kept thinking: It would be so stupid if this got mythologized," says Cheslik.

    And yet, "Hundreds of Beavers" has accrued the stuff of, if not quite myth, then certainly lo-fi legend. Cheslik's film, made for just $150,000 and self-distributed in theaters, has managed to gnaw its way into a movie culture largely dominated by big-budget sequels.

    "Hundreds of Beavers" is a wordless black-and-white bonanza of slapstick antics about a stranded 19th century applejack salesman (Tews) at war with a bevy of beavers, all of whom are played by actors in mascot costumes.

    No one would call "Hundreds of Beavers" expensive looking, but it's far more inventive than much of what Hollywood produces. With some 1,500 effects shots Cheslik slaved over on his home computer, he crafted something like the human version of Donald Duck's snowball fight, and a low-budget heir to the waning tradition of Buster Keaton and "Naked Gun."

    At a time when independent filmmaking is more challenged than ever, "Hundreds of Beavers" has, maybe, suggested a new path forward, albeit a particularly beaver-festooned path.

    After no major distributor stepped forward, the filmmakers opted to launch the movie themselves, beginning with carnivalesque roadshow screenings. Since opening in January, "Hundreds of Beavers" has played in at least one theater every week of the year, though never more than 33 at once. (Blockbusters typically play in around 4,000 locations.)... Read More

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