Ah, the plight of the independent filmmaker. Scrounging to get a project—and for that matter, a career—off the ground can be a difficult proposition. One must be hale, hearty and resilient in order to survive.
In this case, we don’t even have to see the filmmaker—only hear him—to realize he is fiercely independent. Our unseen protagonist is trapped at the bottom of a well. However, a Lassie-esque brand of rescue seems imminent when a collie appears on the scene.
The twist is that the man turns away the dog, much to the canine’s bewilderment. The collie barks for help—yet the man does not want to be helped.
"Isn’t the barn on fire?" he asks the dog wryly, indicating that the canine is wasting its time.
The spot identifies the well-trapped victim as "a fiercely independent filmmaker," the creative backbone of the Central Standard Film Festival, which screens "fiercely independent films."
Titled "Well," this :30 is one of three in a TV/cinema campaign designed to promote the Central Standard Film Fest, which recently concluded in Minneapolis. The other two spots carry a similar theme. In "Ambulance," an aspiring filmmaker lays on the ground, severely injured—his leg twisted at an unnatural angle, and an arm severed. Nonetheless, he matter of factly declines offers of help.
And in "Jarts," a fun-filled backyard barbecue takes a twisted turn when a man is hit in the neck by a lawn dart gone awry. Again, people rush to his aid, yet he refuses. He asks for a pair of pliers to remove the dart. When blood gushes out of his neck, he asks, "Is it raining?" Indeed, there’s something to be said for being happily independent.
The spots were conceived by a creative team at Fallon, Minneapolis, consisting of executive creative director Bruce Bildsten, creative director/art director Scott O’Leary, creative director/copywriter Ryan Peck and producer Michael Aaron.
A former Fallon staffer, Jon Nowak, who left the agency in March to direct full time, helmed the Central Standard Film Festival campaign via Uncle Forehead Filmworks, Minneapolis. Nowak made a major splash with Suspension, which won TriggerStreet’s best short film competition held at Sundance 2004. The short played heavily on the festival circuit. Nowak was an editor at Fallon’s Minneapolis-based, in-house post arm, The Assembly Line. While at Fallon, he also directed some spec work.
The DP on the Central Standard Film Festival campaign was Jeff Stonehouse. The spots were edited by Brody Howard of The Assembly Line. Assistant editor was Lisa King.
Online editor/effects artist was Tony Mills of Hi-Wire, Minneapolis. Hi-Wire’s Oscar Oboza was the colorist. Online assistant was Ryan Wheeler, with Tammy Kimbler Weber serving as managing producer. Darin Heinis and Jason Almendinger of Aaron Stokes Music, Minneapolis, served as audio mixer and sound designer, respectively.
Music composer was Ken Brahmstedt of Brahmstedt White Noise, Minneapolis.
