The podcast phenomenon, empowering everyday people to find their audience, is distilled down to a single story, captured in documentary style by director Judy Starkman, who recently joined V3, the Culver City, Calif.-based division of bicoastal Anonymous Content (SHOOT, 8/19, p. 4). V3 represents a diverse mix of up-and-coming helmers and specializes in alternative advertising and marketing forms.
Tilted “Tres Jefes” (Spanish for “Three Bosses”), this spec spot profiles three young working class guys from the Southern California blue-collar community of Southgate who have launched a successful podcast show that has drawn quite a following. One of the podcasters is a student who has a part-time job at UPS; another is a Web developer/art director; and the third is an insurance claims adjuster.
We see the three buddies in everyday life, meeting at the local Mikes Hockey Burger, which is their headquarters, with podcast brainstorming sessions taking place over some burgers and sodas. They describe their show as a mix of booze, girls and rock ‘n roll.
The guys interview women all over town, hitting nightspots in the process. The interviews are recorded on iPods and make up the core of the guys’ podcast content. Next we see them podcasting from their studio–which is nothing more than a garage adjacent to a small house.
One of the “jefes” is amazed at how the podcasts have mushroomed in popularity and gained loyal listeners. He marvels that he and his podcast colleagues are nothing more than “three freakin’ guys in a garage,” uploading their show, which is then downloaded by listeners. On taking the initiative and creating a podcast series, he sums up simply, “Everybody can do it.”
An end tag carries the podcast.net logo, offering a call for others to find themselves and their audience.
For this spec piece, Starkman researched podcasting and sought out real people subjects, eventually locating the Southgate trio. Starkman’s career roots are in documentarymaking spanning work for the U.K., Canada and the U.S.; she chose this spec project as a means to further showcase her prowess in real people and dialogue. Earlier she had helmed mini-profiles of people for the Converse competition, which called for 24-secod films–not commercials–that embody the Converse spirit. Her short, Klown’en, was a Converse winner, earning a cash prize along with airtime on the MTV Networks. (The short profiled Tommy The Clown, an L.A. performer who has attained prominence in crumping and clowning, a form of hip-hop expression that combines tribal dancing with clown antics. Tommy’s performing ensembles include inner-city kids.)
The DP was Sion Michel. Freelancer Jacob Pinger operated the B camera. First assistant cameraman was Ethan Mac Donald.
Editor was Heidi Black of The Whitehouse, Santa Monica. Page Marsella was the assistant editor. Sue Dawson executive produced for The Whitehouse. Colorist was Matt Lear of DVS IntelStream, Santa Monica. Audio mixer/sound editor was Paul Both, a freelancer working out of Post Modern Edit, Irvine, Calif.
The “Three Bosses” were Alfonzo “Fonz” Martinez, Walter Cortez and Eric “Kid” Estrada.
