Backyard director Greg Kohs delivers his unique brand of soulful “captured not contrived” filmmaking to the new impassioned Google Stories film “Laurent Aigon: l’autre fa๏ฟฝon de voler” or “Laurent” out of 72andSunny/Amsterdam. The 3:15 film tells the genuine story of a man who rediscovers his childhood obsession of flight by engineering his own fully functioning flight simulator. The short is the second of a series of Google Stories that Kohs has completed, including a previous short, “Perfection,” that authentically follows a quirky yet beloved high school music teacher on his journey to win a million dollars by playing a video game.rnrnrnClick HERE to see the online film.rnrnKohs dove into the collaborative creative process from the ground floor, teaming up with the Google and 72andSunny creatives to uncover the most personal and honest moments of this man’s tale. Once in France with the creative team, Kohs connected with the film’s subject and began to foster a relaxed, natural relationship. During filming, Kohs and the team crafted an artful, unvarnished approach to visually illustrate the film’s compelling arc and how this man’s story would be told.rnrnNotes Kohs, “I love making soulful films like these. As a storyteller, it was awesome to collaborate with such a smart creative team to tell Laurent’s captivating story. Being involved from the ground floor with the creatives enabled me to artfully capture the passion of Laurent’s story in a fashion I’m extremely proud of.”rnrnA waiter by trade and an avid surfer, “Laurent” features a persistent French man whose lack of focus prevented him from realizing his childhood dream of becoming a pilot. Intent on reclaiming his love of flying, Laurent is inspired to build his own flight simulator. Using Google search, he scours the Internet for all of the parts necessary to build a fully operative machine, obtaining specific pieces from all over the world. The resulting masterpiece is built in his daughter’s bedroom, and is professional grade. Laurent finds satisfaction not only in its completion, but also in sharing his passion with his family, friends and community.rnrnScreenWork CreditsrnClient: GooglernTitle: “Laurent Aigon: l’autre fa๏ฟฝon de voler” 3:15rnrnAgency: 72andSunny/AmsterdamrnExecutive Creative Director: Carlo CavallonernWriter: Yann CorlayrnBrand Director: Mike GollerrnProducer: Stephanie OakleyrnCreative Director: Josh RosenrnHead of Operations: Clare DonaldrnrnProduction Company: BackyardrnDirector: Greg KohsrnLine Producer US: Karen ChenrnLine Producer FR: Michel MoniotrnDirector of Photography: Greg KohsrnPresident/Partner: Blair StribleyrnManaging Director/Partner: Chris ZanderrnVP/Executive Producer: Kris MathurrnHead of Production: Emily MalitornEditor: Xavier PerkinsrnExecutive Creative Director Creative Lab, Google EMEA; Steve VranakisrnrnWho is BACKYARD?rnWe are Backyard: a trusted production company, defined by genuine talent and driven by a commitment to deliver inspired creativity beyond expectations. With offices in Venice, New York City and Cape Town, Backyard utilizes its global reach to collaborate with top international clients from around the world.rnrnBackyard is led by President/Partner Blair Stribley, Managing Director/Partner Chris Zander, VP/Executive Producer Kris Mathur, and Partner Tom Duff and his Partners at Optimus. Backyard takes pride in its down to earth team, and a collaborative approach that encourages loyalty and long-term relationships with clients.rnFor more information, please visit: www.backyard.com.
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Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn't have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But hereโs the thing: This doesnโt mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. Itโs where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, weโre on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustainย a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketersโ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly impacted... Read More