Visual production company BiG MACHiNE recently completed “Living Nightmares,” a series of 10 original short films or “shockumentaries” for AMC Fearfest, hosted by Kevin Smith, executive producer of AMC’s Comic Book Men. n nScreening the best in contemporary and classic horror films, AMC Fearfest 2012 puts the traditional movie-and-a-host format to rest. BiG MACHiNE, led by director Steve Petersen, created nearly 40 minutes of scripted, live-action content to coincide with each night’s film selection such as “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “Halloween.”n nThe first short, “Abduction,” debuted on Monday, October 15th during “Friday the 13th Part 2.” The remaining original films will roll out, one by one, during primetime movie screenings until Halloween night.nn
nTo view some of the original shorts on YouTube click here.n nConceived to frighten and enlighten AMC viewers with a blockbuster dose of scary, each 3- to 5-minute film explores the possibilities lurking behind the bone-chilling myths of our favorite movies, from alien abduction and co-habitating spirits, to cannibalism and the dangers of Halloween. BiG MACHiNE leveraged verité cinematography and compelling storytelling to create the authentic documentary feel each fictional film exhibits.n nPetersen explains that he took multiple cues from his recent docudrama work such as the “Real Vice Miami” and “Valentine’s Day Massacre” series for Investigation Discovery and Nation Geographic Channel, respectively; moreover, he enlisted virtually every stage of filmmaking he has perfected over the years through BiG MACHiNE, both visually and production-wise — from scripting action-packed, effects-driven reenactments, to casting and interviewing real-life subjects involved in infamous crimes and daunting historical events.n n”We strove for these ‘shockumentaries’ to confront people’s deepest and darkest fears,” says Petersen. “We scripted and staged the investigative elements and interviews to evoke intense, emotional elements of realism similar to what we’ve dealt with interviewing real-life people in our long-format work. We had a good idea about how to set that tone and pacing both in the script and filming. This also included coaching actors to believably portray human traits in scary moments and heightening the cinematic feel.”n nProduction took place on sound stages and various on-site locations throughout Los Angeles. A major emphasis of the project was the visual design, with much attention towards establishing the right look, sound and feel. Further enhancing the documentary aesthetic were motion design segments explaining various scientific theories with an artistic quality typical of BiG MACHiNE ‘s award-winning commercial, promo, and opening titles work.n n”‘Living Nightmares’ aims to make mundane and everyday experiences a terrifying proposition, so art direction was all about staging believable atmospheres such as offices, hospitals, homes and even sidewalk interviews in classic investigative documentary fashion,” Petersen adds. n nBiG MACHiNE additionally helmed the network promos, graphics packages and celebrity host segments for the Halloween movie event featuring Kevin Smith. For the promos, the team worked with Smith shooting at a studio in downtown LA over the course of one day.n nThe AMC Fearfest collaboration cements BiG MACHiNE‘s evolution from a design & VFX company to a full-service creative & production agency, as evidenced by its body of content-driven work in long-format docudramas, high-end commercials, promos, and network packages.n n"AMC presented us with an exciting filmmaking commission," concludes Petersen. "It gave us a unique opportunity to go beyond the typical network promo and tap our diverse filmmaking range and resources for creating original, scripted content."n nCLICK HERE for more on BiG MACHiNE and AMC Fearfest.nnCreditsnProduction Company: BiG MACHiNEnDirector: Steve PetersennExecutive Producer: Sean OwolonProducer: David BerrentnnEditors:nNick Pezzillo (Blood Work, Sleep No More, Invasion & Abduction)nBrian Avenet-Bradley (Cannibals, Hallows Eve, Breaking Point & Bugged to Death)nKevin Murray (Evil Spirits)nSteve Petersen (Dead Pool)n nAbout BiG MACHiNE:nBiG MACHiNE is an award-winning visual production company founded in 2003 by Steve Petersen and Ken Carlson. BMD has produced visuals for everything from: film titles, advertising, TV shows, games, multi-screen experiences and mobile devices. Recent clients include Ubisoft, Nike, NFL Network, Warner Bros. / ABC, and Colgate. www.bigmachine.net
Contact:
BiG MACHiNE Mark Tillman Contact Mark via email
Goldcrest Post Speeds Delivery of “Severance” Season Two
Goldcrest Post provided post services for both seasons of Severance, including picture editorial support, sound editorial, ADR and sound mixing
The New York Times recently wrote that the just-released Season Two of Severance will “blow your mind”—and we couldn’t agree more. Created by Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller, the Apple TV+ drama is smart, spellbinding, distinctly original and packed with surprises. For those who aren’t already devoted fans, the show centers on Mark Scout (Adam Scott), leader of a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a “severance” procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. Goldcrest Post provided post services for both seasons of the show, including picture editorial support, sound editorial, ADR and sound mixing. Editorial for Season One began in 2020. Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Goldcrest supplied both onsite production offices and edit suites, and remote editing systems for individual editors, with everything linked to a central server. "Mixing at Goldcrest with our team has been a great experience,” says Stiller. “Bob and Jacob are in sync with our creative process and so good at what they do that the experience is always one where it's about how we can enhance the creative vision, with a baseline of knowing everyone is totally committed to making something as good as it can be." Diana Dekajlo, the show’s co-producer, says that the arrangement worked so well, they chose to continue the hybrid approach for Season Two. “We’re a remote friendly show,” she explains. “Whether we’re at Goldcrest, our studio in the Bronx or at home, our workflow is seamless. I conduct remote daily meetings with my immediate staff, and weekly meetings with editorial and VFX, and we talk to each other as if we were just down the hall. It makes for great staff... Read More
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